What is Total Depravity?

This relates to the concept of free will and election—something of a follow-up thought

In the discussion of that topic we read through Ephesians 2:1–5 “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—”

Though the term is point #1 of the 5 points of Calvinism, it can also be accurately described as “total inability,” “righteous incapability,” “radical corruption” or even “moral inability.”

No matter which name you use to refer to “total depravity,” the fact remains that when properly understood it is an accurate description of what the Bible does teach on this important subject.

(https://www.gotquestions.org/total-depravity.html)

We can trace the concept from earliest writings

It is a result of the fall of man in Genesis 3:6 “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.”

That was the human will overriding the directive of God

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Isaiah 64:6 “We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

Psalm 51:1–5 “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

It follows through to the NT in Paul’s writings (Eph. 5, above), Romans 3:9–11 “What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.” .

The term is connected to the term:

Original Sin

Original sin is the propensity to sin that affects all human beings as a result of Adam’s fall. While this propensity is not simply an act of the will, it has the character of sin and does not serve as an excuse for actual sins. (Lexham Survey of Theology)

The Lexham Bible Dictionary Original Sin

ORIGINAL SIN A term referring to the universal defect in human nature caused by the fall, entailing the loss of original righteousness and the distortion of the image of God (imago

We see this from the violence recounted in Genesis, up to the flood, and picking up again immediately after

Again, looking to Paul in

Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” and

Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—”

In the early church

Augustine (AD 354–430) framed the classical notion of original sin. Original sin refers to both (a) the first historical sin of humankind, and (b) the bondage to sin that is transmitted to the generations by a distortion of the will (i.e., concupiscence)

In the Middle Ages

Medieval theologians were largely concerned with clarifying the nature and transmission of original sin. While Thomas Aquinas (AD 1225–1274) affirmed a historical fall of Adam and Eve, he nevertheless viewed the Garden of Eden as a place of spiritual turmoil, where, by the grace of God, Adam and Eve were able to withstand such turmoil by their state of innocence. Yet with their turning away from God, Adam and Eve lost the gift of habitual grace upon which their state of innocence rested. Hence, original sin is transmitted as a state of human nature (Aquinas, Summa Theologiæ part 1, q. 95; part 1 of part 2, q. 81–82; Johnson, “Augustine and Aquinas”).

(Both quotes from The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Middle Ages)

The Discussion

Can we remove original sin?

The Roman position is that baptism of an infant removes the stain of original sin, effectively granting the new birth—they abuse John 3 to get there

This and the follow-up sacraments are effective for the removal of sins

Ex opere operato is a Latin expression meaning “by the work worked.” It refers to the fact that the sacraments confer grace when the sign is validly effected — not as the result of activity on the part of the recipent but by the power and promise of God.

This eliminates responsibility, confession and repentance

We understand it differently—Biblically--

Original sin defines us in that we are all sinners in need of salvation

Salvation must be personal—not corporate; by an act of faith, not by participating in a sacrament or rite

Our Response

Let’s not get lost in the gory details

We must agree that we are sinful and in need of salvation—that’s why Jesus came, paid the penalty for our sin, rose and now reigns

We must look at the 1 John 1:5–10 “This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”