Anchored in Reality, Advancing in Humility

Doctrine 5

Slide 1

"We believe that our first parents were created in a state of innocency, but by their disobedience, they lost their purity and happiness, and that in consequence of their fall, all men have become sinners, totally depraved, and as such are justly exposed to the wrath of God."

Primary Text: Romans 5:12–21

Big Idea: An honest understanding of humanity's brokenness is the foundation for appreciating the greatness of God's grace. The deeper our understanding of the Fall, the greater our wonder at Christ.

Introduction: The Question Beneath Every Worldview

Slide 2

Question: Are people inherently good or inherently evil?

This question shapes nearly every philosophy of life.

If people are basically good, the solution is education, opportunity, and better systems.

If people are simply victims of circumstance, the solution is changing environments.

If the problem lies deeper, then humanity needs more than reform—it needs redemption.

Scripture offers a different answer than either optimism or cynicism.

Humanity was created good. Genesis 1:26–31 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them.... 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.”

Humanity is no longer what it was created to be.

The image of God remains, but it has been profoundly distorted by sin.

Romans 5 explains not simply why individuals sin, but why the entire human race needs saving.

I. Adam's Fall Became Humanity's Reality

Slide 3

Romans 5:12–14

Romans 5:12–14 “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— 13 for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. 14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.”

Paul presents Adam as the representative head of humanity.

Through one man's disobedience:

Sin entered the world.

Death entered through sin.

Death spread to all humanity.

The issue is larger than imitation. Humanity exists under the reign of sin and death.

This raises an important theological question:

Is sin merely something we do, or is it a condition into which we are born?

Church history offers us two perspectives that attempt to answer this question.

Slide 4

Pelagius

Pelagius argued:

Adam provided a bad example.

Every person is born morally neutral.

Human beings possess the natural ability to obey God.

Grace assists obedience but is not necessary for it.

In Pelagius’s view, Humanity becomes sinful because individuals choose to sin.

Augustine

Augustine argued:

Adam's fall fundamentally changed humanity.

Sin is not merely behaviour but bondage.

Humanity is born with a corrupted nature.

Apart from grace, no one can turn to God.

Humanity sins because humanity is already captive to sin.

Romans 5 clearly reflects Augustine's understanding.

Supporting Scriptures:

John 8:34 — slaves to sin. John 8:34 “34 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin.”

Ephesians 2:1–3 — dead in transgressions. Ephesians 2:1–3 “1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 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— 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.”

Psalm 51:5 — humanity's fallen condition. Psalm 51:5 “5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”

The doctrine begins with realism rather than optimism.

II. Total Depravity: The Extent of the Fall

Total depravity is the biblical doctrine that, because of the Fall, sin has affected every aspect of human nature—our mind, will, affections, body, and relationships—so that, apart from God's grace, we are unable to love God, seek Him, or save ourselves.

Total depravity is often misunderstood.

It does not mean:

Every person is as evil as possible.

Every action is completely sinful.

Humanity has lost the image of God altogether.

It means:

Sin has affected every dimension of human existence.

Nothing remains untouched.

Slide 5

Building on the idea of Total Depravity, John Wesley embraced Augustine's understanding of humanity's helplessness while refusing to conclude that humanity is abandoned by God.

Wesley's Threefold Cord Against Heaven

Humanity is bound in three interconnected ways.

Blind Mind

The intellect remains capable of tremendous knowledge, yet cannot naturally perceive or embrace spiritual truth.

1 Corinthians 2:14 “14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

Romans 1:21 “21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”

Perverse Will

Human beings still make genuine choices, but their desires are bent away from God.

Romans 8:7–8 “7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”

John 6:44 “44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

Freedom remains, but it is freedom exercised within bondage.

Disordered Affections

Humanity continues to love passionately.

The problem is not the absence of love but the misdirection of love.

Created things become ultimate things.

Comfort, pleasure, success, possessions, reputation, and self occupy the place that belongs to God alone.

This echoes Augustine's understanding that sin is fundamentally disordered love.

The Fall affects:

how we think,

what we choose,

what we love.

Humanity's greatest problem is not ignorance but alienation.

The doctrine of total depravity explains why education cannot cure sin, politics cannot eliminate evil, and religion cannot transform the heart apart from grace.

III. Grace Moves First

Romans 5:15–21

Paul deliberately shifts attention away from Adam toward Christ.

Repeated emphasis:

gift

grace

abundance

much more

Adam introduces death.

Christ introduces life.

Adam's act brings condemnation.

Christ's work brings justification.

Adam's reign is overcome by the reign of grace.

Slides 6 & 7

Romans 5:15–19

Romans 5:15–19 “15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. 18 Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. 19 For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.”

This passage supports several key truths:

We are born into a humanity shaped by Adam's fall. Humanity's problem is deeper than individual sins.

Paul's repeated "much more" emphasizes that Christ's work is not merely sufficient—it is overwhelmingly abundant. Grace is always greater than sin.

Everything described is a "gift," not an achievement. Salvation is God's initiative.

The Christian life is not about trying harder within Adam's old humanity but about participating in the new humanity created in Christ. Christ is the new head of humanity.

Wesley's Doctrine of Prevenient Grace

If humanity cannot restore itself, then God must always act first.

Prevenient grace is God's enabling grace.

It:

precedes conversion,

awakens conscience,

convicts of sin,

restores the ability to respond,

invites rather than compels.

Grace is always God's initiative.

Supporting Scriptures:

John 6:44 “44 No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.”

Titus 2:11 “11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people,”

Philippians 2:13 “13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

Prevenient grace preserves two biblical truths.

God is always the first mover.

Human response remains genuine.

This distinguishes Wesley from both Pelagius and later deterministic approaches.

Pelagius overestimated humanity.

Some later traditions minimized human response.

Wesley insisted that salvation is entirely by grace while affirming that grace genuinely enables every person to respond to God's invitation.

IV. Reality Produces Humility

Doctrine 5 dismantles every illusion of self-sufficiency.

No one earns salvation.

No one discovers God through superior wisdom.

No one possesses greater spiritual ability than another.

Every Christian stands where they stand because grace reached them first.

This is important, because without this perspective, we would be tempted to wear our salvation, to wear our holiness as a badge of honour. Or to hold ourselves to a higher status than others. We could be tempted to see ourselves as “arrived” or having it all together.

We anchor ourselves to the reality that we are all sinners. Without Christ, we are all hopeless. And there is absolutely nothing you and I could do in our own strength to change that.

Except surrender. Surrender to the one who cleanses us of our sinful condition. Surrender to the one who sanctifies us wholly.

When we do this, we see how this doctrine reshapes how Christians view others.

We see that every person bears both:

the dignity of God's image,

the tragedy of humanity's fall.

No one is beyond the reach of grace. (Hallelujah!)

Evangelism becomes an act of hope because prevenient grace is already at work before believers ever arrive.

So we don’t go out because we are better than anyone else. We don’t go out a Lord our salvation over people. And church, I certainly hope we don’t go out and judge people for their sins, or compare our sins to the sins of others! Because if we get real honest with ourselves, without the blood of Jesus… we are just like them.

And so we meet the sin of this world with our humility. We anchor ourselves in the reality of who we are- totally depraved- and we advance in humility because of the hope we have in Jesus. We meet the sin in this world with love, grace and mercy. With compassion. With hope.

Holiness becomes an act of gratitude rather than self-improvement because transformation continues through the same grace that first awakened faith.

Conclusion

Romans 5 never leaves humanity in Adam.

The chapter moves steadily toward Christ.

Paul's emphasis is not simply that Christ reverses Adam's work.

Grace exceeds the damage of the Fall.

Sin reigns—but grace reigns more powerfully.

Death spreads—but life overcomes death.

Condemnation enters through one man—but justification is offered through One greater than Adam.

The final word over humanity is not sin.

The final word is grace.

Slide 8

"Where sin increased, grace increased all the more." (Romans 5:20)

Series Connection

To be anchored in reality is to see ourselves honestly: created in God's image, profoundly fallen, utterly dependent on grace.

To advance in humility is to recognize that every step toward God begins with God's gracious initiative. The same grace that awakens sinners continues to justify, sanctify, and empower them for holy living.

Reflection

And so today, this message is hopefully a reminder for us all of the state we are in when we come before the cross.

Hungry, weary, empty, broken. Totally lost. Totally depraved.

But we are also reminded that the story does not leave us there. Once exposed to the wrath of God. Once devoid of joy and happiness. We now come surrendered, seen and saved.

Is that your story this morning? Where have you come from?

Maybe the mercy seat for you this morning is a place of gratitude. Remembering where you came from. Grateful that God didn’t leave you there.

Maybe the mercy seat for you this morning is a place of recommitment. You’ve lost your way recently, but thank goodness God didn’t leave you there! Maybe this morning you return to a place of surrender.

Maybe this morning you are here and want to make this commitment for the first time. You are ready to accept the reality of your situation before the Lord and the advance in humility to the foot of the cross to accept forgiveness.

Church, this morning I invite you to come. To receive. To humble yourselves before the Lord. To accept and celebrate something only He could do.

As we sing, please respond as the spirit leads. Bring yourself before him this morning.