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Home , Total depravity

‘Total’ Depravity?

One of the most comforting of is the understanding that God keeps his children safe and secure and that those who are in Christ need to never fear losing their . To believe that one of God’s children could slip through the cracks or be lost is foreign to the Bible. It is sad to see a Christian who is not solidly sure of his eternal security should he die in a given moment. When we understand the nature of salvation, and what it means to be saved “by grace” and “through faith” we can have a wonderful of our eternal future. Many scriptures talk about God’s strong arm in protecting his children: “No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand” (John 10:29); “Who by God’s power are being guarded” (I Peter 1:5); “him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory” (Jude 24); nothing “...will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:39.) These and other verses assure God’s children of the security of their eternal condition. These passages certainly teach that God’s plan is to maintain his children and uphold them until the end. They show that no outside force is capable of causing God to lose grip on his children.

Where people separate theologically comes because there are different views about who those children are and how they come to be in the ark of God’s safety in the first place. And understanding how one becomes a Christian definitely affects how one believes about how one “remains” in the love of God. The whole issue boils down to how depraved mankind is in his ability to understand God, see spiritual light, and respond to that light. These views go all the way back to understanding what happened when and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden.

In the first few centuries after Christianity began, early Christians were divided about the extent of Adam’s fall in the Garden. Most believed that there was some extent of depravity inherited from Adam, suggesting that we inherit a sickness and inclination, but this did not extend to a state of total depravity. In the early fifth century a man named taught that Adam’s had no hereditary effect whatsoever on his children, and that there is not even an inclination toward depravity in a person until he sinned personally. This extreme view of “lack of depravity” was countered by an equally extreme pendulum swing of Augustine who proclaimed that man was totally depraved from birth and inherited all of Adam’s guilt.

Various views emerged in the years to follow, each being an effort to try to balance the extreme views of Pelagius and Augustine. The most predominant “middle” view is known today as “semi- ,” which is the view that Anabaptists and held during the time of the . Augustine’s view was adopted by and . Calvin is the one who expanded Augustine’s teaching which developed into his “T.U.L.I.P.” , “T” = Total Depravity, “U” = , “L” = (God limiting the extent of his saving work only to the elect), “I” = Irresistable Grace, and “P” = Perseverance of the .

It is fairly clear to see that the foundational and pivotal position upon which all the other tenets of rests is the first one, the of total depravity. If one believes that man is so depraved that he can only budge spiritually if God infuses him with spiritual life, then one could understand why the Calvin’s teaching of “Unconditional Election” would have to be true. Since no one could save themselves, God would have to do everything, even down to deciding who he would hand pick to be his “elect.” And of course Jesus’ sacrifice would extend only to that group, so you could basically reinterpret John 3:16 to say, “For God so loved “his elect” that he gave his only Son, that those who were chosen to be in the “elect” group would not perish, but have eternal life.”

Also, saying that humans are depraved beyond responding suggests that nothing could thwart God’s design to save this elect group. The hand-picked fortunate ones would be touched to have faith, and would have no choice but to respond, period! Proponents of this view say that man’s “” is not thwarted in this whole process, but the Calvinistic belief in “” teaches that man’s free will is so distorted that he cannot accept or reject salvation of his own free will choice. That choice has been made for him by God.

And lastly, if God is the one who picks, touches, inspires, and saves only certain ones, it follows that nothing will stand in the way of them crossing the finish line. Their protection and “perseverance” is guaranteed by God so that they will not fall away. To a Calvinist, “getting” saved and “staying” saved are all God’s work.

Believers in this doctrine, whether called Augustinianism, Calvinism, or Reformed Theology, say that this is the view that must be held or we would be depreciating the value of other important Christian doctrines such as , conversion, , ransom, reconciliation, and . They would say that those who reject Calvinism are implying that that man can be good enough to save himself, and that a Christian can somehow by his own initiative keep his own salvation intact. In short, proponents of the doctrine of extreme Calvinism believe that God’s grace is at stake, and that any doctrine which allows the possibility of man having anything to do with his own salvation is an affront to the grace of God.

This may sound good on the surface, but this view distorts and misrepresents another viewpoint held by the early church before the days of Augustine. The truth is, not all believers and intelligent Bible thinkers follow Augustine’s extreme view of Total Depravity and the mountain of scriptures that have been built to buttress it. There exists an equally large mountain of scripture that suggests that we can and should understand this topic from another perspective. As Pelagius wrongly over-elevated the strength of man to make it where salvation depended solely upon HIM, Augustine has over-elevated the weakness of man to the point where man has no say, no part in the process of salvation AT ALL.

Yet we find many indications of scripture that indicate salvation is linked in a very important way to man’s free will and the decision that ALL people have to freely accept or reject the message of God. Granted, this free will and decision making ability may be something that has been given to him BY God, which technically does allow God to be the author of all salvation, from beginning to end. But it is essential for us to understand just what it is that God has GIVEN to man. And we need to understand how this gift has been offered to ALL mankind, not just a few hand-picked souls. And we will see the sad truth that only a few (the elect) will apply the gift given to them in such a way as to result in their personal salvation. To them all the benefits of God’s protection certainly apply in the fullest!

For starters, proponents of extreme Calvinism are dismissive in their treatment of the many, many “conditional” Bible passages that use words such as “if” or “provided that.” These scriptures indicate that as one condition exists because of a decision we have made as humans, another condition could likewise exist given another decision. The vast majority of scriptures in the New Testament show that ‘staying’ in a certain position is just as important as ‘getting’ in that position. This may sound like blasphemy to a Calvinist, but that is only because they associate the words, “staying saved” with the unbiblical notion of ‘doing’ something, ‘living a certain way’, or ‘working’ to earn salvation.

Here are a few of these conditional passages. Many, interestingly enough, appear side-by-side scriptures used to support the Calvinistic teaching that it is impossible for a person to forfeit their salvation. * Colossians 1:22-23, Jesus CAN and WILL “present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him (God) “IF” indeed you continue in the faith.

* Hebrews 6:4-6 “It is impossible to restore again to repentance those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and who have shared in the Holy spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they then ‘fall away.’” (The suggestion that that these people were not actually ever Christians can only emerge if one holds the extreme view of Calvinism. The natural and contextual understanding of this verse shows otherwise.)

* Jude 21 “Keep yourself in the love of God” (interestingly, Jude 24 is used to support the doctrine of “Once saved, always saved” but fails to see that the benefits of this “protection” are given to those who keep themselves in the love of God.

* Matthew 10:22 “He who endures to the end will be saved”

* John 8:31 “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples.”

* John 15:1-6 “Every branch of mine that does not bear fruit, he takes away … abide in me.”

* Romans 11:17-22 “Note then the kindness and the severity of God; severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness.”

* I Corinthians 15:1-2 “Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you were saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.”

* Galatians 5:4, (Speaking to Christians who have shifted their belief to now think they can be saved by their own works) “You are severed from Christ … you have fallen from grace.”

These scriptures all apply to people who are in a saved relationship. They cannot refer to people who were never saved in the first place. It is not by our own power that we endure. It is not by our own power that we remain. But it is by our own choice that we avail ourselves of the power that causes us to endure and remain.

All of these conditional scriptures are not designed to frighten believers or to call into question the power of God to protect his children. They are related to the question of our free will and how able we are to make choices that affect our relationship with God. Contrary to Calvinism, they suggest that man’s free will is very much active and alive in the decision process of whether or not one responds to the calling of God.

The question must then be asked, where does the power to make such a choice of free will come from? If mankind is so depraved and incapable of comprehension of spiritual realities as a Calvinist would suggest, how could it be possible that we could have the power to choose? If ALL people have the power to choose, does this not suggest that it is wrong to believe that the choice to actually follow God only belongs to a certain hand-picked group of people that God “elects”?

Calvinists will view these problem “conditional” verses and explain them away in ways which suit their own interpretation, such as twisting II Peter 3:9 to say, “ is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you (who belong to the elect), not wishing that any (of those in the elect group) should perish, but that all (in this elect group) should reach repentance. (Italics being MAN’S interpretation, not God’s Word.) The Bible would attribute the universal calling and universal recognition of that call to the truth (unlike Augustine’s teaching) that when man fell in the Garden of Eden, he did not lose all of his ability to receive spiritual signals from God. Despite the fall, mankind still retains the “.” (Genesis 9:6, James 3:9) Only if that image were totally lost could we say that man would be totally depraved. Notice several scriptures that affirm the ability of ALL people (not just the elect) not only to perceive the light of God, but also to respond to that light in a positive or negative way.

 Acts 17:26ff God “made from one man every nation of mankind ... that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us … for we are indeed his offspring.”

 Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He has put eternity into man’s heart” This information is limited in its scope, but why would God have placed such information into mankind, if he knew it meant nothing?

 Psalm 8:5 “You have made him (man) a little lower than the angels, and crowned him with glory and honor.”

 Romans 1:19ff “What can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.” (This light is given to people who would later reject him, so to prove that more than the elect can see God’s light and have the capability of making a choice.)

While these passages affirm the reality that man, even in his depraved state, has the capability of receiving spiritual signals, the Bible also recognizes that this image has been corrupted through sin. But through Jesus, this image can be restored and renewed into a new creation. Ephesians 4:22 shows that our former nature was corrupted through deceitful desires, but as Christians we are renewed in the Spirit of our minds.

The truth of the matter is that all people are (or more accurately, have become) depraved, yet not to the extent that he is not able to make spiritual choices. This means that God in his power and by his grace has caused mankind to retain a spark, a divine ember. This spark cannot save a man. It cannot be fanned into flame by man. Left to ourselves, we would certainly die in our sin.

But it is wrong to say that God hand selects certain people to be saved, then ignites faith into the completely cold souls of those people. Some might say, “Well, what about verses like Philippians 1:29 that show that faith is something that is granted to people?” This verse and others like it only show that God has granted that this group of people was given the opportunity to be exposed to the Gospel and so exert their free-will choice to exercise their faith. Some cite Ephesians 2:8 to erroneously say that faith is the gift of God. The context of this verse shows that the gift is not faith, but is in fact salvation itself (which comes by God’s grace, applied through man’s faith.

God’s grace has given mankind a very special gift, the gift of choosing for himself whether or not he wants to be associated with God. Some may say man has no capability of even turning his head one way or another. It is true that everything that happens after man makes his decision to follow God is associated to the power of God working within that individual.

But God’s gracious provision of free will is what helps us to make sense of passages that talk about our salvation as being a gift of God that comes to those who choose to receive that gift by faith. If man had no choice but to receive what God gave, how would God be honored or truly feel a sense of reciprocated love? A dead tree disintegrates into the soil by processes of God’s design that the tree has no choice but to obey. God did not create mankind with so little ability to respond, even in our fallen state. Are we called to believe in a God who is powerful enough to create beings in whom his own image dwells, yet who is impotent against sin and incapable of maintaining that image within man after he fell in sin?

Such a balanced view of God’s power joining hands with the receptive heart of “whosoever will” also explains verses like I Peter 1:4-5, a verse whose first half is always quoted by Calvinists, but whose second half is generally not mentioned. Our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, unfading, and kept in for you, “Who by God’s power are being guarded THROUGH FAITH for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” Protection by the power of God means that God will be faithful to his promise of protecting his children. He will provide all the power, all the resources, all the tools we need to be protected from our enemy.

And our part of the process, as Peter says, “through faith,” has nothing to do with working, striving, or struggling with sin for which we have been forgiven. It simply involves, as Jude 21 says, “Keeping in the love of God,” remaining within that umbrella of power and safety. Some say it is blasphemous to teach that humans have any part in salvation. The alternative is to relegate the activity of humans to robotic creatures who have no more of an ability to resist the mighty power of God than a rock falling because of gravity. It would teach that God would cast away people to experience the suffering of separation in hell (however one so chooses to understand that state) for not acknowledging him or putting their faith in Jesus … but understanding that this is a faith they were never “touched” to receive because they happened to not be part of the “elect.” It is an affront to the justice and holiness of God to say people will suffer because God did not happen to infuse them with spiritual muscles with which to grasp onto the life- raft floating in front of their face.

It is equally blasphemous to say that God’s Word is only strong enough to extend to the hearts of certain pre-determined people. Denying that the Word of God has the power to draw all people to Jesus totally disregards the purpose of God’s word and Christ’s message to save sinners. It denies the whole premise of evangelism, and denies the power of prayer to effectively touch the heart of a sinner. It denies the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of all people in the world as John 16:8 affirms, convicting people of sin, righteousness and judgment.

The Gospel is powerful enough to save ALL men, although most will not respond to its message. If a Calvinist wants to say, “Only those who respond are the elect,” that would be Biblical enough. Saying “The elect are those who DO respond” is a far cry from saying, “The elect are the only ones who have the opportunity or ability to respond.”

Calvinists say that we are not at liberty to question the sovereign and perfect plan of God. And if it seems unfair to those who are not of the elect, one should consider that it would be an act of grace for even ONE person to be saved. Given our sin, every one of us deserve to be separated from God. Calvinists don’t deal with the issue of justice or fairness other than to say, “Hey, if God planned it this way, then it must be good, because His ways are perfect.” That is another way of saying, “Who are we to argue?” Which brings us to a very important scripture dealing with this issue of God’s fairness.

This passage of scripture that is so important to understanding the Biblical position of grace, faith, and how God determines who is saved or not is found in Romans 9. Some confuse the doctrine of election in this chapter to say that it is God’s prerogative to choose whoever he wants to be saved, and that none of us can argue since we all were destined to perish anyway. This misinterprets the argument of Paul in this chapter. What this passage is teaching refers to two different elections. In Romans 9:6-22 Paul is referring to the election of service or ministry. He is not referring to election to salvation (just yet, anyway.) God can use any person and any means to accomplish His divine purposes. If his means and choices seem unfair or arbitrary, such as infusing life into a 90 year old woman, or elevating Pharaoh one minute and hardening his heart the next, or opting to bless a second born son instead of the first, in the end we don’t have the liberty or the luxury of arguing with God, because his sovereign will, while it defies human logic at times, is perfect.

Paul uses these Old Testament analogies of Isaac, Jacob and Pharaoh to affirm a very important truth about God’s choice of who he determines will be saved. In verse 24, Paul shifts gears and now discusses the topic of those who are “chosen to be saved.” The same logic used earlier also applies to God’s choice of how he opts to save people. As God can use any means he desires to accomplish his purposes when he elects people to service, God can likewise use any means he desires to accomplish His divine purpose of choosing his elect who are saved.

While the Jews felt it would have been ‘logical’ and ‘fair’ for God to use “physical heritage” as the basis of his salvation, God had another criteria in mind. God chose BY HIS GRACE and in His good and sovereign design, to allow humans to actually have a choice in the matter. This is a big part of the mystery of the gospel of Christ. His choice for salvation involves “personal faith in Jesus Christ,” which ANY person is able to give or refuse (verse 30). God’s giving ALL humans the free choice to respond in faith is what allows him to be perfectly just in his judgment. Had people not been able to respond in faith because they were never given that gift, God would have been unjust to condemn. As it stands, all people have the ability to hear, see, and thus choose, or reject, and thus all stand accountable to God for their choice.

II Thessalonians 1:8 is a reminder that vengeance will in time be executed on “those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord, Jesus.” This knowledge is not referring to ignorance about God but rather the inexcusable refusal to acknowledge what light one sees that is given to all people BY God. This vengeance especially applies to a person who rejects the light of God which includes information about Jesus Christ. Even if Calvinists acknowledge that God gives light (by his grace) to all totally depraved people, will they say that God only gives the elect the power to respond positively?

Calvinists would say, “We have faith because we are the Elect.” The Bible teaches that “We are of the Elect because we have faith.” To one believing in Total Depravity, this option of faith extends only to those people whom God has elected. Only the elect would be touched by God to even be able to COME to faith in Jesus. But as we have seen, this understanding of man’s depravity nullifies a multitude of scriptures, and negates even the words of Jesus Christ, “If I be lifted up I will draw ALL men to myself.”

We must understand that no matter how popular and entrenched in the religious mindset the doctrine of individual and personal election to salvation is, it is in reality a doctrine which was developed of necessity to support Augustine’s initial doctrine of total depravity. Total depravity says that, “All people, if left to themselves, will not choose to put their faith in Jesus.” They would accuse people who disagree with them of thinking that man is greater than he really is.

However, the Bible demonstrates that people who would believe man is totally depraved and incapable of even lifting a finger toward God in fact are viewing man as lower than God has created him and sustained him to be. Yes, we do have a depraved nature, but that nature is depraved because of what WE do and choices WE make, not because of anything that Adam did.

In fact, Romans 5:12-19 affirms this truth. If people had understood and applied the truth of this passage, this whole conversation about how depraved mankind is would not even be an issue. While we are very depraved, and we follow the footsteps of Adam in that none of us have the capability of living anywhere near perfect lives, our fallen-ness has not so decimated us that we have lost God’s inherent “nature” within us. We retain the ability to see light, to understand light, and to turn our heads toward light.

Whatever one may believe about the extent of Adam’s sin upon the human race, whether they agree with Pelagius, Augustine, or whoever, the truth of the matter is that to whatever extent Adam’s sin extended to mankind, that consequence has been nullified by the effect of Jesus dying on the cross. Now that Adam’s sin no longer has any effect on our own personal situation, the only thing that affects our situation in God’s eyes is our own individual life and our own personal choice of how we will respond to the promise and calling of Jesus as presented in the gospel message of salvation.

Romans 5 is a clear proclamation that our status before God is one of identification. When we identify with Adam and his sin, we also identify with all of the results of that sin, including separation from God, and death, both spiritually and physically. But when Jesus came, he undid the effects of what Adam brought. In the place of separation we now have inclusion. In the place of death we now have life. Granted, physical life may still be our lot, but through the even this has been remedied! Some might say, “Hey, you can’t say Jesus undid everything Adam did or else it would mean everyone is going to be saved!” No, remember what was said earlier. Romans 5 is discussing identification. When we identify with Adam (as ALL do) we identify with the consequences of his actions. But when we identify with Jesus (as SOME will) the benefits of Jesus apply to us. This is the group that can confidently claim to be part of the elect! If one believes the Bible teaches that at one time man began life in a state of “Total Depravity,” they must now acknowledge that because of Jesus’ atoning work, mankind now begins in a state of “Total Grace!” And it is only through our personal sin and knowledge of how our actions separate us from God that we then “become” depraved and in need of a savior. This is why children are OK in God’s eyes and not accountable for their until the age of accountability.

I do believe that many people on both sides of this argument have been guilty of misrepresenting the position of the other side. Calvinists say that any other view creates fear and uncertainty in the hearts of Christians (because they wrongly assume no other group understands freedom and security properly.) Some would probably say I have misrepresented Calvinists in many of the assertions I make here. In the end, the truth of the matter is to be found in that which all groups would agree. Evangelism of the lost is still essential. Prayer still matters. Humanity is still lost in its sin without Jesus. Jesus Christ came to answer that need. Faith in Jesus is the only way to have the righteousness we need imputed to us. The guilt of human sin was remedied on the cross by Jesus Christ. Those who endure to the end will be saved. Christians can always anchor their hearts in the multitude of scriptures that remind us of the security and protection God gives to his children.

In the end, no matter how one views the doctrine of election, all of God’s people will end up in the right place, and fortunately for all of us who are imperfect in our understandings, there will be no mistakes made when it comes to God’s judgments.