Basic Bible Doctrine (Part 06) – Total Depravity (Part 1)

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1. The Nature of Man (Total Depravity)
   1. When Adam and Eve were created by God, they were created very good (Gen 1:27,31).
      1. They were created in God’s very own image.
      2. They were pure and had no concept of evil (Gen 2:25).
      3. God made man upright (Ecc 7:29).
   2. Adam was given a law: he could not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:17).
      1. The day that he ate of it he would surely die.
      2. Adam ate of the fruit (Gen 3:6).
      3. Adam died that day, but not physically (Gen 5:5).
      4. Adam died spiritually on that day.
      5. They were created upright, but had sought out many inventions (Ecc 7:29).
      6. Invention – Something devised; a method of action, etc. contrived by the mind; a device, contrivance, design, plan, scheme.
   3. After sinning against God and dying spiritually a marked change happened to them.
      1. They went from being naked and unashamed to knowing they were naked and trying to cover their shame and their sin (Gen 3:7 c/w Job 31:33).
      2. They went from having communion with God to hiding from Him and being afraid of Him (Gen 3:8-9).
      3. They resorted to blaming others for their sin (Gen 3:12-13).
      4. They went from being blessed of God (Gen 1:28) to being cursed of God (Gen 3:16-17).
   4. Adam passed his spiritual nature which was dead in sin to all of his progeny.
      1. Whereas Adam was created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 5:1), Adam begat children in his own image and likeness (Gen 5:3).
      2. Sin and death entered into the world by Adam (Rom 5:12).
      3. Death passed upon all men though Adam (Rom 5:12).
         1. This death is spiritual (Eph 2:1).
         2. Dead – 1. That has ceased to live; deprived of life; in that state in which the vital functions and powers have come to an end, and are incapable of being restored:

• When a person is spiritually dead, their spiritual vital functions and power have come to an end and are incapable of being restored.

1. All men are found in this condition by nature (Eph 2:3).

1. By Adam’s sin, all of his offspring were made sinners (Rom 5:19).
2. By Adam’s sin, men are born condemned and under judgment (Rom 5:16-18).
3. Men are sinners from:
   1. Youth (Gen 8:21; Pro 22:15).
   2. Birth (Psa 58:3).

• Conception (Psa 51:5; Isa 48:8).

5. The characteristics of men in their natural state of death in trespasses and sins.
   1. What does a person who is dead in trespasses and sins act like? What can or can’t he do?
   2. Men under sin exhibit the following characteristics:
      1. They are not righteous, not even one of them (Rom 3:9-10).
         1. Far from being righteous, they are free from it (Rom 6:20).
         2. All their apparent righteousnesses are as filthy rags to God (Isa 64:6).
         3. They are as an unclean thing before God (Isa 64:6).
         4. Adam made himself unclean, so naturally his children would be unclean (Job 14:4).
         5. They can’t change their nature anymore than an Ethiopian can change his skin color or a leopard can change his spots (Jer 13:23).
      2. They have no spiritual understanding (Rom 3:11).
         1. They can’t understand Jesus’ words (Joh 8:43).
            • The reason they can’t understand Jesus’ words is because they can’t hear them (Joh 8:43).
            • The reason they can’t hear God’s words is because they are not born of God (Joh 8:47).
         2. The preaching of the gospel is foolishness to them (1Co 1:18).
            • It’s foolishness to them because they can’t understand it.
            • The reason it is foolishness to them and the reason they can’t receive it is because they are natural men (1Co 2:14).
            • A natural man is a man without the spirit which is of God (1Co 2:12 c/w 1Co 2:14).
            • The man who has been given the spirit which is of God can know the things that are given to him of God (1Co 2:12).
            • But the natural man without the spirit of God can’t know the things of the Spirit of God because those things are spiritually discerned, and he has not the spirit which is of God to discern (understand) them (1Co 2:14).
         3. Since they can’t hear nor understand the gospel, neither can they believe it (Joh 10:26).
            • Notice that the reason they don’t believe is because they are not Jesus’ sheep.
            • Jesus did not say the reason that they are not His sheep is because they don’t believe.
            • Jesus’ sheep are those to whom He gave eternal life (Joh 10:27-28).
            • Those who are not His sheep are goats that don’t have eternal life (Mat 25:31-33,41).
            • They can’t please God (Rom 8:8).
              1. Notice it doesn’t say they do not please God, but rather that they cannot please God.
              2. One reason that they can’t please God is because they don’t have faith (Heb 11:6; 2Th 3:2).
              3. And if they can’t please God, they therefore cannot believe in Jesus Christ (1Jo 3:22-23).

1. Since they can’t hear, understand, nor believe the word of God, neither will they, nor can they, submit to it (Rom 8:7).
   • Subject – adj 1. That is under the dominion or rule of a sovereign, or a conquering or ruling power; owing allegiance or obedience to a sovereign ruler or state, a temporal or spiritual lord, or other superior.
   • Notice is doesn’t say they won’t be subject to the law of God, but rather that they can’t be subject to it.