TOTAL DEPRAVITY vs THE BIBLE

Total Depravity

Key Critiques:

  • Total depravity, as defined by Calvinism, denies human freewill and teaches all people are utterly incapable of choosing good or responding to God without irresistible grace.

  • This contradicts both human experience and Scripture, which show people reasoning, resisting sin (e.g., Cain), and being invited to repent.

  • Calvinists claim babies are born bearing Adam's guilt and are "enslaved to sin" from conception, yet Scripture (e.g., Ezekiel 18:20) refutes inherited guilt.

  • God’s grief over mankind’s evil (Gen. 6:6) shows He did not preordain sin, but hoped for repentance.

  • Scriptural examples (e.g., Balaam, Cain, Noah) show individuals had the ability to choose righteousness or disobedience, refuting total inability.

Total Depravity – A Biblical Critique

🏛️ The Calvinist Claim:

Calvinism teaches that man is so utterly fallen due to Adam’s sin that he is spiritually dead—totally unable to understand, desire, or seek God. His will is in bondage to sin, and he cannot even believe the gospel unless God first regenerates him.

This doctrine becomes the foundation for the rest of TULIP, asserting that without unconditional election and irresistible grace, no one would ever be saved.

🔍 The Biblical Rebuttal:

Scripture affirms human depravity—but not total inability. Man is sinful and lost, yet capable of hearing, understanding, and responding to God’s voice.

⚖️ Biblical Truth: Man Is Fallen, But Not Incapable

  1. God’s Commands Presume Capacity to Respond
    God constantly calls people to repent, believe, and obey. These commands are sincere offers, not theatrical performances.

  • Isaiah 1:18 – “Come now, let us reason together…”

  • Ezekiel 18:30 – “Repent and turn from all your offenses…”

  • Acts 17:30 – “God now commands all people everywhere to repent.”

  1. The Gospel Is Preached for a Response
    Faith comes by hearing (Romans 10:17), and the gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).

  2. Conviction by the Holy Spirit Is Universal

  • John 16:8 – The Spirit convicts the world of sin—not just the elect.

  • John 1:9 – Jesus is the true Light who gives light to everyone.

  1. Spiritual Death Does Not Mean Inability
    “Dead in sin” (Ephesians 2:1) does not mean incapable of response. The Prodigal Son was “dead” and yet chose to return (Luke 15:24).

🔚 Conclusion:

Total depravity is biblical—but total inability is not. God draws, teaches, and calls all people, and those who humble themselves can believe and be saved.

Next: > Unconditional Election vs The Bible

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