The Total Depravity of Man

I will explain from God's Holy Word the total depravity of a born into sin, unholy, walking in darkness, ungodly, unrighteous, spiritually dead sinner, who is separated from a Holy, Righteous God (which is everybody who is not born of the Spirit of God). I will also explain from God's Holy Word that a sinner cannot come to God for salvation, but rather God has to come to man, for man to abtain salvation from God. All scripture given is from the KJV of the Bible.

Lets see what the Word of God has to say about the condition of a spiritually dead sinner:

1. He cannot know the thoughts or the ways of God:

   "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

   "Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? Deeper than hell; what canst thou know?" (Job 11:7-8)

2. He cannot know his own heart:

   "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9)

3. He cannot properly direct his own path:

   "O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps." (Jeremiah 10:23)

   "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death." (Proverbs 14:12)

4. He cannot free himself from the curse of the Law of God:

   "For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them." (Galatians 3:10)

5. He cannot be justified by the Law of God:

   "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore be the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is knowledge of sin." (Romans 3:19-20)

6. He can not keep the Law of God:

   "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23)

   "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" (Romans 3:10)

7. He cannot do good:

   "The fool hath said in his heart, there is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Psalms 14:1-3)

   "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." (Psalms 58:3)

   "They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one." (Romans 312)

   "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that accustomed to do evil." (Jeremiah 17:9)

8. He cannot receive things from the Spirit of God:

   "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." (1 Corinthians 2:14)

9. He cannot understand God's Word:

   "He that is of God heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not because ye are not of God." (John 8:47)

   "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Corinthians 1:18)

10. He cannot decide to follow Jesus on his own:

"For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy." (Romans 9:15-16)

   "He answered and said unto them, because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given." (Matthew 13:11)

"Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and
bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the
Father in myname, he may give it you." (John 15:16)

   "No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise
him up at the last day." (John 6:44)

   "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God." (John 3:19-21)

   "And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were
given unto him of my Father," (John 6:65)

   "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;" (Ephesians 2:1)

In Genesis, God created man and He created man with a free will. God put the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil in the Garden of Eden. God told Adam not to eat of the tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, if you do in that day you will surly die. Adam did eat, but in that day he did not die physically but spiritually. He lived over 900 years, long after the fall of man. Spiritual death, physical death and sin entered the human race. Man's free will is under sin. Man is a slave to sin and spiritually dead and a slave obeys his master (Romans 6). Man is totally dependent on God for salvation. It is truly a gift from God and He is the author and finisher of our faith. Glory to the Lamb of God forever. Amen!

The Total Depravity of Man