A CHRISTIAN VIEW

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THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN

There are those who teach that the sin of Adam was imputed to all men causing total depravity, rendering, all men, incapable of free-will, the inability to perform any righteous act, unable to respond to the gospel unless God imputes him with faith so he can believe, totally morally corrupt, and under bondage to his evil nature, and that he has no free-will.

ARE MEN BORN TOTALLY DEPRAVED

Ecclesiastes 7:26 And I discovered more bitter than death the woman whose heart is snares and nets, whose hands are chains. One who is pleasing to God will escape from her, but the sinner will be captured by her.

How could a totally depraved man ever be pleasing to God?

Ecclesiastes 7:29 "Behold, I found only this, that God made men upright, but they have sought out many devices."

God made men upright. Not totally depraved. Men choose to sin of their own free-will.

Psalm 37:17 For the arms of the wicked will be broke, But the Lord sustains the righteous.

Where would the Lord find any righteous men, if all men are born totally depraved and not capable of doing anything good? Does God force men to become wicked so He can break their arms? No, men have free-will.

Psalm 37:37 Mark the blameless man, and behold the upright; For the man of peace will have a posterity.

Was the book Psalms not inspired by God?  Blameless and upright men do not seem to be an example of men who are totally depraved and incapable of doing good.

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil.

I guess Job was granted a total depravity waiver.

Genesis 6:9 These  are the records of the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man,  blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.

How was it possible that a totally depraved, corrupt man could attain righteousness? Noah was not totally depraved. Noah had free-will.

MEN ARE NOT TOTALLY DEPRAVED---THEY HAVE FREE-WILL!

Romans 10:13 for "Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved."

Whoever includes all men who hear the gospel.

Romans 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Faith comes from hearing . Faith does not come because God imputes faith to a chosen few, so they might believe and be saved.

If man are so depraved that they cannot come to God unless God forces them, then, why did Jesus send men to preach the gospel? (Matthew28:19-20)

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also the Greek.

The gospel is the power for salvation. Salvation is for all who believe. God did not select a few; whom He eradicated their depravity so they could believe and be saved. God gave free-will to all men so they could enter His kingdom.


Acts 10:1 Now there was a man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what is called the Italian cohort, 2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave many alms to the Jewish people and prayed to God continually.


Does this describe a totally depraved, corrupt man? Cornelius was neither a Jew nor Christian, however, he gave alms and prayed to God continually. Cornelius had free-will. Cornelius did not inherit total depravity because of Adam's sin.


Mark 1:14-15 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."


If, in fact, man is totally depraved and not capable of choosing between good and evil, why did Jesus tell men to repent? Jesus preached the gospel because men do have free-will.


Mark 10:46-52....52 And Jesus said to him, "Go your faith has made you well." Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him on the road.