The Doctrine of Radical Depravity Sometimes known as Total Depravity, Total Inability, Absolute inability, or Moral Inability.

The Doctrine of Radical DepravitySometimes known as Total Depravity, Total Inability, Absolute inability, or Moral Inability. Definition for Radical Depravity? It is the state of corruption due to original sin that as a result has infected every part of man's nature and has made the natural man unable to actually know or obey any of Gods commands wholly, or correctly. Definition of Radical Depravity as explained in the Canons of the Synod of Dort Article 3: Total InabilityTherefore, all people are conceived in sin and are born children of wrath, unfit for any saving good, inclined to evil, dead in their sins, and slaves to sin; without the grace of the regenerating Holy Spirit they are neither willing nor able to return to God, to reform their distorted nature, or even to dispose themselves to such reform.What Radical Depravity does not meanThat man is as bad as every other man, some are worse than others are.That man is as bad as he could be. That man cannot have virtues. That human Nature is in itself completely evil. That the mans spirit is inactiveThat the body itself, is dead

Man is under the curse of sinMan cannot stop sinningMan is led by wrong principlesMan is unable to love GodMan is not able to merit salvation for himselfWhat Radical Depravity Does Mean?The fall leads to separation of God for all people, leading to chaosIn Genesis 3, we see Adams fall, and the fall of man, and spiritual death of mankind. This is where man, became Radically Depraved. Mans Depravity is seen clearly, immediately after this, just in the next few chapters of Genesis.After this Adam, and Eve had two sons Cain, and Abel (Genesis 4:1-2). Cain was jealous over Abels Sacrifices being acceptable to the lord, and that his, were not (Genesis 4:4-5). Then Cain killed his brother Abel, and lied to God after being questioned as to where his brother was (Genesis 4:8-9).Lamech takes two wives (Genesis 4:19)Lamech also murdered two people (Genesis 4:23) By Genesis 6, the depravity of man since the fall, and separation from God is shown so much, that at this point we see in (Genesis 6:5) TheLordsaw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that everyintention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.As a result God sends a flood to destroy everyone in the earth (Genesis 6-7)

After the flood man still doesnt learnGenesis 8:25And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of mans heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.Jonathon Edwards, in his classic workThe Great Christian Doctrine of Original Sin Defended, remarks that on this verse: "The word translated youth, signifies the whole of the former part of the age of man, which commences from the beginning of life. The word in its derivation, has reference to the birth or beginning of existence...so that the word here translated youth, comprehends not only what we in English most commonly call the time of youth, but also childhood and infancy."John 6:22-43saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into theOn the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been onlyone boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.Other boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lordhad given thanks.So when the crowd boats andwent to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him,Rabbi, when did you come here?Jesus answered them,Truly, truly, I say to you,you are seeking me, not because you sawsigns, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.Do not work for the food that perishes, but forthe food that endures to eternal life, whichthe Son of Man will give to you. For onhim God the Father hasset his seal.Then they said to him, What must we do, to be doingthe works of God?Jesus answered them,This is the work of God,that you believe in him whomhe has sent.So they said to him,Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform?Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written,He gave them bread from heaven to eat.Jesus then said to them,Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.For the bread of God ishe who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.They said to him,Sir, give us this bread always.

Jesus said to them,I am the bread of life;whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.All thatthe Father gives me will come to me, andwhoever comes to me I will never cast out.ForI have come down from heaven, not to domy own will butthe will of himwho sent me.Andthis is the will of him who sent me,that I should lose nothing ofall that he has given me, butraise it up on the last day.For this is the will of my Father, that everyone wholooks on the Son andbelieves in himshould have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said,I am the bread that came down from heaven.They said,Is not this Jesus,the son of Joseph, whose father and motherwe know? How does he now say,I have come down from heaven?Jesus answered them,Do not grumble among yourselves.

John 6:44No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.

Can--dynataito be able, have power whether by virtue of one's own ability and resources, or of a state of mind, or through favourable circumstances, or by permission of law or custom to be capable, strong and powerful

John 6:45-64It is written in the Prophets,And they will all betaught by God.Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to menot that anyone has seen the Father excepthe who is from God; hehas seen the Father.Truly, truly, I say to you,whoever believes has eternal life.I am the bread of life.Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, andthey died.This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of itand not die.I am the living breadthat came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. And the bread that I will givefor the life of the world ismy flesh.The Jews thendisputed among themselves, saying,How can this man give us his flesh to eat?So Jesus said to them,Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh ofthe Son of Man and drink his blood, youhave no life in you.Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my bloodhas eternal life, andI will raise him up on the last day.For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink.Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my bloodabides in me, and I in him.Asthe living Fathersent me, andI live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me.This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like the bread[a]the fathers ate, and died. Whoever feeds on this bread will live forever.Jesus[b]said these things in the synagogue, as he taughtat Capernaum.

When many of his disciples heard it, they said, This is a hard saying; who can listen to it?But Jesus,knowing in himself that his disciples were grumbling about this, said to them,Do you take offense at this?Then what if you were to seethe Son of Manascending towhere he was before?It is the Spirit who gives life;the flesh is no help at all.The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.Butthere are some of you who do not believe.(For Jesusknew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, andwho it was who would betray him.)

John 6:64-65But there are some of you who do not believe. (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.

Romans 8:7For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to Gods law; indeed, it cannot.CannotCan-Not-oude- not even

1 Corinthians 2:14The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. -Not

Romans 3:9-18What then? Are we Jewsany better off?No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, bothJews andGreeks, areunder sin,as it is written:None is righteous, no, not one;no one understands;no one seeks for God.All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;no one does good,not even one.Their throat isan open grave;they use their tongues to deceive.The venom of asps is under their lips.Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.Their feet are swift to shed blood;in their paths are ruin and misery,andthe way of peace they have not known.There is no fear of God before their eyes.Romans 3:21-23But nowthe righteousness of Godhas been manifested apart from the law, althoughthe Law and the Prophets bear witness to the righteousness of Godthrough faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.For there is no distinction:forall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Ephesians 2:1-3 And you weredead in the trespasses and sinsin which you once walked, following the course of this world, followingthe prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work inthe sons of disobedienceamong whom we all once lived inthe passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body[a]and the mind, andwere by naturechildren of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

2 Timothy 2:25-26with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.Some verses where God gives man orders may seem to be against total depravity2 Chronicles 30Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of theLordat Jerusalem to keep the Passover to the Lord, the God of Israel.2For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had taken counsel to keep the Passoverin the second month3for they could not keep itat that timebecause the priests had not consecrated themselves in sufficient number, nor had the people assembled in Jerusalem4and the plan seemed right to the king and all the assembly.5So they decreed to make a proclamation throughout all Israel,from Beersheba to Dan, that the people should come and keep the Passover to theLord, the God of Israel, at Jerusalem, for they had not kept it as often as prescribed.6So couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with letters from the king and his princes, as the king had commanded, saying, O people of Israel,return to theLord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that he may turn again to the remnant of you who have escaped from the hand ofthe kings of Assyria.7Do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were faithless to theLordGod of their fathers, so that he made them a desolation, as you see.8Do not now be stiff-necked as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to theLordand come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever, and serve theLordyour God,that his fierce anger may turn away from you.9Forif you return to theLord, your brothers and your childrenwill find compassion with their captors and return to this land. FortheLordyour God is gracious and merciful and will not turn away his face from you,if you return to him.10So the couriers went from city to city through the country ofEphraim and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, butthey laughed them to scorn and mocked them.11However,some men of Asher, of Manasseh, and of Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.12The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commandedby the word of theLord.

There are many places in the bible God explains we need a new heart , or to change our heartHowever..

Ezekiel 11:19 And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh,Exactly how sinful is man, and can man do anything besides sin? James 2:10-11For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one pointhas become accountable for all of it. For he who said,Do not commit adultery, also said,Do not murder. If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law.

What is the great commandment as said by Christ? Luke 10:27And he answered, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.Romans 14:23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.Not that you may say, Before I believed I was already doing good works, and therefore was I chosen. For what good work can be prior to faith, when the apostle says, Whatsoever is not of faith is sin? (Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Vol. 8, 353).

_St. AugustineThomas Schreiner sides with Augustine and points out that Paul easily could have made a more limited point by stopping with the first part of verse 23 (But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith). Point made. End of argument. But no. Now he adds the unqualified maxim, For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin (Romans, 739).

-John PiperWhat is sin?It is the glory of God not honored.The holiness of God not reverenced.The greatness of God not admired.The power of God not praised.The truth of God not sought.The wisdom of God not esteemed.The beauty of God not treasured.The goodness of God not savored.The faithfulness of God not trusted.The commandments of God not obeyed.The justice of God not respected.The wrath of God not feared.The grace of God not cherished.The presence of God not prized.The person of God not loved.That is sin.

John PiperWhy is understanding this important in our Christian lives? Our flesh is still alive, and breathingPretending it doesnt exist will not help mattersWere prone to sinRealizing that we deserve none of what we have been given Were most likely still even more undeserving then we actually think we areThe mercy shown by the cross is extraordinary God does not love us because of who we are, if he did, he would not love usI have heard it said, God didnt die for frogs. So he was responding to our value as humans. This turns grace on its head. We are worse off than frogs. They have not sinned. They have not rebelled and treated God with the contempt of being inconsequential in their lives. God did not have to die for frogs. They arent bad enough. We are. Our debt is so great, only a divine sacrifice could pay it.There is only one explanation for Gods sacrifice for us. It is not us. It is the riches of his grace(Ephesians 1:7). It is all free. It is not a response to our worth. It is the overflow of his infinite worth. In fact, that is what divine love is in the end: a passion to enthrall undeserving sinners, at great cost, with what will make us supremely happy forever, namely, his infinite beauty.-John PiperWhat is the importance of understanding total depravity from an Evangelistic perspective?Men do not desire GodGods truth, is offensive, people do not want to hear itWatering down the gospel can cause people to come due to bad motivesThe gospel is an impossibility to believe, no normal man wouldDo not get discouraged that most people will not hear or accept the gospel Jesus told us this was so(Matthew 7)