Teaching Series: Total Depravity
Topic: Understanding the Depraved Man
Greetings Sons of God:
What is total depravity?
Let us first define depravity because we know total is complete. Depravity is defined as moral corruption or
degradation. So total depravity is the
complete moral corruption of degradation of mankind. This corruption was brought about by the
original sin in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. That sin corrupted the mind, emotion and will
of mankind. Because of that sin:
1. Mankind was unable to come to God on
his own.
2. Mankind was unwilling to seek God
3. Mankind was unable to submit to God
Man went from being a living, immortal being in the earth,
to a walking dead man. Man was dead in
his trespasses. This is why every person
born onto the earth was born in sin (Psalm 51:5). Now lets look at a picture of the depraved
man so we can get an understanding of total depravity and how it affects the
maturity of the sons of God today.
John 11:11-43 – Story of Lazarus
We know that Jesus raised Lazarus from dead but I want you
to look a little deeper than that.
Lazarus is a picture of the unregenerated man. One thing we know about dead people is that
they cannot talk, repent, believe, interact, hear, see etc. But it is not until there is an encounter
with God that the dead man, the depraved man is brought to life. Now does the dead man call for God or does
God find the dead man? Scripturally it
is God that comes to the dead man. God
sent Jesus to redeem us from the curse of sin and depravity. Now notice Lazarus was completely dead but it
was not until Jesus (The Word of God) called Lazarus to come forth that Lazarus
was given life and was brought back from the dead. The coming to life from the
depraved state is completely a God-process.
You will remain depraved until God calls you to “come forth”. In obedience to God one is transitioned form
a state of total depravity to Zoe life.
Let me show you another example:
Ezekiel 37:1-10 – Valley of Dry Bones
We have read this story but let’s get a spiritual
understanding of this story. First the
dry bones represent the depraved man who is dead. God asks Ezekiel “can these bones lives”” Ezekiel responds “only you know”. Next God tells Ezekiel to “prophesy” to the bones to HEAR the Word of the
Lord. When Ezekiel would prophesy God
said He would cause breathe to enter into them and they shall live. Do we see this! The dead bones could not seek God, speak to
God, repent or believe. It is not until
God sends a son carrying His image and likeness with His Word within them to
the depraved that they have an opportunity to live. Every attempt at man trying
to get back to God has failed and as a result many have created religions to
find God. But God did what man in his
carnal mind would not ever dream of doing.
He would come to them! Here is
where the bedrock of our faith really comes into play because for many in false
religion they could not think of God coming in human form to make the ultimate
sacrifice that humanity would now have an opportunity come back in fellowship
with the Creator and restore the divine relationship of Father and Son. It is not until the Breath of God enters into
someone that they are transitioned from death to life. The cure for death is
the Breath of God.
In the next message we will look at characteristics of the
totally depraved man and I promise you will be shocked to see many believers
possess some of these very same traits.
Peace, Love and Grace,
Calvin Calhoun, Jr.
