NOV 3

Romans 3:23
Memorise Isaiah 44:22
“…though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow…”

WHAT IS TOTAL DEPRAVITY?

The first of the 5 points of Calvinism teaches that every person born in to the world is enslaved to the service of sin. “Total” means that there is no good in us whatsoever. Every aspect of us is depraved and sinful. All of mankind is unwilling and incapable of any spiritual good, for he is spiritually dead (Romans 3:23). Every thought and action is tainted with sin. Man continually seeks only to satisfy his selfish ends and not to acknowledge God. Although man is made in the image of God, he does not seek after God and instead rebels against Him continually. But wait a minute, aren’t there at least some good people in the world? What about the philanthropist who dedicates his time and resources to help the poor? Or the kind person who willingly gives up his seat for the elderly? Are they not good? Scripture teaches that no, not even those acts are good. God’s Word says that every intention and thought is evil continually (Genesis 6:5). We are sinners from the moment we come in to the world. (Psalm 51:5). None are righteous, none seeks God. (Romans 3:10-11). In what appears to be a kind act, there is a heart that harbors a selfish purpose and thought, and if he is not a believer, he is not doing it for the glory of God. Although we cannot read the hearts of man, God can, and tells us the truth in Scripture. The doctrine of Total Depravity is biblical; this is what Scripture teaches.

Do you consider yourself a bad person? Or do you feel that you are not all that bad. The reality is that we are all bad, we are all sinners. We may not be murderers, but when we are angry, we despise others and lash out at them with hatred and vengeance. If you have an honest look into your own heart, do you find purity? The answer is a resounding “No”. We are all tainted with sin. However, there is a difference between believers and unbelievers. Because of what Christ did for believers, we are completely washed clean of our sins (Isaiah 1:18). We can become pure. Furthermore, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we now have power over sin. We are not only able to overcome sin in our lives, we are also truly able to do what is spiritually pure and good. We are no longer totally depraved. However, we are still capable of sinning. This happens when we are weak and relent to temptation. When that happens, we must repent and seek the Lord’s forgiveness, for He is always just and able to forgive us of our sins.

Thought: Believers sinning are like the dog returning to its vomit.
Prayer: Father, thank You for saving me. Keep me pure always.