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MAN'S FALL - GOD'S MERCY
(A Study of Man's Depravity)
There are many things that are being taught in the religious
world today. Some of these things are true; however, sad to say,
many of these doctrines are false. One doctrine about which the
majority of the religious world is in error is the state of the
natural man. The general belief concerning the natural man is
that man is born innocent and remains in this innocent state
until a certain age or until some point in his life. Neverthe-
less, the Scriptures teach just the opposite. In fact, the Word
of God states that man, each and every human being without excep-
tion, is a sinner from the time of conception. Also, in addition
to this, man is in this condition to such an extent that he is
unable to do anything to remove himself from this depraved condi-
tion. This doctrine is called "total depravity."
Definition
Before we study of this teaching, we need to define the sub-
ject a little more. Basically, the doctrine of total depravity
is, as stated above, that each and every human being without ex-
ception comes into being as a sinner and that he cannot do any-
thing to remove himself from this sinful condition. Not only are
all sinners, but they are in such a state of sin that every fac-
ulty of their body is affected by this sinful state.
We might state this also in another way. Total depravity
is, all the ways, thought, and actions of an individual are con-
trary to the ways, thoughts, and actions of God. Man does not
desire to do what God would have him to do, neither can he by his
own self do anything that is pleasing to God. This condition
came upon all men through the sin of Adam. The only way that man
can do what God would have him to do is to have the Spirit of God
in him. An individual that is totally depraved loves to do his
own ways, for his own self and does not love the ways of God,
neither God, nor God's people, only himself. For proof of this,
we need to go back to the beginning and see how man was created
and fell from his original position.
Man's Dreadful Fall
In Genesis 1:27, we find that all mankind was created in the
image of God in the first man Adam. Therefore, Adam, being in a
righteous state and in communion with God, (because everything
that God made was "very good") was placed in a goodly place in
the Garden. Adam was given the blessings of happiness and
responsibility in the Garden of Eden, as well as a home and fel-
lowship with his Creator. As long as Adam did not eat of the
fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he would live
forever in the state of blessedness in which God had put him.
But in the day that he did eat of the fruit of the tree of knowl-
edge of good and evil, he would be separated from this state of
blessedness and would die. We find that Adam did eat of the
fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and as soon as
he had eaten of it, he knew that he was a sinful man. When God
would come near, he would run and hide because he knew that he
could not stand in the presence of God. Why? He had violated
God's law and he was ashamed of himself in the sight of God.
Even though Adam had tried to cover himself with fig leaves, he
still had to admit to God that he was naked. Due to what Adam
had done, he was dying a physical death which ran its course
within 930 years. Also Adam was separated from walking with God
and being before Him without blame. He had violated a command-
ment of God. He had missed the mark. He had sinned. He had
been disobedient to God.
We also know that we were disobedient to God because we were
in Adam. Paul said that God had "made of one blood all nations
of men to dwell on all the face of the earth" (Acts 17:26). In
Romans 5:12, he stated, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered
into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all
men, for that all have sinned." However, in the Greek, which is
the original language of the New Testament, "have" is not there.
The translation should be "for that all sinned." The meaning is
that every individual that is a descendant of Adam actively
sinned in Adam. And for that reason, death has passed upon
everyone. You might ask the question, "Could it be that the rea-
son we die is because we commit a sin after we are born?" Romans
4:14 states, "Where no law is, there is no transgression." From
the time of Adam until Moses, people died; nevertheless, there
was not any law that condemned them as far as sins committed
after they were born. This confirms the statement found in Ro-
mans 5:18, "by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to
condemnation." We also know that it is not due to actual sins
committed after birth that infants die at birth. If they were
pure and perfect, they would not die. Job 14:4 states that it is
impossible for sinful parents to bring into the world a sinless
being. The Psalmist also described the state that a child is in
when he is born when he said, "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity;
and in sin did my mother conceive me" (Psalm 51:5). Psalm 58:3-5
says, "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as
soon as they be born, speaking lies. Their poison is like the
poison of a serpent: they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth
her ear: which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charm-
ing never so wisely." This passage is describing the state of
the wicked, and the Scriptures tell us that everyone was by na-
ture in that condition at one time. Ephesians 2:1-3 says that we
"were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince of
the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children
of disobedience: among whom also we all had our conversation
(manner of life) in times past in the lusts of our flesh, ful-
filling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by na-
ture the children of wrath, even as others." Again the Scrip-
tures describe the completeness of this depravity of each indi-
vidual in Romans 3:11-19, "There is none that understandeth,
there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of
the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is note
that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre;
with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is
under their lips: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
their feet are swift to shed blood: destruction and misery are
in their ways: and the way of peace have they not known: there
is no fear of God before their eyes. 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 be-
come guilty before God." Galatians 3:10 teaches, "Cursed is
every one that continueth not in all things which are written in
the book of the law to do them." By this we must conclude that
each and everyone is sinful. In fact, man, by nature, is so sin-
ful that he cannot by himself please God.
Romans 8:7, affirm that "the carnal mind (i.e. a mind of the
flesh) is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law
of God, neither indeed can be." The writer of Proverbs states in
21:2, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord
pondereth the hearts." Jeremiah 17:9 declares, "The heart is
deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know
it?" Do all these things mean that if a man is dead in sin he
will live such an openly wicked life that his wickedness will be
manifested to all? Not exactly. The man with a wicked heart has
a heart that loves only self. Everything that he does is only
for the betterment of self. He does not do anything because he
loves God, and he does not desire to serve God because of His
justness. The Scriptures state that even "the plowing of the
wicked is sin" (Proverbs 21:4). What? Just plowing in a field
is sin? Yes. Because the only reason that he is plowing is to
get something for himself and not to the honor and glory of God
nor to "dress and keep the earth" as he was told to do in Gene-
sis. God's Word further states, "The sacrifice of the wicked is
an abomination to the Lord: but the prayer of the upright is His
delight" (Proverbs 15:8). Yes, even though man with a wicked
heart may do something that is good in the eyes of man, as far as
the Lord is concerned, it is putrid in His sight and "is an
abomination." Why? The wicked only do good for what they can
get out of it. Man may try to serve God only for the blessings,
but it will profit him nothing. In order to serve God, man must
do it with a godly heart. When this is the case, man will be
serving God not to get the blessings, but because he knows that
God is due all the service and honor because of His righteous-
ness. Anytime we serve God just for the blessings or to keep
from being punished, we are serving Him from a selfish and
fleshly heart. If we serve Him because we love Him, His ways,
His people and because we know that He is due the praise, we are
serving Him from a spiritual heart.
God demands that the sinner be punished for his sins. The
Word of God states that sin must be judged. The book of Hebrews
states that vengeance belongs to the Lord and He will recompense
and judge His people (Hebrew 10:30). We sin against God in
thought, word, or deed. In addition to this, our sin in Adam in
the Garden must be paid for. Unless the payment is made, we
shall suffer forever due to the condemnation of sin. If we are
to go free that debt must be paid by us or someone else. But how
can we pay for our sins when we are in a dead condition? We nei-
ther have the desire nor the ability to do anything that is
pleasing in God's sight. If "the plowing of the wicked" is sin,
and we are "children of wrath even as others," then how is it
that we can satisfy God? Even the Psalmist writes in 14:2-3,
"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." Therefore, how can man ever
have any hope? He is not only a sinner by action, but also by
nature. His entire nature is to lust after the things that are
opposite to God.
Nevertheless, God demands justice and justice must be
carried out. Either we must meet the demands or someone else
must meet them. There is no way of escaping God's punishment; it
must be met for justice to be maintained. But how can we? We
can not! It is hopeless for us to try. God's justice demands
payment for all sins both past and present. Therefore, the only
thing that we can see for man is doom and nothing else.
God's Great Mercy
How is it then that man can stand before God holy and with-
out blame? As we read what Paul told the church at Ephesus, we
find that God chose us in Christ before the world began, predes-
tinated us in love unto the adoption of children by this same
Jesus, and made us accepted in the Beloved. By this Beloved One,
Jesus, we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness
of sins. Why? Because this same Beloved One, according to the
writer of Hebrews, said that He came to do the will of God; and
because God had no pleasure in the blood of bulls and goats, He
came to shed His own blood in order that we might go free (He-
brews 10:5-10). The reason that Jesus was made lower than the
angels was in order that He could taste death. Because the chil-
dren were partakers of flesh and blood, He took part of the same
in order that we might go free (Hebrews 2:9-15). Therefore, if
you have ever cried out unto God and called Him "Father" from a
pure heart, it is because you were predestinated unto the adop-
tion of children (Ephesians 1:5). When the fullness of time
came, God sent His Son to redeem you. Because you are a son, God
has sent the Spirit of His Son into your heart and caused you to
cry, "Abba, Father" (Galatians 4:4-6). Seeing this, you know
that you are a son of God, because you cry unto God in the same
fashion as His Beloved did in the Garden of Gethsemane when He
too cried, "Abba, Father" (Mark 14:36). Thereby, having the
Spirit of God in us, we can serve Him. He accepts our sacrifices
when we serve Him by following the leadership of the Spirit of
God. This we can do after God puts that Spirit into our hearts
and makes us alive.
By this we see how it is that man put himself in a state of
separation from God, but God did not allow all to stay in that
condition. It is by His grace and mercy that we have been raised
out of this dead state into a state of life and happiness.
May our hearts be always in tune to the words of the hymn
which was penned many years ago by Hugh Stowell:
O let my hands forget her skill
My tongue be silent, cold and still;
This bounding heart forget to beat,
If I forget the mercy-seat.
Jimmy Barber
3/10/89; February 27, 1991
Copyright, 1991, Veritas Publications
829 Angelina Place
Memphis, TN 38122-5417