Page 71 - The Prophetic Word Newsletter Archive 2009

OTAL DEPRAVITY OF FALLEN MAN

1. The Calvinistic view of “total depravity” teaches that the un-regenerated man, being a descendant of
Adam’s fallen nature, is totally incapable of making right moral choices. Calvinism teaches that the
unregenerated can only choose evil due to their sin nature but cannot choose to obey that which is
from God even if they would desire to do so. Calvinism denies that the unregenerate has a free moral
will to choose between good and evil or between life and death because their will is hopelessly bound
by the sin nature. Calvinism denies that the unregenerate can take the initiative to repent and be
saved. Let us begin by looking at the fall of man. Romans Chapter Five presents a comparison
between the work of the first Adam and Jesus the last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45):

“…THROUGH ONE MAN SIN ENTERED THE WORLD, AND DEATH THROUGH SIN,
AND THUS DEATH SPREAD TO ALL MEN, BECAUSE ALL MEN SINNED.” Rom. 5:12

FOR AS BY ONE MAN’S DISOBEDIENCE MANY WERE MADE SINNERS,
SO ALSO BY ONE MAN’S OBEDIENCE MANY WILL BE MADE RIGHTEOUS.” Rom.5:19

Adam opened the door to sin and brought not only sin but death into the world. Note well the statement
that “all men sinned” as did Adam. Paul states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”
(Rom. 3:23). Why do all men sin? It is due to the sin nature received from Adam. It is a misnomer to teach
that mankind is made in the image of God as was Adam. Look at the distinction the Scriptures make:

IMAGE OF MAN BEFORE THE FALL: IMAGE OF MAN AFTER THE FALL:

“SO GOD CREATED MAN “IN THE DAY THAT GOD CREATED MAN,
IN HIS OWN IMAGE, HE MADE HIM IN THE LIKENESS OF GOD…

IN THE IMAGE OF GOD HE CREATED HIM; AND ADAM…BEGOT A SON
MALE AND FEMALE HE CREATED THEM.” Gen. 1:27 IN HIS OWN LIKENESS, AFTER HIS IMAGE” Gen. 5:1-3

Adam brought forth sons created in his own likeness and in his own image, not in the image of God! This
is a fallen image with a sin nature that Adam brought into the world. It passes down to all mankind, and
therefore all men have sinned because of it, no exceptions! This is why Jesus had to have been born of
virgin birth, and why the new birth is a vital necessity for every man as it restores to man a new sinless
nature born of God (Col. 3:10, Eph. 4:24). Redeemed man is now restored to the image of God. Our study
here is fallen man. No question he is capable of sin for he has received a sin nature from the image of
Adam. However, does that mean, as the Calvinist’s teach, that man is “totally depraved” and cannot help
but sin? To answer that let us look at what God told Cain, the son of Adam, who was plotting the murder
of his brother:

“WHY ARE YOU ANGRY? AND WHY HAS YOUR COUNTENANCE FALLEN?
IF YOU DO WELL, WILL YOU NOT BE ACCEPTED? AND IF YOU DO NOT DO WELL,
SIN LIES AT YOUR DOOR. AND ITS DESIRE IS FOR YOU, BUT YOU SHOULD RULE OVER IT.” Gen. 4:6-7

Does God think that Cain, who has the fallen nature of Adam (like us), can “do well” or “not do well”? Is
that not a free will choice God is setting before this one who has the sin nature inherited from Adam?
Does God expect him to just fatalistically fall to sin simply because he has inherited a fallen nature?
Absolutely not! Rather we find that God forewarns him that “sin is at your door and its desire is for you.”
However, God totally expects that Cain should rule over sin! If he was incapable of doing so, then God
would not have told him he was able to make the choice. This is inescapable evidence that although man
does have a fallen sin nature and is capable of yielding to sin, that God expects him to make a moral
choice to do well rather than to not do well. God expected Cain to rule over the sin that abided in his heart
toward his brother. We all know that, in spite of the warning from God, Cain went out and killed his brother
and then lied to God about it. The fact that he lied implies that he could discern that he did something
morally wrong and knew within himself that he would be accountable to God for his deed, so he lied about
it. Man is not “totally depraved” as Calvinism seeks to portray. Just as God held Cain accountable he
holds all unregenerate men accountable to repent:

“…(GOD) NOW COMMANDS ALL MEN EVERYWHERE TO REPENT,
BECAUSE HE HAS APPOINTED A DAY ON WHICH HE WILL JUDGE THE WORLD IN

RIGHTEOUSNESS BY THE MAN WHOM HE HAS ORDAINED.” Acts 17:30-31

God the Righteous Judge, who will judge the world in righteousness, commands all men everywhere to
repent. If they could not repent due to their hopeless state of “total depravity” as Calvinism states, then
God would not be righteous in commanding that they do what they are totally incapable of doing.