The Doctrines of GRACE

Exploring the Sovereign and Saving Favor of God in Rescuing Sinners

MARVIN R. KNIGHT

© September 29, 2017 The Church at South Mountain You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way and do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred. Any exceptions to the above must be approved by The Church at South Mountain. Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: © The Church at South Mountain. Website: casm.org While all reasonable attempts have been taken to trace the literary and biblical sources used by the author, due to the nature of some of the original materials (old audio/radio or live preaching events), some have been impossible to locate. Any information regarding the origin of any unreferenced statements or quotations is welcomed and will be included in the next revision of the study. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible: 1960, 1962, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1975, 1977, 1995 by the Lockman Foundation.

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TOTAL DEPRAVITY

The Doctrines of Grace | Lesson Two Why We Need God’s Grace So Desperately

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"If we have deficient and light views about sin, then we are liable to have defective views regarding the means necessary for the salvation of the sinner." W.J. Seaton

Text: Romans 3:9-20 When you consider the term "depravity," what images pop up in your mind? What feelings erupt or bubble in your heart? Does it cause you to shrink back in disgust? Does it cause you to turn up your nose and become defensive? Or does the sound of this word conjure up thoughts of someone else, but not you? Do you believe that all people, or just some people, are depraved? Are you a depraved human being? Read it again and examine the private reaction that you have when you hear the word depravity. Let me begin this lesson with a five-point pop quiz:

▪ Is man totally bad, or is there some "good in everyone," as the saying goes?

▪ How do you explain the difference between "Mr. Nice," the very pleasant, thoughtful, and generous non-Christian, and "Joe Pagan," who lives a morally decrepit life?

▪ Do men and women have the ability to believe in God on their own? Or can man believe, but

he just needs some help to do so?

▪ Are fallen human beings free to make choices without any prejudice, inclination, or bias?

▪ When Adam and Eve fell in the garden, did it really affect us? And if so, how much? How deep has sin affected us—partially or totally?

How you answered those questions reveals whether you have a biblical or unbiblical view of human beings and what their greatest need really is. Chapter three of the book of Romans is the most extensive treatment of the teaching that reformed theologians call The Doctrine of Total Depravity. It stands at the head of the doctrines of grace—as a general who stands against the enemies that strike at the heart of salvation by grace alone through faith alone. This is no trifling issue that we are studying here, for if we are to get the Gospel right, we must see the magnitude of our sinfulness which highlights the plentitude of God’s grace.

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As we come to this subject, all of the things that separate us (height, weight, race, age, class, gender) are all removed. The camouflage is taken away. The veneer is dismissed. Here in this chapter, God’s view is given on the whole of humanity, and it is an appalling sight. The doctrine of total depravity comes to each of us individually, and then it binds us together collectively as a part of the human race to show us our common condition and our common need of the grace that God gives only in Christ. Outline & Preliminary Thoughts:

Let me begin by explaining to you what total depravity is and why it’s important. Then we will listen as the Apostle Paul spells out the divine indictment that God has against us and the divine provision that God extends to us. What Is Total Depravity? To be “totally depraved” does not mean to be deprived. We are what we are, not because we have been deprived, but because we are depraved. To be totally depraved sounds like one is saying that there is nothing of value left in the human race, but this is NOT what the Bible teaches. It will be helpful to remember that total depravity does not mean utter depravity. Utter depravity means that every human being is as wicked as it is possible to be, and we all know this is not true. We would agree with J.I. Packer, who said, “On one hand, no one is as bad as he or she might be, while on the other, no action of ours is as good as it should be.”18

So, what does total depravity mean? In plain, elementary-level language, the doctrine of total depravity does not mean there is no good in man, but that there is no good in man that can satisfy God. Someone may say, “You mean to tell me that the good deeds I do as a mother, a father, a son, or a daughter are no good? You mean to tell me that the good I do on my job and for my neighbors, or the good that my mother or grandmother or even the nurse or doctor does, doesn’t count as brownie points in the eyes of God?” Well, I am not the one who says this. Listen to what the Word of God says about this in Isaiah 64:6a:

“For all of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy garment.”

The word “unclean” is a technical term utilized to describe legal impurity. The people of Israel were recognizing that because they had fallen short of God’s standard, they were required by law to cry, like the leper, “unclean, unclean.” Have you made that recognition? 18 J.I. Packer, Concise Theology, pp.83-84

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Have you come to realize, as James says, that to stumble in one point of the law makes you guilty of being a lawbreaker (Cf. James 2:10), and now you are subject to the same penalty as the murderer and the thief—“for the wages of sin is death…” (Rom.6:23)? D. L. Moody, the great evangelist, once said, “The best way to show that a stick is crooked is not to argue about it or to spend time denouncing it, but to lay a straight stick along side it.”19 The straight stick, the divine ruler, the plumb line that we must lay along side our lives is not the opinions of men or the lives of others, but God’s Law, God’s rule, God’s purity, and God’s directives. Some of you who are reading this say in your hearts, “I don’t want to have anything to do with God’s Law! Of what use is the Law to me?” It’s of great use to you—for God’s Law reveals God’s nature and God’s nature determines what is right. God’s Law has something to say to all of His creatures, and you are one of God’s creatures. What does the Law say and do?

▪ Augustine said, “The conscience is not to be healed if it is not wounded.” 20 ▪ C. H. Spurgeon said, “The divine Spirit wounds before He heals, He kills before He makes

alive.”21 ▪ Martin Luther said, “When we are cast down by the law, we should fly to Christ…for the Lord

humbles us, not to our destruction, but to our salvation.”22 Romans 3:20 tells us that “through the Law comes the knowledge of sin,” and Galatians 3:24 tells us, that “the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ.” Do you see the use of the Law now? If not, let me try another angle. Imagine what would it be like if:

▪ Everyone would love God and serve God ▪ No one would worship idols, money, or pleasure ▪ No one would curse or take the Lord’s name in vain ▪ Everyone would see how good God is to provide one day of week for corporate worship ▪ All children would obey their parents, and everyone would honor those who are in authority,

such as teachers and civil authorities; and, therefore, we would have no need for police, jails, or courts

19 D. L. Moody, The Complete Speakers Sourcebook, p.225 20 Ernest Reisinger, Law and the Gospel, p.38 21 Ibid, p.39 22 Ibid, p.38

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▪ No one would murder, and we could feel safe anywhere at night ▪ No one would commit adultery so that we would have no broken homes ▪ No one would steal and we would have no need for locks or locksmiths ▪ No one would bear false witness, that is, lie ▪ No one would covet, and all people were content with who they were and what they

possessed What would it be like? I tell you what it would be like…it would be like heaven! The reason it would be like heaven is that we would be like Christ. However, we are not like Christ, and in order for us to be accepted by God, we must have the righteousness of Christ. This is why He came (Cf. John 10:10; 2 Cor.5:21). Totality depravity means there is no good in man that can satisfy God. Total depravity means not only that there is no good in man that can satisfy God, but it also means total inability. One of the “pop quiz” questions that I asked in the introduction was: Do men and women have the ability to believe in God on their own? Or, can man believe, but he just needs some help to do so? How did you answer? Let me ask the question another way: Can you keep all the commands that God requires of you? You may say, “No pastor. God doesn’t require me to keep them all because He knows I can’t.” I would respond with, “Who told you that?” The question is often asked: Is God unjust to require from man what he has no ability to perform? Before David Brainerd, the great missionary to the American Indians, was converted, four things caused him to be angry with God. One of the things that greatly disturbed him was the strictness of the divine Law. He said:

For I found it was impossible for me, after my utmost pains, to answer its demands. I often made new resolutions, and as often broke them…upon stronger resolution, and greater endeavors, and close application to fasting and prayer, I found all attempts fail: then I quarreled with the law of God, as unreasonably rigid…I thought if it extended only to my outward actions and behaviors, I could bear with it; but I found it condemned me for my evil thoughts and sins of my years, which I could not possibly prevent.”23

David Brainerd is not alone in his attitude, for many of you reading this now feel the same way. So, is God unjust in requiring man to do what he is unable to do? I say this reverently, but, “Yes!” He would be unjust, if He had not first given man the ability to do what He requires. And He did—this is what Adam and Eve had when they were created. They were able to perform personal, perfect obedience, but when they disobeyed God, sin ruined that ability. They did not lose free agency (which is the capacity to choose), but they lost the ability (desire) to respond to God in a sincere and wholehearted way. So, when you see sickness, death, war, pain, murder, rape, robbery, and lawlessness, you must ask: How did this come about? The answer is sin—man’s sin!

23 Jonathan Edwards The Life and Diary of David Brainerd, pp.64-65

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Dear friends, this inability upon the entire human race is both hereditary and voluntary. Someone may say, “Pastor, people want to do right, they just don’t do it sometimes.” However, this is not what the Word of God says. Naturally, men and women, boys and girls love their inability. They do not choose against their will to sin, they love their will and agree with it. Jesus said in John 3:19-21:

“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that he deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

IF GOD did not require what sinners cannot perform, then we would have no need for the Son of God to fulfill all righteousness for us, or the Holy Spirit to work holiness in us. IF GOD only required what people could do for themselves, then all that He does for us in Christ is unnecessary. BUT GOD does require us to keep His commands, and the greatest command is to “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved…” (Acts 16:31). Someone may say, “I want to believe, but I can’t.” That doesn’t change what God requires to be saved. Imagine going to the mall. The credit card is talking to you and saying, “Go ahead, have a good time, you deserve a break every now and then. After all, you can pay it back.” You know you ought to stay within your budget, but you splurge. Two weeks later, the bill comes and you cannot even pay the minimum payment. You know the debt and the duty is yours to repay, but does VISA free you from the debt simply because you are unable to pay? In your dreams, but not in this life! Absolutely not! What kind of God would He be if He kept lowering the standard of what is right because we do not and cannot, in our own strength, do what is required? The inability of man to do all that God requires or the breaking of God’s Law DOES NOT free us from what God demands. Our impotency does not change or dissolve our obligation!

▪ Our inability is hereditary—we got it from our first parents. ▪ Our inability is voluntary—we love and choose to commit sin.

At the back of this inability is a corruption, a disease so deep that it pervades and runs through every part of our moral constitution and every faculty of our minds. The understanding, the affections, the reasoning powers, and the will are all infected. Even our conscience is so blinded that it cannot be depended upon as a sure guide and is likely to lead us astray, unless enlightened

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by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says in Isaiah 1:6, “From the sole of the foot even to the head there is nothing sound in [us]...” What total depravity DOES NOT mean:

▪ It does not mean that people cannot be religious or give outward allegiance to God (Acts 10; Matt.6:1-8).

▪ It does not mean that man is unable to do any good toward his fellow man (Luke 11:13). ▪ It does not mean that man is not free to choose anything. ▪ It does not mean that man is as evil as he could be. ▪ It does not mean that man is unable to recognize the will of God. ▪ It does not mean that man is no longer made in the image of God (imago Dei) (James 3:10).

What does total depravity mean?

▪ There is no corner of man's life that has not been corrupted by sin (Is.1:4-6; Rom.3:10ff). ▪ At the very core of our being—our hearts—we have been corrupted (Jer.17:9). ▪ Because our hearts are corrupt, everything that flows from our lives, no matter how

virtuous, is mixed with sinful and selfish motives and is, therefore, unacceptable to a holy God (Is.64:6; Gen.6:5). In other words, we are incapable of living without sin. (Non-posse non-peccare—inability not to sin).

▪ We possess natural good, but no spiritual good. ▪ We are unable to change our condition. ▪ We have an inward aversion to doing good and a propensity to do evil (Job 15:14-16;

Jer.13:23). ▪ We have the natural ability to choose what we desire, but we have lost the moral ability or

desire to please, seek, or love God (Rom.3:10ff). ▪ Every man possesses an enmity toward God and His Law (Rom.8:6-8).

James Montgomery Boice, the late pastor of the Tenth Presbyterian Church in downtown Philadelphia, summarized it well for us when he said,

"Sin has affected the whole person down to the very core or root of his or her being. Biblically, to be a sinner is not merely to be morally imperfect or to be unable to achieve one's full potential without God. Rather, it is a description of human beings in an utterly ruined state, a state from which we are unable to deliver ourselves and in which we might all have been left to perish, and justly so."24

24 James Montgomery Boice, The Doctrines of Grace, p.72

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Why Is This Doctrine of Total Depravity Important? It is important, first of all, because it reveals to us how great our need really is. If we are unable to do the good that satisfies God and if we have lost the ability to seek God, we need more than what another man can do. There are many things that man can do, which, in and of themselves, are extraordinary. He can send a rocket to the moon; he can build tremendous skyscrapers and bridges to pass over water and deep ravines. But if he is asked to change his desires toward God, to destroy his selfishness and sinfulness, he cannot do it! Yet, this is what we need. But who shall supply it? Who is able to do for man what he cannot do for himself? Jesus answers and says, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). It is important because it reveals where the root of our problem really lies. J.C. Ryle put the importance of this doctrine into perspective when he wrote,

"There are very few errors and false doctrines of which the beginning may not be traced up to unsound views about the corruption of human nature. Wrong views of a disease will always bring with them wrong views of a remedy. Wrong views of the corruption of human nature will always carry with them wrong views of the grand antidote and cure of that corruption."25

This error lies at the heart of many attempts in the world and in the church to solve the problems that we encounter. What is the source and spring of every problem that you face, every struggle that you have? Is it your upbringing, your environment, the people around you, your spouse? Or is it something else? Let us go to the nearest elementary school. We walk into the brightly decorated lobby and a secretary greets you and says, “Principal Johnson will see you now.” You walk into the principal’s office and there sits 6 year-old Johnny. You exchange greetings with the principal, “How are you? How’s your week? How’s your job? How’s your health?” Etc, etc. Then the question comes, “Do you know why little Johnny is getting in trouble at school?” What does the average parent say? Quickly, Mom or Dad says, “I don’t know why he is getting in trouble. We train him right at home. He’s basically a good little boy. Who is he hanging around? Perhaps he is picking up some of these things from some of the bad kids at school.” Unfortunately, this is the view that many professing Christians have of themselves and their own children. In other words, the average parent who speaks this way says, in essence, the sinfulness of his children does not begin from within, but from without. However, the Word of God says, NO!

25 J.C. Ryle, Old Paths, pp.155-178

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Sin is not the result of some bad companion or bad environment. It is a family disease, which we all inherited from our first parents, Adam and Eve. Created in the image of God, innocent and righteous at the beginning, our first parents fell from that original righteousness and became sinful and corrupt. From that day to this, all men and women are born in the image of Adam and Eve, and inherit a heart and nature inclined to evil.

Romans 5:12—"Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned." Ephesians 2:3 says that by nature we are "…children of wrath."

Jesus said in Mark 7:21-22, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness…” As naturally as water flows from a fountain, sin flows from within a man. The cutest baby that has entered life this morning, becoming the bundle of joy in the eyes of the family, is not, as a loving mother calls her, “a little angel,” but a little sinner! Oh, look carefully at the little baby, smiling and cooing in that basinet. Remember, that little baby carries within his heart the seeds of every kind of sin! Watch the child as he grows and as his body and mind develops; suddenly you see that tendency toward that which is bad. Watch carefully and you will see the buds and germs of deceit, anger, selfishness, self-will, rebellion, greediness, jealousy, and all sorts of sin. Who taught the child those things? Where did he learn them? The Bible alone can answer these questions! Why is little Johnny misbehaving? Why is little Suzy getting in trouble? The reason why we are not what we ought to be is not because of economics or upbringing. We cannot blame what we are on public schools or parents. If it is simply because they don’t know any better, then all they need is an education or a change of scenery. But their problem and ours is not in what we know or who we hang around with, or in our upbringing or environment, but it lies within our hearts. Jeremiah says, “The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick” (Jer.17:9). If it lies in how we think and what we desire, then our need is for a radical cure! If our problem lies deep within us, down into our very constitution and disposition, then mere religion won’t do. We need spiritual operation! We need an actual transformation! This is what happens when one is born again (2 Cor.5:17). It is important because it reveals how great our salvation really is. There are four views in theology about the fall:

▪ The first is that man fell upward and he’s getting better and better. This is not a biblical or Christian view at all! They say that man came out of the green slime or primordial goop; and, through a process of trial and error, he graduates from one species to another, from a

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fly, to a roach, upward and upward, and he is getting better and better. This idea says that man has within him the power to perfect himself. But you lie to your own conscience and eyesight if you claim this argument—for the world testifies against you that man is not getting better, but worse.

▪ The second idea is Roman Catholic in origin and says that man slipped over the edge and

what he lost was replaced by the sacraments in the hands of the priests. This view says that the priest has the power to impart divine righteousness and take away Adam’s sin by the water of baptism or take away daily sin by bread and wine that magically turn into the blood and body of Jesus. They claim to take away venial sin (less serious sin) by the seven drops of oil and extreme unction, and that man can go to a place which does not exist, called purgatory, and really act as his own savior for his sin.

▪ The third idea can be pictured as a man slipping down onto a ledge, and that he still has

some good in him. The people who hold to this view use all of the right vocabulary, and they speak freely of man’s sin and that man died in Adam. But if you press them carefully, they say, “Man is fallen, but he still has a little life in him.”

▪ The fourth concept in theology about the fall is the one clearly taught in the Bible, and it is

that to which we hold at The Church at South Mountain. This biblical doctrine says that when mankind fell in Adam in the garden, he fell all the way, and that every ounce of divine goodness, so far as God is concerned, was destroyed so that there is nothing in man that can recommend him to God.

There are really only three views that you can have of mankind: 1) He is well and getting better, 2) he is sick, but not hopeless; something is wrong with man, and if we work hard we can figure it out, or 3) man is dead in sin, helpless, hopeless, Christless, and Godless. This does not mean that he has no free will, but it means that man has no free will toward God. It means that sin affects every aspect of our human existence: our minds, our wills, and our bodies are affected by sin. Therefore, we are deaf to God’s voice, blind to God’s love, and unresponsive to God’s will. Just as a blind man can see no difference between a masterpiece painted by Rembrandt and a stick figure drawn by Dora the Explorer, an unsaved man really has no clue how vile sin is to God. Just as a deaf man cannot distinguish between a coach’s whistle and the great sound that comes out of a baby grand piano, an unsaved man has no clue how deep God’s hatred and judgment on sin really is. A PERSON WHO DOES NOT BELIEVE in the biblical teaching of human depravity says, in essence, "There is an island of righteousness in a man that has not been affected by sin. There is an area in us that has not been reached by the corruption of the flesh, an area that is untainted and not enslaved by sin, which enables us to still see and enter the kingdom of God, in spite of what Jesus says."

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Calvin declared: "We are so entirely controlled by the power of sin, that the whole mind, the whole heart, and all of our actions are under its influence."26 Luther saw "sin as permeating every part of man's being so that he is incapable of turning to God by his own volition."27 If this is the case, the question is: can the DEAD raise themselves? Can the BOUND free themselves? Can the BLIND give themselves sight or the DEAF give themselves hearing? Can the UNTEACHABLE or naturally fallen man change himself?

Job 14:4—"Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one!" Jeremiah 13:23—"Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then you also can do good who are accustomed to doing evil."

What is impossible with man is possible with God! How does God deal with us in our depravity? How does He bring about this change, how does He make a man new? First, there must be a stroke that ends his old life, and a touch that gives him new life. The penalty of his past, present, and future sins must be dealt with by means of a Substitute. This is what Christ has done. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor.5:21). “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God…” (1 Pet.3:18). Legally, once a man is dead, the law can hold nothing over him. It can place no claim upon a man once he dies. Death frees him from any and all obligations. Imagine a man dying and having his funeral, and thus all his old obligations are now destroyed. Then the same day he is raised to begin a new life. Can the old offenses be held against him? No, for he has died and rose to live a new life. Such is the case with the Christian. Second, there must be a union—a union with a new representative. This is what Jesus becomes to a man who is saved. When God saves a man, the Spirit of God, through the Gospel preached, overcomes man’s resistance and changes it so that we desire what He desires, we want what He wants, we love what God loves. He drops the seeds of new life in our hearts which brings forth fruit after its own kind. With the sharp sword of the Word of God in His hand, so to speak, the Holy Spirit puts God’s Laws into the sinner’s mind and writes them, as it were, on our hearts; He quickens us and raises us from spiritual death, and calls us out of darkness into His marvelous light! This doctrine shows us how deep our need is, but it also shows us how great our salvation is in Jesus! Do you know anything about this? Have you been made a new creature by His death and His resurrection? If so, you will want to show in the most common things of life that you have been born again.

26 John Calvin, Calvin’s Commentaries, Volume 21, p.220 27 Plauss, What Luther Says

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The old habits of sin that once tempted you are unable to control you because you are dead to them. The charms of the world have no fascination in your eyes because your eyes have been opened to the glories of Christ and His kingdom. If you know anything about this new life, it will only be satisfied with new delights and new duties, the ones that Christ approves. Your new faith will activate new service; your new love for Christ will be seen in a new obedience to His commands. This new life will be practically proven in your daily life. This Gospel of Christ is about what God has done about man and his salvation. It is not about what man has to do, but it is the good news about what He has done! The Gospel is not something that just gives believers forgiveness and makes them happy. The Gospel of Jesus manifests what God has done (imputed righteousness), does (imparts righteousness), and will do (clothe us with perfect righteousness) to make us acceptable before Him.

▪ The Gospel claims that it is the potent prescription for every ill we have. ▪ The Gospel claims that it delivers and rescues us from the consequences of the fall. ▪ The Gospel claims to reconcile us with God and restore communion with Him. ▪ The Gospel claims to put into operation the way God makes us acceptable before Him.

Therefore, the person who is not deeply influenced by what God has done on Calvary is not concerned about living right and does not delight in the Law of God. He is not a Christian and has never truly understood the Gospel. How has the cross influenced you? When you survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died, what happens in your soul? How does it compel you to live? The Divine Indictment Against Us At the end of every courtroom trial, each lawyer has a chance to present closing arguments. In our text, the Apostle Paul sets before us his “closing arguments” as to why mankind is under the wrath of God and in need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He begins with a question: “What then? Are we better than they?” (v.9a) This question comes from the Jew or the religious person about the Gentiles or person without the Bible. Although the Jews had a greater privilege and responsibility than the Gentiles because God entrusted His special revelation to them, did this mean that they possessed an advantage which sheltered them from God’s wrath? He continues with the answer: “Not at all!” (v.9b) Does being a Jew or knowing the Bible give an advantage over the Gentile? Can a defense be put forward based upon privileges? Paul gives a sweeping denial—not by any means; not in any respect; altogether not; not at all! Being a Jew or possessing knowledge of the Bible does not mean that one is “any better” or “better off.” No one possesses any favoritism because of spiritual, heredity, or religious privileges.

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He closes with a bottom line conclusion: “For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.” (v.9c) Paul’s conclusion is that all mankind suffers from the same problem. Notice that he did not say that the problem of both Jews and Gentiles is that we are all sinners, but that we are all under sin. What does this mean? Does it mean under the power of sin, under the judgment of sin, or under the weight of sin? We can discover the answer by thinking about the way we speak today when we talk about getting behind in our homework or duties at work. When we have fallen behind and lost the sense of being “on top of things”; we feel the weight of being under a burden. Here Paul personifies sin as a cruel tyrant who holds the human race imprisoned in guilt and under judgment. Being “under sin” suggests being weighted down by a terrible burden, a heavy obstacle that seeks to crush us. This is the burden on every man’s shoulders. Everyone is under the dominion of sin, the burdening judgment, and the crushing power of sin from which he is unable to escape. Sin is like a perpetual fountain constantly reproducing and increasing this guilt in every man! Do you feel the burden of sin?

▪ Why don’t you do what you ought to do, instead of what you want to do? ▪ Have you ever tried to stop something you know you weren’t supposed to do, only to find

later that you yielded to it? ▪ How did that failure make you feel?

How do we know this is true? How can this be proven? On what authority is Paul grounding this indictment? Edersheim, the New Testament scholar, reminds us that “A favorite method which the rabbis used was a practice of stringing several passages along like a string of pearls to support their argument.” The Apostle, who was a formerly a Pharisee, employs this rabbinical style of teaching by supplying a series of seven Old Testament quotations from Ecclesiastes, Psalms, and Isaiah to demonstrate that this conclusion is not based upon his own opinion. So, on what authority then does Paul base this indictment?

▪ On the authority of Scripture (Old Testament): “As it is written:”

By going to the Holy Scriptures, Paul removes the dodge of some who might suggest that he was simply an accuser. The Apostle allows the voice of God in His own Word to be heard. In doing so, he lays out the grounds of judgment (vv.10-18) and the sentence of judgment (vv.19-20).

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What is the proof of this indictment? Look at the general characteristics! “THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUSNESS, NOT EVEN ONE; THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD.” (vv.10-11)

Verse 10 makes a general statement called a universal negative. What Paul means here is that there is no human being who has ever lived (except Jesus Christ) who, when judged by the standards of the Law of God, can be rightfully called righteous. In verse 11, he specifically points out how sin has affected us. It has affected our minds: “none…understands.” That is to say, no one naturally possesses a knowledge of God’s way of righteousness. It has also affected our will: “none…seeks for God,” meaning no human possesses a desire to be with Him at all. God’s complaint is that we do not really seek Him or make His glory our supreme concern (Ps.14:2), or set Him before us (Ps.16:8; 54:3). There is no room for Him in our thoughts (Ps.10:4) and, therefore, we do not love Him with all our powers. Why is it that some people seem to search after God? The great Roman Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas wrestled with this question and gave this insight:

When we see people searching for such things as truth, peace of mind, eternal life, or happiness, they are searching for relief from their guilt. These are things that Christians know only God can give them. So, we leap to the conclusion that since they are searching for those things which only God can give them, they must therefore be searching for God. But man’s sinfulness is seen precisely in this, that he seeks for the benefits of God, while fleeing from the Person of God. 28

What is the result of this? How is the ungodliness of sin seen?

“ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE.” (v.12)

Here the Apostle describes the inevitable consequence of not knowing God: namely, declension. To turn aside means to deviate or to go in a bad way because one has voluntarily fled from the good way (v.11). What is the result? Uselessness: “…TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS…” In the Greek language, this term carries with it the idea of purposelessness. In the Hebrew language this term carries with it the idea of corruption. Like salt that has lost its flavor and is no longer fit for its purpose, or like spoiled milk or fruit that is rotted and gone bad, so all men are viewed by God as having gone bad.

28 R.C. Sproul, Romans

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Mankind resembles a caravan which has strayed from the right course, and each member can do nothing to help one another in their common misery and inevitable doom. Look at the visible manifestation!

In verses 13-17, Paul demonstrates, as exhibit A, how sin has affected every part of our lives in two general categories: what we say and what we do. However, he lists the different parts to show how God created them to be used to serve others and glorify Him, but instead they are used to harm people and rebel against Him. The throat is compared to “AN OPEN GRAVE.” What does this mean? The throat is the tunnel, as it were, that leads to the heart. It is compared to a grave, the place of corruption and infection. Yet it is open, unsealed and uncovered, as it were, ready to defile and contaminate others. Man’s condition is deep-seated. The tongue is said to “KEEP DECEIVING.” (v.13) What does this mean? The tongue is seen in Scripture as a little member with the power to direct big things and the power to destroy many things. Here, Paul points to the fact that the tongue is sugared, like an Egyptian cobra that charms you like a melodious instrument, yet in the end it deceives you and fractures the truth of God. The lips are pictured like that of a viper that contains poison. This image is connected to the charm of the cobra. While the tongue lures and deceives the unsuspecting to come near, underneath the lips hide the bags of deadly venom, inflicting pain and even death. This reveals that man’s fallenness is manifested in the poisonous things he injects in people. In his own way, he is as a poisonous snake. The mouth is said to be “FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS.” (v.14) People who curse and speak with bitterness are taken by those in our culture as someone who is strong and tough; someone, perhaps, to be feared or respected. However, biblically, a cursing, bitter mouth is a sign of fallenness which has reached a peak of open hostility cast in the face of others and God. The fact that the mouth is “full” of cursing and bitterness speaks of a habit that has woven its way down into the very character of the individual. Their feet are “SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD.” (v.15) This means that sin causes man to hurry to violence, if not in act, at least in the sight and twisted thrill of it. It is not that every man is a murderer. Rather, every man contains within him this eager form of wrongdoing that is quick to violence. What is the result? “DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS.” (v.16) In other words, because mankind has voluntarily chosen the wrong path, life will be filled with misery and ruin.

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Why? Because “…THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN.” (v.17) The way of peace is not only foreign to him, but mankind has never really known or understood the way of peace because his interest is in what separates him from God. What we see here is that sin always leads man away from God and from each other as well. What’s the bottom line? Paul says, “…THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES.” (v.18) The essence of sin is linked to a lack of fear of God. What does Paul mean here by the “FEAR OF GOD”? We can take this to mean two things:

1. We can think of fear as that which frightens us. What Paul could be saying is that nobody is afraid of God anymore! People are not afraid of what He can do if we disobey Him and, therefore, people live as practical atheists, as if God did not exist.

2. It can also refer to a respect of one we adore. Put in other words, Paul says the human race is an irreverent race. Humanity has no profound respect for God!

John Murray observes that “the eyes are the organs of vision or perspective and the lack of fear…means that God is not the center of our thoughts and calculations…He is not at all in our thoughts…figuratively, He is not before our eyes.”29 This indictment by Paul indicates to us that sin is universal, ungodly, and pervasive. Everyone is affected by it; it leads to a revolt against God with a view to dethrone Him and enthrone oneself, and it taints every part of our humanity. Why do we need to know this? (v.19)

▪ To shut our mouths. “A Christian is a man who has had his mouth shut.”30 ▪ To silence our excuses. ▪ To make every one of us understand our personal accountability before God in judgment.

The picture here is of a defendant in a court who, given the opportunity to speak in his own defense, is speechless because of the weight of the evidence which has been brought against him. There is nothing to wait for but the pronouncement and execution of the sentence.

29 John Murray, Epistle to the Romans, p.105 30 D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Commentary to the Romans, p.19

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The Divine Provision That God Extends to Us: What is our only hope? First, reject any attempt of self-salvation. “Because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight…” (v.20a) Second, know that the Law brings about the knowledge of sin, not the forgiveness of sin. “…through the Law comes the knowledge of sin.” (v.20b) Third, run by faith to the only One who grants acquittal—the Lord Jesus Christ.

▪ Will you face the fact that you are not a helpless victim, but a responsible human being before God?

▪ Do you believe that this is God’s divine diagnosis of your condition? Self-esteem classes won’t change it; education won’t change it; blaming your condition on your family or your environment won’t change it.

▪ Once you have faced and accepted these facts to be true, then the only thing left to do is to flee from the just judgment of God on our sins to the only refuge there is—Jesus Christ. Do it and do it now!

Conclusion:

John Bunyan, the Bedford tinker, illustrates beautifully what happens when the Law and the Gospel come together to deal with our hearts.

Then he took Christian by the hand and led him into a very large reception room that was full of dust because it was never swept. After he had examined the room for a little while, the Interpreter called for a man to sweep. When he began to sweep, the dust began to fly around so much that Christian was almost choked by it. Then the Interpreter said to a girl standing by, “Bring water here and sprinkle the room.” And when she had done it, the room was easily swept and cleaned. “What does this mean?” asked Christian. The Interpreter answered, “This reception room is the heart of a man that never was sanctified by the sweet Grace of the Gospel. The dust is the Original Sin and the inward corruptions that have made the whole man unclean.” He who began to sweep in the beginning is the law; but she who brought and sprinkled the water is the Gospel.” “Now”, he continued, “as you saw, the dust began to fly about as soon as the first individual began to sweep so that the room could not be cleaned, but you were almost choked by it. This is meant to show you that instead of cleaning the sinful heart by its works, the law actually energizes, puts strength into and increases sin in the soul. Even though it reveals and condemns sin, it doesn’t have the power to conquer it.

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“Then,” continued the Interpreter, “you saw the girl sprinkle the room with water, which caused it to be easily cleaned. This is meant to show you that when the Gospel comes in, just as the girl settled the dust by sprinkling the floor with water, in like manner the sweet and precious influences of the Gospel to the heart conquer and defeat sin. The soul is made clean through the faith of the Gospel, and consequently the soul is fit for the King of Glory to inhabit.” Has the Lord touched your heart and made it fit to be His throne?31

31 Jonh Bunyan, Pilgrims Progress, pp.37-38

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Additional Information:

What is original sin? Original sin is not the first sin. Original sin does not refer specifically to the sin of Adam and Eve. Original sin refers to the results of the sin of Adam and Eve. The result of our first parents’ sin, according to Paul, was a death that spread to all men. How was this transmitted or communicated? It was transmitted in two ways. First, it came by imputation, although we had not imitated the same sin. That is, Adam's guilt was placed to our account although we had not sinned in the likeness of his offense, because he served as our representative (Cf. Rom.5:13-14; 1 Cor.15:22). Second, it came by propagation (to spread) because we are his offspring. We not only inherited Adam's guilt, but we also inherited his internal pollution. We will come back later to discover how this pollution has affected us. Original sin refers also to the punishment God gives for the first sin. Romans 5:15-17, 19—"…For if by the transgression of the one the many died…for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation…for if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one…for as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners…" To further clarify what original sin is, it is not a specific act of sin, but a condition of sin. "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me" (Psalm 51:5). The result of the first sin was that humanity was plunged into moral ruin and corruption (Psalm 53:2-3; Rom.5:12). This condition is a part of the human nature out of which particular sinful acts flow. This explains why we sin. We sin because we are sinners. It is not that we sin and, therefore, we are sinners. Just as a man steals because he is a thief, we are sinners and, therefore, we sin. It's who we are by nature. You may say, "Not everyone steals or murders. Does this mean that some people are bigger sinners than others, or that some are depraved and some are not?" What did Jesus teach concerning man's ability to be saved? "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day"(John 6:44). This verse contains three key elements that unfold the answer concerning man's ability to save himself. The first is a universal negative: "No one…" This means that all are included and there are no exceptions apart from the exceptions that Jesus adds. No one means no one, and that's all no one means. The second key is a vital distinction. The next word that Jesus uses is crucial: "no one can…." He did not say, "No one may," but rather "No one can." Can has to do with ability, while may has to do with permission. In elementary school, English teachers often taught us this difference. Do you recall, perhaps, raising your hand in class and asking, "Can I go to the restroom?" Only to hear, "I am sure that you can, but you also may go to the restroom." The word can refers to ability; the word may refers to permission. Jesus is not saying, "No one has the permission to come to Me because I won't allow it." No, no, He is saying, "No one has the ability to come to Me." The third key element in this verse is a necessary condition. "No one can come to Me unless…" In other words, B cannot occur until A happens. Jesus is clearly teaching that no man, no matter how gifted, moral, determined, or persuaded he may seem to be, can come to Him unless a necessary condition is met. What is that condition? Jesus gives us two. "…unless the Father who sent Me draws Him…" (John 6:44). "…For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father" (John 6:65). The ability for man to come to Christ is a gift from God. It has to be granted to a person from the Father. No person can just decide to come to Jesus on his own because his natural fallen condition has rendered him incapable of desiring to do so on his own. How much must God do to help man to come to Christ? Jesus said the Father must "draw" him. The word for draw here is “helkuo,” which means to draw without necessarily the notion of force. This same term is used in John 12:32 of Jesus, who said, "And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to Myself." This verse has led many to interpret this draw of God as a wooing of people by God or an enticing of them by love and attraction. I believe this interpretation is wrong. This interpretation has led many to also conclude

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that this wooing, though necessary, is not compelling and that it can be rejected. In other words, the wooing does not guarantee that a person will in fact come to Christ. The error is made in how the word "draw" is twisted to fit some theologians’ doctrine of depravity. The biblical meaning of the word “helkuo” (draw) really conveys the idea to compel, which is a more forceful word than woo. This is seen as you compare its usage in James 2:6 and Acts 16:19, 21:30. The idea here is that one is compelled with irresistible superiority. How is this related to a person being drawn to Christ? The idea is not that God forces people to come to Christ, or hammers at a person's will to such an extent that the sinner eventually gives in. Rather, before a person can make the slightest move toward God, a certain operation must take place; a certain action must occur which is absolutely effective in achieving God's desire. What is this action or operation? It is the new birth. "…Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God…Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" (John 3:3, 5). How can a man choose a kingdom he cannot see? How can he enter the kingdom without first being enabled to enter? To suggest that a man has the ability to incline or dispose himself to Christ without the new birth is to place man's salvation totally in his own hands! So, if we are dead, blind, enslaved, and unteachable, what is our hope? HERE IT IS: the Gospel, empowered by the Spirit, contains within it the power to put into man's heart the faith that he needs in order to respond. (Cf. Rom.1:16)