The depravity of man is a concept that is truly manmade. There is no such thing as the “depravity of man”. I wasn’t going to post to this, I have many things to do, my own blog being one of them, but this foundational non-truth contorts the Word of God and should be looked into. I’m not going to post scripture either, as that is unnecessary for Christians who think. If you need scripture to tell you that God does not condone or exhibit sin, then you need Christianity 101.

This is not that post!

The reason I say that Gods does not sin, is for all the obvious reasons, I don’t think anyone would argue THAT point. But when someone declares that the base-foundation of man is sinful, then they are saying that God does indeed sin, or at the very least condones it. Why? Because as creator we would be saying what He creates is flawed by design. That God’s intent was to infuse man with a nature to sin, rather than a choice to sin.

It is harder (or impossible) to make an argument for that than the argument of Free Will. But you will have those who will stand defiantly against that premise. So if we don’t have Free Will, are bound to a sinful nature, then why would God create us? Really. It would be an assumption of baseness (carnality) to suggest that God made some of His kids to die horribly, and some to be exalted. Remember HE SAID that He is no respecter of persons (doesn’t esteem one over another), so again, to assume depravity as a innate characteristic of man, declares God a liar (for He said He made man in His OWN image).

God does not lie.

Man chooses either to be obedient unto God and gain eternal life, or obedient to carnality and gain eternal damnation. Sin is separation from God, not part of His nature. The author of sin, Satan, is the leader of the rebellion against all things God. So even in human terms, do you know of anyone joining a rebellion against themselves? Of course not. So it is the height of futility, and other descriptors I won’t mention, to try and bridge the concept of God (perfection, sinlessness, divinity, et al) to the character of Satan.

They are diametrically opposed.

Predestination is to all men, this would go a long way to explain God’s nature if understood. We are all, as in ALL MANKIND, predestinated to grow into our inheritance to God, and be like Him. This is the meaning of son and daughtership in Christ. That like human children, we grow into the character and nature of our parent. Our parent is God. So in a real and tangible sense, this IS our predestination. We do not expect puppies to grow into cats, or chicks into hamsters. Such a thought would be deemed foolish indeed. But predestination by Calvinistic standards assumes exactly that, that some are slated NOT to grow into their inheritance to God from the beginning.

Think about that.

Now, unlike the previous example, we can choose death instead of eternal life, but that does not change the fact that we have a birthright. Esau had a birthright and squandered it. In choosing sin we do the same. So if we don’t walk in the light of our faith, we will walk in the darkness of our sins, and the wages of sin is death.

So be vigilante to those things that try to circumvent the clear meanings of God’s Word. Within the pages of the Bible are the answers to all things, the answers to all problems, the answers to all circumstances, the, well, answers! So it can all be summed up in one word, the answer we are seeking, the truth of all things, the solution to all our problems—and the understanding to all we don’t understand.

God.

But let’s be clear, Christ is the road home, we are urged to travel it because at the end of the road is the blessing of eternal life. Depravity is a condition, and to be healed of that condition (just like any disease) we must accept Christ AND take the journey home (Luke 9:23). But God didn’t give us the disease, nor did He create us with it, depravity comes through our choices to sin. To say man without God has a condition of depravity is more correct than saying man’s natural state of existence is depraved without God.

He is simply not on the path home—nor receives it’s rewards.

What does depravity mean?

Depravity: verb lead away from what is natural or right; corrupt.
ORIGIN Latin depravare, from pravus ‘crooked, perverse’.
1. Moral corruption or degradation.
2. A depraved act or condition.

Note depravity or depraved is NOT a noun, it does not imply a creative state of being. It is a verb, denoting an act or condition.

God creates a “state of being” or more simply “things”. Things, no matter what it is, has a condition of it’s inherent state. In simpler terms, “the water was cold” or “the day was hot”. Each thing (water, day) has a state, and as in all things states or conditions can change! This is even more evident in our human lives. We choose when we get up in the morning, what we eat for breakfast, what job we do, etc. We have choices.

Our state of being is a choice as well.

We know what sin is, and we know that all men sin. These are “acts” and not a condition. The sons and daughters of God are choosing a life of discipleship in Christ, thus have a “condition” of Grace. Grace is “unmerited (not earned) favor” from God, and speaks to the sin “penalty” of death. The sons and daughters of perdition are choosing a life without God, therefore there is no Grace. They inherent the full sin penalty.

It is their choice, which becomes their condition.

This is a subject that has many roads of consideration, all important, and given of God. But we are speaking “just” to the depravity of man. So keeper, no argument, no debate, no censure or vaunted need to be “right”—just the plain simple Word of God.

And that is the final arbiter of ALL truth!

God’s vision for man is always obedience. It matters not which side of life the test comes from, the pruning or the blossoming, just that the will is subjected to glory. What does that mean? We are flesh, and we walk in the flesh, notice I did not say “carnality”, and as such our filters of life are of the flesh. But we are asked to reside in the divine, here on earth, then in eternity.

How does flesh reconcile to the divine?

Obedience to a higher, pure and undefiled will—God’s. This places the realms of the divine within our grasp. It changes us to the image of His Son. Christ repeated over and over “I do nothing save my Father tells me” and that is the key. If Christ was obedient, and He IS God, then the key to life is to do as He said “follow me”. That follow me is submission to the Divine Will because it gives life, and overcomes the death of sin.

That is why God says to us “he that believes (those who “be” and “live” Christ) on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16. Every school age Christian knows that passage, but how many of us truly understand it? Life is sacrifice, sacrifice of our wants, desires, preconceived ideas, and all the desires of the heart, soul and mind, until we are washed of the flesh and finally stand clean before the Lord. Not that any of our desires may be sinful, but they must always reflect “thy will be done”.

Sin is a decision and God provides a way out (I Corinthians 10:13) or to quote “There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.”

So all the predestination to sin stuff, is, well, just stuff!

And Jesus said, you know “God-on-earth”, that “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid..” (John 14:27). So we either believe what is written, or we take it out of context. So when I said “Bondage is always a decision, we trap ourselves. Peace is a gift from Jesus Christ, just like He said, and it our decision to partake of it…” it stands by scripture “in-context”.

Anything else is an agenda.

The resurrection (discipleship in Christ, salvation, et al) is where the power lies. To many times we become powerless not in the failure to have a real and vibrant relationship with God, but that we don’t take hold of the victory. There is nothing noble or honorable about the sacrifice unless we see it through to the end to victory! There are too many who look for nobility in suffering, let’s be clear; there is NOTHING noble of about suffering!

But in the overcoming of the trial before us there certainly is.

Everyone suffers, it is a rule of life because we are at school. There is only one lesson, return home (again, the prodigal son). And when you graduate, you go home to God. I’m not talking about death either! So the test and trials we go through is the suffering of sin, ours and others, to finally graduate.

When we are done we are truly His!

Be blessed, be loved and be at peace,

Jonathan

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3 Comments

1. 

   Jim Wright

   June 28, 2009 • 5:41 am

   
   
   

   Not sure I agree with you re: Depravity of man r maybe we have two differing definitions of what that means in the theological context.

   What is the Depravity of Man?

   Total Depravity: Although fallen persons are capable of externally good acts (acts that are good for society), they cannot do anything really good, i.e., pleasing to God. God, however, looks on the heart. And from his ultimate standpoint, fallen man has no goodness, in thought, word, or deed. He is therefore incapable of contributing anything to his salvation.

   - John Frame

   Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God

   I for one, would like to see a scriptural basis for this belief. You said this “non-truth contorts the Word of God.” but then don’t show me how.

   I have a feeling we may agree (as usual) but it is a matter of semantics.

   My understanding of “depravity of man” is that we are born into sin and always fighting the fleshly desire. I believe that is true but by God’s grace we are saved, not through any works I can do.

   Enough for now. I am sure we can hash this out via Skype lol
2. 

   Mikes

   June 26, 2009 • 1:34 pm

   
   
   

   Amen brother! It is by no means the choice of man if he wantst to go the state of being or not. God has plans for us and never was it to destroy us in fat it was for us to have life and have it to the fullest. thanks for clarifying this thing. God bless you!
   • 

     J. D. Payne

     June 29, 2009 • 10:32 am

     
     
     

     …anything good is always God!