Total depravity: not the believer's reality

I have had discussions in the past concerning the doctrine of total depravity. I believe the doctrine of total depravity is true, yet I feel I must write concerning the doctrine's misuse*, especially when it comes to total depravity and believers.

What is total depravity?
The doctrine of total depravity as I understand it runs thus:

Because of the fall (Genesis 3), man is unable by or of himself to believe in the gospel of salvation. Man is from birth rebellious against God. He is dead, blind and deaf to the things of God (Matthew 13:13). His heart is corrupted, his will is bound to Satan (Ephesians 2:1-2), and his inclination is constantly towards evil (Genesis 6:5). This depravity affects man physically, mentally, and spiritually, so that every part (the total) is depraved.

Are believers totally depraved?
You tell me: according to the historical definition of total depravity, can believers properly be defined as remaining in this state? Are believers unable to believe in the gospel of salvation (Acts 15:11)? Then how are they believers? Are they rebellious against God? Then how are they united to Him (Romans 6:5)? Are they dead, blind and deaf to the things of God? Then how can they have a relationship with Him (Galatians 4:6)? Are their hearts corrupted? Then why does God say He has given them a new, clean heart (Ezekiel 11:19)? Is their will bound to Satan? Then why does God say He has set us free (Galatians 5:1)? Is their inclination constantly towards evil? Then why does the Bible say believers desire the heavenly (Hebrews 11:16)? Why do they seek to be Christlike?

In answer to the question, I say no, believers are not totally depraved. Total depravity is a pre-Christ state. It is what we were, not what we are. When we are in Christ, we are set free, changed, renewed, redeemed, forgiven, restored, adopted, sanctified, glorified, justified…the change is endless (1 Corinthians 6:11, Romans 8:30). We are a new creation. The old has passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are recreated in Christ Jesus. Reborn. We have the indwelling Spirit. We abide in the Vine. Our eyes are opened, our ears can hear, and our hearts can respond to the gospel.

Does this mean believers don’t sin? Not at all. We sin and struggle on every plane, physically, mentally and spiritually. The effects of total depravity still linger in us. But believers are not totally depraved. That is not our condition. Not according to the historical definition, which indicated and indicates unsaved people. The doctrine of total depravity is not meant to define Christians, but to define humanity. We have a new existence in Christ Jesus. God sees us differently in Christ than outside of Him. Christ makes a difference - a major one. We have to consider our familial reality.

We still speak of being totally depraved in terms of acknowledging one side of the coin, which is our dependency upon Christ in all things. We are weak. But the reality is that, not only do we as believers depend on Christ for everything, but Christ fulfills every dependency we have! He is our strength when we are weak. This is why we are pronounced clean. This is why the epistles declare believers saints, not sinners. Our identity is changed. God has removed us from our sin, separating them as far as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). He has drowned our sins in the depths of the sea (Micah 7:19).

The believer's reality
Our reality is settled in Christ. The ability that we have been given is only by God’s grace in enabling us to do the good works He has foreordained (Ephesians 2:8-10). He has called us to act in righteousness, and He provides the way for us to do so. My ability to be good is not some sort of apart-from-Christ merit. Apart from Christ we can do nothing – but this implies that in and with Christ, we can do something.

We are the Body of Christ. Christ works through us in order to bring about His will on earth. There is an intriguing relationship between the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man. People pray for the salvation of a friend, and when the friend is saved they glorify God, not thinking that their prayer was the means, yet their prayer was the instrument God used in order to bring about His sovereign will in saving the friend. This is a glorious truth: God includes us in His plan and purpose. He is active in relationship with His people. He moves and creates and speaks and involves us. He allows us to participate in doing good works for His glory. That’s why we share the gospel or serve others in love: not to “be good”, but because God is good and He has allowed us a part to play.

Live, then, in the light and the joy of this reality. Live every day as though God has a plan and a purpose for you - because He does! He has plans for you far beyond what you can imagine. He is with you every moment. Christ does not forget about you, not even for a second. Leave the hours and the minutes of your life in the hands of the Sovereign God Who has pronounced you clean, Who has declared you worthy to be a steward of His righteousness, a messenger of His glory, a child who is welcome and loved. Leave your doubts and your confusions, and even your certainties, with the all-wise Saviour, Who knows you better than you know yourself. Look to Jesus, and be ready.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work. So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. (2 Timothy 2:21-22 ESV)


*I don't doubt that I have misused the term in the past; this blog is an attempt to correct my own errors as much as to address the errors of others.

Five women & God's grace

1

When others sinned against me, I sinned to gain security. I used deceit, cunning and immorality to ensure my deceased husband's inheritance, as well as my own future. I banked on the immorality of my father-in-law rather than trusting in the Most High God. Still, in all my sinfulness, God moved with grace, using me despite my sinful works, despite my fears, and allowing me to bear a son who would be in the line of the Messiah.

2

I am a prostitute from a pagan nation. I lived my life in immorality, in godlessness. Then I heard about the LORD, the one who delivered his people from Egypt, who brought them through the Red Sea, who defeated powerful nations. My heart melted within me at the word of this God, the God of the heavens above and the earth beneath. How I rejoiced and mourned when God spared me by his mercy and grace! Could it be that I, even I could be in the line of the Messiah? 

3

I am a Gentile. By God's grace I was saved, living with Naomi and refusing to go back to Chemosh and spiritual death. I forsook the idols of my people. God moved mysteriously and graciously, and in his providence I found myself married to Boaz, a righteous and worthy man. In my life I saw something of the final redemption through the Messiah. 

4

I am an adulteress. Called by the king, I went and lay with him. O, God - pregnancy! Proof of our iniquity, and my death sentence. To cover our iniquity, my husband, my righteous husband Uriah, was betrayed and slain. What have I done? My lament, my guilt, O my husband! O, my child. This consequence is great. I sinned against the Lord. But, O - God's grace. God gave us another son, a son beloved of the Lord. Could it be that my son, the son from my womb, is an ancestor of the Messiah? 

5

I am young, unmarried, and vulnerable. I am neither rich nor powerful. An angel appeared to me and told me wonderful things, things that were confusing and amazing. The Holy Spirit? Overshadowing? A Son - a Son of the Most High? Let it be so, according to your word. 

O, those months. The visit with Elizabeth; the joy in knowing Joseph believed me, that he would stay! - the long, aching travel; the inn. No room in the inn. Where am I to bear this child? The time has come!

My beautiful boy. Look at you - so small and frail, needing me. What is the grace of God, that I should bear the Saviour of the world? I need him. The whole world will need him. The shepherds came and told us their story, how the choir of angels sang. A Saviour. Christ the Lord. My baby. I will treasure these things and ponder them. Could it be that the promises of God have been fulfilled? The time of waiting is over - the Messiah has come!

Believers: according to Philippians: part two

Partakers

The word for partakers is sygkoinōnós, which means a close companion or joint-sharer. It is amazing to think that we are not merely an audience, not passively watching grace, but that we are active accomplices, having fellowship with all believers through the Spirit. We are the hands and feet of Christ, serving one another out of reverence for Jesus. When Paul uses this word in Philippians, he is referencing the Philippians' willingness to share Paul's suffering and shame. You know a close companion when they stand by you in the worst of times, not just the best of times.

Brothers, Beloved, Children of God

These profound familial terms ignite our theology, bringing the truths of God's Word to light through relationship. Through His death, Christ has caused us to be born again, born into adoption. We are the children of God. To be adopted in Christ is an eternal and glorious relational aspect of our salvation. We are more than believers; we are beloved, loved by God as a father loves his children. We are co-heirs with Christ. Think about these mercies! I can barely understand them.

Not only does salvation affect our relationship with God, but it also changes how we fellowship with one another. Believers are brothers, united as the family of God, given new life and new purpose in Christ Jesus. We grow together in sanctification, love, joy, suffering, and everything else.

Lights in the world

As lights in the world, we shine brightly. We are not under baskets. We don't hide away, but rather declare the glories of Christ Jesus through the way we live and through what we say. How can we distinguish between what we say and how we live? It shouldn't be possible. If our "yes" really means "no", then there is something wrong. We are to live as lights in the world, shining the gospel of Christ into even the darkest corners. 

Citizens of heaven
We belong to the God of heaven, not the prince of the power of the air, nor this present darkness. We are sojourners here, living for Christ in the midst of our journey home. Our citizenry is with Christ, for we are seated with Him in the heavenly places, kept for, by, and through Jesus as we await the final day, the day when the "worst vacation ever" has come to an end.

Paul reminds the Philippians of many things in his short letter. I pray they've encouraged you as they did me. 

Believers: according to Philippians - part one

When reading through Scripture, you can find many different titles for believers. The term, "Christian" only shows up a few times, yet believers are referenced quite often, especially in the New Testament. Reading through Philippians I came across many different titles given among believers. Some are specific titles, such as "servants", used in Paul's introduction, as well as the titles of overseer and deacon. However, I think we can expand upon these titles in general. 

According to Philippians, we are

Servants

As I said, Paul uses this in his introduction: 

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, (Philippians 1:1)

However, this is not exclusive to Paul. John, Peter, Jude and James all refer to themselves in the same way. In light of that, I think it is appropriate that we follow their example in proclaiming our servanthood to Christ. I am a servant of Christ. What does this mean? This means my life is not my own. I have been bought with the price of Christ's precious blood. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. My whole life is lived in devotion to Christ, or that at least is what I strive to do. I want to live my life according to Christ's will and by His word. I want to grow in love for God as well as for those whom He has created, glorifying God through selfless ministry. I want Christ to live through me. In light of that, I am His servant. 

Saints

Again from verse one:

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: (Philippians 1:1)

Believers are often referred to as saints in the New Testament. This is a declaration of our state in Christ: by His sacrifice, by His substitution, by His atonement and redemption, we have been pronounced pure and blameless, without blemish. We have been clothed in Christ's righteousness. We have been given new life in Christ Jesus. We are saints - set apart, holy unto the Lord. This one is difficult to understand, because it is wrapped up in the mystery of salvation. Yet we can know that this is how God sees us. He sees us through Christ, perfect, blameless, holy, redeemed. To be declared a saint is a glorious concept, and it is the reality for believers. 

Overseers and Deacons

To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons: (Philippians 1:1)

This does not refer to all believers, but to a specific group of men who are set apart within the believing community. These are elders, those who "supervise" the flock of God, who check the gospel pulse of the church. They keep watch, guarding against apostasy, guarding against the onslaught of the devil. They provide personal protection and care for believers. Deacons "kick up the dust" in ministry, serving the church in more practical, day-to-day-serving ways. Overseers have a great responsibility, and I think it is important for believers to pray for elders and deacons in their church. However, I think every believer can watch and guard against false teaching. We can all protect and care for one another through fellowship and prayer, and we can all certainly serve one another - in fact, we are called to do that very thing in Hebrews, stirring one another up to good works (Hebrews 10:24). 

Partners

All believers share things in common. Though we can disagree, though we can have many denominations and many different interpretations of any given Bible passage, we are bound together and unified in Christ Jesus. We share a fellowship through Christ. He is the unifier. He breaks down the walls of hostility and unites all peoples.

Fruit of the Spirit

Oh how I need these. All the time. Right now.

Love

According to the Greek definition, this actually means a love which centers in moral preference. Preferring another above yourself. Acting for them whether or not it is beneficial to you. It's self-sacrificial love.

This love says, I could live for myself, and do what is best for me, but because I love you I prefer to help you, to see that you are blessed.

Joy

Literally meaning "grace recognized", this is the fruit of the Spirit that acknowledges God's favour. This living joy is the awareness of God's grace. God has done so much. He has given us His favour, and to recognize that is to be joyful. It means saying, "no matter what is going on in my life right now, I know that You, Lord, have given me Your grace. I know that You are with me, and so I am content."

Peace

Another fruit that stems from the knowledge of grace recognized. Peace literally means "wholeness", as in all essential parts being joined together. When we recognize the grace of God in our life, that He is with us, that He governs our lives according to His infinite mercy, it becomes very difficult to worry or fret.

Patience

Long-passion. This means waiting a long time before expressing anger. Not flying off the handle. It means saying, "I could let my temper go right now, and give you a tongue-lashing fit for the dictionary example, but I will not. I will restrain myself."

It means avoiding a personal reaction, taking the time out to consider the circumstances without dwelling upon personal wounds. According to biblos.com, it is being "long-tempered".

Kindness

Kindness, as my pastor always says, is love with hands and feet. It is having time, and talents, and it is using the time and those talents to serve others with a compassionate heart. Being kind is being well-fit for use. For obeying the command of God and offering service to others. It means being helpful.

Goodness

This is talking about a personal quality of goodness. It emphasizes the kindly side of goodness rather than the righteous side of goodness. Goodness, again, means acting in a way that is beneficial. It is evidenced in spiritual excellence, which is in itself evidenced in the virtue of kindness.

Faithfulness

This is having faith, being persuaded to believe that God is God. According to biblos.com, it is a divine persuasion, involving human confidence. God reveals Himself, and faithfulness means being confident in what He has revealed.

Gentleness

The concept of gentleness, when you really think about it, gives the idea of restraint. As in, "I *could* crush your bones, but I won't, because I love you". It is restraint and self-control. It is care, like a mother caring for her newborn, or someone handling a thin glass vase, or a gardener tending to fragile little flowers. Gentleness, as an idea, does not mean weakness. It means power that is kept under control.

Self-control

This really means self-domination. It is mastering yourself, so that you can be patient rather than exploding in a temper, or you can be gentle rather than crushing someone's bones. It proceeds "out from within oneself, but not by oneself". As God gives us the grace to love, and reveals Himself so that we may be joyful, so He enables us to control ourselves so that we do not cause harm, dissension, or bitterness. He helps us control our malicious leanings. He helps us to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving.

May God grow this fruit in me!

Sanctification

Music is an interesting thing.

There are so many types, styles, and preferences in music. It is such a broad creature, known by all. Composers throughout the years have tried to express in notes what they feel in their soul. Their message is lasting. Music written three hundred years ago can still speak to me.

The process of learning one of these songs takes a long time. When I started playing an Invention by J. S. Bach, I knew I was horrible. I am still horrible, but at least my ability to keep going has improved. My fingers are catching up with my brain. Still, it is slow work. It doesn't sound so great in some places. I get a bit mixed up (Bach was a genius when it came to writing things that are mind-exploding complex). I find that as I have practiced, as I have played it again and again and again, it is slowly becoming the beautiful thing it was composed to be. I look forward to the day when I can play it through, start to finish, at the perfect tempo, with every dynamic nuance just right, every slur slurred and every staccato staccatoed.

I'm not there yet, but I will be.

People are interesting things, too. God works in His people to bring out what He created them to be. Sanctification is always called a process: the process by which God makes us holy and we live in holiness. It is the state of purity and of purification.

The elect exiles in the Dispersion were reminded by Peter of the fact that God had them in a process. Their exile was not the end. It was the time between, the practice period. God was leading them more and more toward the fullness of His purpose. In the Spirit, they were being progressively transformed by the Lord into His likeness (biblos.com calls it "similarity in nature").

As I walk through life, I realize that right now I am not what I ought to be. I do not sound exactly correct. The Composer of my life sees that I play some notes incorrectly, that I slur what ought not to be slurred, that I am loud when I ought to be piano, that I am soft when I ought to be fortissimo. 


I look forward to the day when, in Christ Jesus, I will be exactly what God has created me to be. I will be what He has promised. Until that day, I practice.

"Any notion of our own attainments which could lead us for a moment to speak of what we are with any degree of complacency is only rubbish. For my own part, I desire constantly to stand at the foot of the cross, with no other testimony concerning myself than this -


"I the chief of sinners am,
But Jesus died for me." 


Personal holiness is to be sought for with all our hearts, and it can only be obtained by faith in Jesus Christ - by simple faith in him. He gives us power to overcome sin through his precious blood; but, depend upon it, the moment we conclude that we have overcome, and can say what Paul could not say - that he had attained and was already perfect - we are in an evil case. Our pride has overpowered our judgment, and we are fools." ~ Spurgeon

Security of Salvation

I've been musing over this for the past little while. The idea of being secure - having assurance of salvation - is one that I hold quite dear. I believe it is an encouraging truth for the believer.

The perseverance of the saints is often cast in a negative light. I don't think it should be, as it is something that should be received with joy and praise unto God. So, I'm going to outline as much as I can here in this post. It is of course a much weightier topic than one small post can justify, but bear with me as I try to explain it. I do not have the space to get into the biggest aspect of this argument - that of adoption - but I may at some point in the future.

Are We Secure?

The first question of course is whether or not we really are secure in salvation.

Friends of mine do not believe so. As far as I can tell, they believe instead that, while God is certainly at work in salvation, we can indeed fall away and no longer believe in Christ as Lord and Saviour. It is up to us to follow Christ and remain saved.

While I can agree with that in some measure, I do not believe it gives credit where credit is due. It is not us, after all, who are the instigators of our salvation. We do not make ourselves a new creation. We do not give ourselves a new heart. God does these things. God is first and foremost in all things, including the salvation of our souls.

More than that, we have promises from God in Scripture. The main one I want to highlight here is the idea of being sealed with the Holy Spirit, since that pertains to the idea of security.

Ephesians 1:13 "In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory."

Ephesians 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."

The definition of sealed is:

"established irrevocably;

closed or secured;"

It would seem to me that this means our salvation is kept by the power of the Holy Spirit - and we could only lose our salvation if the Spirit broke away.

2 Corinthians 1:21-22 "And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee."

Can We Therefore Be Assured?

Security and assurance are slightly different - security is from God's perspective; we are saved, and He will keep us for eternity.

Assurance, on the other hand, is our understanding - and acceptance - of this fact.

I believe that we can be assured of God's saving, powerful grace. We can take Him at His word, and trust in His promises, and be confident in our salvation.

Hebrews 13:6 "So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”"

Trust me, I have gone through rough times. I've never been afraid I lost my salvation; but I have wondered in the past whether I was truly saved or not. I still have struggles every so often, wondering if I'm fooling myself into believing I am saved when I don't really trust in Christ.

The remedy for such worries is to look to Christ. As Mom has said so often before, we have to preach the gospel to ourselves. If I wasn't saved before, I can be now. Trust in Christ! Trust in Christ.

We can therefore have confidence in the power of Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. We don't have to worry whether we are doing or believing enough in order to remain saved.

Does That Mean We Don't Have to Try to Be Godly?

In no way does the perseverance of the saints mean that we don't have to strive toward holiness.

This is where the idea of "once saved, always saved" has such negative effects. Some take this to mean that they can then do whatever they want, live however they want, etc. and they will still be saved.

Perseverance of the saints argues against this. The whole idea of it is exactly opposite to "once saved, always saved" in this sense. For those who believe such things, I would say that the Bible states love of God equals obeying His commandments. We are responsible to change our lifestyles, to live in a way that is acceptable to God.

Some might say "Fine! I'm saved! Now I can go out and do as I like!"

But in the Sermon on the Mount, (Matthew 5-6) Jesus says, No, you may not. He goes on to say there are characteristics we must have. We must look like Christ!

We should seek after holiness and put sin to death, not say "that's just the way I am". Those who would take such a "cheap grace" view would do well to reflect on these:

1 John 2:3-4 "And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says "I know him" but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him..."

2 Cor 13:5 "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?- unless indeed you fail to meet the test!"

James 2:14-17 "What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and filled," without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead."

All through Scripture there are commands to put things off - put off the old man, put off evil...and then put on; the new man, righteousness, etc. (Romans 13:12; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 2:11; Colossians 3:9; Romans 13:14; Galatians 3:27; Ephesians 4:24; Ephesians 6:11; Colossians 3:5 ; Colossians 3:10; Colossians 3:12; Colossians 3:14; 1 Thessalonians 5:8)

We are to battle every day with our sin nature.

2 Peter 1:10 "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall."

We do have to work out our salvation, but we must remember that we are not alone in doing this. While we are working on our salvation, God works in us too, for He is over all:

Philippians 2:12-13 "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure."

Therefore

So, to cast perseverance in a more positive light, I hope you can see that we have hope in Jesus Christ as our Perfect, Eternal, Victorious Saviour. He will, He can, He has.

"My God is so big, so strong and so mighty there's nothing my God cannot do."

There are those who fall away. For some, this means they were deceived, and did not truly accept Christ or rely on Him. For others, for believers, falling away is something different.

It is not losing their salvation, but stepping into a dark, rebellious time; a time in which they have wanted nothing to do with God, where they'd prefer if God left them alone. This I have seen. I have also been there.

This kind of falling away of believers can also be something like a denial of God. In times of distress or pressure, we don't always have the strength to stand up for the truth. This also is a type of "falling away".

Mark 14:26-31 "And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same."

But this does not equal a loss of salvation. Salvation is secured. Christ paid the price. The Father has adopted us. He has given us a place. We are sealed with the Holy Spirit. The Hound of Heaven will by no means let us go so easily.

We need to remember something. If there is someone we have known as a brother or sister in Christ, who has suddenly come to a point where they say they no longer believe, we can do two things:

1) Act upon their former proclamation, and consider them to be a believer who has come to a rebellious point. Hold them accountable for their sins. Exhort them from Scripture. In short, still treat them (with all kindness, gentleness, and humility, mind you) as a believer.

2) Pray for their souls.

Remember this promise from God: those who abide in Him, abide in Him eternally.

2 John 1:9 "Everyone who goes on ahead and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God. Whoever abides in the teaching has both the Father and the Son."

That Helper

...is with us forever (John 14:16).

...teaches and reminds us (John 14:26).

...bears witness about Jesus (John 15:26).

...is advantageous to us, being sent by Jesus (John 16:7).

...speaks through us (Mark 13:11).

...teaches us (Luke 12:12).

...comforts us (Acts 9:31).

...is a channel for God's love (Romans 5:5).

...helps us to abound in hope by His power (Romans 15:13).

...seals us (Ephesians 1:13).