Total Inability

aka Total Depravity

I'm always astounded when people argue against the idea that man is born sinful, born guilty of Adamic sin. Those who argue against it typically make the argument that a baby "can't sin" - after all, how could they?

I can't - or won't - argue or not whether babies sin, but it seems clear that every thought they have and demand they make is continually for themselves, much like natural man. I believe that Scripture is clear that not only do we inherit a nature to sin, but also that the sins of Adam are imputed to us - that we (humankind) are guilty of the sin of Adam - and that we individually are held to account for that sin.

Following is a further explanation from GotQuestions, followed by Scripture I have compiled that speaks to the depravity of natural man:

The doctrine of Total Depravity teaches that man is inherently evil (Jeremiah 17:9; Genesis 6:5) and is born dead in transgression (Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1, 5). Men’s hearts will inevitably sin from birth (Psalm 58:3).

Being described as “dead in transgression” implies that man, before Christ, is incapable of raising himself to spiritual life much like a literal dead man is incapable of literally raising himself to physical life. What is more, the reason why man is incapable of raising himself to life is because he is held captive by a love for sin (John 3:19; 8:34). Men will not seek God (Romans 3:10-11) because they love darkness rather than light (John 3:19). Also, a man apart from Christ does not even understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14), much less his need for Christ. A man apart from Christ will not come to Christ, because if he does then his love for sin will be exposed (John 3:20) and will have to be abandoned.

Therefore, men suppress the truth of God in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18) and continue to willfully live in sin. The sinful lifestyle seems right to men (Proverbs 14:12), so coming to Christ is a foolish idea (1 Corinthians 1:18). A further look at this truth reveals that God is allowing Satan to take away the seed of the Gospel (Mark 4:15) and blind the minds of the unbelieving so men will not believe (2 Corinthians 4:4). Those men apart from belief are held captive by Satan to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). The verse that speaks the loudest in favor of total depravity is Romans 8:7, “Because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so.”

Misconceptions:

Total depravity does not assert that man cannot do nice things, be friendly, desire the benefits of God (peace, joy, love, comfort, etc.), appear to be good according to a human standard, or even desire to have a god to be devoted and obedient to. Total Depravity does not teach that every unsaved man is as wicked as he could be. Total Depravity does not teach that unsaved men desire to do every form of evil there is. Total Depravity does not teach that God is making men sin internally, but that men sin willfully by decisions to do so (James 1:13). Total Depravity simply affirms that, in terms of belief in the Gospel and obedience to the things of God, no man will ever come to Christ or submit to God on his own, because he is spiritually dead and is incapable of seeing his spiritual need to do so. Salvation is virtually impossible for those apart from Christ (Mark 10:26-27). Therefore, every “good” thing that an unsaved man does is displeasing to God (Hebrews 11:6) because God’s wrath abides on Him.

And following is Scripture I believe speaks to the natural and total inability or depravity of man:

Gen 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Gen 8:21 The LORD smelled the soothing aroma; and the LORD said to Himself, "I will never again curse the ground on account of man, for the intent of man's heart is evil from his youth; and I will never again destroy every living thing, as I have done.

Exo 34:7-9 (7) who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations." (8) Moses made haste to bow low toward the earth and worship. (9) He said, "If now I have found favor in Your sight, O Lord, I pray, let the Lord go along in our midst, even though the people are so obstinate, and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your own possession."

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Psa 58:3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth.

Pro 14:12 There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

Ecc 9:3 This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that there is one fate for all men. Furthermore, the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil and insanity is in their hearts throughout their lives. Afterwards they go to the dead.

Jer 2:22 "Although you wash yourself with lye And use much soap, The stain of your iniquity is before Me," declares the Lord GOD.

Jer 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.

Jer 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Luk 11:13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"

Joh 3:19-20 (19) "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. (20) "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

Joh 6:44 "No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.

Joh 8:34 Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.

Joh 8:44 "You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

Joh 9:39 And Jesus said, "For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind."

Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Rom 1:28 And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper,

Rom 3:10-18 (10) as it is written, "THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE; (11) THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS, THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD; (12) ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS; THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE." (13) "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE, WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING," "THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS"; (14) "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS"; (15) "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD, (16) DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS, (17) AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN." (18) "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."

Rom 7:14 For we know that the Law is spiritual, but I am of flesh, sold into bondage to sin.

Rom 7:18 For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.

Rom 8:7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,

1Co 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

1Co 2:14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.

1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

2Co 4:4 in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

2Co 5:17 Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.

Eph 2:1-5 (1) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, (2) in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. (3) Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. (4) But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5) even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

Eph 2:12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.

Eph 4:17-19 (17) So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, (18) being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; (19) and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness.

Col 1:21 And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

Col 2:13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

Tit 1:15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

Tit 3:3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.

ORIGINAL SIN (“Sin Nature, “Inherited Sin”)

Gen 2:17 but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die."

Psa 51:5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.

Jer 17:9 "The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?

Joh 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Rom 5:12-14 (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-- (13) for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. (14) Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

1Co 15:21-22 (21) For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. (22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive.

Eph 2:1-3 (1) And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, (2) in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. (3) Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

Heb 9:27 And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,

IMPUTED SIN

Gen 6:5 Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Rom 5:8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom 5:17-21 (17) For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. (18) So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. (19) For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. (20) The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, (21) so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Eph 2:3 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.