A Study of Calvinism: Total Depravity and Original Sin

Long time no blog! I'll have a couple coming to you in the next week or so, so hang on..

A few weeks ago we searched the scriptures in an attempt to answer this question...

Are we born sinful? Is man completely incapable of choosing to do right?

Calvinist doctrine states that, as a consequence of the fall of man, every person born into the world is a slave to sin, and utterly unable to choose to follow God. God must therefore, through an act of sovereign will, predestine individuals to salvation--this is the springboard for the rest of the doctrine.
Scriptures cited in support of this viewpoint are as follows:

Mark 7:21-23
21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "
Romans 8:7-8
7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. 8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
Ephesians 2:1-3
1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.

The critical flaw in this segment of Calvinist doctrine (and most false doctrine for that matter) lies in the interpretation of scripture. Remember back to a point made during one of our previous studies...God's word is perfect and complete. God's word is one entire entity and should be treated as such. God's word does not contradict itself. If two passages seem to contradict, the error lies in the human interpretation, not the Bible.
That being said...there are many passages that, if taken as stand alone verses, can lead the reader to believe erroneous things (see the last blog entry for examples). Scripture +must+ be taken in context. Not only does the immediate context have to be accounted for, but an interpretation of a specific passage must hold up with what we know is stated in the rest of the scriptures.
--let's look at a few passages...keep the previous verses in your mind as we go. Does the Original Sin interpretation hold up?

Romans 7:14-25
14We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. 21So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.

Kind of a confusing passage at first glance...what we can clearly see here is a dichotomy between the spirit and the flesh. This conflict is illustrated throughout the new testament, most notably in Galatians 5. Paul clarifies this passage more directly in Romans 8

Romans 8:5-9
5For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,
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,8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.

This passage clearly illustrates a +choice+ that is made in regard to our sin. The setting of the mind towards the flesh or the spirit is a conscious decision made by an individual.

James 1:14-15
Each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death.

Again we see a choice here...
I Cor. 9:25-27
25Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.26Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air;27 but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified.

Nobody explained the condition of man better than Solomon...
Ecclesiastes 7:29
29 This only have I found: God made mankind upright, but men have gone in search of many schemes.

Consider what the writer of Hebrews says about the nature of Christ...
Hebrews 2:17
17For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.
Had Christ been made like a population that was Totally Depraved, he would have entered the world burdened with sin. A sinful sacrifice for a sinful people wouldn't have saved us--Christ's sacrifice brought salvation because he died perfect.


Think on these passages and relate them to our original 3 verses. I believe it is clear that the Depravity doctrine does not hold up to what we see in the rest of scripture.
The discussion of human nature is ongoing...there are many other facets to this ideology that could be discussed and debated. I do hope you can take comfort in some of what we've discussed here. We do have free will, we do have a choice, and yes there are punishments for choosing the path of sin...but there are great rewards promised for those who walk in the light. Thank the Lord!