Five Points in Five Weeks

2. Five Points in Five Weeks Total Depravity (Inability)

3. A Brief Review • While thoroughly biblical… • Articulated by Augustine • Pelagians/semi-Pelagians • Calvin recovers Augustine • Arminius rejects Calvin • Wesley, etc. • Five points rebut Arminius at Dordt

4. Plan for Tonight • Man in creation • The Fall of Man • Original Sin • Total Depravity/Total Inability • Why They Matter

5. The Imago Dei at Creation • Contrasts greatly with our being merely evolution’s apex • Seen in Gen. 1:26 • What exactly is it? • Many theories • I prefer the “restoration hermeneutic”: • Eph. 4:21-24 • Col. 3:10 • Yields knowledge and righteousness as key • One is toward God, the other toward man • Thus fits the Great Commandment

6. Why It Matters • The reason we treat each other well • Gen. 9:6 • Jas. 3:9 • NOT the intrinsic value of humans as the apex of evolution • Or out of humanistic philosophy

7. Pristine Free Will • Only Adam had genuine free will • Warned that would die – spiritually and physically – if sinned • Given a free choice, what does our representative do??? • Trusting God’ provision or buying Satan’s deception • Pleasure versus obedience • KEY: free to sin or not to sin

8. But Adam Sins

9. Sin Enters Paradise: The Fall • What was the deal with Adam? • Had genuine choice: could sin or not sin • Representative for all humans • Just like we all live with the “vote” of our government representatives. See Romans 5: 12ff. • To say we still have free will in the same sense is to deny that it was affected by the Fall • And the Bible won’t let us do that

10. Key to Fallen Man: Pride • Calvin sees man driven by self-admiration and blind self-love • Leads us to defend our abilities • And to think we’re more free than we are Like William Ernest Henley I thank whatever gods that be For my unconquerable soul … I am the master of my fate And the captain of my soul • Like Chinese handcuffs, trying to be more free cost us freedom • NOW: Free to do as we like…but only like to sin by nature

11. Seven Effects of the Fall • Loss of innocence • Enter TRUE guilt • And FALSE guilt • Image of God distorted • Self-focus replaces pure community • Fellowship lost • Lonely, restless hearts result • Environment cursed • Romans 8:20-22 • Man and woman punished • Now Adam and Eve bring forth after their OWN kind • Genesis 5:3 • We now need divine grace in a dramatic way

12. And Significantly… • Genesis 5:3: Adam fathers children made in HIS image • Share the spiritual death of their father • Born with a sin nature

13. In Short, We are Depraved • Here is the rub • SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES • Sin is more than specific behaviors, but a corruption of the heart

14. Scriptural Basis for Original Sin • Genesis 6:5-6; 8:21 • Psalm 14:1-3 • Psalm 51:5 • Psalm 58:3 • Psalm 130:3 • Ecclesiastes 7:20 • Ecclesiastes 9:23 • Jeremiah 17:9 • John 5:42 • Romans 1:29-32 • Ephesians 2:1-3 • Matthew 7:18 • John 6:44,65 • 1 Corinthians 2:14

15. Original Sin • Job 14:4: clean cannot come from unclean • Calvin defines: • “A hereditary depravity and corruption of our nature, diffused into all parts of the soul” • Nature precedes acts, like an apple tree is that before bearing apples • Psalm 51:1; Isaiah 48:8 • Sinful and rebellious from birth • Born spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1) • Children of disobedience (Eph. 2:2) • By nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3) • Romans 1: God restrains to keep from being worse, though loosens grip with increasing sin

16. More on Original Sin • SO, we don’t just DO evil; we ARE evil • Sinners by nature AND by choice • Driven by self-love • Act according to our fallen nature • Dead, so unable to see God • Understanding is blinded • Tastes and feelings perverted • Will is depraved • Natural gifts corrupted • Light in some matters but not spiritual

17. Depraved Will?? • To choose right, one must: • Discern the right thing by reason • Choose it • Follow it • Sinful persons cannot do any of these • So, compare God working in us to WILL and DO of his good pleasure (Phil. 2:13) • The struggle of Romans 7 is only true of believers • Though “natural law” remains and has some affinity with second table of Law, though not first • We will only those things in accordance with our nature

18. Willing • Says Bernard: • “Simply to will is of man; to will ill, of a corrupt nature; to will well, of grace.” • We will according to our nature: • The devil: wills only evil • God: wills only good • Natural man: more like the devil • Saved man: struggles with the two • Glorified man: no longer will struggle • No “free will” in heaven: by nature, we will only will good

19. In sum • Original sin • Means we’re spiritually dead • Born in a sin nature that inevitably will bear sinful fruit • Wills no longer desire the good

20. Total Depravity • Depraved in all aspects of our being • Not completely bad • Or bad as might be • Or nature completely evil • Can do some relatively good things • BUT…not in the name of Jesus (not even a cup of cold water) • Rather, we • Stand under the curse of God • And alienated from Him, we are unable to love Him

21. Total Inability Calvinists Arminians • Dead in our sins, so unable to move toward God • Even if we could, our corrupted nature means we wouldn’t choose it anyway • We are dead and without hope • Classic Position • Maintains original sin • But God grants prevenient grace that moves us to point of choice • Modern Position • Not so much sin nature, but just individual sins • Will can choose God or not…on its own • “Wise men still seek Him”

22. Why It Matters • Diagnosis precedes treatment • So, our natural state tells us what needs to be “fixed” • Merely sick in sin so we can drive ourselves to the doctor? • Do we have a will completely unaffected by the Fall? • And if not, can we biblically justify the doctrine of prevenient grace? • If we are dead in trespasses and totally unable to do anything about it, how can we be saved?

23. More Reasons It Matters Human Nature Political • Philip Zimbardo’s prison experiment • Abu Ghraib • Book: The Lucifer Effect • Concludes: Put in a position of power, most anyone can turn mean • James Madison, original sin in mind, intentionally set up checks and balances in our government to protect the people

24. Relevance to Parents • Children are thus born in sin • Edwards’ strong views led to some seeing them as “vipers in diapers” • Yet, clearly discipline, teaching needed • Large part of rationale for infant baptism • Eliminates idea of an “age of accountability”

25. And Finally… • Sets our expectations for the world • If people born in sin and without God… • …what do you expect? • Moreover, • What do they need?

26. In Our Next Round… • ELECTION