Radical Depravity in Psalms

The unconverted are inwardly corrupt, a condition that causes them to commit deeds of sin continually. Because of this inward evil bent, they fail to seek after God:

They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds, there is none who does good. The Lordlooks down from heaven on the children of man, to see if there are any who understand, who seek after God. They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. —Psalm 14:1b–3

In these verses, the psalmist records the Lord’s estimation of the human race: All the sons of men are corrupt. They all do abominable deeds. There is no one who does good. This sober evaluation is based upon the Lord’s omniscient observation from heaven of the hearts and lives of all people. All He sees is radical depravity in every unconverted life. Spurgeon writes, “Where there is enmity to God, there is deep, inward depravity of mind. The words are rendered by eminent critics in an active sense, ‘they have done corruptly;’ this may serve to remind us that sin is not only in our nature passively as the source of evil, but we ourselves actively fan the flame and corrupt ourselves, making that blacker still which was black as darkness itself already. We rivet our own chains by habit and continuance.”

—Steve Lawson, Foundations of Grace (Reformation Trust, 2006), 141.

Radical Depravity in Job (2)

All men are inwardly impure and unrighteous. Because they are unclean in their hearts, sin abounds in their lives:

“What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous? Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight; how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water!” —Job 15:14–16

Man’s moral problem is that the inner corruption of his life runs much deeper than mere external actions. His problem is what he is. His inner nature and personal character are defiled by sin. His fallen heart actively lusts for iniquity, so that he drinks sin like water. Of this insatiable thirst for sin, Thomas Watson writes, “Like a hydropsical person, that thirsts for drink, and is not satisfied; they have a kind of drought on them, they thirst for sin. Though they are tired out in committing sin, yet they sin. . . . Though God has set so many flaming swords in the way to stop men in their sin, yet they go on in it; which all shows what a strong appetite they have to the forbidden fruit.” It must be acknowledged that in the heights of heaven even a host of angels fell into sin. How much more have the sons of Adam on earth rebelled.

—Steve Lawson, Foundations of Grace (Reformation Trust, 2006), 127–128.

Radical Depravity in Job

Man is pervasively unclean in the depths of his being. What is more, there is absolutely nothing that he can do to make himself clean:

“Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.” —Job 14:4

Job asked a penetrating question that he quickly answered. No one can bring clean works that are acceptable to God out of an unclean life. Every good work a person does is tainted by sin to some extent. Pointing back to the problem of original sin, Barnes writes, “As a historical record, this passage proves that the doctrine of original sin was early held in the world. Still it is true that the same great law prevails, that the offspring of woman is a sinner—no matter where he may be born, or in what circumstances he may be placed.” The pervasiveness of radical depravity has polluted the entire inner life of fallen man.

—Steve Lawson, Foundations of Grace (Reformation Trust, 2006), 127.

Quote of the Day

“So great is the depravity of unregenerate man that, although there is nothing that he needs more than the gospel, there is nothing that he desires less.”

– R. B. Kuiper

All You Have To Do Is Recognize Your Need. Really?

With regard to saving faith, have you ever heard a preacher say "all you have to do is recognize your need" as if this were the easiest thing in the world?

You might as well tell a sinner "all you have to do is perfectly obey the ten commandments."

The nature of proud fallen man is such that he can no more submit to the humbling terms of the gospel any more than he can obey the law, without the Lord removing the old heart of stone and granting him a new heart of flesh (Ezek 36:26)

Who is sufficient for these things? Grace is at the root of saving faith. This spirit-wrought faith is the hand by which the soul lays hold of Jesus Christ, is united to Him, and is redeemed. They who have true faith take hold of Christ's strength, courage and his victory over the world. The more faith you have the more useful will you be. Faith is like a seed planted by God and germinated by the Holy Spirit and grows up organically, by degrees, from faith to faith. That our faith would grow should be the daily prayer of all who love the Lord. Do you have faith? Always remember that it is not something that comes natural to men, but is a supernatural gift from on high.

As John the Baptist said, "...a person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven." And when Peter confessed that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God, Jesus answered him that "flesh and blood had not revealed this to him but my Father who is in heaven."

The command to repent and believe the gospel is given indiscriminately to all. But, contrary to what many modern preachers would say, this is no easy command to obey. Men are tethered to the yoke of sin and are by nature hostile to God (Rom 8:7; 1 Cor 2:14) making them unable to rise above their own native resources to believe. Jesus does not come to fix our old house but says that the old house must be torn completely down to the ground. There is no coming to him in faith unless the Father grants it (John 6:65) The synergist, who still gives people hope they they are sufficient in themselves to meet God's condition, comes along as says, "All you need to do is humble yourself, recognize your need, believe the gospel..." which then puffs up the sinner, as if we only need to fix a few things in our old rotting house. But the true gospel gives a death blow to the root of our self-righteousness. The fallen man is proud and self-righteous by nature. He would do anything, even outwardly obey the commandments, rather than let go of his self-righteousness. But to give up self-righteousness is absolutely needful to salvation, and this humility, this letting go, is not a fruit that springs from nature. We cling to tightly and fiercely to ourselves. To confess that there is no good thing in us,that we have no merit or goodness of our own and must trust in the righteousness of another is the product of a new heart and so Jesus declares that it is a gift from on high that we owe to God's sovereign, particular grace in Jesus Christ ALONE with no mixture of glory to man.

How is it that so many preachers forget this obvious and pervasive truth in the Bible? It all arises out of ignorance and our desire to credit some portion, however small, of our salvation to ourselves. But once the light of the gospel shines in our hearts, and the Spirit disarms our hostility, the bondage of sin and self-righteousness is broken. Let us never "glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ" (1 Tim. 1:15; Gal. 6:14.) not only for justification when we come to faith, but also for the quickening of the Spirit that brings us to faith. Both derive their power from the Person and Word of Jesus Christ. He provides everything we need for salvation, including a new heart to believe.