The doctrine of total depravity is much hated by the natural man, who would look to find some good in all people. Even among the great bulk of professing Christians, this is a doctrine that is despised and brings to its defenders, much venom.

 

The reasons for this are quite obvious, for man is naturally pleased with himself and when comparing himself with others, can always find in them, worse than what he sees in himself. Hence he declares triumphantly, ‘I must have some good, for I have found that I am better than this other creature’. So, when one comes to tell him that “there is none righteous, no not one” (Rom.3:10), he naturally recoils from this declaration, setting himself up in the comfort of the tower constructed of his own righteousness: measuring himself with others (2Cor.10:12).

 

Though these things may make us feel good about ourselves, in effect, morally superior to our fellow man: in that we may perform some good works or have some thoughts of goodness towards others or even to God, the Scriptures paint a different picture, “ for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” ( Rom.3:23) : it is not man we have to deal with, but God, and when the purity of His holiness shines forth upon us, we are exposed as helplessly disfigured. Not only disfigured, but unwilling, indeed, unable to remedy the situation in our own strength (Jer.10:23; Jn.6:44).

 

Isaiah 64:6 puts our condition into graphic detail, and when looked at a little more closely, in the Hebrew meaning of the words, will cause us great admiration of the grace of God, that He would covenant with His Son, to save such as us. Let’s see what the Holy Ghost, through the prophet Isaiah has to say of our natural condition, as seen through the eyes of a holy God.

 

“But we are all as an unclean thing”: the word unclean is also rendered elsewhere in the Old Testament as the pollution of a dead body or, as the refuse that was piled outside of the camp of the Israelites.

 

“And all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags: out of prudence (I assume) was this phrase rendered filthy rags, but the full meaning here would be the garment stained by menstruation fluid.

 

“And we all do fade as a leaf: the word fade is rendered elsewhere as to sink or to drop down and comes from the root, meaning senseless. This gives us a picture of the ignorance of our condition before the regenerating work of the Holy Ghost in our hearts.

 

“And our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away”: finally, as if to lay the hammer blow upon us, and any delusion we may have of our own goodness, the prophet uses a phrase which alludes to being taken captive and carried away by a conquering army.

 

So (and keep in mind I’m not a Hebrew scholar), a loose translation of this verse could read, But we are all as a refuse laden dead body; and all our righteousnesses are as a garment soiled by menstruation fluid and we all do drop down into senselessness, being carried away captive by our own sin.

What a picture of our standing before God, in our original condition! But it doesn’t end there. Job tells us, that in this condition we “ drinketh iniquity like water (Jb.15:16): not only are we unaware of our condition before God, but it’s as if – to sustain ourselves- we nourish ourselves with that which will slowly, but ultimately be the ruin of us, in effect, we live unto ourselves, only to destroy ourselves, all in complete ignorance. Is it any wonder we sing about God’s amazing grace!

 

We were dead in trespasses and sin (Eph.2:1), enemies of God (Rom.8:6-8), children of wrath (Eph.2:3), with hearts of stone (Ez.36:26), unable to perceive spiritual truths (1Cor.2:14). Yet, in His mercy, God sent His Son, to die for a wretched creature such as this, made us alive in Him, took our filthy clothes from off of us, and gave us a robe of righteousness, His righteousness (Is.61:10; 2Cor.5:21).

 

Not only is total depravity a biblical doctrine, it is a truth that leads us to a greater admiration of God’s wonderful mercy and amazing grace: a terrible – but at the same time- a wonderful doctrine to behold, in our new condition in Christ Jesus.

 

© 2004 Kevin Rolfe