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Dear Joseph,
Your question is a good one. First I would urge you to be careful to derive your convictions purely from the Bible and not the theological systems of men. While these systems are often a sincere effort to explain Biblical truth, they sometimes become an end to truth in themselves. In other words don't interpret the Scriptures with a theological overview.
Now in answer to your question, chapter one of Romans states plainly that men's foolish heart's were darkened, that they knew the righteous judgement of God but sinned against that knowledge. The idea that they were not truly capable of doing the right that their conscious awareness of the Creator dictated to them is surmised but not stated here. I believe, with Calvinists that depravity does include the inability to do right consistently for the right heart motive. Other passages in this book and elsewhere seem to indicate this clearly to me. So, being totally depraved would therefore mean being totally devoid of goodness but at the same time fully aware that righteousness is required of us by God.
I'd be glad to discuss it further if you'd like. God bless you in your quest for truth!
2006-09-16 11:45:45 Posted by Michael (coloradclark@aol.com)
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So, being totally depraved would therefore mean being totally devoid of goodness but at the same time fully aware that righteousness is required of us by God.
What do you mean by... devoid of goodness but at the same time fully aware that righteousness is required of us by GOD?
devoid and yet there's awareness? spiritually dead and yet aware that God requires from them righteousness by God?
Ephesians 2:1 We were made alive in Christ...
Therefore before we received Christ were dead because of sin, and totally depraved.
How then a totally depraved person be aware of God's requirement?
Please do answer me. Thank you.
2006-09-17 07:56:09 Posted by joseph82283 ()
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I'd like to correct my first post....
It says there that man has conscience instead of has no conscience.
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My query is about the role of conscience or how does a spiritually dead person be aware of good and right through its conscience?
2006-09-17 08:00:20 Posted by joseph ()
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As I understand it every man is who he is by being who he is in the eyes of The Lord. Every man has a soul. The totally depraved one is himself by being in opposition to The Lord and to everything God stands for: He ridicules Truth and will not depend upon the Son. Still he knows what is expected from him. He is, though, himself by being depraved in "that" view - in the Christian view. He does not believe in God. And so, according to Protestant teachings, he is unable to do good. He might act in a way he knows people will see as being good because he must or he needs to, but he will never act in the name of The Lord. He will always be himself - be ridiculing. He has no faith
I know Catholics in general are not comfortable with the Lutheran, or Calvinistic, teachings on predestination. They believe anyone can make himself earn salvation by doing good deeds, or rather by avoiding doing what is evil. But as I say: To the Protestant this is nonsense. To be good one has to act in the name of The Lord, and then one has no free will. One is by The Lord urged to be oneself, and then one cannot be oneself by being not good - by ridiculing.
2006-11-14 10:26:46 Posted by A.W. Ellingsen (awell@online.no)
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Swedenborg said that we are born evil and our proprium (Latin for that which is proper to ourself) is purely evil. After the fall of man, the clear perception that Adam and Eve had was replaced with a conscience. http://www.heavenlydoctrines.org
2007-09-08 12:41:39 Posted by billcompugeek (billcompugeek@yahoo.com)
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man is totaly coruped and cannot seek after God but it is the newbirth that is infused onto mans spirit being that makes him long for God as a seed injected into the earth seeks the sun and so our spirit seeks the food of Gods word but this dosnt stop our fleash from growing if it is feed. but God said let the wheat and the tare grow together and he would seperate them if we read this with our spiritual eye then we can see that we have both. but as far as do we have knolage of right and wrong. yes for when we ate of the tree of the knolage of good and evil and was in a fallen state we had knolage of Gods existance. and even God said that those who do good it would be counted as righness
2007-11-18 00:56:50 Posted by enochisgone (enochisgone@yahoo.com)
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Dear Joseph,
In response to your request, I would answer: Yes God has provided for a seared and broken conscience possessed by all unregenerate mankind. God the Holy Spirit is the Advocate and Comforter (Gk.=paraclete)that has been for all who will be placed into the body of Christ. God the Holy Spirit of God will convict the unsaved (unregenerate) of:
1) sin - because they believe not in Jesus
2) righteousness - because Christ is resurrected and only He is righteous
3) judgment - because in the death of Christ our Savior, Satan has been judged and awaits sentencing
Please read John 16:7-11 with notes provided at bible.org in the NET translation or if you can find one, The Old Scofield Study System Bible, KJV (they can be found on EBay used for as little as $10.00. Also, the Geneva Study Bible 1599 (the Puritan's Bible) can be read here at http://bible.christiansunite.com/genindex.shtml
My regards in Christ Jesus,
gonzodave
2008-05-18 00:28:03 Posted by gonzodave (gonzodave@koinoniaofgrace.com)
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Why did Adam transgress God's command? What was it in him that he presumed against God? Was he deprave either before or after his disobedience? There is an answer to this.
In fact, where it the term. "totally depraved" found in scripture? How about "sinful or sin nature"?
2009-11-10 09:25:30 Posted by cross (croref@gmail.com)
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