Total Depravity - Part 2 of 2

The Baptist Bible Hour now comes to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. O for a thousand tongues to sing, my great Redeemer's praise! Thou thorns of my God and King, thou triumphs of his grace!

This is LeSaire Bradley, Jr. inviting you to stay tuned for another message of God's sovereign grace. Wonderful grace of Jesus, greater than all my sin, How shall my tongue describe it? Where shall my praise begin? Taking away my burden, setting my spirit free, For the wonderful grace of Jesus reaches me. Wonderful, the master's grace of Jesus, Deeper than the mighty rolling sea, Roaring little and loved ones, Pouring like the sounds of fear, Folds the vicious shares for even me. Broader than the stone for my transgressions, Sing it greater for than all my sin, And shame my sin and shame, O magnify the precious name of Jesus! Praise his name!

Today we continue our series of messages on what is referred to as the TULIP doctrine. So we're talking about total depravity. This doctrine simply declares that because of Adam's fall and the fact that all of us are born sinners, we are unable to recover ourselves from our fallen state. We are dead in trespasses and in sin. We are under the just condemnation of a holy God because of our sinful state, which points us to the fact that we desperately need help and there's only one that can help us, and that's Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners.

So as we see the definition, let's go on to observe the declaration of it. How this theme, this fact of man's great need of his fallen state of total depravity, how it is seen repeatedly in Scripture. In this same chapter, Romans chapter 1, look at verse 28. And even as they did not like to retain God and their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not convenient, being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignant whispers, backbiters, haters of God, delightful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful, who knowing the judgment of God that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same but have pleasure in them that do them. Man is depraved in mind, heart, and affection.

What a description. What a description of man's ruined fallen state. Sinful nature is revealed by the sins that men commit. Even after the flood in Noah's day, God said of man in Genesis chapter 8 verse 21, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth. And then we read from Romans chapter 3 of the 10th verse, let's look at the verses that follow. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. Now somebody say, now wait a minute preacher, I think there are people the world over that seek after God. Yes, they will seek after a God of their own making, a God in their own mind, a God like they want God to be. But they don't seek after the true and living God on the right basis. That's what God says. They don't seek after God.

They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable, there is none that doeth good, no not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher, with their tongues they have used deceit, the poison of aspens under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, their feet are swift as shed blood, destruction and misery are in their ways, in their way of peace they have not known, there is no fear of God before their eyes. That's God's description of the fallen sinful human race. Now we turn to the book of Matthew, no way in a single message to begin to cover enough of the declarations in scripture that we can get a sense of the magnitude of the verses that continually bring before us man's fallen state. So we look at Matthew chapter 22 and the 37th verse. Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment and the second is liken to it. Love thy neighbor as thyself on these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. So he is a sinner both by the sins that he commits and by what he omits. Sins of commission, sins of omission. Look at what Jesus says about the Lord, summed up in this, Love the Lord thy God with all thy mind, heart, soul and strength. Now when we read the description of some of those horrendous evil acts you might have felt I haven't done any of that.

But what about this one, this sums it all up. Love the Lord with all your mind, all your heart, no distraction, nothing else coming between you and God. You love him, you put him first, you seek him first in every detail of life, every hour of every day.

From far short do we not. And the second love your neighbor as yourself. Now you may say well how about my neighbor? But I dare say you'll have to admit you love yourself a little better.

When it comes down to the crux of the matter and push comes to shove you're going to look out for yourself. See it's not just the corrupt acts that are visible that might be recognized as a terrible crime, a horrendous sin. It's what is omitted. The fact that you do not love God with all your mind, heart, soul and strength. Furthermore, no man is able to do anything to choose God, seek God, please God or love God. Just read, there is none that seeketh after God. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Jesus says in John chapter 5 verse 50, and ye will not come to me that ye might have life. Ye will not come. Man is obstinate, man is rebellious, man is indifferent. Multitudes go their way today with no concern about the fact that one day they're going to die.

They're going to face God. A man yesterday was telling me how he'd been able to put six kids through college and never had to take out a loan. Went on and on about all of the accomplishments and did finally say he was thankful to have been blessed with all of that. He was talking about how important all that was. I said, well I agree with you, that's important but it's more important to know where you're going after it's all over isn't it? He said, well I'll have to agree with you.

Because you could send all your kids to college, you could have all kinds of money in the bank, you could accomplish all kinds of things here. But you would be like that man who built his barns and tore down and built bigger barns because they had a great harvest. He said, eat, drink and be merry and the Lord said, thou fool this night, thy soul should be required to be. All of the treasures of this life, whatever you attain, whatever you accomplish, mean nothing. Unless you can know that when the end comes, you're going home to be with the Lord. Jesus again repeated the same principle in John 6.44, no man can come to me except the Father which has sent me, draw him and I will raise him up at the last day. Man will not come, he cannot come, he's dead. I used to hear preachers say years ago, Sinner, you take the first step and God will be there to help you. Friends, a dead man can't take the first step.

He can't start. He says, you cannot come to me except the Father which has sent me, draw him. Furthermore, man by nature does not understand the things of God.

Say, I'd like to bring a simple message that anybody can understand. Well, the only people that are going to be able to understand it are those that are spiritual, that they can understand spiritual things. 1 Corinthians chapter 2 verse 14, But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness unto him, neither can he know them because they are spiritually discerned. The natural man, man in his natural state before he is moved upon by the Holy Spirit cannot understand spiritual things.

You can try to make it as basic and simple as you want and he still won't get it. Paul further said in this epistle that the Jews require a sign and the Greeks seek after wisdom, but it's all foolishness to them. But to them that are called, it's the power of God and the wisdom of God. Then let us look at the application of it.

What application can be made of all of this? First of all, we see that only God can save one who is in such a condition. Now if Adam didn't fall, he just stumbled and suffered a temporary setback, then it might be argued that given the right encouragement, he'll finally get up and get on his way.

But that's not the case. He's alienated from God, he's dead in sin, so a man that's in such a condition can only be saved by God himself. That's what we read in 2 Timothy. It is God who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus. Who saved us?

God. Now I've talked about these doctrines to a lot of people over the years. I've talked to people who were upset by them. I've talked to people who wanted to argue about them. I've talked to people who were just incorrectly taught and holding another view but were open to learn what the scripture said.

But in so many of these cases, I've asked people this question. They say they are saved, I say, who saved you? Now some of them might have thought something else, but nobody has ever given me any other answer after all these years but to say God did. God did. Only God can save a lost, ruined, fallen sinner. And he doesn't need any help. If he did, you couldn't give it to him.

You're in no position to help. You have no righteousness to offer. So Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9 says, For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. Only God can save a lost rebel, a corrupt, fallen sinner.

Secondly, man cannot save or help to save himself. We read earlier from Ephesians chapter 2 where it speaks of the fact that he is dead in sin, walking according to the course of this world. According to the prince of the power there, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. And how was there any change wrought? Did someone who was the slave of sin, loving their own way, doing what they wanted to do, just one morning wake up and say, I think I'm going to turn my life around. I think I'm going to start serving God.

Now, here's the answer. It's right in the text. Verse 4, after the description of man's condition, he says, But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sin, hath quickened us together with Christ. By grace ye are saved.

What makes the difference? But God, but God. Romans chapter 9 verse 16 deals specifically with this issue of man's will. For many would like to contend that, yes, I believe that God does his part, but ultimately man's free will turns the final point.

Romans 9 verse 16 says, So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy. Salvation is not by man's will, it's not by man's running, not by man's work, not by man's effort, it's not by man. Those that hold this idea of man's free will being the turning point in salvation are continually trying to maintain the ability of man to control the work of God and always have the final say. They'll admit to many things about the love of God, the grace of God, the redemptive work of Christ, all this, but finally come down to say it's man's will that turns the final point. Spurgeon said this, What a vain pretense it is to profess to honor God by a doctrine that makes salvation depend on the will of man. If it were true, you might say to God, We thank Thee, O Lord, for what Thou hast done. Thou hast given us a great many things, and we offer Thee praise, which is justly due Thy name, but we think we deserve more, for the deciding point was our free will. Furthermore, we talk about an application of this, we stand amazed at His grace. You see, if you think man's just got a slight little problem, he's not all bad, he just needs the right encouragement, you're not going to have a full appreciation for what grace is all about. But if you see what we've set forth from Scripture this morning, that man comes forth from the womb speaking lies, that he is born of the corrupt, fallen nature, and he doesn't love God, he doesn't fear God, he doesn't seek God, he's going the wrong direction and left to himself, he would forever go that direction to destruction. You will just now be amazed at His grace, the good news of His grace. Jesus said in Luke chapter 5 verse 32, I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

That's good news, isn't it? If you have been convinced of the truth of what we're setting forth from God's Word, and you admit, yes, I am a sinner, I can't take any exception to that, I see it laid out in Scripture, but I know it because I know enough about myself, I know something about my nature, I see I am a sinner, and I'm so happy to find out that's the kind of people Jesus came to say. Because if that were not the case, I'd be doomed. Go back to Romans chapter 5, from which our text is taken this time, looking at the sixth verse. For when we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. Didn't die for the worthy, didn't die for the good, He died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet prayer adventure for a good man, some would even dare to die. But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Oh, what amazing grace.

Think about some of the evidences in Scripture of His saving, sovereign grace. There was the woman at Jacob's well, first of all the disciples were startled that Jesus would go through Samaria. The Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans, why would they not bypass it, take another route. But Jesus said, I must need go through Samaria, because Jesus knew there was going to be a woman at Jacob's well that morning. She was a woman of a terrible reputation. It's speculated that no doubt she had come at a time when other women would not be there because she didn't want to hear their criticisms. And so she comes and she's there alone and Jesus enters into conversation with her.

This was totally out of the ordinary. A man would not have a conversation with a woman in public and a Jew would have nothing to do with the Samaritans. But Jesus was the savior of sinners and He comes there to meet with this woman and in conversation, she is amazed that He tells her all about herself. He exposes her sin, not just to humiliate her but because He's bringing her to the place that she desires that living water that He provides.

She rushes into the city and says, come see a man that told me all that I've done. And surprising as that was, the people heeded her call and came to see and many believed. Jesus came to save sinners and He saved a Samaritan woman, a fallen woman at Jacob's well.

It's another example. In the house of Simon the Pharisee who has invited Jesus not because he believes in Him but because he wants to try and find some thought, some way to criticize Him. And another fallen woman comes in off the street being in the presence of Jesus. She's deeply convicted of her sin. She falls down at His feet. She begins to weep. Her tears are there upon His feet.

She takes her hair to wipe off the tears. Simon's sitting back there in all his pride and self-righteousness thinking if this man was who he claimed to be, he wouldn't let this woman touch him. And Jesus goes on to say, Simon, the one who has been forgiven most, loves most. This woman was forgiven. She had had a terrible past.

Everybody knew it. But in the presence of Jesus, she was broken. She wept and Jesus forgave her. Think of the thief on the cross. Here's a man who is a convicted criminal. He's dying because he's guilty. Jesus was not guilty. He was the perfect spotless Lamb of God and He's laying down His life to redeem sinners.

And at first the thief is ridiculing him even as the second thief was doing. Come down from the cross. Save us if you can.

But now there's a change. Nobody's there preaching to the man, but something has occurred. The Spirit of God has moved upon him and He says, God be merciful to me.

Remember me. He says, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. What was there about Jesus? With a crown of thorns on His head, nailed to the cross, bleeding, dying, that would make this man think he had a kingdom.

It had to be by divine revelation. He says, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said, this day shalt thou be with me in paradise. And then you think of Saul of Tarsus.

Here's a vivid contrast. He wasn't a criminal as the thief was, although many of his actions were indeed great crimes. He was a man who thought he was doing God a service. He was a man who was full of zeal in his religion. And the Lord speaks to him. Saul, Saul, why persecute is thou me? Why art thou, Lord? I am Jesus whom thou persecute is. He said, I'm going to send somebody to bring you a message.

And Anais was reluctant to go. He'd heard the reputation of this man. The Lord said, he's all right. He's a praying man.

And he comes in and puts his hand on him. Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus has sent me to thy house. And this man who had been the greatest enemy of the church becomes the greatest of the apostles and preaches all over the place. Everywhere that the Spirit of God directed him in face of opposition, in face of persecution, in face of imprisonment and much suffering. He preached Jesus Christ and him crucified. And he said, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all the acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the chief. He came to save sinners.

Aren't you glad of that? You see, when you come to understand this doctrine of total depravity, it doesn't drive you to despair. It drives you to the point that you know, I cannot save myself.

I have nothing to offer. My righteousnesses are filthy rags. But I come acknowledging my sin, believing on Jesus. He is the Savior of sinners. He is the only one who could save me.

An old song expresses it like this. I was once far away from the Savior and as vile as a sinner could be. And I wondered if Christ the Redeemer could save a poor sinner like me. I wandered on in the darkness.

Not a ray of light could I see. And the thought filled my heart with sadness. There's no hope for a sinner like me. And then in that dark, lonely hour, a voice sweetly whispered to me that Christ the Redeemer has power to save a sinner like me. I listened and lo, twas the Savior that was speaking so kindly to me. I cried, I'm the chief of sinners, how could save a poor sinner like me?

I then fully trusted in Jesus. And oh, what a joy came to me. My heart was filled with his praises for saving a sinner like me. No longer in darkness I'm walking for the light is now shining on me. And now unto others I'm telling how he saved a poor sinner like me. And when life's journey is over, and I the dear Savior shall sing, I'll praise him forever and ever for saving a sinner like me. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see. In this message on total depravity, we have seen that man is ruined. He is alienated from God. He will never come to God of his own accord. And so it requires sovereign grace.

God purposed to bestow grace upon a portion of the human race before the world began. And through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ, they are secured. And if you today have come to the place to see I am a sinner, but I know I need help, and I look to Jesus Christ, you have this promise.

He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. I hope that you will write a sin until next week at this same time. May the Lord richly bless you all. The Baptist Bible Hour has come to you under the direction of Elder LeSaire Bradley, Jr. Address all mail to The Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. That's The Baptist Bible Hour, Cincinnati, Ohio 45217. When we've been there ten thousand years Bright shining as the sun We've no less days to sing God's praise Than when we first begun