The Doctrine of Total Depravity and Some of Its Applications

The T in the acronym TULIP stands for total depravity. It may not be the most notorious doctrine out of all the teachings mentioned in TULIP, but in any case, total depravity means that all the aspects of a human personality, soul, spirit, and body are affected by sin.

This means that the effect of sin on man was such that man is by nature completely devoid of any love for God, and that is why he does not seek Him. It does not mean that man is as sinful as he can be, as some misunderstand this doctrine.

The Scriptures repeatedly unveil this doctrine (Jer. 17:9, Ps. 51:5, Ps. 58:3, Eph. 2:1-3). These and many other texts in the Holy Scriptures make clear that the condition of man is that of estrangement from God, and his desires are bent toward all kinds of wickedness.

We are told that man is dead in his sins and trespasses (Eph. 2:1), and since he is dead, he does not seek God at all (Rom. 3:11). Many mainstream and seeker-friendly churches avoid this harsh truth because it tends to turn people away. But the Scriptures are clear: man does not seek God.

The next question that might arise is how anyone can be saved if no one seeks God. Yet God gives us an answer in His Word about this as well: “You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would abide, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you” (John 15:16). As you can see, God is the one who chooses man. Man cannot choose God if left to himself. God is the one who must intervene and change the heart of man in order for man to receive salvation.

We call this act of God regeneration. An example of this regenerative work is depicted in the book of Ezekiel: “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezek. 36:26). A regenerated person has a new heart and new desires, which are that of love God granted to him by the Grace of God.

Many people ask why there are so many wars and conflicts in this world. The mass genocides that took place in the previous century scream to us that man is totally depraved and that he hates God and His Law. Many people think that education is the answer to the plight of man, but even right now, as we speak, wars are continuing on a massive scale. These are educated people who are making the most advanced ammunition to kill people. Thousands upon thousands are dying in this age of education. You might think that you are exempt from the effect of sin, but the Bible clarifies that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).

God holds us all accountable and categorizes us all as sinners. Many self-proclaimed preachers of the Gospel cater to the desires of their audiences. They do not preach sermons that warn of man and his depraved nature. On the contrary, they will preach sermons in which the dangers of sin are not rightly emphasized. I once heard a sermon by Joel Osteen in which he mentioned sin as a mistake. People like Osteen are wolves and charlatans, who care more about receiving money from their herd of goats rather than preaching the Word with a clear conscience. The problem with this type of language is that it waters down the wretchedness of man and depicts him as not responsible for his transgression. If sin is merely a mistake, then mankind does not have nearly as much need to fear the wrath of God poured out upon their heads.

Another way sin is minimized is by blaming sinfulness on the circumstances of life and the society in which one lives. In many movies, for example, the villain is not portrayed as inherently evil, but only as a byproduct of the evil society. He is shown not as a wretch whose own works testify against him, but as the unfortunate product of a flawed society.

One recent example comes in the movie “The Joker.” The infamous “Batman” villain is shown as a disregarded and bullied person, implying that Joker was not a bad man himself, but that society around him was evil, causing him to make some bad choices. Villains are shown as not bad people, but as people who have been misunderstood and who have only made some erroneous choices.

This dangerous lie is not limited to the movies. I have witnessed people even portraying Adolf Hitler as a hero, yet history shouts to us at the top of its lungs that this man was a mass murderer who mercilessly slaughtered millions. What those who adopt this escapist ideology believe is that villains like Adolf Hitler are not villains, but are only victims of their times or circumstances.

Mankind enjoys his iniquity, and the desire of all in this deceived world is to make good evil and evil good (Isa. 5:20). Man shifts the blame for his depravity to the other person. In the Garden of Eden, Adam blames his wife, and his wife blames the serpent (Gen 3:12-13). In the same way, the depraved shift the responsibility for their actions to society. They also pat their shoulders when they see others sinning and think to themselves that they are not as evil as others. This applies to every one of us: we ignore that we are sinners needing grace and focus on evils outside of ourselves to ensure we feel like we are righteous.

As we have explained at some length, this is what total depravity means. Let us observe some of the applications of this doctrine to believers and unbelievers.

Total Depravity Humbles Us: Knowing that you were not saved because of your righteousness or worthiness is essential to humility. Our total depravity speaks against us and leaves no ground to boast. Many people who forget the condition from which Christ has saved them fall into the sin of pride. We all have a higher view of ourselves than we should have. Pride is an ever-lurking vice residing in the human heart, and culture wants to aid that vice in taking over us and telling us that we are enough in and of ourselves. Satan wants us to be like him, and he wants us to follow him and not God. When we think that we are enough, our hearts will not find God as necessary. We forget our sinful condition and the unworthy state from which God has saved us.
God hates boasting. He sometimes brings to our mind our condition before regeneration to humble us so that we might not think more highly of ourselves than we ought (Rom. 12:3). We cannot have a high view of ourselves and of God simultaneously. Only a humble man is grateful. Being humbled breeds gratitude in us, which in turn produces obedience.

Total Depravity Moves Us To Evangelize: When we bear in mind the condition of all humanity, which is that of total depravity, we are able to evangelize in a more faithful way. We will not rely on cleverly devised psychological tricks to manipulate people into believing. We know that only the Spirit of God, and not cunning techniques, can revive a spiritually dead man (Eph. 2:1-9).  God is in the business of saving sinners, and He uses means such as Gospel proclamation and prayer to bring about salvation.

Many churches instead use gimmicks and worldly tactics to manipulate people into believing. They have a higher view of man, wrongly believing that he is sick but not dead in his iniquity, and that is why they employ such techniques. They rely on these tricks instead of God and His saving grace. They therefore fail to render unto God the glory He deserves, and they instead trust in cunningly devised strategies which produce false converts. Considering total depravity will aid us in dealing with unbelievers biblically.

We will have to use the means God appointed because it will be made clear to us that only by these can a dead sinner be brought to life spiritually. Sick patients need medicine, and they can be made well by some human effort. Yet a dead man can only be brought to life by a miracle, and only God can perform that miracle.

Breeds Gratitude: Knowledge of the state from which God has saved us renders us grateful. When we are reminded of the helpless and sinful condition from which God has brought us into His Kingdom, we cannot help but be thankful for the amazing Grace of our loving and kind Savior. You might have sung “Amazing Grace” many times in your church. You might have seen some people being incredibly touched by that tune. If you ask them why they are so passionately singing the song, they will tell you that they were reminded of their total depravity, that thinking of their wretched condition has filled their eyes with tears, and that they were amazed in gratitude to God for his Mercy and Grace. This gratitude not only makes us worshipful; it makes us more obedient. We desire to love God, obey Him, serve Him, and sacrifice for Him out of a thankful heart.

Prompts Us To Worship: When we consider our total depravity as we behold the Grace of God, our hearts are enlarged, and we worship Him. If you keep thinking of yourself as a small sinner, then your thoughts about the Grace of God will remain small, which in turn will keep you from worshiping God. Only enlightened people genuinely regarding their depravity can worship God genuinely. David worshiped God rightly when his sin was pointed out to him. This was also the case for the sinful woman who wept and washed the feet of Jesus with her hair: “For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:47).

Since such a person loves more, one can conclude from this verse that this person also worships more, because he or she beholds the amazing Grace in salvation. Many people in churches do not worship God passionately, and this is because they do not view themselves as the great wretches being spoken of in the hymn “Amazing Grace.”

They are smug, and their pride will not let them bow their knees in praise and worship. True revelation of our sinfulness breaks us and brings us to our knees. In this case, brokenness is a blessing that aids us in becoming more worshipful. When guided rightly by God’s Spirit, a greater revelation of one’s depravity has greater worship as its end.

Causes Reliance on God: A prideful man relies on himself the most. You start relying on yourself when you forget the state from which the Grace of God has saved you. An excellent antidote to self-reliance is to be reminded how you were so sinful that you could not save yourself from your unbelief. Now that you are saved, how can you rely on yourself to live a holy life?

Grace saved you, and only Grace can preserve you in this state of salvation. You will surely trust God, for you will have this thought, that since your sin has been great, only a mighty work of grace is able to keep you free and preserve you from sin. Pondering your sinful state is essential because it keeps you on your knees. When you fall, you will fall on Christ. We only come to God for His Power and enablement when we know our weaknesses. When you see the evil of your heart, you do not rely on yourself for wisdom. On the contrary, you seek wisdom that comes from the Heavenly Father.

Worldly sorrow and guilt will render you helpless and hopeless, like Judas Iscariot. Yet the godly sorrow in your heart wrought by the Spirit will breed great virtues. Satan is an accuser, and he uses the sentence of sin many times to harm people. He brings doubts in the minds of the children of God about their salvation. However, we must remember that the sacrifice of Jesus covers all of our sins. When Satan tells you that you are a great sinner, then you can give him a worthy response by pointing out that Jesus made an excellent sacrifice for you. We as believers should strive not to have a worldly view of ourselves, but we should have the Spirit-guided revelation of our present and former state.