What is so Great About the Doctrine of Total Depravity
The Doctrine of Total Depravity is explained well in What’s So Great About the Doctrines of Grace, a book by Richard Phillips. Basically he points us to Romans 3:10-18. To get the Phillips wonderful explanation you simply have to read the book, but for what the doctrine is really the Scripture says it best:
as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
(Romans 3:10-18)
The best part about the chapter is that Phillips goes further than expounding this text and it’s doctrine. He goes on to say what is so great about this doctrine explaining that:
1. We come to appreciate the gospel truly; in other words, we cannot fully appreciate our salvation “unless we know what we are being saved from.”
2. It is vital to all true spirituality; he says here in sum that it is better to be like the tax collector in Luke 18 than the pharisee, to be the one who humbles himself and sees how unworthy he is to receive grace. Remember in that story, one is justified (the one who sees his total depravity), and the other is not. (see Luke 18:14)
3. It exalts the cross; Phillips explains that we will get a greater view of the cross like the sinful woman who burst into the home of a Pharisee named Simon and threw herself at Jesus’ feet. Jesus said, “he who is forgiven little, loves little” (Luke 7:44, 47) The idea is that when we understand the doctrine of Total Depravity as explained in the Scriptures, we will love God more; our affections will be stirred in love for Jesus!
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