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Total Depravity over Free Will

Published by Andrew Esping under on Tuesday, May 01, 2007
I have decided to go over the Doctrines of Grace of which I hold to very strongly. I will start with one which has been debated for a verrrrrrryyyyyyy long time, Total Depravity and Free will. I will explain these two points using the " Five Points of Calvinism and Arminianism" you can see the whole list at www.fivesolas.com/cal_arm.htm . I will start with my view or the Calvinistic view.
Total Inability or Total Depravity
(Reformed or Calvinistic view)
Because of the fall, man is unable of himself to savingly believe the gospel. The sinner dead, blind, and deaf to the things of God; his heart is deceitful and desperately corrupt. His will is not free, it is in bondage to his evil nature, therefore, he will not--indeed he cannot--choose good over evil in the spiritual realm. Consequently, it takes much more than Spirit's assistance to bring a sinner to Christ--it takes regeneration by which the Spirit makes the sinner alive and gives him a new nature. Faith is not something man contributes to salvation but is itself a part of God's gift of salvation--it is God's gift to the sinner, not the sinner's gift to God.

Free Will or Human Ability
(Arminian View)
Although human nature was seriously affected by the fall, man has not been left in a state of total spiritual helplessness. God graciously enables every sinner to repent and believe, but He does not interfere with man's freedom. Each sinner possesses a free will, and his eternal destiny depends on how he uses it. Man's freedom consists of his ability to choose good over evil in spiritual matters; his will is not enslaved to his spiritual matters; his will is not enslaved to his sinful nature. The sinner has the power to either cooperate with God's Spirit and be regenerated or resist God's grace and perish. The lost sinner needs the Spirit's assistance, but he does not have to be regenerated by the Spirit before he can believe, for faith is man's act and precedes the new birth. Faith is the sinner's gift to God; it is man's contribution to salvation.

Well I'll try to make this short and sweet. Most people in today's world believe in Free Will, there are several reasons to this fact.
#1. Most churches teach this doctrine.
#2. Most people don't want to give up their ability to do what they want.
#3. Most people do not believe they are totally depraved, therefore believing that they have a small island of righteousness within them and that they are able to choose God on their own accord. In other words they want the glory.
#4. Most people don't believe God is sovereign.
Now, one of the reasons most churches teach Free will instead of Total Depravity is because it appears that God purposely creates people to go to hell. Such is not the case, for "the Lord...is not wishing that any should perish but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9b) When my Dad first became reformed I did not want to accept the fact that God sends people to their just punishment. I mean God is love right? Yes God is love but he is also just and he must punish sin. God is righteous and perfect, that is why he cannot stand sin and he must eternally punish those who do sin. BUT! by his grace and HIS OWN WILL he chose a remnant that he saved by pouring out that wrath that the remnant deserved on his own perfect son. What of those who are not that remnant or the elect? They must be punished by spending eternity in hell.
I know what your thinking. This guy is an idiot, he thinks he's so high and mighty by bagging on the unsaved people and being proud of the fact that he's saved. Your also thinking "BUT THAT'S NOT FAIR" yes the famous statement. Well lets take fair into consideration, like I said God is just and he must punish all sin so the fair thing for him to do is to send everyone to hell without a thought. He could certainly do that if He wanted to, but as we see that wasn't his plan. We should be thankful to God for saving that remnant instead of sending us all to our just punishment. Far be it for me to think I am better than the unsaved, I am just as corrupt as they are. Why did God save me? I really don't know, all I do know is that I can never thank him for electing me.
I have barely touched on this very deep subject, if you have any questions or accusations please let me know. You can e-mail me at coram_deo_33@yahoo.com or andrew32693@yahoo.com.