Calvinists affirm above all the absolute sovereignty of God—in creation, in providence, and most pivotally, in the salvation of sinners. This foundational truth sets the trajectory for what are known as the Five Points of Calvinism, or more properly, the Doctrines of Grace. These five theological anchors—Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, and Perseverance of the Saints—form a cohesive biblical framework for understanding God’s redemptive work.
Among these, Total Depravity is the first and foundational point. It is the entryway to the doctrines of grace, for it explains why grace is necessary in the first place. It confronts us with the uncomfortable but necessary truth: man is not merely weak; he is spiritually dead. Only when we understand the radical nature of sin and the utter inability of man to save himself can we rightly magnify the grace of God in salvation.
What Is Total Depravity?
The term Total Depravity can be misunderstood. It does not mean that every person is as evil as they could possibly be. Rather, it means that the corruption of sin extends to every part of the human person—the mind, will, heart, and body. The term is descriptive of totality of effect, not intensity of evil. Theologians often prefer terms like Radical Corruption or Total Inability to avoid confusion.
- Radical Corruption: From the Latin radix, meaning “root.” Sin affects us at the root of our being.
- Total Inability: We are incapable of choosing or desiring God apart from divine grace.
This doctrine teaches that fallen man is not sick but dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1). He is a slave to sin (John 8:34), his heart is deceitful above all things (Jeremiah 17:9), and no one seeks after God (Romans 3:11). This is not merely poor behavior; it is a nature problem.
Total Depravity and the Five Solas
The doctrine of Total Depravity is interwoven with the great rallying cries of the Protestant Reformation—the Five Solas. Each Sola declares the sufficiency of God’s redemptive work and the emptiness of human effort:
- Sola Scriptura (“Scripture Alone”): Total Depravity blinds us from spiritual truth unless the Holy Spirit illumines Scripture.
- Sola Gratia (“Grace Alone”): Because man is dead, salvation must originate in God’s grace, not in man’s response.
- Sola Fide (“Faith Alone”): Faith is not the cause but the gift and result of regeneration, not the contribution of man’s will.
- Solus Christus (“Christ Alone”): Only Christ can do what man cannot—reconcile sinful people to a holy God.
- Soli Deo Gloria (“To the Glory of God Alone”): If man contributes nothing to his salvation, then God gets all the glory.
The Five Solas flow logically and necessarily from the recognition that fallen man is totally corrupt and unable to save himself.
Historical Development of the Doctrine
Augustine and Pelagius (4th–5th Century)
The early church’s clearest defender of this doctrine was Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. He taught that all mankind sinned in Adam and inherited his guilt and corruption. Against him stood Pelagius, who insisted man was born morally neutral and capable of keeping God’s law unaided. The Council of Carthage (418) rejected Pelagianism, affirming that grace is essential for salvation.
Medieval Echoes and Reformational Clarity
The doctrine was obscured during the Middle Ages, but glimmers of Augustinian theology remained in thinkers like Anselm and Bernard. The Reformers, particularly Martin Luther in The Bondage of the Will, restored the Augustinian view of sin and grace.
John Calvin later systematized the doctrine in his Institutes of the Christian Religion, explaining that man is enslaved to sin and that even his will is fallen.
Synod of Dort (1618–1619)
The Arminians, or Remonstrants, argued for man’s ability to initiate saving faith. In response, the Synod of Dort articulated the Five Points of Calvinism. Total Depravity was affirmed as essential to understanding the sovereignty of grace.
Puritans and Reformed Scholastics
Men like John Owen, Thomas Goodwin, and Jonathan Edwards explored the depths of man’s corruption and the glory of regeneration.
Modern Defenders
In the modern era, B.B. Warfield, R.C. Sproul, Tom Ascol, Alistair Begg, and Voddie Baucham have defended this doctrine against modern Pelagianism and humanism.
Total Depravity and Regeneration: Why New Birth Must Come First
Reformed theology holds that regeneration precedes faith. Why? Because the unregenerate person is spiritually dead. He cannot understand the things of God (1 Corinthians 2:14), nor does he desire to.
What Is Regeneration?
Regeneration is the sovereign, monergistic act of God by which He imparts spiritual life to the dead sinner. It is not a cooperative effort—it is God’s act alone (monergism). It happens by the Spirit and through the Word (John 3:5–8; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23).
Regeneration:
- Illuminates the mind to understand the gospel
- Softens the heart to receive it
- Releases the will to embrace Christ freely
Faith is the fruit of regeneration, not its cause. This order of salvation (ordo salutis) preserves grace as truly sovereign and unearned.
Key Historical Figures
- Augustine – Champion against Pelagius
- Martin Luther – Asserted bondage of the will
- John Calvin – Systematized total depravity
- Jonathan Edwards – Explored affections and moral inability
- B.B. Warfield – Early 20th-century Princeton theologian
- R.C. Sproul – Accessible and deep expositor of Reformed truth
- Alistair Begg – Bible teacher and pastor (Truth for Life)
- Tom Ascol, Voddie Baucham – Founders Ministries and Reformed Baptist defenders
- James White – Alpha Omega Ministries
Key Theological Terms
- Original Sin – Inherited corruption and guilt from Adam
- Imputed Guilt – Adam’s sin is counted as ours
- Federal Headship – Adam acted as our representative
- Bondage of the Will – Fallen man’s will is enslaved to sin
- Monergism – God alone causes regeneration
- Regeneration – The new birth by the Spirit
- Effectual Calling – God’s call brings forth the desired result
Scriptural Foundations
- Genesis 6:5 – “Every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
- Psalm 51:5 – “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity…”
- Jeremiah 17:9 – “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick…”
- Romans 3:10–18 – “None is righteous, no, not one… no one seeks for God.”
- Ephesians 2:1–3 – “You were dead in the trespasses and sins…”
- John 6:44 – “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.”
These verses teach both the universality of sin and the inability to come to God without grace.
Calvinist Churches and Advocates
Churches:
- Presbyterian Church in America (PCA)
- Orthodox Presbyterian Church (OPC)
- Reformed Baptist churches (ARBCA, Founders Network)
- United Reformed Churches (URCNA)
Individuals:
- R.C. Sproul (Ligonier Ministries)
- Alistair Begg (Truth for Life)
- Tom Ascol and Voddie Baucham (Founders Ministries)
- James White (Alpha Omega Ministries)
Principles and Implications
The doctrine teaches:
- Man is morally unable to choose God
- God must initiate salvation
- Christ’s atonement is absolutely essential
- Evangelism must be Spirit-dependent
- Assurance rests in God’s action, not man’s will
Misconceptions and Clarifications
It does not teach:
- That man is as evil as possible
- That man cannot do any civil good
- That sinners are not accountable
- That God forces anyone to sin
It does teach:
- That sin is pervasive
- That human nature is hostile to God
- That only grace can rescue the lost
Common Objections and Reformed Responses
Objection 1: “If people can’t come to God, how is it just to judge them?”
Response: Inability does not eliminate responsibility. A corrupt nature is not an excuse; it’s the very ground of condemnation. Sin is not imposed—it is chosen freely by a corrupt will.
Objection 2: “What about free will?”
Response: Reformed theology teaches that people always act according to their greatest desire. The problem is that without regeneration, our desires are enslaved to sin.
Objection 3: “Why preach the Gospel if people can’t respond?”
Response: God ordains both the ends and the means. The Gospel is the instrument by which the Spirit regenerates hearts (Romans 10:17; 1 Peter 1:23). It is our privilege to be heralds of that message.
Three Commonly Misused Scriptures by Critics- And Biblical Responses
While the doctrine of Total Depravity is biblically grounded and historically affirmed by Reformed theologians, critics sometimes point to particular passages that seem, at first glance, to suggest that human beings retain the ability to seek God or choose righteousness apart from divine grace. However, a closer reading within proper theological and contextual frameworks reveals that these objections often misunderstand the nature of depravity and the role of grace.
Below are three of the most frequently cited texts used to challenge the doctrine of Total Depravity, followed by careful Reformed responses.
Deuteronomy 30:19 – “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”
Critics say: God’s command to “choose life” implies that fallen man is fully capable of choosing spiritual life apart from regeneration. Therefore, man must not be totally depraved.
Reformed response: This passage must be read in the context of covenant renewal with Israel, not as a universal theological statement about post-Fall human ability. God’s commands do not imply man’s moral ability to obey them perfectly (cf. Romans 8:7–8). Reformed theology affirms that God commands all men everywhere to repent (Acts 17:30), but also teaches that only grace enables obedience. As Augustine said, “Lord, command what you will, and give what you command.” The moral obligation remains, but the spiritual ability is lost without divine intervention. The command in Deuteronomy shows the responsibility of man, not his ability.
Romans 2:14–15 – “For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires… they show that the work of the law is written on their hearts.”
Critics say: If Gentiles can do what the law requires “by nature,” then man must not be totally depraved or morally incapacitated.
Reformed response: Paul is not asserting that Gentiles naturally fulfill the moral law in a salvific or comprehensive way. Rather, he is acknowledging that even unbelievers possess remnants of the image of God and conscience, which occasionally restrains their outward behavior. However, this is not evidence of saving righteousness or moral goodness before God. In fact, the broader context of Romans 1–3 declares that all have sinned and that no one does good, not even one (Romans 3:10–12). Paul is exposing Gentile guilt before the law, not exalting their ability to obey it in a way that pleases God.
Acts 17:27 – “…that they should seek God, in the hope that they might feel their way toward him and find him.”
Critics say: This verse suggests that people can seek and find God through their own effort, which contradicts the claim that no one seeks God.
Reformed response: In context, Paul is speaking to Athenian philosophers and is emphasizing the universal obligation to seek the true God, not man’s natural ability to do so savingly. The phrase “feel their way toward him” evokes groping in darkness, not confident spiritual sight. Moreover, the same Paul writes just one chapter later that God must open the heart to respond to the Gospel (Acts 16:14). Reformed theology acknowledges that general revelation renders man without excuse (Romans 1:20), but affirms that saving knowledge of God only comes through the Spirit’s work in regeneration (1 Corinthians 2:14).
These passages, when interpreted within their biblical context and theological categories, do not refute the doctrine of Total Depravity. Instead, they underscore man’s responsibility, which remains intact even as his ability has been lost due to the Fall. Far from disproving Total Depravity, these texts reinforce the need for divine grace to awaken the spiritually dead and bring sinners to life in Christ.
Logical Implications within the Doctrines of Grace
If Total Depravity is true, then:
- Unconditional Election must follow—no one would choose God otherwise
- Irresistible Grace is necessary—grace must overcome deadness
- Limited Atonement becomes focused and effectual
- Perseverance is assured because salvation is entirely of God
Resources for Further Study
Books:
- Institutes of the Christian Religion – John Calvin
- The Bondage of the Will – Martin Luther
- Chosen by God – R.C. Sproul
- By Grace Alone – Sinclair Ferguson
- The Doctrine of Regeneration – A.W. Pink
- What is Reformed Theology? – R.C. Sproul
Confessions:
- Westminster Confession of Faith
- Belgic Confession
- Heidelberg Catechism
- 1689 London Baptist Confession
Ministries:
- Ligonier Ministries
- Truth for Life
- Founders Ministries
Final Reflections
Total Depravity is humbling. It strips man of all pretense. It declares with blunt honesty: “You cannot save yourself.” And yet, it does not leave us in despair. For it also declares that God can, and does, save sinners.
The deeper we understand our sin, the more beautiful grace becomes. The more helpless we see ourselves, the more we treasure Christ. As Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick… I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” (Mark 2:17)
S.D.G.,
Robert Sparkman
christiannewsjunkie@gmail.com
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