The Doctrine Of Total Depravity
2BGeorge Burnside
The “New Theology have consistently taught this false dogma of “Total Depravity.” They begin with this falsehood and so with the root corrupted, the fruit has resulted in a myriad of doctrinal errors. Here is the “Total Depravity” teaching:
“Depravity was complete at the moment when Adam and Eve disobeyed.”
“The Soteriological Implications of the Human Nature of Christ.” (This book was a case of “The voice is Jacob’s voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.”)
The same pen writes “Depravity was complete as soon as Adam disobeyed.” page 14
Then they continue “Thereafter, they and all their seed were born without the indwelling Holy Spirit, that is in a condition of separation from God. Christ, in His human nature, was born filled with the Holy Spirit, as Adam before his fall. This is not so for fallen Adam’s posterity. Thus when Christ died for us on the cross, He did for us that which it was impossible for us to do for ourselves because from birth, we are sinful by nature.” page 5.
The Word of God never teaches total depravity. It is also gratifying to note that the Spirit of Prophecy likewise refutes this error. In the Bible Commentary, Volume 6, page 1078, E.G.W. states:
“Though the moral image of God was almost obliterated by the sin of Adam, through the merits and power of Jesus it may be renewed.”
Note, inspiration says “almost”, while they says “complete” and “total.”
Again “the testimony of Jesus” says: “In the beginning God created man in His own likeness...sin has marred and well-nigh obliterated the image of God in man.” Patriarchs and Prophets, page 595.
“Sin has marred the divine image in man. Through Christ this may be restored, but it is only through earnest prayer and the conquest of self that we can become partakers of the Divine nature.” Gospel Workers, page 80.
THE SCRIPTURES ARE OPPOSED TO TOTAL DEPRAVITY.
GENESIS 6:3 “My Spirit shall not always strive with man.”
The Spirit of God had certainly not totally left mankind.
JOHN 1:9 “That is the true Light which lightens every man that cometh into the world.
TITUS 2:11 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.”
ROMANS 12:3 “God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.” JOHN 17:30 “God now commands all men everywhere to repent.”
It is clear from these scriptures that man’s fall was great but not total. He still has a measure of faith, and is still responsible for his own repentance. He is well nigh, but not totally or completely depraved. It is clear that they exaggerates the sinfulness of mankind and likewise depreciates the salvation of Christ.
The pagan and unscriptural doctrine of total depravity naturally led to the equally pagan and unscriptural teaching of Original Sin. Note a few facts:
“Satan is the originator of sin. In heaven he resolved to live for himself. He determined to make himself the centre of influence. If he could not be the highest authority in heaven, he would be the highest authority in rebellion against the government of heaven. He would be to control not to be controlled.” Ellen G. White, Review And Herald, 16 April, 1901.
To apply “origina1 sin” to Adam is not only unscriptural, it is untrue. It crawled into theology, through paganism, via Augustine and Catholicism, then into nominal Christendom.
“Augustine...the founder of Latin (Roman Catholic) theology” page 465.
“Augustine molded the concepts of the Christian west for a 1000 years thereafter.” page 19.
“The millennium had already began on earth and the church (the church of Rome) was God’s only true exponent.” Page 19, 20.
“Augustine was instructed by the pope to retain the customs of the heathen; idol temples were simply to be rededicated as Christian churches and heathen festivals renamed as days of Christian saints.” page 603.
“Augustine and his doctrines were rejected by the British, Augustine was furious and declared ‘If you are unwilling to accept peace with brethren, you will have to accept war from enemies.” Page 604.
Augustine’s writings were used to support the Inquisition His writings have been referred to as “The Bible of the Inquisition.
Original sin along with many other false doctrines, were brought into Christendom by Augustine.
Geoffery Paxton declared that “Robert Brinsmead was the first within Adventism to develop and set forth the doctrine of “Original Sin”. The Shaking, page 99.
He further states “Brinsmead could find little help within Adventist theology on the subject of original sin.” May-our Lord grant that he will never find it in Adventist teachings.
ILLOGICAL THEOLOGY
The dogma of original sin to me is totally illogical. If we are guilty because of Adam’s sin, would we not be equally guilty for all the sins of all our ancestors? If we receive guilt from one ancestor why not from all? I cannot repent of Adam’s sin, therefore I cannot be responsible. My Lord commands repentance. What sins are we to confess, and for which we are to repent?
ACTS 17:30 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent.”
If our God overlooks the “times of ignorance” surely He would not hold us responsible, and condemn us to destruction for’ sins in which we had no part whatsoever?
JAMES 4:17 “Therefore to him that knows to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”
JEREMIAH 31:30 “But every one shall die for his own iniquity.”
REVELATION 20:12 All are “judged according to their works.” Not someone else’s works. Not for Adam’s sin.
Where in Scripture do we read that we are guilty of Adam’s sin? How can we repent of Adam’s sin? Our Savior commands.
MARK 1:15 “Repent ye, and believe the gospel.” Repeatedly we are commanded to repent. Where are we told to repent of Adam’s sin?
1 JOHN 1:9 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
We are to confess “our sin”, not Adam’s or any other of our scores of ancestors. I repeat “scores of ancestors,” for why should we he guilty of Adam’s sin any more than any other ancestor?
PSALM 32:5 “1 acknowledged my sin unto thee, and wine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgave the iniquity of my sin.”
Note the repetition “my sin”, “my iniquity”, “my transgressions” and “Thou forgave the iniquity of sin”. Not a single hint of Adam’s sin. What a wicked, God dishonoring doctrine is this falsely named original sin.
“It is inevitable that children should suffer from the consequences of parental wrong-doing, but they are not punished for the parents guilt, (this wipes out original sin) except as they participate in their sins. It is usually the case, however, that children walk in the steps of their parents. By inheritance and example the sons become partakers of their father’s sin. Wrong tendencies, perverted appetites, and debased morals, as well as physical disease and degeneracy, are transmitted as a legacy from fathers to son, to the third and fourth generation.” Patriarchs and Prophets, page 306.
A HARD QUESTION
If you teach “original sin,” and that we receive guilt and condemnation from Adam’s sin, what happens to your child that dies before the age of accountability? Do you say goodbye forever? Note this interesting and thought provoking statement: “Not only the Roman Catholics believe in the damnation of infants. The Lutherans in the Augsburg Confession condemn the Baptists for affirming that children are saved without baptism.” Unfolding the Baptist’s Doctrine, page 24, Norman Fox.
Strong effort has been made to find Scriptural support for the false doctrine of original sin. Two verses are usually seized upon:
ROMANS 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.”
The reason why “death passed upon all men” is clearly stated. “For all have sinned.” It does not say that we have inherited condemnation because of Adam’s sin, hut because we have sinned. This false doctrine does not hold up very well in the light of this Scripture. Finally consider:
PSALM 51:5 “Behold I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Augustine desperately seized upon this verse and even went as far as to state that the very act of procreating a child is sinful. His whole argument collapses in the clear light of Scripture.
HEBREWS 13:4 “Marriage is honorable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will Judge.”
GENESIS 1:28. To our first parents God instructed “Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.”
How can obeying the plain command of God be sinful? Augustine was wrong, as are his “original sin” followers.
PSALM 71:6 “By thee have I been held up from the womb: thou art he that took me out of my mother’s bowels: my praise shall be continually of thee.”
It is evident that David did not consider himself under original sin and condemning guilt from his birth, for here under inspiration he writes, “By Thee have I been hold up from birth.” God was with him from when he first saw the light of day.
Further if personal sin is implied in Psalm 51:5 it is certainly not David’s sin, but his mother’s. For that, David could be no more responsible, than he could be for Adam’s sin. As is so often used, especially in divine poetry like Psalms, David is using language to show that “all have sinned.” Psalm 71:6 does not contradict Psalm 51:5. Inspiration does not contradict itself, but false doctrine and the human reasoning of theology all too often do.
The “New Theology” is but old apostasy. It is but the voice of Satan as it echoes down the corridors of time in its war against the commandments of our God. We hear it in such words as “we cannot keep God’s commandments, because of original sin in our sinful nature.” We hear it in such words as these from this pen: “On being horn again, the Holy Spirit returns to dwell, but only partially in this life.” Page 5 “The Soteriological Implications of the Human Nature of Christ.” Which is right this or Holy Writ?
ACTS 13:9 “(Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost.” with the Holy Ghost.”
ACTS 4:8 “Peter filled with the Holy Ghost.”
MICAH 3:8 “But truly I am full of power by the Spirit of the Lord.”
COLOSSIANS 1:29 “According to the working, which works in me mightily.”
Or is it limiting the Holy One of Israel? He writes of total depravity but not total salvation. The “Everlasting Gospel” does not teach total depravity hut certainly teaches total salvation.
2 CORINTHIANS 2:14 “God always causes us to triumph in Christ.”
EPHESIANS 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.”
ROMANS 1:16 “The gospel of Christ is the power of God unto salvation.”
NOT TOTAL DEPRAVITY BUT TOTAL SALVATION
HEBREWS 7:25 “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession for them.”
“Those only who through faith in Christ obey all of God’s commandments will reach the condition of SINLESSNESS in which Adam lived before his transgression.” Bible Commentary, Volume 6, page 1118.
“He came to this world and lived a sinless life, that in His power, His people might also live lives of SINLESSNESS. Adventist Review, April 1, 1902.
“To every one who surrenders fully to God is given the privilege of LIVING WITHOUT SIN, IN OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW OF HEAVEN.” Adventist Review, September 27, 1906.
REVELATION 3:21 “To him that overcomes will I grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I overcame.”
REVELATION 21:7 “He that overcomes shall inherit all things.”