Defending Calvinism: Total Depravity

Join us for the newest episode of Apologia Radio in which we continue our discussion about the Five Points of Calvinism or the Doctrines of Grace. This week we explain and defend "Total Depravity" or "Total Inability." Tell someone about it!

[maggiey]

I was raised that you ask God into your heart. When God revealed to me that I had nothing to do with Him redeeming my heart I was a wreck for weeks. And I am not exaggerating. I spent weeks studying the scriptures to find out what the Bible said because there is not way I had nothing to do with my coming to Christ. In the end, the Holy Spirit gave me an amazing peace and reassurance that God chose me and I had nothing to with choosing Him. I was a wreck again for a while and completely humbled God would choose me. I can’t even put into words the grace I felt and still feel to this day. I don’t deserve Him but He chose me. Why? I don’t know but I’m so thankful He did.

Loved when you mentioned pride being the reason why we think we have something to do with our salvation. I had been trying to figure out the words to describe that for a while now but will remember this.

[RebekahNicole]

The other day I was reading my Bible and came across this passage in 2 Kings 19:25-26 where God is speaking through the prophet Isaiah to king Hezekiah, “Have you not heard that I determined it long ago? I planned from days of old what now I bring to pass, that you should turn fortified cities into heaps of ruins, while their inhabitants, shorn of strength, are dismayed and confounded, and have become like plants of the field and like tender grass, like grass on the housetops, blighted before it is grown." God has made His plans and He will bring them to pass. He is in charge and we are not. Great show today, brothers! Soli Deo Gloria!

[TheFinalJigsaw]

You guys are spot on here!!! May God be merciful to his people!

[rebeccabrown]

Wonderful episode. I grew up Arminian (UMC mostly), but now my family and I are checking out a PCA church. I've found that Calvinist theology makes the most sense when dealing with certain passages, but there are aspects I've never been able to wrap my mind or my heart around. I appreciated your thoroughness and especially your tone in this episode. A lot of Calvinists can be rather snooty when explaining their theology, but you guys kept it respectful and humble and compassionate while at the same time confident. That blessed me so much it almost brought me to tears toward the end. I want to believe what's true, whatever that is. If it's Calvinism, then glory to God! I'm looking forward to the rest of this series!

[firstnumbers]

Before Arminians comment “Stop following Calvin! Follow Christ!” Show me one spot in this video where Jeff Durban quotes Calvin instead of Scripture.

[joys.]

TIMESTAMPS:
4:10 -for skipping the Ezra Institute ad
10:00 -continuing the Calvinism discussion
12:31 -today's topic is Total Depravity/Inability or Radical Corruption (with ad for the ion layer)
20:00 -Why do you believe in Total Depravity? Why is it important?
27:50 -"Well I agree with all that and I'm still not Reformed" (response)
28:35 -Where this issue arises in church history
37:30 -The Calvinist term explanation (not about the guy John Calvin)
39:46 -Scripture passages and stuff
48:08 -Honestly representing your opponents (addressing claims of "it makes men robots" "why pray if God already determined everything")
52:35 -More Scripture: God brings the dead to life
1:04:30 -When Christians hate this doctrine
1:12:03 -What if you grew up being told you were a piece of garbage? Are you still depraved when you're a Christian? (importance of being clear on our new identity)
1:16:30 -Even your stupid prayers will be made acceptable in the throne room. What a comfort.
-Followed by closing Scripture passage (John 6 I think)

[Raycho]

This was a really impactful episode for me today. Thanks guys for helping me grow. I've been leading a recovery group and working to get it in line with God's word more. It's been a challenge but you guys have really helped me to grow in my faith and understanding through God's word so that I may be well equipped to help others.

Open to suggestions! In fact, I welcome them!

[demo]

Well done gentlemen, fantastic series.

[danib]

I don’t understand why people are against this it makes sense to what they are saying. And they’re not explaining scripture to their own idea the scripture seemed pretty self explanatory. there are people who love to hate god and they will probably refuse him all their life.

[dubyag]

Thank you JD and David. As a pastor that was bivocational and now full time, every single minute serving must be unto Jesus alone. Sinners still sin, Christians sin, people will always hurt you unintentionally and intentionally. If it’s all for Christ they cannot touch you.

[benjy]

Come on guys, read it in context, I don't consider myself a bible expert buy any means, but when I read Romans 8:7 its clear what its talking about, from verse 5 it states those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit, the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the spirit is life and peace, then further on it says those controlled by the flesh cannot please God.
Its simply saying if you live by the flesh you will set your minds on things of the flesh, in other words don't love the world or worldly things, live by the spirit, don't be controlled by the flesh, there's nothing in there that says you don't have the ability to repent.

[scafatiguitars]

I really like apologia, I've been blessed by their content. On this episode it seemed like Jeff hardly got a word in.

[dameonsspectrumsound]

I am in 100%agreement on these topics! I am the .0001 % here in Michigan that does and i have zero like minded friends to share with! I am literally a judgmental a hole due to lack of agreement!

[blchamblisscscp]

Early on in my journey there were several authors that gave clarity on these issues of grace. I had been a Christian for a few years and was challenged one day by a friend. He was Episcopalian and attended a liberal church (a redundant statement). We were discussing the church where I attend, a PCA congregation, one of the oldest actually, and my friend was saying to another friend, who was at that time a Russian Orthodox, he (me) goes there but he doesn't believe all that Calvinist stuff, do you?. I said I don't know, I'd not thought about it as it's not something that is constantly discussed like Apologia does. So, I began to investigate and compare what is being said in the name of God to the Word of God. The Word says this and that, but how does that compare to what is being taught here versus what I learned growing up Baptist and Methodist, and popular Christian literature. As Dr. White says, I had to take the tradition lenses off. I started with Duane Edward Spencer's little book TULIP, which compared the Calvinist soteriology to the Arminian system. But what about this "free will?" Martin Luther took care of that in the diatribe against Erasmus. I found in my church library The Plan of Salvation by B.B. Warfield, which I highly recommend if you want to see a comparison from all spectrum of theism, from the primitive to the debated supralapsarian-infralapsarian divide. Dr. Warfield made a great matrix as well. A thing I found interesting is his analysis that anything less than a monergistic soteriology is, at the base of it, a works salvation. He and Luther make this point: to the extent that salvation depends on a human choice, the human is the fulcrum upon which the entire salvation and work of God is balanced. Erasmus said free will is a small thing, a still small voice if you will..no, .sir! If Erasmus is correct, It is THE thing upon which all of history is turned. If true, it is not God's will that prevails, but man's. Free will, in autonomous terms, is anti-biblical and not logical. Just consider, it would be impossible to reason that God knows all things future and determines the ends from the beginning if, at any moment, creaturley free will among any one of his creation could upend His plans.

[nykka]

Tfs. This episode has been so helpful. Downloaded.

[WesW]

I came to Christ kicking and screaming, from alcoholism mainly, but other stuff as well. God made me want to repent. He made me want to submit. Without Christ I was sunk. God used the wickedness and horrors of this world to make me repent. My friends say “You did it. You defeated it all”. They can’t see the spiritual side of things, and all I can do is tell them about the Grace of God. I can show them my life has changed, but they just think what a deluded fellow I am. Very depressing.
The thing I sometimes stumble over is why God allows sinners to be born at all. Is it because God allows the will of Man to bear fruit, to multiply because that’s just what he wants to do? I hope those too young to decide but old enough to die, in wars, abortion etc will get into heaven. I’d appreciate your thoughts on this.

[Bicyclechris]

If the content is free, and open to everyone then why do folks need to sign up for yet another account on yet another website to access the information?

[Vinsanity]

Im actually rather glad that these guys encourage people to value church history, even though they constantly give tainted complements to the saints, if their viewers ever dive into the fathers they may very well end up Catholic or Orthodox like I did

[johnthezetetic]

The doctrine of total depravity is truly wicked. How were men of the Old Testament able to live righteous and pleasing lives if they were not capable of making good decisions themselves?

[TheBillyDWilliams]

much question begging.

The hosts are presuming Reformed anthropology, reading verses, and then pronouncing the Reformed teaching “just what the Bible says”.

This is a rhetorical fallacy and a problem. Especially because they don’t even make an attempt to deal with any competing claims.