1 / 26

Five Points in Five Weeks

Five Points in Five Weeks. Total Depravity (Inability). A Brief Review. While thoroughly biblical… Articulated by Augustine Pelagians /semi- Pelagians Calvin recovers Augustine Arminius rejects Calvin Wesley, etc. Five points rebut Arminius at Dordt. Plan for Tonight. Man in creation

bunme
Download Presentation

Five Points in Five Weeks

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Five Points in Five Weeks Total Depravity (Inability)

  2. A Brief Review • While thoroughly biblical… • Articulated by Augustine • Pelagians/semi-Pelagians • Calvin recovers Augustine • Arminius rejects Calvin • Wesley, etc. • Five points rebut Arminius at Dordt

  3. Plan for Tonight • Man in creation • The Fall of Man • Original Sin • Total Depravity/Total Inability • Why They Matter

  4. The Imago Dei at Creation • Contrasts greatly with our being merely evolution’s apex • Seen in Gen. 1:26 • What exactly is it? • Many theories • I prefer the “restoration hermeneutic”: • Eph. 4:21-24 • Col. 3:10 • Yields knowledge and righteousness as key • One is toward God, the other toward man • Thus fits the Great Commandment

  5. Why It Matters • The reason we treat each other well • Gen. 9:6 • Jas. 3:9 • NOT the intrinsic value of humans as the apex of evolution • Or out of humanistic philosophy

  6. Pristine Free Will • Only Adam had genuine free will • Warned that would die – spiritually and physically – if sinned • Given a free choice, what does our representative do??? • Trusting God’ provision or buying Satan’s deception • Pleasure versus obedience • KEY: free to sin or not to sin

  7. But Adam Sins

  8. Sin Enters Paradise: The Fall • What was the deal with Adam? • Had genuine choice: could sin or not sin • Representative for all humans • Just like we all live with the “vote” of our government representatives. See Romans 5: 12ff. • To say we still have free will in the same sense is to deny that it was affected by the Fall • And the Bible won’t let us do that

  9. Key to Fallen Man: Pride • Calvin sees man driven by self-admiration and blind self-love • Leads us to defend our abilities • And to think we’re more free than we are Like William Ernest Henley I thank whatever gods that be For my unconquerable soul … I am the master of my fate And the captain of my soul • Like Chinese handcuffs, trying to be more free cost us freedom • NOW: Free to do as we like…but only like to sin by nature

  10. Seven Effects of the Fall • Loss of innocence • Enter TRUE guilt • And FALSE guilt • Image of God distorted • Self-focus replaces pure community • Fellowship lost • Lonely, restless hearts result • Environment cursed • Romans 8:20-22 • Man and woman punished • Now Adam and Eve bring forth after their OWN kind • Genesis 5:3 • We now need divine grace in a dramatic way

  11. And Significantly… • Genesis 5:3: Adam fathers children made in HIS image • Share the spiritual death of their father • Born with a sin nature

  12. In Short, We are Depraved • Here is the rub • SIN HAS CONSEQUENCES • Sin is more than specific behaviors, but a corruption of the heart

  13. Scriptural Basis for Original Sin • Genesis 6:5-6; 8:21 • Psalm 14:1-3 • Psalm 51:5 • Psalm 58:3 • Psalm 130:3 • Ecclesiastes 7:20 • Ecclesiastes 9:23 • Jeremiah 17:9 • John 5:42 • Romans 1:29-32 • Ephesians 2:1-3 • Matthew 7:18 • John 6:44,65 • 1 Corinthians 2:14

  14. Original Sin • Job 14:4: clean cannot come from unclean • Calvin defines: • “A hereditary depravity and corruption of our nature, diffused into all parts of the soul” • Nature precedes acts, like an apple tree is that before bearing apples • Psalm 51:1; Isaiah 48:8 • Sinful and rebellious from birth • Born spiritually dead (Eph. 2:1) • Children of disobedience (Eph. 2:2) • By nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3) • Romans 1: God restrains to keep from being worse, though loosens grip with increasing sin

  15. More on Original Sin • SO, we don’t just DO evil; we ARE evil • Sinners by nature AND by choice • Driven by self-love • Act according to our fallen nature • Dead, so unable to see God • Understanding is blinded • Tastes and feelings perverted • Will is depraved • Natural gifts corrupted • Light in some matters but not spiritual

  16. Depraved Will?? • To choose right, one must: • Discern the right thing by reason • Choose it • Follow it • Sinful persons cannot do any of these • So, compare God working in us to WILL and DO of his good pleasure (Phil. 2:13) • The struggle of Romans 7 is only true of believers • Though “natural law” remains and has some affinity with second table of Law, though not first • We will only those things in accordance with our nature

  17. Willing • Says Bernard: • “Simply to will is of man; to will ill, of a corrupt nature; to will well, of grace.” • We will according to our nature: • The devil: wills only evil • God: wills only good • Natural man: more like the devil • Saved man: struggles with the two • Glorified man: no longer will struggle • No “free will” in heaven: by nature, we will only will good

  18. In sum • Original sin • Means we’re spiritually dead • Born in a sin nature that inevitably will bear sinful fruit • Wills no longer desire the good

  19. Total Depravity • Depraved in all aspects of our being • Not completely bad • Or bad as might be • Or nature completely evil • Can do some relatively good things • BUT…not in the name of Jesus (not even a cup of cold water) • Rather, we • Stand under the curse of God • And alienated from Him, we are unable to love Him

  20. Total Inability Calvinists Arminians • Dead in our sins, so unable to move toward God • Even if we could, our corrupted nature means we wouldn’t choose it anyway • We are dead and without hope • Classic Position • Maintains original sin • But God grants prevenient grace that moves us to point of choice • Modern Position • Not so much sin nature, but just individual sins • Will can choose God or not…on its own • “Wise men still seek Him”

  21. Why It Matters • Diagnosis precedes treatment • So, our natural state tells us what needs to be “fixed” • Merely sick in sin so we can drive ourselves to the doctor? • Do we have a will completely unaffected by the Fall? • And if not, can we biblically justify the doctrine of prevenient grace? • If we are dead in trespasses and totally unable to do anything about it, how can we be saved?

  22. More Reasons It Matters Human Nature Political • Philip Zimbardo’s prison experiment • Abu Ghraib • Book: The Lucifer Effect • Concludes: Put in a position of power, most anyone can turn mean • James Madison, original sin in mind, intentionally set up checks and balances in our government to protect the people

  23. Relevance to Parents • Children are thus born in sin • Edwards’ strong views led to some seeing them as “vipers in diapers” • Yet, clearly discipline, teaching needed • Large part of rationale for infant baptism • Eliminates idea of an “age of accountability”

  24. And Finally… • Sets our expectations for the world • If people born in sin and without God… • …what do you expect? • Moreover, • What do they need?

  25. In Our Next Round… • ELECTION

More Related