Posted by: Bill Hornbeck | January 7, 2009

Total Depravity and Unconditional Election

As some of you may know, I am daily reading through Scripture in its order.  Today’s devotion included Ephesians 2:1-9 which is quoted below. 
 
As we read it, we note that man’s natural condition is twice described as “dead” in sin.  This is very important, because if we are only  wounded, then we might be able to argue that man could at least wave his hand signaling a desire to be saved or at least murmur those words:  “Save me!”.  But, if he is truly dead, then man can do nothing at all to participate in the slightest to save himself.  But, these verses even go beyond being “dead” in sin.  Even if man was only wounded, man is so hostile toward God, he would not even seek God if he could.  Here it states that man “walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air”, “indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind”.  In summary, this is “total depravity”, the “T” in “TULIP”. 

 

“1  And you were dead in your trespasses and sins,
                                                                 
2  in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.    
                                                

3  Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.

4  But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,

5  even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),

6  and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

7  so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

8  For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

9  not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:1-9. 

 

So, was there anything loveable within man that motivated God to save certain individuals?  No!  We “were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.” 

Then, why did God saved certain individuals if they “were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”? 

Verse 4 provides the answer.  “But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,”.  This is “Unconditional Election”, the “U’ in “TULIP”.  There was no condition in man which motivated God to elect to save that certain individual.  That certain individual was not more loveable than the rest.  He or she was “by nature children of wrath, even as the rest.”  That certain individual did not do a sufficient amount of works to motivate God to elect to save him or her.  That certain individual did not even have faith which motivated God to elect to save him or her.  Verse 8 tells us that even faith is “not of yourselves, it is the gift of God”.  In summary, “no one may boast”. 

But, God, for reasons not disclosed in Scripture, but according to His desire and purpose, loved certain individuals and had mercy on them.  “Just as it is written, ‘JACOB I LOVED, BUT ESAU I HATED.’ ”  Romans 9:13.  “for though the twins were not yet born and had not done anything good or bad, so that God’s purpose according to His choice would stand, not because of works but because of Him who calls,”  Romans 9:11.  “For He says to Moses, ‘I WILL HAVE MERCY ON WHOM I HAVE MERCY, AND I WILL HAVE COMPASSION ON WHOM I HAVE COMPASSION.’  So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.”  Romans 9:15-16.

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