THE EXTENT OF HUMAN DEPRAVITY

By Curtis Pugh

The depravity of the human race and its extent can best be understood if we ask and answer one question: can fallen sinful men and women do anything that pleases God?

It is the natural inclination of human beings to think highly of themselves. They think that their will is free and unaffected by their fallen natures. Therefore, they conclude that they can do those things that please God. They will admit that they do not always do those things that please God, but insist that they are able to do such things – if they wanted to do so. Ah! But that is a limitation, is it not? Since men by nature do not want to please God and rather want to live to please themselves, that is how they live. Depraved unsaved humanity is a pleasure-seeking animal given over to living to please self.

Why then do most professing Christians think that lost humans can please God? Why do their various “plans of salvation” always include doing something in order to please God? Why do they think by this “doing” to get God to save them? Some say “believe.” Others say “make a decision for Christ.” Still others say “pray the sinner's prayer” or “call upon the name of the Lord.” Then there are those who demand what they call “baptism” as being the means to regeneration. And believe it or not, there are those who think to go to heaven by keeping the Old Testament Law of Moses.

All the “plans of salvation” fall apart when the Bible is consulted on the matter. Paul wrote: “Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his,” (Romans 8:7-9).

Along with many other passages in the Bible, these few verses make it abundantly clear that unregenerate people (those not born again) (1) cannot even in their mind be obedient to the law of God and (2) therefore those “in the flesh” - those not indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God – cannot please God. (3) Only those in whom the Spirit of God dwells are no longer “in the flesh.” (4) Furthermore this passage tells us that if the Holy Spirit of God has not come to indwell a person he or she does not belong to Christ.

That these truths are unpopular with the majority of religious folk only proves that depraved humans hate a sovereign God. Hating God as they do, men and women are not as bad as they could be, they are as bad off as they possibly could be. So all the salvation plans of men are shown to be impossible because there is nothing a lost or unregenerate sinner can do to please God.