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Part of "Bible Issues": "Sovereign Grace":

<CENTER>The Spiritual Inability And Deadness of Unsaved Man

(Key Issue: This article conveys the Bible's opposition to the heresy of Semi-Pelagianism, which is now rampant among North American Christians.)

Consider two Questions: How serious is the sin-condition of unsaved (unregenerate) people... and, are they able to some degree to deserve, cooperate or initiate --by their faith-- God's work of regeneration (being born again)?

1. In Romans 3:9, we see that unsaved man is "under sin," meaning he is totally controlled and motivated by sin. In addition, Paul says in Eph. 2:3, that humans are "by nature" children of wrath, meaning that we even begin life with a nature that is fundamentally evil, which is why it is called the "sinful nature" (Greek: "sarx," flesh) here as well as Ro. 7:5,18,25 and Ro. 8:4-13.

So, contrary to the popular view that man is "basically good," the Bible teaches that man is basically sinful, and every faculty, ability and part of unsaved man's makeup is thoroughly tainted, distorted and ruined by sin from the moment of conception (Psa. 51:5), so that he in no degree merits or even desires salvation.

2. We humans may do relatively moral and good things (compared to each other), but compared to God's moral perfection, "all our righteous acts are like filthy rags" (Isa.64:6). ...Thus, "there is no one who does good, not even one" (Ro.3:12). "No one is good --except God alone" (Lk.18:19).

3. It isn't that man merely does sinful deeds, but that unredeemed human motives, heart and desires are evil and sin-oriented before any deed is done. In Noah's day, God considered man, and he saw that "every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time" (Gen.6:5 and 8:21). So man's mind, affections and will are fundamentally and thoroughly directed, perverted, and controlled by sin. - [Though this doesn't mean humans are as evil as is ultimately possible.]

4. Read Romans 3:11,18 - The unsaved man never "seeks God," and has no respect ("fear") for God. - The unsaved may seek many benefits from God, such as provision, comforts and avoiding hell, but (even if he says he does) no unregenerate person truly seeks and desires to know and relate to God himself. Regeneration must occur before any man begins to truly desire and "seek" God.

5. Read John 8:43,47 - The unsaved man (unregenerate) is "not able to hear" or accept the spiritual truths Christ/God has spoken or revealed. Jesus says the reason the unsaved person isn't able to hear (grasp or accept) spiritual truths, is because they "do not belong to God," as their unregenerate spiritual nature derives from the devil (Jn. 8:44). Therefore the only way for this fallen condition to be changed is for the person to first be "born again" (regenerated) from God; only then can a person actually hear, grasp, accept and believe the gospel in any significant way. --Thus, in Jn. 10:27 Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them..." but the unregenerate cannot hear or accept God's truth, or have any relationship with God/Christ.

6. Read 1Cor.2:14 - The unregenerate man is not able to "accept" or "understand" or grasp the truths and things of God, because they do not have God's Spirit dwelling in them. --Christians may valiantly try to explain the gospel and the Bible very clearly and lovingly, but this verse makes it clear that as long as the man us not born again and possessing God's Spirit, he still is not able to understand the truth of the gospel no matter how clearly it is explained. So, a person must first be regenerate (born again), and only then are they able to actually grasp the truth and value of the gospel about Christ.

7. Read 2Cor.4:4 - The unsaved (unregenerate) man is not able to "see the light of the gospel," --they are totally blind to it spiritually, no matter how "brightly" or clearly we might proclaim it. --Regeneration must come before the ability is there to see (perceive, understand and accept) the gospel's light.

8. Read Rom. 8:7 - The unsaved man is a hostile "enemy" (Ro.5:10) to God. He is not able to submit to God ...and he wants it this way. God "commands all people everywhere to repent" (Acts 17:30), but the unregenerate man is not able to submit and do so.

9. Paul says in Eph. 2:3 that humans are "by nature children of wrath." So, humans are born with a nature that is fundamentally evil and is a "sinful nature;" it is natural to man to sin, even before he commits one sin. Unregenerate humans are by nature enemies of God (Rom. 5:10). --For example, rattlesnakes are by nature enemies of man: You can't teach, convince, or love a rattlesnake out of being an enemy to man, since it is fundamentally natural to the snake.

--In the same way you can't teach, convince or love a non-believer (an unregenerate person) out of being a natural enemy to God. --Their nature must first be changed --they must first be born again-- or they will remain a natural enemy, hater and rejecter of God.

10. Read John 15:23 - The unsaved man hates (and rejects) the true God and Jesus the God-man (7:7). This heart condition of the unregenerate (not born again) is natural to him, and he freely chooses it, because he loves spiritual darkness (Jn. 3:19). This condition cannot change unless the man is first born again so that he has a new nature which loves God instead of hating God.

11. Read Ephesians 2:1 - The non-believer is dead in sin, spiritually (toward God). -- So, can a truly dead man "cooperate" or respond favorably in any way to God who would save him? No. --This would be like a dead man floating in the water who cannot grab the life-ring thrown to him ...nor can he even want to grab it. --Thus, an unregenerate man cannot even desire or choose to be regenerated (born again) and saved, nor do anything to initiate it; God must first regenerate him and change his heart. And so the saving work of God is a "monergistic" (one energy) action in which God alone acts, while the man is passive in being born again --just like a baby does not decide to be born nor cooperate in it. --This situation is confirmed by John 1:13, which says that children of God (in becoming born again believers) are "born not of natural descent, nor of human decision, nor a husband's will, but born of God." So, being born again (regenerated) is not initiated or produced by any human decision. --No one decides to be born again.

12. In addition, when a person is saved, the saving faith they have is a "gift" that God must give to them, as Paul says, "it is by grace that you have been saved through faith, and this [faith] is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God --not by works" (Eph.2:8). This is confirmed in Phlp. 1:29, when Paul asserts that it is "granted" to Christians (the regenerate) to "believe" in Christ; their saving faith/belief is a gift which is granted and given, and such faith does not originate in the human heart. --This fact (along with all the inabilities listed above) is why we must conclude that "regeneration precedes faith" --not the other way around.

So, if we fully grasp and accept these truths, then we must say that unsaved man who is left unchanged (and unregenerate) in his sin-condition, is not able to hear, understand, seek, desire, respond or have faith in God, or believe the gospel. Without God's regenerating work, faith cannot originate in the unregenerate nonbeliever's heart. ...So, when God changes the human heart (in regeneration) and saves men out of their willingly sin-enslaved condition, how great is that salvation? --Heb.2:3 says it's very "GREAT"!

It is as Dr. R.C. Sproul said: "Left to themselves, no one will ever choose Christ."

The above verses contradict a very common heresy called "Semi-Pelagianism" (from Mr. Pelagius, 4th century), which teaches that 1.) the unregenerate nonbeliever has the ability by his free will to initiate faith/belief in God/Christ, and then 2.) God's work of regeneration is God's response to man's initial action of faith. (ref: <A HREF="http://www.carm.org/heresies" target="_blank">carm.org</A> "Heresies"). This heresy was condemned by the "Council of Orange" (529 AD), and in other councils & major confessions following that (eg."Belgic Confession" and "Canons of Dort"). --(Full Pelagianism additionally denies man's inherited sin-nature, which is a result of the "Fall.")

Rather, when we grasp the Bible's true teaching, we realize the hopeless depth out of which Christ saves people, and we most greatly magnify what are called the "Doctrines of Grace" as we deeply thank the Lord for our salvation --including repentance and faith as gifts from God. --But if we do not grasp or admit unsaved man's enmity, rebellion and deadness toward God, we diminish the magnitude of God's grace. --And if you forget the points made here, while proceeding to read other pages about God's Sovereign Grace and Predestination, you will not properly grasp them either. -- Salvation is by grace alone: Ephesians 2:8-9 Titus 3:5

If God is working and moving your heart, please read: <A HREF="howtobesaved.html">How You Can Be Saved</A>

Further reading on "Monergism:" <A HREF="http://www.monergism.com" target="_blank">monergism.com</A>

<CENTER>Directory

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An On-line Book: <A HREF="5rdp2title.html" target="_blank">

The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination</A> - by Loraine Boettner

<A HREF="resurrectjesus.html" >Christ's Resurrection ...Fact or Fiction?</A>

<A HREF="howtobesaved.html" >How You Can Be Saved</A>

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Link to our "Sister-Sites" on the topics of:

<A HREF="2raptureindex.html">The Second Coming of Christ and the Rapture</A>

<A HREF="index.html">Creaton vs. Evolution: Worldviews in Contrast</A>

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