Depravity

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. - John 6:53

    Contrary to all false religions, mankind, apart from the impartation of the divine nature of the Lord Jesus Christ by the sovereign Spirit of Almighty God, is completely and absolutely spiritually dead. Not one man, the best or worst, has one spark of spiritual life in him until God, in sovereign grace and mercy, gives him life. Therefore this is God’s call, not man’s call. Any preacher or any message that gives man something to do as a prerequisite to salvation is false. A dead man cannot do anything. It is only those to whom God has given life that believe on, look to, and trust in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The depraved human heart is a heart of darkness and unbelief, void of understanding and faith. There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God (Rom 3:11).

    Man cannot give himself life. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day (Jn 6:44), and no one will come to Christ and the truth by his own will and volition. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life (Jn 5:40). Man is dead in trespasses and sin. He will remain justly so, and justly perish in his sin and unbelief if he is passed by, by the true and living God that will by no means (other than by substitution) clear the guilty.

    What I am saying is this: salvation, necessarily and completely, is in the sovereign purpose and will of Almighty God in the person and work of the ONLY Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12). A misunderstanding of the depravity of the human heart will always lead to a perverted view of Christ and his accomplishment in the redemption of sinners. A misunderstanding of the depravity of man will always lead to self-righteousness.

    The preacher and so-called Gospel that gives the sinner his own will and ability in regeneration is cursed by God and is no Gospel at all. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed (Gal 1:8). Our only hope is this—I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, thou art my people; and they shall say, thou art my God.