How does the doctrine of total depravity relate to salvation?

Total depravity emphasizes humanity's complete inability to save themselves, underscoring the necessity of divine intervention for salvation. Romans 3:19 encapsulates this by stating that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. This doctrine highlights that without the grace of God, no one can come to Christ because our hearts are inherently wicked and we cannot seek God on our own. Therefore, understanding total depravity points us to the need for God's sovereign grace to fundamentally change our hearts and draw us to salvation through Christ.