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What does total depravity mean in relation to love?

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Total depravity means that every aspect of humanity, including love, is affected by sin, but God's grace allows for genuine love through the Holy Spirit.

Total depravity teaches that all aspects of humanity are tainted by sin, which affects our will, affections, and capacity to love genuinely. This doesn't mean that we are as sinful as we could be, but rather, that our natural inclinations are corrupted. In the context of love, what may pass as natural love is still flawed and insufficient without the transformative power of God's grace. This is where God's love, shed abroad in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, stands in stark contrast to natural love. It empowers us to love genuinely and sacrificially, reflecting God's love instead of the self-serving tendencies present in our depraved nature. Thus, while total depravity affects our capacity for love, through God's grace, believers can express love that resembles His divine nature.
Scripture References: Romans 3:10-12, John 6:44

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