Why is total depravity important in understanding salvation?

Understanding total depravity is crucial in grasping the weight of sin and the necessity of God's grace in salvation. This doctrine teaches that every aspect of humanity is fallen and unable to seek or understand God without divine assistance. Romans 3:10-12 states, 'There is none righteous, no, not one: there is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.' This bleak reality points to our desperate need for the Holy Spirit to give us life and the faith required to come to Christ. Without recognizing our total inability, we might mistakenly believe we can earn God's favor through our own works, undermining the glorious essence of grace and the sufficiency of Christ’s sacrifice.