Biblical Studies/Christianity/Christian Theology/Human Depravity

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The Concept of Total Depravity

What Total Depravity Is Not

It does not mean that someone who is considered unregenerate has absolutely no concept of morality or conscience.
It does not mean that someone is totally sinful - that is, as wicked as is possible.
It does not mean engagement in every possible mode of sin.

What Total Depravity Is

It does mean that sin affects each and every aspect of a person: the mind, body, will, and spirit.
It does mean that acts thought to be altruistic will always contain at least a shade of improper motive - nothing one does is born totally and completely out of a perfect, flawless desire to serve God.
It does mean that we as human beings are wholly incapable of eradicating our problem of sin by means of our own volition.

Erickson, Millard J. Christian Theology. Baker Book House: 1985. pp. 628-29.

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