Total Inability

INTRODUCTION

Reformed theology is first of all God-centered. It is based on God’s glory, supremacy, and divine majesty. What it is not is man-centered. Reformed theology does not at first start with man as its foundation. It starts with a big God who has a big plan. That plan was developed from all eternity. It was not a plan that required human design or effort, but, rather, divine design and effort. That God is first and foremost free is an essential quality trait to the basis of this theology. He is free to do as he pleases, when he please, and how he pleases.

Second, Reformed theology is Scriptural. As this essay progresses, the Scriptural basis for Reformed theology will be expounded in an exegetical manner. The Christian is not obligated to ascribe to a belief or doctrine that is unscriptural; however, the Christian is wholly responsible for obeying what the Scripture does in fact teach. Doctrine is subject to the approval of Scripture and nothing else. Tradition, clergy, and even laity have no right to impose their beliefs upon Scripture. The converse is true. Scripture has every right to take its proper place of authority over the believer. Man, in history, has succumbed to the temptation to impose his beliefs upon Scripture. He has committed the sin of imposing his beliefs and feelings into the text of Holy Scripture. What he doesn’t like, he throws out; what truth he hates, he distorts; what he can’t distort, he denies all together. Man has an awful tendency to do this. And this, I feel, is what he has done to Reformed theology. Man, in his natural state, hates it, and so he denies it. As one preacher put it, Reformed theology offends the flesh(1)

What this essay intends to do is explain what exactly grace is. Can it, by definition, be merited by any human exertion or work? Is it grace something that man wants in the first place? Does man, in his sinful nature, desire, seek, or want God on his own? These questions and more will be answered as this essay progresses. I will systematically layout the five points of Calvinism and defend each, point by point. I make no attempt to defend either the life of Calvin or his other works; although, I do think his life and works have something to offer the world. My main focus for this essay will be, specifically, the doctrines of grace; that is, Reformed theology and its role in the life of the believer. I do hope that the reader will find my style engaging, tactful, and diligent as I expound the Scriptures so that they may be more easily applied to the life of the believer. May God, in his infinite wisdom, shed abroad his grace into the life of all of those whom he would call.

To God alone be the glory.

TOTAL INABILITY

At the heart of Reformed theology is the idea that man is totally unable to come to God on his own (John 6:44). The reason is that man is sinful. The Scriptures say that “the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:7). Here, the Scriptures state that man, with his sinful mind, is hostile to God and his ways. Not only does he not submit to the law of God, but he also cannot submit to the divine commands. Romans 3:10-18 says the following:

As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” “Their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” “Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes.”

We are all familiar with this passage. We use it all the time in our witnessing to others about our faith. Yet, how often do we pay attention to the part that says, “no one seeks for God.” This is what is known as a universal statement. That is, it applies to everyone universally. “No one seeks for God,” why is that? Why is it that absolutely nobody does this? Is it just a coincidence or there a deeper reason? One might object to this passage by saying, “Yes, but I have sought God. I seek God continually, daily even. So how could this passage be true?” To further add to the dilemma, let’s remember Romans 8:7. It says that “no one” (another universal statement) can please God in the flesh. Moreover, the passage says that man “does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot” (Romans 8:7). Yet, aren’t we supposed to submit to the laws of God?

Be careful to obey all these words that I command you, that it may go well with you and with your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 12:28

Here we have a huge problem. First God tells us to obey all that he has commanded us, and then Paul tells us that those in flesh cannot submit to the law of God. So, God is commanding us to do something that we cannot, on our own, do. How is this fair? The great philosopher Immanuel Kant said that “ought implies can.”That is, if you ought to do something, then that implies that you have the ability to do it in the first place. Kant thought that nobody should be obligated to do something unless they first possessed the ability to do it. Sadly, many Christians have accepted this notion. They have inserted this belief into the overall worldview of Christianity despite the testimony of Scripture.

The Word of God is clear on this matter. In fact, given all of the above information, we can logically deduce some important conclusions. (1) If you are sold under sin, then you cannot submit to the law of God (Romans 8:7); (2) All are sold under sin (Romans 3:10-18); therefore, all cannot submit to the demands of God. This, dear reader, is simple logic. Yet, given this, how could God still demand of his creation such stringent duties? This questions presupposes that God would lower his standards just because no one can meet them. God is holy and will do no such thing. To do so would be to degrade his character.

Furthermore, I want to take this time to note that there is more to the commands of God than just the Ten Commandments. There is also the command to come to God for salvation (Matthew 11:28; Isaiah 55:6). Yet, no one seeks after God (Romans 3:11). And, since this is a command of God himself, and man does not submit to the commands of God (Romans 8:7), then it follows that man cannot seek after God. The argument goes as follows:

1. Seeking God is a command.

2. No one can submit to the commands and laws of God.

3. Therefore, no one can seek after God.

Again, why would God command something that cannot be followed? The reason is that, since the fall, man has plunged himself into deep sin. Moreover, God does not lower his demands of the world just because man has freely chosen to eat of the tree in the garden so many years ago. He will not lower his commands or soften his law just so we can live up to them. God’s law does not change. Like himself, it is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hopefully this explains my thesis.

What we have just been talking about is known as the total inability of man. That is, man is totally unable to do anything worth a reward. Man is utterly helpless. In fact, the Scriptures say that we are “dead in our trespasses” (Ephesians 2:5). We are not “almost dead,” we are completely dead. We do not submit, seek, or want the will of God. We are, in our natural state, children of the devil and friends with the word, which means we are at enmity with God (James 4:4). We are not in a position to want God. We are not in a position to love God. We can’t.

Now, some of you might say, “But Matthew, I seek God everyday. How is it that the Scriptures can say that ‘no one’ does?”

The simple fact of the matter is that if you find yourself seeking God, then you have had help from the Father. The Father must “grant” it to you to come to Christ. John 6:44 says, “no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.” Again, John 6:65 says, “…this is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”

These verses show that the Father must do the drawing. It is up to him if we are saved or not. Therefore, if you find yourself saved, thank not yourself, but, rather, thank the Father. As Christians, we have no room for boasting. It is the Father that gets the glory.

Now, there might be some questions that arise from this. If it is up to God, and him alone, who gets saved, then why doesn’t he just save everyone? Isn’t it unfair for God to elect some for salvation and not others? This questions requires a lot of explaining. There are several passages from the Bible that seem to suggest that God wills that all should be saved, and that none should perish (2 Peter 3:9, for example). While these are good questions, I want to state that there will be sufficient answers in the latter part of the essay. But for now, I will say this: What is fair is that we all go to hell. It’s not to our benefit that we complain to God about being fair. If we really want fairness, then we will throw up our hands and just admit that we all, believers and unbelievers, deserve hell. So, it is a wonder that he should save anyone! Again, what’s fair is that we all go to hell. The Scriptures are clear that God is in control of his grace. “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion” (Romans 9: 15). Dear reader, if God has shown you compassion, it was not because of anything you have done, but, rather, was out of his own desire that he has shown you mercy. God’s love is unconditional.

1. Much thanks goes to Rev. Billy Elkins for his insight into the Doctrines of Grace.