b. Total Depravity
The phrase “total depravity” describes the belief that man so depraved that he is incapable of faith or repentance except God gives that to him as a gift. This is an attempt to define the fallen nature of man in human terms. Every time we depart from biblical terms we also depart from biblical definitions, and this is no exception. God never called many totally depraved. He called him lost, sinners, heathen, wicked, condemned, and other terms, but never depraved, let alone totally.
We already discussed that it is the express will of God for all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. Since this is God’s stated will, why would God allow man to be without the ability to believe Him? The core of God’s character is Holiness, Love, and Truth, and allowing man to be “totally depraved” is antithetical to the Character of God.
It is also in contradiction to His preserved Word. From the garden of Eden to today, we see man demonstrating the ability to believe God. Adam demonstrated it in the Garden. There are dozens of old and new testament examples of people believing God. The word of God also says that God wrote His law in our hearts. Faith is not a gift that some have and some do not. The ability to believe God was put in every one of us by or creator. The only theologically sound conclusion is that God has given everyone the ability to believe Him. It’s up to the individual to exercise or ignore that ability. This also make God completely just in judging those who reject Him.