From the Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon, Chapter 3, Sovereign Grace in first sections titled Total Depravity, we looked at the first part back when we did Romans 5:12-21 in weighing in on the reality and severity of the fall and how that was passed on to us as descendants of Adam.
Now that we have took the time to carefully unpack the “Death to Life” series text of Romans 5:12-8:11, we can reflect on the reality of our condition apart from Christ and with Him.
This week we are looking at the 2nd part of the Total Depravity section in Chapter 3.
Gen. 3:8-12, John 10:17-18, Rm. 7:15-18
Free Will
Defined as the Freedom to do what one wills to do.
1-What is our fallen nature able to do apart from Christ?
Regarding the will, Spurgeon said,
“We declare on scriptural authority that the human will is
so desperately set on mischief,
so depraved,
so inclined to everything that is evil,
and so disinclined to everything that is good,
that without the powerful, supernatural, irresistible influence of the Holy Spirit,
no human will will ever be constrained toward Christ.”
By this statement, Spurgeon affirmed
that the volitional capacity of sinful man is paralyzed,
leaving him incapable of responding to the free offer of Christ.
(Volition: the power of choosing or determining:WILL, an act of making a choice or decision)
Rm. 5:16-17, Rm. 8:7-8, Matt. 16:13-17, 1 Cor. 12:1-3, John 3:3,5, John 6:44, 65, Rm. 7:24, Rm. 4:17-25
2-Does the Doctrine of Free Will magnify man into God?
Consequently, Spurgeon resisted the notion of human free will.
He contended that such an idea elevates man to the place reserved for God alone:
“Free-will doctrine—what does it?
It magnifies man into God.
It declares God’s purposes a nullity, since they cannot be carried out unless men are willing.
It makes God’s will a waiting servant to the will of man.”
Matt. 15:10-11, 17-20, 1 Cor. 2:9-13, Jer. 31:33-34, Ezekiel 36:26-27, Eph. 1:13-14, John 14:15-17, Luke 10:38-42, Acts 6:1-6
3-What is the First Step towards God?
Further, Spurgeon affirmed,
“If God requires of the sinner, dead in sin, that he should take the first step,
then he requires just that which renders salvation as impossible under the gospel as it was under the law,
since man is as unable to believe as he is to obey.”
Simply put, Spurgeon believed that no human will is entirely free.
It is either a slave of sin or a slave of Christ, but never free.
Acts 10:42-43, John 11:43-44, Ez. 37:3-5, 1 Cor. 14:18-19, Rm. 6:16-18
4-Conclusion, Where does the Gospel Begin?
For Spurgeon, this was where the message of the gospel begins.
The saving message of grace starts with total depravity.
Man is entirely corrupted by sin.
He is spiritually dead and unable to save himself.
He could not be more hopeless and helpless.
John 6:29, John 3:15, 18, 36, John 5:24, 38, 44, 65, John 6:35, 47, 64, 69, John 7:38-39, John 8:24, John 9:35-38, John 10:24-26, John 20:28-2, Matt. 13:17, Lk 10:24
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