Theology for Everybody: RomansSample

In Romans 3:9–17, Paul articulates that all humanity is infected and affected by sin. We are not good! We tend to think that God grades on a curve, but what He really sees is perfection and imperfection. That’s why Jesus said, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). Paul makes seven Old Testament references in this passage, and he’s trying to get all of us to agree that we are sinners in need of a Savior. We have a problem; Jesus is the solution. It is easier for us to see this in other people, which is why Paul uses terms such as “all,” “none,” and “no one.” If Paul wrote a song, then the opening lyric would be, “I know all people are bad.”

Theologians like to speak of this section of Romans with the theological term “total depravity.” Total depravity means all people are totally infected and affected by sin. Think of it like a cup of clean water that has polluted water added to it. The polluted water dirties the entire glass like sin dirties the entire person.

Total depravity is different from utter depravity. Utter depravity means a person is as completely sinful and evil as possible. Although they are totally depraved, Romans teaches that people are not utterly depraved for three reasons:

1. God has given us a conscience that knows something of right and wrong even if we do not know God (Romans 2).

2. God has allowed death to occur so that sinners are brought to an end and to deter people from reckless behaviors that cause death (Romans 5).

3. God has provided governments and laws to punish some wrongdoing, which helps restrain much evil (Romans 13). People who don’t believe in human depravity say, “Let’s get rid of law enforcement. Then people can be free to reach their full potential.” Let’s hope and pray that it doesn’t ever happen. If people are evil, then all they do is maximize their evil when left unchecked. They bring hell up, not push hell down. “Let’s eliminate government, the rule of law, parents, and authority,” Satan said, and it’s been a real problem ever since.

Most people rather easily believe that some people are totally depraved sinners. Most people also struggle to believe that they personally are also totally depraved sinners. Consider for a moment that you had unlimited resources, no restraints, and no consequences. No one would ever know what you did, you could never be arrested, and you could not die. Once those variables are removed, you can be sure that your shadow side will emerge, and you will do increasingly dark, depraved, and damnable things. Even if you know Jesus, there’s still some lingering “shadowness” in you. If it weren’t for the constraints and restraints of God, we would all be worse than we are. That doesn’t mean we’re good; rather, it means we’re bad, God is good, and God’s goodness restrains our badness. Therefore, instead of us taking credit for it, we should give God glory for it.

Today’s Reflection

Do you find it harder to see yourself as a sinner or other people as sinners?