The Doctrine of Total Depravity, Briefly Explained

Due to the fall of Adam, the totality of what constitutes human nature–heart, mind, soul, and body–has been tainted by sin. Each person’s will, thoughts, and emotions are in rebellion against God. Each person’s flesh is an enemy, rather than a friend, to godliness. R.C. Sproul notes, “Sin is radical in the sense that it touches the root (radix) of our lives.”[1] For this reason, some theologians prefer the term Radical depravity to Total depravity. Key Scriptures for this doctrine include: Jer 17:9; Rom 3:10-18; Eph 2:1-3.

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[1]R.C. Sproul, Chosen By God (Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986), 104.