Total Depravity?

TOTAL DEPRAVITY?

 Formula of Concord: 2, 1, 6

  First of all, it is true that not only should Christians regard and recognize as sin the actual violation of God’s commandments in their deeds, but they should also perceive and recognize that the horrible, dreadful, inherited disease corrupting their entire nature is above all actual sin and indeed is the “chief sin.” It is the root and fountainhead of all actual sins. ^c Luther calls this a “nature-sin” or “person-sin,”²⁵ in order to indicate that even if a human being thinks, says, or does nothing evil (which is, of course, after the fall of our first parents, impossible for human nature in this life), nevertheless, our entire nature and person is sinful, that is, totally and thoroughly corrupted in God’s sight and contaminated by original sin as with a spiritual leprosy. Because of this corruption and on account of the fall of the first human beings, God’s law accuses and condemns human nature and the human person. Therefore, Luther concludes, we are “by nature children of wrath” [Eph. 2:3*], of death, and of damnation, if we are not redeemed from them through Christ’s merit.

Formula of Concord: 2, 11, 85

 For this reason the human being who is not reborn resists God completely and is totally the slave of sin. The reborn, however, desire to practice God’s law according to their inward self, but see at the same time in their members the law of sin, which resists the law of their mind. Therefore, they serve God’s law with their mind but the law of sin with their flesh (Rom. 7[:22*, 23*, 25*]). In this way one may explain and teach the proper understanding of this matter thoroughly, clearly, and appropriately.

Formula of Concord: 1, 1, 3

On the other hand, we believe, teach, and confess that original sin is not a slight corruption of human nature, but rather a corruption so deep that there is nothing sound or uncorrupted left in the human body or soul, in its internal or external powers. Instead, as the church sings, “Through Adam’s fall human nature and our essence are completely corrupted.”⁶ The damage is so indescribable that it cannot be recognized by our reason but only from God’s Word. The damage is such that only God alone can separate human nature and the corruption of this nature from each other. This separation will take place completely through death, at the resurrection, when the nature which we now have will rise and live eternally, without original sin—separated and severed from it—as it is written in Job 19[:26, 27], “I will be covered in my own skin, and in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold.”

These provisions of the Formula of Concord deal with "original sin." So first of all, YES, the Lutheran Confessions teach that "original sin" is something very real.  With regard to the concept of total depravity, it can come down to definitions.  The Formula of Concord is also clear that human beings in the civil arena have some capacity to make good and right choices.  Humans can do good works.  But when it comes to being in a relationship with God, when it comes to overcoming sin, humans bring nothing to the table.  It is not that human nature, created in the image of God, created "very good" has become evil.  It is that sin is a stain on human nature.  And the stain is complete.  It's not a spot or two.  All of human nature is all covered in sin.  And only Jesus can separate the good human nature from the stain of sin.  (This goes back to the "Atonement" post below, because God accomplished that through the blood of Christ.)  The Confession in the old red Service Book began "I am by nature sinful and unclean."  That language was changed in the green hymnal, "We confess that we are in bondage to sin, and cannot free ourselves."  I have no problem with this.  I can see how the language in the old red hymnal could be confusing in that someone might think that human nature IS evil.  Being in prison to sin, and in bondage of slavery, is a good image. 

The reason this is so important is that only those who recognize that they are "in bondage to sin and cannot free themselves" recognize they need a Savior.  This accounts for much of the "all ways lead to heaven" position that I addressed in a post below.  If we can all just "do a little better" or all "move in the right direction" then not trusting in Christ, but trusting in some other "guru" is all one.  But we are not going to get to God by "trying harder" or "doing better" or "moving in the right direction."  We are going to get to God the way God prescribed, in and through Jesus Christ, who is Savior and Lord (and eternal God).  There is no other way.  Only a Savior can save us from sin.