Refuting Total Depravity: A Biblical Response

Refuting Total Depravity: A Biblical Response

Total Depravity, the “T” in Calvinism’s TULIP doctrine, teaches that humanity is so corrupted by sin that people are utterly incapable of responding to God unless He first regenerates them. While the Bible affirms human sinfulness, the Calvinist interpretation of total depravity goes beyond what Scripture teaches, wrongly equating sinfulness with total inability. In this response, we will examine biblical reasons to reject total depravity, including the role of human responsibility, the call to repentance, and even the birth of Jesus as a key counterexample.

1. The Bible Teaches That Sin Corrupts, But Not That It Eliminates Free Will

The Bible clearly teaches that all have sinned (Romans 3:23), but this does not mean that people are incapable of responding to God. Instead, Scripture repeatedly shows that sinners can still hear, believe, and repent.

Genesis 4:6-7 – "Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.’"

God tells Cain, a fallen man, that he has the ability to resist sin. If total depravity means absolute inability, why does God speak as though Cain can choose rightly?

Deuteronomy 30:19 – “I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live.”

God commands people to choose life. This contradicts the idea that fallen man is unable to respond to God without first being regenerated.

Isaiah 55:6 – "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near."

If unregenerate people are incapable of seeking God, why would He command them to do so?

Clearly, sin corrupts human nature, but it does not render people incapable of responding to God's call.

2. The Gospel Invitation Assumes the Ability to Respond

The entire premise of the gospel is that people are called to repent and believe—something that makes no sense if humans are completely unable to do so.

Acts 17:30 – "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent."

If people must be regenerated first before they can repent, why does God command all people to repent? This assumes the ability to respond.

Romans 10:17 – "Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."

Calvinists teach that regeneration precedes faith (that a person must be "born again" before they can believe), but Paul teaches the opposite—faith comes from hearing the gospel.

Jesus Himself calls people to respond:

John 7:37 – "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink."

Matthew 11:28 – "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Why would Jesus extend these invitations to people if only those already regenerated could respond?

3. The Birth of Jesus Contradicts Total Depravity

Jesus was fully human, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). Calvinists argue that all humans inherit a totally depraved nature from Adam. But if total depravity means absolute corruption, then how could Jesus be born of a human mother and still remain sinless?

Why This Matters

1. If total depravity is inherited from Adam, then Jesus should have inherited it too.

Calvinists often argue that Jesus did not inherit a sinful nature because He was born of a virgin. However, Mary was still a human with a fallen nature. If total depravity is truly inherited from Adam, then being born of a woman would have made Jesus depraved as well. The fact that Jesus was human yet sinless proves that depravity is not an inherited inability, but rather a state of corruption that each person chooses to engage in.

2. Jesus' human nature was like ours, yet He was not "totally depraved."

If all humans are born completely unable to respond to God, then Jesus should have shared in that inability as well. But He didn’t. This proves that total depravity is not an inherent quality of being human, but rather the result of choices and conditions.

What This Means

The birth of Jesus undermines the Calvinist claim that all humans are automatically rendered incapable of responding to God. Instead, it points to the biblical truth that while sin affects all people, it does not destroy the human ability to seek, hear, and respond to God.

4. Biblical Examples of Unregenerate People Seeking God

If total depravity were true, we would never see unregenerate people seeking God. Yet, the Bible provides many examples of people responding to God before being regenerated.

Cornelius (Acts 10:1-4) – A Gentile who feared God, prayed, and gave generously before he was saved.

The Ninevites (Jonah 3:5-10) – They repented at Jonah’s preaching, without first being regenerated.

The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:17-20) – He came to his senses and returned to his father, symbolizing repentance.

These examples contradict the idea that people must be born again first before they can seek God. Instead, they show that while sin is real, people still retain the ability to hear God’s call and respond.

5. Total Depravity Is Based on a Misinterpretation of Key Verses

Ephesians 2:1 – “Dead in Sin” Does Not Mean Total Inability

Calvinists often cite Ephesians 2:1, which says we were "dead in our trespasses and sins." They claim this means a person is like a corpse, unable to respond to God.

However, as previously shown, "dead" in the Bible does not mean total inability—it means separation from God:

The Prodigal Son was "dead" and then "alive again" (Luke 15:24), but he was still capable of choosing to return.

Believers are "dead to sin" (Romans 6:11), but they still struggle with sin.

Jesus said the dead will hear His voice and live (John 5:25)—meaning hearing precedes life (not the other way around).

Therefore, being "dead in sin" does not mean people cannot respond to God—it means they are alienated from Him until they turn back to Him.

Conclusion

While the Bible teaches that sin corrupts humanity, it does not teach that people are completely incapable of responding to God without first being regenerated. God calls all people to repentance, assuming they can respond. Faith comes from hearing, not from prior regeneration. The birth of Jesus disproves inherited total depravity, since He was fully human yet without sin. Scripture provides examples of unregenerate people seeking and responding to God. Being "dead in sin" means separation, not total inability. The doctrine of total depravity misrepresents the biblical view of sin and human responsibility. Instead of teaching that people must first be regenerated to believe, the Bible presents the gospel as a real invitation to all, and those who hear and believe will be saved (Romans 10:17).