Total Depravity

For our home study group, we went over Romans 8--mainly verses 28 to the end. We got into a very great, slightly sorta heated discussion on predestination/total depravity. It was awesome. Made us all think. I decided to do some more research after study to see what I could dig up. Here is what I found (most of this came from my pastor and things I found). 

I. Man is Dead John 5:24-27 Ephesians 2:1-6 Colossians 2:13-14 
II. Man is Blinded by the god of this world, as the Gospel is veiled to him Matthew 13:19 Mark 4:15 *2nd Corinthians 4:3-4 *1st Corinthians 12-15 1st John 2:9-11 III. Man does NOT seek God Romans 3:10-13 Philippians 2:19-21 (Especially verse 21) IV. Man has universally rejected God. Romans 1:18-23 & 2:1 Isaiah 53:6 Daniel 9:4-11 V Man is unable to be saved through man's own efforts Matthew 19:23-26 Mark 10:25-27 Luke 18:24-27 Romans 8:6-11 Jeremiah 17:9-10 
VI Man is in slavery to sin, and unable to please God even by his very best John 8:34-36 Isaiah 64:3-7 Titus 3:3-5 VII It is ONLY by God's grace that the regenerate respond in faith were saved Ezekiel 36:23-29 1st Corinthians 15:45-50 Titus 3:5-7 John 3 Another way that I have heard it put before (and I believe it was C.J.Mahaney who explained it like this) was think of the whole world--everyone--running as hard and as fast as they can AWAY from God and God being gracious and merciful plucks out people from all of those who are running away from Him. He didn't have to, but He was gracious and did. It isn't like we are all trying to run TO God and He kicks people out and only allows a few in, we are all running away from God. What an amazing thing He did!! 
My God is so awesome and sovereign. What about free will? Well how are we saved? The Bible tells us we are saved by faith. How do we get this faith? Do we just all have it in us and then one day decide to "turn it on?" No, God graciously changes our hearts so that we have faith and CAN choose Him. Yes we choose God, but ONLY because He first works in us. Without Him changing our hearts we would never go to Him. Okay, here is a TON more verses that you will just have to check out when you have time. It is a HUGE list, so bear with me: Biblical support for the doctrine A number of passages in the Bible are used to support the doctrine, including (quotations are from the English Standard Version except where noted): 

Genesis 6:5: "The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." 

Genesis 8:1: "And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, "I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done. 

Job 15:14: What is man, that he can be pure? Or he who is born of a woman, that he can be righteous? 

15 Behold, God puts no trust in his holy ones, and the heavens are not pure in his sight; how much less one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water! 

Job 25:4-6: How then can man be in the right before God? How can he who is born of woman be pure? 5Behold, even the moon is not bright, and the stars are not pure in his eyes; 6 how much less man, who is a maggot, and the son of man, who is a worm!" 

Psalms 51:5: "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." 

Psalms 58:3: "The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from birth, speaking lies." 

Ecclesiastes 7:20: "Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." 

Ecclesiastes 9:3: "This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead." 

Jeremiah 17:9: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" 

Jeremiah 13:23: (NIV): "Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Neither can you do good who are accustomed to doing evil." 

Isaiah 64:6 "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away" 

Isaiah 64:7 "There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to take hold of you, for you have hidden your face from us and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities." 

Isaiah 64:8 "But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand." 

Mark 7:21-23: "For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." 

John 3:19: "And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil." 

John 6:44: "[Jesus said,] 'No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.'" 

John 6:64-65: "[Jesus said,] 'But there are some of you who do not believe.' (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, 'This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.'" 

John 8:34: "Jesus answered them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.'" 

Romans 3:10-11: "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God." 

Romans 8:7-8: "For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God." 

1 Corinthians 2:14: "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." 

Ephesians 2:1-3: "And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience - among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind." (our depravity being emphasised in the concept of being "dead"; only something external -i.e. God- can give a dead man life) 

Titus 3:3: "For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another." x