“Man in his sinful condition does not want to be saved. That is part of what it means to be a sinner. This means that man wants, by various strategies, to put himself out of God’s reach” (God Rest Ye Merry, p. 45).
Have 'Em Delivered
Write to the Editor
That is why grace must always precede us. God calls us in grace and it is grace that enables us to come to him. Total depravity is a vital doctrine. What I don’t think we should do is to take this literally, however. C. S. Lewis had this to say: If we were totally depraved we would have no way of knowing it. So we must also remember that we are made in God’s image. Though we are fallen, we retain something of that. That is why we see ‘goodness’ in unbelieving people.