TOTAL
DEPRAVITY
A vicious, blood-thirsty mob gathered around the foot of
the cross where Christ hung. There were
scribes, priests, governors, officers, Jews, Gentiles, men, women, rich and
poor. All were taking great delight in the bloody spectacle. The hearts of the
two thieves was so full of hatred against God that even while they hung dying
on a cross, while the blood-thirsty mob spewed out hate against the Savior of
sinners saying, “He trusted in God; let
him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The
thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.”
(Mt 27: 43-44) The impenitent theif saw himself too righteous to need Christ
even while hung on a cross on the precipice of eternity; he saw himself too
well to need the physician even while the judgment of God stared him dead in
the eye. He cursed God until he drew his last breathe then went to hell where
he is cursing God to this day.
Take a long,
hard look at this mob and these thieves.
By nature, there is no difference in our hearts and theirs. God was not preventing them from believing.
Sin had dominion over them. They would not and could receive the Gospel. By
nature, our hearts are the same as theirs.
This is what our Lord Jesus declared when he said, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,
lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil
things come from within, and defile the man.” (Mk 7: 21-23) This is total
depravity. By nature, this is you and this is me!