The natural spiritual state of mankind is both the subject of theological debate, and homespun philosophy without any reference to religious doctrine. Folksy conclusions drawn from the observation of life can be stated succinctly, running along a spectrum, from "nobody's perfect," to "everyone has some good in him," to "children learn what they live." The parallel theological spectrum runs from Calvinistic total depravity to Pelagianian ability. One would think that Paul put the issue to rest with Romans 7, but the debate lingers on.
In trying to assure that God gets all the glory in salvation, many feel they have to diminish man in order to elevate God. But, I wonder, does God need us as a step ladder? While the desire to glorify God is commendable, diminishing his stated plans, purpose and design for man in order to do it is, at least, misplaced assistance. How, exactly, does Worm Theology glorify the Creator in whose image the "worm" was made and the Son of God was incarnated?
In trying to assure that God gets all the glory in salvation, many feel they have to diminish man in order to elevate God. But, I wonder, does God need us as a step ladder? While the desire to glorify God is commendable, diminishing his stated plans, purpose and design for man in order to do it is, at least, misplaced assistance. How, exactly, does Worm Theology glorify the Creator in whose image the "worm" was made and the Son of God was incarnated?
Of course, in the opposite vein, overstating the quality or abilities of natural man only induces self-dependence, which results in pride, frustration and loss.
The problem outlined in Romans 7 for natural mankind is not that a sinful person is unable to perceive the goodness of the law, nor even to understand what is good conceptually, but that he has something within him which frustrates his ability to actually do anything about it. We do, in fact, have a clue in the scriptures that natural man is actually able to derive what is good on his own apart the written law, even though he's not able to carry it out. Even that ability owes its existence to the action of God who wrote such into mankind's very nature.
The truth is, natural man has no desire to know God or do good.
So, the natural man is able to discern the nature of God by what God has given him naturally, and even able to discern and discover what is good by the same. His problem is that he does not have the inclination to do so nor the power to follow through. That certainly doesn't mean he isn't capable of seeing it when God graciously presents it to him-- he absolutely can and without being regenerated!
The godly sorrow that results from that perception is what leads the natural man to abandon his self-reliance and to put trust and hope in Christ.
To the depraved Christ proclaims his life saving message, "Repent, and believe the good news!" It's more than mere communication, however, confronts the sinner with divine presence, with Holy Spirit conviction. For sinners awakened by such communication and who do repent and believe, the frustration of personal depravity yields to the peace of his salvivic ability. That ability regenerates the sinner who has turned to him in faith, infuses that former sinner with the indwelling Holy Spirit and makes a life of obedience in faith possible.
