Obviously the Fall had some kind of effect on humanity. But how far have we fallen? Well, God’s estimation offends many. He says that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), “there is none who does good, not even one” (Romans 3:12; Psalm 53:3), and “no one seeks after God” (Romans 3:11; Psalm 14:2). And God’s assessment has not changed throughout history because Human nature has not changed since the Fall and the Flood. Before the Flood, God saw that “every intention of the thoughts of his heart [i.e. humanity’s] was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). After the Flood, the diagnosis did not change: “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (8:21). The state of decay here described has been accurately identified in the doctrine of Total Depravity. This is a teaching that should humble everyone, leaving no room for anyone to boast about how great they are (Rom 3:27a). If we are going to have any hope in this world, we must come to the conclusion John Flavel arrived at: “How deep is the pollution of sin, that nothing but the blood of Christ can cleanse it!”
