averagefellar,
The man without a knowledge of God will never come to this knowledge without God's making him alive through Christ.
Precisely, that is what is called the Incarnation and the redemptive work of Christ for mankind.
Eph 2: 1-7 has to be taken in account with the other texts regarding redemption. Paul is speaking to believers here, but they were part of the unredeemed before Christ came. He came for the express purpose to save mankind from death and sin. He freed mankind to make that choice to live IN Christ.
John 1:6-11 speaks eloquently of the redemptive work of Christ for all men. All men who came into this world. Do you know of any who didn't?
Matthew Henry is just giving his personal opinion here because it speaks against what the Bible actually teaches and what the quotes you used just above his commentary. They are contradictions.
By his Spirit and grace he enlightens all that are enlightened to salvation; and those that are not enlightened by him, perish in darkness
He enlightens every man that comes into this world. It is our choice that separates us from light and darkness. It would be kind of rediculous to think that Christ came to save the world and failed. That He would purposely fail because in that He came to redeem sinners, but actually only enlightened some.
Why did they reject him? Because they did not know him. Sin is a two edged sword; It both renders the flesh dead AS WELL AS the spirit. It creates death in all who commit it, which is all of mankind.
It no longer renders flesh dead. Flesh was dead, but Christ overcame death so that His highest created being will not perish. All men will be immortal.
But, yes, sin separates us from God, even believers. That is why we need and seek forgiveness.
Your quote of John Calvin is not even addressing the status of mankind after Christ came. He is addressing the plight of mankind before Christ and His redemptive work.
What is fallen man's solution to the approach of the Judge? He retains his pride and self-reliance and runs from God. He looks away from judgment and instead would use his fig leaf religion to try to deny the fact of judgment. The irony here is that man's self-salvation is his self-damnation. What he does to save himself - to run from God, is the essence of the very wrath he is trying to avoid! Hell is "away from the presence of the Lord" (2 Thes. 1:9). To save himself, he separates from God, but separation from God is the essence of death, the substance of hell. He shows that he actually wants and deserves death! He complains about his circumstances and his emotional discomfort. His solution? Remove God. Suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Exclude God from his thoughts. Discard His law. Ignore sin. He is not a pitiable victim, but a criminal who hates God!
Again, this is right after the fall. What do you expect. This is the reason Christ came. That is, to correct the fall. To enable mankind to again have communion with Him. This is not his status after His redemptive work.
Now in this box this man makes all his own decisions based on the knowledge of the things in “his” box, or from his “nature”.
Again, that is man's condition before Christ came. You use the word nature. Christ redeemed man's nature. He did that through the Incarnation of Christ. That is the specific purpose of the Incarnation. Since all men are human beings they are all effected by Christ's work.
Once that is completed, God is now able to effect His call upon all men. His spirit is poured out upon all flesh, not some or only a few. ALL FLESH.
We believe that all are sinners (Romans 3:23) and unable by human performance to earn, deserve, or merit salvation (Titus 3:5). We believe that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and that apart from God's grace, no one can be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). We believe that none are righteous, or capable of doing good (Romans 3:10-12), and that apart from the conviction and regeneration of the Holy Spirit, none can be saved (John 1:12-13; 16:8-11; I Peter 1:23-25). Mankind is clearly fallen and lost in sin.
No problem here, except that this does not support total depravity either. The wages of sin is still death. If we believe not, we are condemned already. Spiritual, eternal death. No one denies that the whole is of Grace. But Christ redeemed His creation so that man could be in Union with Him once again. God calls, man either rejects or accepts. We, that is all men, will be held accountable for that decision and what they did with the Gift of Christ.
I don't see total depravity after Christ. That would mean Christ failed in His mission.
Actually by the definition you gave of Total Depravity, that it means all of man was affected by sin, this is still true of the regenerated man. You will either need a new definition or accept the Biblical teaching regarding sin.
