The fall of man came about through Eve choosing to rebel against God when she got deceived to what was delightful to her eyes and desirable to make one wise (Gen 3:6), transgressing thus came into the world. Henceforth unbelievers remain unworthy before God. The best deeds or rather behavior of man is filth in the presence of God (Isiah 64:6)
The depravity of man starts at birth for he is born totally depraved and without being made new creatures in Christ by God’s power, he is prevented by his wicked nature from pleasing God (Psalm 58:3). Hence, it is doubtless that all have sinned and fallen short of the Glory of God who is righteous. Despite this, God does justify these very sinners by Grace on a basis, that of Faith and Faith alone from beginning to the end.
Romans 3:11 points out that man is unable to comprehend the Truth of God, cannot grasp His standards of righteousness. Man natural tendency is to seek his own interest and his only Hope is for God to seek him that occurs through God working in the heart of anyone who seeks Him. Spiritual ignorance expresses depravity and rebellion of man: The Lord looks dow
n from heaven upon the sons of men to see if there are any of whom understand, who seek after God (Psalm 14:2) On the other hand, the heart of man is corrupt, full of sin that comes
about through failure to fear and honour God. Whatever man does prior to salvation is stained with evil for the deeds are not for God’s glory and are not as a result of faith.
Reality is, man enters the world spiritually dead with no inclination to God, sinful and lost. This renders man a son of the world who needs be set free from the bondage of sin and brought captive to obedience to the truth in Christ. God in His boundless mercy and love offers salvation to man through Christ’s death and resurrection that man is brought alive in Christ and is henceforth rendered dead to sin. It’s therefore faith, a gift of God that saves man, not man’s own ability and will despite the fact that man is to believe to be saved. In all these, God’s Grace is preeminent.
Despite man being corrupt due to his own sins and trespasses, choosing God is not within his own ability and will. Instead, it’s through His sovereign Grace that God chooses man and this is man’s only hope. It is God alone who can infuse spiritual life into the life of a dead sinner that he can get to see the kingdom of God in accordance to His will. It’s God who chooses man in His sovereignty
