The First Doctrine of Grace

We received a new sermon from John MacArthur the other day on the first doctrine of grace, commonly known as the total depravity of man. Because of the potentially misleading connotations associated with that term, MacArthur elected (no pun intended) to call the doctrine the absolute inability of man, and I tend to prefer that label myself. He opened with the story of Lazarus in John 11, where Jesus commanded the dead man to come forth from his grave. Lazarus had no power to revive himself; Jesus granted him the power to respond to his command. This is analogous to man's spiritually dead condition and God's command for sinners to respond to him in faith, but by what power are they able to it? By whose power do spiritually dead men rise to new life in Christ? Consider the following verses:

"And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins." Ephesians 2:1

"But God who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)." Ephesians 2:4-5

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9

"For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Philippians 1:29

"Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ." Philippians 1:6

"But by His (God's) doing, you are in Christ Jesus." I Corinthians 1:30

"When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him." Colossians 2:13

"But as many as received Him to them He gave the right become children of God, even to those ho believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." John 1:12-13

"For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes." John 5:21

"No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and will I will raise him up on the last day." John 6:44

"And He was saying, 'For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been grated him from the Father.'" John 6:65

Jesus never defends the freedom of the will of sinners according to their salvation. And the Bible makes it perfectly clear there is nothing in the human heart that could or would respond to the gospel unless the Lord intervenes (Jeremiah 17:9, Proverbs 20:9, Jeremiah 13:23, Romans 1, II Corinthians 2:14, Ephesians 4:17-18, Romans 3:10). Saving faith is monergistic, the work of God alone. The gospel call with no power makes no sense, so God does the work of regeneration; He awakens the dead souls of sinners.