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Johan said:
Joe,

You said

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This is exactly what I am saying. In THEIR OWN MINDS they thought they were doing God's will. They had this desire. The doctrine of total depravity is not against this thought.

What you say is simply not what the apostle Paul is saying in Romans 3:
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9 What then? Are we better than they? Not at all; for we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are all under sin;

10 as it is written,
"THERE IS NONE RIGHTEOUS, NOT EVEN ONE;
11 THERE IS NONE WHO UNDERSTANDS,
THERE IS NONE WHO SEEKS FOR GOD;
12 ALL HAVE TURNED ASIDE, TOGETHER THEY HAVE BECOME USELESS;
THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD,
THERE IS NOT EVEN ONE."
13 "THEIR THROAT IS AN OPEN GRAVE,
WITH THEIR TONGUES THEY KEEP DECEIVING,"
"THE POISON OF ASPS IS UNDER THEIR LIPS";
14 "WHOSE MOUTH IS FULL OF CURSING AND BITTERNESS";
15 "THEIR FEET ARE SWIFT TO SHED BLOOD,
16 DESTRUCTION AND MISERY ARE IN THEIR PATHS,
17 AND THE PATH OF PEACE THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN."
18 "THERE IS NO FEAR OF GOD BEFORE THEIR EYES."

Paul's claim here is that There is NONE who seeks for God. He includes everyone. By our fallen nature, there is therefore not a single person that desires to serve God or who seeks his will. If God were to leave us to ourselves this world would have been an utterly terrible place. His common grace, however, prevents such a situation and we therefore see that unbelievers also has eg. some sense for rightousness. But that does not mean they have the desire to serve God.

Johan

Again lets look at Mr Gill:

there is none that seeketh after God; that worships him in Spirit and in truth, or prays to him with the Spirit, and with the understanding; who seek him chiefly, and in the first place, with their whole hearts, earnestly, diligently, and constantly; who seek him in Christ, and under the assistance of the Spirit; who seek after the knowledge of God in Christ, communion with him through the Mediator, or his honour and glory.

I never said this was the case of many in the world who vainly worship God. So this whole idea MUST be qualified some. Even Simon Magus served God in a way according to his own mind


There never was a sinner half as big as Christ is as a Savior.