In this world we see all sorts of dissension – factionalism, hatred, enmity, strife, jealousy, resentment, envy, malice, and viciousness. We blame evil on systems, institutions, opposing groups, history, and ancestry. The Bible places the blame elsewhere. There is an underlying fundamental problem, the human heart is deceitful and desperately wicked (Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 15:18-20). We can try to blame everything and everyone else, but the Bible refuses to do so. The problem of the heart is present in every human being, and cannot be whisked away by special works or sincere wishes.
Weak theological systems and woke philosophical systems discard this truth about the human heart to agree among themselves that man is basically good. We just need a better environment, more money, more education, and all will be well. Try as we might, this never works. So try harder, with all your might! Still doesn’t work. The wickedness of the human heart may produce cruelty in one context and self-righteousness in another context – and both cruelty and self-righteousness in another. The impulses emerge from the same human nature, the same kind of human heart that exists in every human person. Recognition of the underlying problem calls for a different solution, which is essentially spiritual heart surgery (Romans 2:28-29; Romans 10:8-10; 2 Corinthians 1:21-22).
The good news is “that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
No comments:
Post a Comment