A few days back I posed a question. I asked that people fill in the blank, “People are basically __________.” Good? Bad? Something else? I got one answer on the blog and one on another person’s Google+ page.
Here are a couple of passages for your consideration, Genesis 6:5 and John 3:19. Based on those passages it seems the word that goes in the blank is “evil”.
So why do you think that most people will instead fill that blank with, “good?”
Here are a couple of passages for your consideration, Genesis 6:5 and John 3:19. Based on those passages it seems the word that goes in the blank is “evil”.
So why do you think that most people will instead fill that blank with, “good?”
We hear the saying from so many people, “People are basically good.” We do see examples of people being “good,” e.g., donating tons of money to catastrophes, coming to the aid of their neighbors in times of trouble, volunteering for service projects, etc. But, if people are “good” than why don’t we see most of the people doing these activities?
ReplyDeleteThe answer to your question is Satan is the “father of lies,” John 8:44. We see him lying to Eve about the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Genesis 3:1-5. He has been deceiving all people ever since then. One of his biggest deceptions since Eve, is the deception that man is “good.” Humanism is the religion based on this deception. It substitutes man for God, and lets man decide what values are good at any given point in time. Therefore, the activities which God has said are evil can now be “good” in the eyes of man. Sure, it starts off with people doing Biblically good, but then as time goes on, Satan starts redefining what is good to the point of making what is truly sin to be considered “good.” This has been indoctrinated in the youth of the United States through our educational system for decades and is responsible for homosexuality becoming acceptable and “good.” Satan has even infiltrated the church through “christians” using scripture to say that homosexuality is good, do a web search on Matthew Vines. Homosexuality is not the only sin that has been redefined as “good.” There are many more examples of other sins being refined as being “good” and the redefinition has even gone to the point where true Christianity has now been redefined as being “evil!”
That is a really well thought out analysis. Great to bring it full circle to the point where Christianity is being defined as evil. Well done.
DeleteTruly a good response, Kim. On my own I can only really define myself in a way that is self-serving, denying reality. And I can always find someone "worse" than I am by any standard I start with. But when the Holy Spirit shines His light into my soul, I can not longer deny my wretched condition, for then Christ becomes The Standard that I can no longer escape.
ReplyDeleteThankfully He has never done that to the full extent. I don't believe any of us could survive the shock of seeing ourselves as we truly are - in a state of deliberate, open rebellion against the thrice Holy Living Sovereign God. I know that I couldn't.
That is why Christianity is the only "religion" of true grace. I can immediately recognize and admit that I am wretched to the core with no hope of reformation - unless Someone else delivers me. And that is why "Christianity" is the only help, as we know. Christ has taken all of my sin, pain, rebellion, sorrows, unbelief, anger... upon Himself so that I don't need to hide reality about myself and try to do what I can't possibly do. Instead I can receive His gift that I don't for a minute deserve. I can now be brought into the family of God as His son, fitted to live with Him forever - by the washing of the blood of Jesus.
Saul of Tarsus was a zealous, respected member of his religious group, adhering to the Law of God beyond any of his peers. But when the Spirit blazed on him he could later say he was the chief of sinners. Even years down the road of serving and suffering for Christ he would say that he had not yet attained his goal, but continued to press on (Phil. 3:10-14) which he did until his martyrdom.
So how do I answer the question for myself? I don't know for sure what words I would use, perhaps, but I know they wouldn't be at all complementary and would likely be shocking.
What grips me in new ways these days, I which I grip for dear life, are Paul's words:
"God made (Christ_) who had no sin to be sin for (me), so that in Him (I) might become the righteousness of God." (2 Cor. 5:21)
That is a true miracle; that is grace.