There are a lot of bad acts in the world. Just read a newspaper, watch television, walk around a mall or look in a mirror. We like to believe that most folks are good, but sometimes they just slip up or satan gets hold of them. We wan to believe our precious offspring, the person we sleep with, our bosses, or friends, our pastor and the government are good. To believe that we would have to be blind or stupid.
Scripture teaches that human nature is basically rebellious and, dare I say it, sinful. When we come to Christ we become new creations with the power to overcome the sinful nature, but it’s still hanging around. Satan is real and a busy guy, but so is sin.
Being wrong-headed about the nature of man leads us into all kind of trouble.
If we think man is basically good, we can miss the fact that we all need a savior. That’s a terrible personal and eternally significant mistake to make.
If we think man is basically good, we can go through life naïve and we will be repeatedly disappointed by those we assume are good. When we discover they have faults, we may give up on our relationship with them. We will never learn to love them for who they are, faults and all. No one can live up to the “basically good” ideal for long.
If we think man is basically good, we might never understand responsibility. When we foul up we will blame others or proclaim, “The devil made me do it.” Even as Christians, we can never overcome sin, if we don’t recognize it in ourselves. We won’t apply standards to ourselves and others. We will never see the miracle of change that’s possible in Christ.
If we think man is basically good, we will never understand the reality and justice of hell.
If we think man is basically good, we will never grasp the great commission. We will feel no urgency in showing others The Way, The Truth and the Life. We will fall prey to the lie that there are many ways to heaven and everyone just needs to find the one best suited for himself.
Life is tough. The Way is narrow. It’s impossible to navigate with our eyes closed.
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