The Sinful Condition of Humankind
The more I consider the phenomenon of human nature, individually and societally, it becomes increasingly evident mankind is in desperate need of salvation from the inescapable presence of sin. Such evidence is found within the heart, with all of its vices and intrigues externally manifested in all of the hatred, destruction, and abuses permeating the world in which we live. Romans 8:10-18 address this well:
“There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one. Their throat is an open grave, with their tongues they keep deceiving, the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness; their feet are swift to shed blood, destruction and misery are in their paths, and the path of peace they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
This reality is indeed heavy, and inescapable, for it is the human condition without God. No amount of counseling, mindfulness, or medication will ever suffice as a remedy for the pride and arrogance which has led us to believe otherwise.
The Quintessential Escape
The Bible has made it clear that sinfulness is a spiritual malady, and that the only true salve for it is the love, grace, and salvation provided through Jesus Christ. Yet, mankind still boldly declares that “All is acceptable” and “There is no God!” In essence, this is the quintessential escape from having to reckon with God, and the basis for leading a debased and hedonistic life.
Worse yet, mankind isn’t satisfied with any of this. It requires more, for beyond casting aside any notion of the Christian God, it assumes for itself the role of deity. Do not the actions of men betray them, showing that what they ultimately desire is to be god and avoid being accountable to anyone? The fallacy in all of this is that in pretending to be blind to sin, and forsaking the notion of God revealing himself in Christ and in Scripture, the established seeds of spiritual arrogance eventually grow.
Where Redemption is Found
The resulting fruit, the effects of mankind’s sin, is forcefully apparent even when momentarily reflected upon philosophically. It is even more obvious when men courageously venture into the realm of examining their own heart. However, when someone willingly and even cautiously tips open the crate of their heart, they will immediately find themselves crying out for rescue because they cannot sustain the stench and the horrid view. The apostle Paul personally and fervently highlights the response of one who sees who they are without God:
“Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24, NASB).
Thankfully, he doesn’t stop there and would never be able to, for as a Christian he was all too aware of the other side of things, namely the extended and only adequate means of redemption:
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Romans 7:25, NASB).
What happens when someone accepts the reality of their sinful state, and the grace offered by God in Jesus Christ? As seen here with Paul, there is genuine freedom and rejoicing. Those are experiences the world, in all its pleasures and pursuits, can never offer. This too is evident, for the moment one receives the sought after pleasure, they find themselves immediately returning to the unending pursuit of the same.
Peace & Wholeness In The Lord Only
King Solomon, in his reflections and wisdom, succinctly stated what the world utterly refuses to acknowledge:
“The eye is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing.” (Romans 7:25, NASB).
Yet, it is true that mankind is perpetually driven to satisfy the eye, and to stimulate the ear, as part of soothing the emptiness of the soul. However, it is that very soul which calls out for that which the world cannot provide, namely God himself. So in mankind’s effort to be god, and to pursue every pleasure, it is inevitably faced with emptiness, the futility of pride, and the chaos it perpetuates in the soul and in society at large.
Peace and wholeness will only ever be found in God, the Creator and Originator of all things. Every individual must therefore decide whether to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness (Romans 1:18, NASB),” or accept God’s provision of salvation through Jesus Christ: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”
In closing, there is no way around the sinful condition and tendencies of the human heart, except directly through the acceptance of the fact that mankind is desperately in need of salvation, and that it is only God himself who has provided the way of escape, peace, and wholeness through Jesus Christ the Lord.
Eric Gomez,
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Fulfilled Christian Counseling