Living in denial of the truth has implications for everyone. While I usually try to keep this column on the lighter side, there are times when the serious side of me just can't help but point out the fallacies in the way people are thinking and living. This is one of those occasions.
People today are living in denial of a fundamental truth which affects us all, and that denial has farreaching implications for all of us in every station of life. And, sad to say, this denial has infected churches and religiousorganizations as well as governments, schools and other secular organizations.
The truth of which I speak is the fall of man and the resulting fallen nature and curse upon all of creation. Not only do people question and deny the truth of the Genesis creation account, but many - even within church organizations - do not accept and take to heart the truths taught in Genesis 3 and related passages of Scripture, andthis affects everything, from how people live their lives, to church activities, to government roles.
Adam and Eve disobeyed their Creator and brought upon themselves and all mankind spiritual death and alienation from God.
As a result of their sin, all are born sinners, turned in upon themselves and in rebellion against the LORD God (cf. Romans 5:12). As a result of Adam's sin, “the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth” (Genesis 8:21).
Or, as Jesus said, “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride,foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:21-23).
When God confronted Adam and Eve in the Garden, He said to the woman, “I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee” (Genesis 3:16).
To Adam He said, “Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eatthe herb of the field; in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return” (Genesis 3:17-19).
What people deny and do not take to heart is the depravity of all mankind, the wickedness of our hearts and our inclination to evil. People fail to realize and accept man's - and especially their own - capacity for evil.
Again and again, when a horrible crime comes to light, we hear people express shock that one who was “such a good person” could do something so evil. But I put forward to you that no one is above the most hideous of crimes- most have already contemplated such things in their hearts and minds.
And if any of you are thinking, “I could never....” you had best reconsider. The Bible says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
Secondly, people fail to recognize and acknowledge that this sin which infects us all has brought with it consequences which also affect us all; namely, spiritual death (or a lack of true love for God and others and the inability to please God), sorrow, pain, suffering, hard work, temporal death and eternal condemnation.
And what are the implications of this denial? I'll name just a few.
In governments, this denial leads to philosophies and dreams of a utopia on earth. Under Marxist communism, there was the foolish notion that the forced destruction of classes and the holding of all property and industry in common under state control would lead to an end of wars and revolutions and to a united world working together for the common good of all. But because it was based on fallacy, it only led to wars, bloodshed, a police state and, of course, to financial ruin.
Not accepting the truth about man's nature, rulers today - regardless of whether they call themselves Republicans or Democrats, Socialists or Progressives - still strive toward the goal of absolute democracy and oneworld government and somehow believe if they can gain enough power and rid themselves of dissenters, a new world order in which wars and killing will cease and people will all work for the common good is achievable. But they fail to acknowledge the depravity of man - that people are by nature self-seeking and sinful, that there will always be evil in this world, that there will always be wars and bloodshed and wickedness.
Remember what Jesus said: “Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows” (Matthew 24:6-8).
How different this denial of the truth is from the manner in which America's founding fathers defined the form of government spelled out in the United States Constitution! They recognized the sinfulness and weakness of men and divided the federal government's powers intothree branches - executive, legislative and judicial - to guard against tyranny and the foolishness and wickedness of man. They recognized the constant dangers of war and cautioned against foreign entanglements. They realized the danger of mob rule and established a republic with checks and balances rather than a pure democracy in which simple majority wins the day. They also recognized the fact that the government they established could not survive if the people abandoned the moral principles taught in the Bible.
In churches, this denial leads to a false understanding of the gospel and many misguided programs. Instead of preaching the gospel of Christ's atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world and of pardon, forgiveness and everlasting life in heaven through faith in Jesus’ name, churches have turned their attention toward trying to heal this present world and making it a better place to live by encouraging acts of love and charity, working for equal rights, fighting poverty and saving the environment. Because so many church leaders do not truly accept the truths taught in Genesis 3, they fail to preach the truths taught throughout the Scriptures about man and his sinfulness and about the redemption God provided in His own dear Son, Jesus Christ.
As individuals, we all tend to lead our lives in denial of our own sinfulness and propensity to think, say and do evil. We like to think of ourselves as basically good rather than evil and full of wickedness.
For as long as possible, we refuse to face the fact of our own mortality. We place our hopes in diets, exercise and vitamins, but death still comes to us all.
We don't wish to accept the fact that living in this world means hard work to earn our daily bread - along with suffering, pain and sorrow. And, without acknowledging our own wickedness and just condemnation, we fail to grasp the need of a holy and righteous God-man Savior who shed His own blood on a Roman cross to make atonement for the sins of the world and makeus acceptable unto God the Father.
My point is not just to show the pivotal importance of Genesis 3; it is to show the foolishness of denying it. We can live in denial of sin and the curse, but the consequences will not go away. We and all people are by nature inclined to evil and sin.
Wickedness and evil will continue until God judges and purges His creation of all sinners. No church outreach and no ruler or government program will ever heal this fallen world.
There will be no lasting peace, no utopia and no paradise in this present world. To think we can achieve it is a denial of the truth!
We - everyone of us - are sinners and suffer the consequences. We are born into this world in spiritual death and alienation from God, and that leads to eternal death and condemnation. We will all die temporal death.
Because of sin, this world is under a curse. It's dying too and, while we can conserve it, care for it and make wise use of its resources, we can't change its ultimate end.
Rather than living in denial of the truth, we need to acknowledge and accept it. Governments must rule with a right understanding of God's truth, of sinful people and the fallen world in which we live. Only then can its decisions and policies be wise. Churches need to refocus on preparing lost souls for the world to come rather than trying to preserve the world that is. And individuals need to recognize their own wickedness and guilt before the almighty and holy God that they might also, by God's grace, come to know and accept the redemption He has provided for all in the sacrifice of the Son, Christ Jesus!
“Our Lord Jesus Christ ... gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (Galatians 1:3-5).
Randy Moll is the managing editor of the Westside Eagle Observer. He may be reached by e-mail at rmoll @ nwaonline .com.
Opinion, Pages 6 on 09/08/2010