Making the Good News Truly Good Again
The Good News Is Not Very Good . . .
. . . because the bad news is not very bad. The reason we can hear about Jesus dying for our sins with a yawn is because we do not think we are seriously damaged by sin.
We have heard that Jesus Christ died for us so long we are immune to it. It no longer has an impact on us.
We are nice people. Responsible. Conscientious. Caring.
But the reality is that we are sinful, broken, fallen, damaged-goods people. Our thinking can become, “Yes, we did need to be redeemed. After all, no one is perfect, but God did not have a lot to forgive when He got us. We did not need a total make-over. Oh, sure, we needed a little clean up, but nothing major. Yes, Jesus died for me – good.”
Reality is that we are all sinners. We just do not realize it. The Pharisees did not think they were messed up. We can be 21st century Pharisees, thinking much more highly of ourselves than is legitimate. In reality, we are self-oriented people.
Wives, how do you like living with an adulterous husband? Men, how do you like living with a murderer? Your wife is a murderer. Did you know that? According to God’s definition, most (all?) men are adulterers and most (all?) women are murderers (Matthew 5:22).
Total Depravity, But Not Robbing Banks The Bible doctrine of original sin (also called total depravity) does not mean every person is as violent, greedy, prideful, dominant, or untruthful as it is possible to be. Rather what it means is that sin has impacted every area of our lives.
- Our emotions are warped. What should move us emotionally does not. What should be received with a degree of skepticism makes us cry.
- Our objectivity is off kilter. “We won’t get there until 4:30,” said an irritated wife at her husband for taking a different route than she suggested. They arrived at 4:07.
- Our patience is lacking. “I am not impatient,” says a business manager when everyone under his leadership wants to scream.
We are hopelessly corrupt. Ruined. Incapable of ever earning God’s favor while thinking, “Yes, I’ve been a bad girl, but I am so cute you have to forgive me, right? (Captured at right in the picture). We are depraved people, even though we are not robbing banks. And no, God does not have to forgive us.
Pillar of Cloud and Blazing Pillar of Fire It is amazing to realize that the Israelites had a visible thing that remined them that God was among them. The cloud by day and the fiery pillar by night were with Israel the whole time they were in the wilderness (Exodus 14:18 and Numbers 14:14). Yet, they acted like God was not present and He did not know what was going on.
If you saw a large, fiery pillar every night as it got dark, would you not be amazed at the presence of God? Would you not watch your behavior knowing that God was “right over there.” Would you not be careful? I think I would. Yet we also are told that the Holy Spirit is even closer than “right over there.” He lives in us–but we still sin foolishly. Sometimes openly. Sometimes brazenly. Defiantly. That’s us.
Un-Guilty God Complex There is a life-dominating issue we avoid talking about and to which we do not give adequate weight – it is the elephant in the room — our god complex.
- We are self-oriented.
- We want what we want, when we want it, as often as we want it – be it food, luxury, power, convenience, sex, control, ease, money, or service.
- Self wants to be in control.
- We minimize selfishness. Dismiss it.
- We are unwilling to call it what it is – a god complex.
We are unwilling to agree with the true God that our god-complex is tainted with pride, selfishness, dishonesty, jealousy and anger. Toss in envious, revengeful and bitter for a more accurate picture.
The world’s a mess. So am I. So are you. The god complex is why. When and to the degree that we come to genuinely believe this about ourselves, to that degree the Good News—that Jesus died to absorb the punishment I deserve—is really good.
See a companion article “Total Permeation” for a balancing truth.
Keith Kaynor
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