What's Wrong With Humankind Today

by HJS

Something is wrong with humankind today. You pick up a newspaper and read mostly bad news in the headlines. You change the channel as the evening news comes on because you don't want your children exposed to the violence depicted there. You gasp as you hear that a friend has led a double life and betrayed his wife and family. When lightning strikes close to home, what you dismissed or become insensitive and calloused to suddenly becomes vivid and shocking. You may ask yourself, "Why would God allow this?" 

Nothing satisfies the question of "Why?" apart from accepting the reality that terrible evil exists and produces the shocking behavior we so detest.

Even more shocking are Paul's words, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23 NKJV). And "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23). When Paul uses the term "all," it automatically includes us in the company of terrorists, murderers, and the immoral.

The good news is that there is forgiveness for your sins. As John Alexander put it: "To deny sin is bad news, indeed. The only good news is sin itself. Sin is the best news there is, the best news there could be in our predicament. Because with sin, there is a way out. There is the possibility of repentance. You can't repent of confusion or psychological flaws inflicted by your parents - you're stuck with them. But you can repent of sin. Sin and repentance are the only grounds for hope and joy. The grounds for reconciled, joyful relationships. You can be born again."

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.  ROMANS 6:23