Recently a man kidnapped a 7 year old from her home in a large city. He sexually molested her, strangled her to death, set her small body on fire and left her in a field. The man came to trial. The judge said, “All the evidence is in. You are guilty. However, I don’t want to deal with your guilt at the moment, I’d first like to ask how are you feeling? Are you lonely? Do you feel empty? Let’s take a recess and talk about it. I value you as a person.”
The above story is a fictitious adaptation. The response of the judge is ridiculous as the criminal in this story is in a courtroom for one reason, he is guilty and justice must be served. The law will be read and he will be punished accordingly, regardless of how he feels or if he agrees with the law.
There is another law in place. It says humankind is guilty. He has committed an injustice just like the man in the story. It is God’s law that says, we shouldn’t lie, murder, steal, desire or have someone else’s spouse, mistreat our parents, etc. Humankind has a moral conscience as part of his DNA. Society and culture may sear it so that some of these offenses go unnoticed to the conscience. However, the ones that sting are proof that there is a moral law in place. It is a law designed to save us.
Who can say, I have kept my heart pure, I am clean and without sin? 1
All a man’s ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the Lord.2
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.3
I would not have known what sin was except through the law. I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “Do not covet [or steal or murder or lie or …].”4
The man in the story could say he was innocent because he didn’t believe in the law that could and would punish him. You and I can say we don’t believe in the Law of God that can and will sentence us, but nothing changes based on how we feel.
What will you do with this truth? I welcome your feedback—in agreement or not. Do you think man is basically good?
You can find more intriguing writings like this at http://www.keytofreedom.org/resources.html
Ref: Proverbs 20:9, 16:2, 14:2; Romans 7:7
Comments