How much do we know about ourselves? ...

Thursday, Oct 31, 2013. How much do we really see about ourselves? When you read a sentence about people who are not ok - how do you link it to yourself?

Knowing what is inside! …

There are different “basic” reactions on hearing about the faults of others. There are those reactions which first think: “that is not me, I am different”. And there are those reaction patterns which think: “that is me. I am not that much different”.

Lets make a test, which reaction pattern is strongest in you today. Yesterday, we had a passage of Paul in our focus. Let us recall it:

9 What then? Are we Jews any better off?2 No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

“None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God. 12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

13 “Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive.” “The venom of asps is under their lips.” 14 “Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.” 15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood; 16 in their paths are ruin and misery, 17 and the way of peace they have not known.” 18 “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. (Romans 3, 9-20) Where are you? … **

So where are you when you read it? Do you think: yes, there are bad people? Do you think: terrible things can happen on earth? Or do you think that you have a lot in common with the people described here, since you also lied, and you are bitter, and you do not fear God very much? There are also those who think that all this is nonsense and even weired and dangerous. They think that reason and humanity will overcome the discussion about righteousness and sin. But in all of these: do we understand the nature of good and evil, of ignorance and hatred, of right and wrong?

The text tries to teach us that we all fail. It is pretty clear about this. The point is that God is so much better than what we are used to (which is basically cheating, pretending, lies, half-truth, ignorance and power games, violence, un-employment, hunger …), that in the light of the creator mankind will not be able to stand. You will not be able to stand, and I will not be able to stand.

The apostle Paul leads us to the point where salvation is needed. We need to be saved from this situation. We need to be helped. We cannot help ourselves. Even some good actions occasionally will not do it. We are eternally lost - without some type of salvation.

Perhaps you think: I have heart this type of argument already. First they say that everyone is bad, and then they can offer a solution in the form of their special salvation. Perhaps you heard this before. But my point is, that the description of Paul refers to reality, as it was and as it is. We ARE lost. And there IS salvation, which is offered to us in Christ Jesus. In him, we are healed. In him, we are righteous. In him we have a new life - one which fits the Lord, which is different. We are invited to believe in Jesus - so let us listen to him! (Roland Potthast) ... more texts