Bible Creed

John Stott has been nothing short of a giant in Christianity in the last fifty years. I do not mean to elevate a man, and yet I know that God has raised certain men up for the purpose of pointing His creatures to Himself. I have been reading (for the first time) his classic work, Basic Christianity. As I was reading through the chapter on sin, I knew that I just had to post his comments on the subject. His argument is beyond convincing. As you read this, keep in mind that these words were penned well over 50 years ago. Time and history (the history of the last 50 years, that is) have proven even further the truth of what he has written. Here is the quote.

The history of the last hundred years or so has convinced many people that the problem of evil is located in human beings themselves, not merely in human society. The nineteenth century saw a flourishing of liberal optimism. It was widely believed that human nature was fundamentally good, that evil was largely caused by ignorance and bad housing, and that education and social reform would enable people to live together in happiness and goodwill. But this illusion has been shattered by the hard facts of history. Educational opportunities have spread rapidly throughout the world, and many welfare states have been created. But our human capacity to get it wrong seems undaunted. The persistence of conflict on the world stage and the widespread denial of human rights, together with the general increase of violence and crime, have forced thoughtful people to acknowledge that a hard core of selfishness exists in each and every one of us.

Much that we take for granted in a ‘civilized’ society is actually based upon the assumption of human sin. Nearly all legislation has grown up because we simply cannot be trusted to settle our disputes with justice and without self-interest. A promise is not enough; we need a contract. Doors are not enough; we have to lock and bolt them. The payment of fares is not enough; tickets have to be issued, inspected, and collected. Law and order are not enough; we need the police to enforce them. All this is due to our sin. We cannot trust each other. We need protection against one another. It is a terrible indication of what human nature is really like (pg. 76).

This, of course, is not a pretty picture that Stott is painting. There is hope. Stott goes on to speak about the only place hope can be found for sinners such as us. However, it is a good thing to feel the weight of despair that sin brings for a season before being showered with the Good News. I will post another quote from Stott in a few days describing the transcendent hope that can be found in the face of such a bleak situation, a situation that is true of all humans (great and insignificant, male and female, rich and poor, etc.). But don’t push the feelings of despair that may creep up in your soul under the rug as if everything were going to be okay. The fact is that everything is not okay. The fact is that everything is only black and decaying and rotten and condemned apart from the Good News. I will get to the Good News in a few days. But for the time being if you don’t know the Good News, let the reality of sin tear you apart so that when the Good News is shared, you might see it as truly Good News.