This article is a follow-up correspondence
to a prior EC article titled “Sandy Hook Elementary: God Does Care”
posted
back on 12/21/2012. Sadly, since this tragic incident, there have been
other recent violent school shootings throughout various American
cities. As a result, there have been many sincere questions and concerns
regarding these atrocities and their outcomes... Most certainly - Why?
It is within these two EC articles that we seek to speak Biblically to the sin nature inherent within all of fallen
mankind – the real reason and only true answer behind these and all other senseless acts of evil…
An Answer to the Question: Why?
According to a Business Insider source,
there were eighteen mass murders in the USA in 2012. The venues for these
atrocities included spas, high schools, universities, a funeral home, a café, a
movie theater, a Sikh temple, a meat packing plant, a shopping mall, and an
elementary school:
In all these horrific events, the lingering question is why? Why did people,
sometimes children and other helpless people, have to die? Those who do not
embrace a biblical worldview have no answers for these very difficult questions.
For those who do embrace a biblical worldview, the Scriptures provide ample guidance
as to how to understand these horrendous events.
To understand the biblical view, one must
begin with the nature of man and ask the question: Is man fundamentally good or evil? Genesis 3 records the fall of
man, that is, man’s initial rebellion against God. Adam and Eve disobeyed a
direct command from God and, as a result, they died spiritually – and
eventually they died physically. Because of the nature of the universe,
reproduction happens in all species according to their own kind – see Genesis 1.
Therefore once the first humans disobeyed God, their nature changed. This
changed nature was then passed on to their heirs – all of us. Theologians call man’s condition after the sin of Adam and Eve depraved or fallen.
In the first three chapters of the book of
Romans, the apostle Paul argues that all human beings are born into a state of
sin or depravity – rebellion against God. Therefore, by nature, people do not
obey God. Consequently every human being has a bias to sin. This means that by
nature humans are evil. This then begs the question – If the base nature of
humans is evil, why weren’t there more mass murders and other crimes in 2012?
In other words, why aren’t humans as bad as they could be?
Even a fool is counted wise when he holds his peace; When he shuts his lips, he is considered perceptive – Proverbs 17:28
And the most decadent person can be nice:
For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? – Matthew 5:46
Theologians call this common grace.
Common grace is the gift of God granted to
every human being so that – on at least a rudimentary level – humans can obey
God's rules for His creation. This grace is called “common” because it is
widely granted to people and therefore not unusual. Even those who do not
accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior can live in a measure of His common
grace.
The reason common grace is so important is
that the only way to accomplish anything in God's universe is to obey His laws.
Common grace provides a means by which all people can obey enough of God’s laws
to survive, at least for a while. Therefore common grace is the explanation for
how rebellious people can function and even seem to prosper in God’s universe. Common
grace, however, can never provide the basis for fallen man to be reconciled to
the Righteous Holy Creator of the universe; only the grace of Jesus Christ can
do this.
In addition, common grace only goes so far
with people who do not accept Jesus Christ. Eventually these people will
experience a breakdown with common grace. Here is one of the texts of Scripture
that reveals this truth:
The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them – Hosea 14:9
Rebellious people have the grace to obey
some of God’s rules only so far – at some point the grace runs out. And man, in
his base nature without common grace, can only produce dysfunction,
destruction, and death. The atrocities of the past year are examples of
expended common grace.
In each of these atrocities there has been
or will be a search for the causes. Why did these tragic events take place?
There will be calls for gun control, which only addresses symptoms. Guns are
not the problem; the problem is the people who wrongly use the guns. At best,
gun control will provide some sin management, which may provide some benefits
but doesn’t really solve the root cause of the problem.
Others may recognize that gun control will
not really solve the problem. They may rightly recognize that the problem is
people. In their analyses, they may postulate that the common factor in all the
atrocities is that they were conducted by social misfits. To prevent future
tragedies, therefore, government must control the social misfits. But trying to
identify and control people can be very problematic and doesn’t really address
the root issues. This conclusion could open Pandora’s Box and give the
authorities sweeping powers to violate individual privacy rights.
Neither controlling guns nor controlling
people will provide the real solution. So
what is the solution?
The real
solution to the problem must begin with a sound understanding of human
depravity. By nature humans are born with a bias to sin and therefore
are in a
state of rebellion against their Creator. The only way to remedy this
situation
is by changing man’s nature. Though man can make minor behavior
modifications,
man cannot change his essential nature except through God’s only
Begotten Son –
Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came to do for man what man could not do for
himself. Jesus Christ came to pay the penalty for all sin that is
required by a
Just and Holy God. The work of Jesus Christ is then imputed to those who
accept Him as their personal Lord and Savior. This is what effects true
change in the
hearts of sinful, depraved and lost people.
A person who personally knows Jesus Christ
becomes a new creature; that man or woman has a new heart and a new nature:
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new – 2 Corinthians 5:17
In contrast to the base traits of man – dysfunction,
destruction, and death – the new nature of man is characterized by functionality, progress, and life – Praise the Lord!
How can what we do as people, communities,
and nations effect this change? We need to humble ourselves, seek the Lord, and
turn from our wicked ways and then the Lord will heal us – see 2 Chronicles
7:14 as a Biblical model for repentance. People who are transformed by the
power of Jesus Christ don’t commit horrendous atrocities such as the ones noted
above. Although they will struggle with their “fleshly” sin nature until they receive
their glorified bodies – see Romans 7:14-25 – they facilitate life, progress and efficiency. They live according to a biblical worldview, seek God’s
will & ways and bring glory to His Holy name. This is the life-long process of becoming more like Jesus Christ each and every day – known as the doctrine of sanctification.
When common grace is expended in sinful
human beings there is no restraint on sin; the full impact of depravity becomes
clear in atrocities such as mass murders. This
is the biblical answer to the question of why…
So, what is the solution? As I noted above,
it is not gun control nor is it people control.
The
only efficacious
solution is spiritual transformation that changes the hearts and minds
of
people to bring them into alignment with the will and ways of God
through the supernatural saving power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!
This is the
only way to produce meaningful change in the hearts of people to enable them to
live holy, godly and just lives in Jesus Christ.
In
Conclusion:
The greatest good that can come from the
horrific events noted above is for people to believe the Gospel, repent and
turn to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of their lives – the only real solution. May God grant us the
grace to repent and the power for transformation through Jesus Christ so that
our lives are characterized by functionality, progress, and life – for His
Glory!
We are not guaranteed tomorrow – tomorrow may be too late! If you haven't yet made that most important decision of your life, won't you make Jesus Christ your personal Lord and Savior today - before it's too late? Today is the day of Salvation!
If you have been blessed by this message or have a specific question, prayer request or testimony, please send me a note to: encouragingconcepts@live.com
I love hearing from you. Keep reading Encouraging Concepts!
Blessings!
Shane K. Morin <><
Encouraging Concepts
Truth for Today
"Living Life From a Biblical Worldview"
Lighthouse Publications <><
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)
Lighthouse Publications <><
"Dedicated to the Never Ending Search for the Creator's calling within You" (TM)
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