Abc - The Building Blocks Of Faith - Corruption Series

Today we continue our series entitled, The ABC’s of faith. The larger idea is based on the idea that we learn over time through an exploration process of success and failure. Everything we come to know and understand is built over time on the foundation of trial and error.

We learned last week, the wooden blocks we have all played with were an idea in 1594, a practical concept 100 years after that, and only then it would take another 175 years to be mass produced as the blocks we know and love from Brooklyn, New York.

Last week,Peter and I talked about belonging and this week we continue with our “C” alliteration by building on the ideas of Christian corruption as part of our Christian witness. These are the building blocks (or the major aspects) of Christian identity that help us to withstand the storms of life.

Is humanity inherently good or evil?

Before I answer the question, Let me tell you a story. I was over at a friend's place and their youngest child was three years old. The house was full of activity, when a blood curdling scream came from the playroom. The adults ran to see what had happened. When we arrived an older sibling was holding their head and telling the story of why she screamed after being hit over the head by the 3 year old. A plastic golf club was lying on the floor in between the two. When asked why she hit her sister, the three year old said, “I didn’t.” The parents asked again. The three year old denied it again, adding the sister hit herself. Some of us had to leave the room because the lie was said with such conviction, we wanted to laugh. It’s hard to say a three year old learned to lie or was mean for no reason.

Humanity is broken. It is predisposed to sin. Selfish, self centered is its natural state. Are their moments in which humanity does good? Yes. However, it is not the natural state of humanity. To find out why, let me jump back to the beginning in Genesis 3 to verse 6:

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

As Christians this portion of scripture is a cornerstone of our understanding of why we are born flawed, and uncomfortable and in search of a force to eliminate or make sense of our pain.

Humans are built to believe in something greater than ourselves. It’s built into our DNA. It’s the reason so many generations prior to Jesus humanity came up with Gods to explain the things beyond their control or comprehension. This inherent need to control the world, leads to humanity's greatest tragedies. If people believe the lies of culture, they end up suffering the consequences that come from humanity's error.

Verse six shows us Eve was deceived and Adam sinned willfully. Eve sinned because she was attracted to the fruit of the forbidden. She was walking by sight and not by a faith in God’s goodness. This is the same today with so much that motivates the world today.

Adam on the other hand, willingly disobeyed knowing what he was about to do, He knew it was contrary. Adam made a choice and humanity has suffered ever since. It’s why the apostle Paul points to Adam (1 Tim 2:14) as the one who brought sin and death into the human race (Romans 5:12-21). “For as in Adam all die” (1 Cor 15:22).

Satan tempted them with a promise that they would be like God and know good and evil. A promise that must have sounded good at the time. However, they failed to consider the consequences. They didn’t need the knowledge promised to continue their happiness. In fact it would have been better if they had obeyed and grown in their knowledge of God (John 7:17). Every decision has a consequence.

I was trying to think of a way to express this idea when I came across this tech notice.

The Maker of all human beings (GOD) is recalling all units manufactured, regardless of make or year, due to a serious defect in the primary and central component of the heart. This is due to a malfunction in the original prototype units code named Adam and Eve, resulting in the reproduction of the same defect in all subsequent units. This defect has been identified as “Sub-sequential Internal Non-morality,” more commonly known by the acronym S.I.N.