Your Mission--Stand Series

A thought-provoking article may be found on the Kairos Journal web site. The article, which I read in this past week, stimulated me to think about the darkness in which the world lies. The argument presented—with which I heartily concur—points out that lost people do not think themselves immoral. In fact, they would argue that their positions on various issues of morality are moral. The author begins the article with a quote from Simone Weil: “Evil when we are in its power is not felt as evil but as a necessity, or even a duty.” It is easy to let that thought pass by, but when we pause to weigh its implications, they are frightening indeed.

The author of the Kairos article writes: “These reactions should not surprise the thoughtful Christian. The very beginning of human sin demonstrates that at its heart to be a sinner is to reject the truth and be enslaved to a lie. To be a sinner is, in various ways, to ‘call evil good and good evil.’ Wisdom’s saying that ‘all who hate me love death,’ underscores this theme and demonstrates the link between this reversed moral compass and idolatry. To withdraw one’s affections from the Creator is to betroth oneself to evil and to turn the back upon that which one should know, by the light of nature and common grace, really to be true. The result, to use Paul’s words, is going through life with a ‘seared conscience.’ It is not that abortion lobbyists or gay-rights activists are loveless and godless. On the contrary, they love much and believe much. But they love and worship wrong things, even terrible things.”

Those who oppose godliness—choosing to surrender to their own desires, choosing to live for the moment rather than living in light of eternity, choosing to seek what makes them feel good rather than doing what is honourable—imagine that they are pleasing God through their actions. These individuals frequently argue that they are “just as good as anyone else.” Of course, no one is arguing that they are “bad” people or “good” people, because frankly, we cannot judge anyone; judging the motives of another person is an impossible task. Frankly, we are unable to judge our own motives, as the Apostle attests. “With me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. For I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God” [1 CORINTHIANS 4:3-5].

The great tragedy is that those who live in darkness know that they live in darkness and know that they displease God. However, because they displease God, they seek the approval of others for their actions. This is the intent of the apostolic statement concerning society in full degeneracy. “Although they know full well God’s just sentence—that those who practise such things deserve to die—they not only do them, but even applaud others who practise them” [ROMANS 1:32]. The Message brings out the force of Paul`s statement when it translates the verse, “It’s not as if they don’t know better. They know perfectly well they’re spitting in God’s face. And they don’t care—worse, they hand out prizes to those who do the worst things best!”