Friday, April 27, 2007

Curbing Evil in the Human Heart

Last week we examined the Scriptural view that moral evil originates in the human heart. But if human beings are basically evil, why doesn’t something like the Virginia Tech shooting happen more often? The short answer is the grace of God. God uses several means to curb evil within the human heart, which in return curbs evil within society. The primary means God uses is the conscience.

The conscience is recognized by secular and Christian thinkers alike. The existence of the conscience is not usually debated; what is debated is the origin and proper function of the conscience. The Scripture seems to suggest that the conscience is inherent in all people (1 Cor. 10:29; 2 Cor.4:2). Many authors suggest the function of the conscience is threefold: it distinguishes between what is morally right and wrong; it urges one to do that which is right; it brings a sense of guilt when one does wrong. In essence, God has placed the conscience inside every human heart to be a governor against evil.

If the conscience is God-given and innate, then why do consciences differ? The moral reasoning of a person can be educated, thereby giving the conscience a moral standard from which to adjudicate. Robert J. Burdette wrote, “Following conscience as a guide is like following one’s nose. It is important to get the nose pointed right before it is safe to follow it. A man can keep the approval of his own conscience in very much the same way that he can keep directly behind his nose, and go wrong all the time.” The conscience is only as good as the moral training of the individual.

Moral training is one of the God-given mandates for parents. Parents are responsible before God to teach their children God’s moral law (Deut. 6:4-7), for disciplining their children when they do wrong (Prov. 22:15; Prov. 29:17), and training them to do right (Prov. 22:6). If parents are faithful in this responsibility (and do not expect the church or the government to do it for them), then a child will have the correct moral foundation that God intended, and the child’s conscience will be a faithful guide in moral decision making. If the parents fail at their duty, then the moral training of the child will be accomplished by their peers, the media, and the rest of culture. This is precisely what we are seeing in the United States due to the large-scale breakdown of the family. School shootings were unheard of in the past because families were strong and the Judeo/Christian ethic was believed and taught within the family.

This is not to say, however, that a good conscience cannot go bad. The moral reasoning of a person can become so twisted by sin that the conscience can become evil (Hebrews 10:22), defiled (Titus 1:15), and seared (1 Tim 4:2). A person can have good parents who taught them well, but by continually carrying out the evil intentions of their heart and ignoring the inward warnings, his conscience can become seared over and useless. The most evil human being one can encounter is a person without a conscience. These are the people that buy guns, chain doors, and methodically kill professors and students in the classroom.

a pdf version of this entry is available here

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posted on  Friday, April 27, 2007    |  0 comments

Friday, April 20, 2007

The Source of the Evil at Virginia Tech

As we continue to mourn the largest shooting massacre in our nation’s history, it’s interesting to listen to the questions asked and answers given in an attempt to make sense of it all. Everyone, it seems, is looking for the source of this “evil”(where did the moral relativists go?). Was it the fault of the shooter’s parents? His classmates? The handgun manufacturer or the gun store owner? Violent movies or video games? The internet? The school administration? It seems we are looking for the blame everywhere except the most obvious place—the heart of the shooter. The reason we miss the obvious is that we have come to believe that evil comes from society (external) rather than from the human heart (internal). But if all of the parts are good, then how does the collective whole become evil? After all the tragedies we’ve experienced as a nation, it may be time to revise our understanding of evil. If we are ready for the truth, then we’ll find James, the half-brother of Jesus, ready with the answer.

The Greek philosopher Socrates wondered that “men know what is good, but do what is bad.” Socrates understood that within the human heart there is a kind of schizophrenia. James (4:17) put it like this, “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.” James called this inward struggle in the human heart double-mindedness (dipsychos-two minds). Double-mindedness is evident in both doubting God (1:5-8) and lacking purity of heart (4:8). It is not just hypocrisy between what we believe and what we do; it’s a lack of inward wholeness—a divided heart.

This division in the human heart is the source of evil. In verses 1:14-15, James shows us how sin and evil are born: “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.” Notice that James does not point to external influence as the source of sin; he points to our “own desire” as the source of human sin and death. In James 4:1-5, he tells us that our warring inward passions are the source of quarrels, fights, and murders among us. In other words, an evil heart brings about evil actions.

If human beings are basically good, then we must look for an external reason for evil deeds. But if human beings are basically evil, then we need no further explanation. Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” The world will point to a hundred external reasons why Cho killed the students and faculty at Virginia Tech, but the brother of Jesus (and the rest of the Bible) points no further than his evil heart.

This leaves us with a question for next week. If human beings are basically evil, then why doesn’t something like this happen more often?

a pdf version of this entry is available here

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posted on  Friday, April 20, 2007    |  0 comments

Friday, April 13, 2007

Revival of the Mind, part 7

In order to recover the life of the mind, evangelicals must anchor their faith on historical facts, not on religious feelings. Reliance on subjective feelings rather than on objective facts may explain why a thorough knowledge of the Bible, biblical history, and biblical theology is almost non-existent among Christians today. This affinity toward subjective feelings must change or Christianity will continue to be marginalized in our culture.

A Christian revival of the mind, however, should include more than just biblical knowledge. A good understanding of history, including church history, is important. As Solomon once said, “there’s nothing new under the sun.” There are no new heresies, just repackaged old ones. There are no new philosophies, just the Greeks re-mixed. A good understanding of the intellectual movements of world history will demystify the current thoughts and trends of our culture and keep us from being held captive by novelties. In the same manner, a thorough understanding of Church history will keep the Church from making the same old mistakes and from being held captive by new and novel theologies.

A revival of the mind also means that Christians will work toward the redemption of the culture. Instead of rejecting the science and arts, we should cultivate them with enthusiasm and pursue them for the Glory of God. A toilet on display in a museum or a crucifix in a jar of urine should not be responded to with outrage, but with pity—pity that a person has such a dark and twisted view of the true, the beautiful, and the good. Christians should not respond with calls of censorship (he who calls for censorship will soon be censored), but with masterpieces that show true hope, creativity, and beauty, and by contrast, shame the dark and twisted attempts at art.

In the sciences, Christians can show they are more open-minded than their naturalist counterparts. A naturalist, by definition, has already closed his mind to the possibility of God, even before examining the evidence. A Christian in the sciences can follow the evidence wherever it leads, even if it’s to God. If the biblical worldview is correct, then any discipline that takes it into account will come much closer to the truth. For example, if those who study sociology, psychiatry, or anthropology would recognize that mankind is morally fallen and possesses a sin nature, they will come closer to the truth than those who believe mankind is basically good.

If God has created all things, then He has made all scientific and artistic disciplines possible, therefore all disciplines lead back to Him. Christians need to think deeply about how the biblical worldview can be brought to bear on their particular job or field of study. Like C.S. Lewis wrote, “We must attack the enemy’s line of communication. What we want is not more little books about Christianity, but more little books by Christians on other subjects—with their Christianity latent.” We should so love God with all of our hearts, souls, and minds that when the world looks for an expert in any field they should find a Christian there.

In the past, Christians were among the brightest and best thinkers in the world. By the grace of God and with a revival of the Christian mind, it can be that way again.

a pdf version of this entry is available here

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posted on  Friday, April 13, 2007    |  0 comments