In Francis Schaeffer's study hung a picture of the Jews in the Nazi
Concentration camp. When asked why, his response was, "Whenever I
think too highly of man, this picture will remind me of our human
corruption." Mark Twain said, "We're all like the moon-we have a dark
side."
Parents know this well. Our toddlers always do things that would
get them into trouble. Teenagers have that universal tendency to be
rebellious against parents and authorities. You have a very impressive
co-worker. He is kind and gentle at work; then you find out he is
an abuser at home. We read about a well like a Palestinian high school
student, who, one moment earlier, was saying good bye to her mom and
moments later, became a suicide bomber.
At a more personal level, when we are in a traffic jam, or someone
cut in front of us, we may have some rather unbecoming responses.
Or, if the walls of our house could talk, some of our words and deeds
would be embarrassing, right?
Yes, we have this dark side, but there is also the bright side. We
can love, reaching out to others who are in need. We can be kind and
generous. How do we explain such a dichotomy? How do we explain our
Nobility and Cruelty? This morning we want to turn to God's word to
help us have a better understanding of who we are.
I. Man was created by God in his image.
Genesis 1:26-27, "Then God said, ''Let us make man in our image,
in our likeness, ……… So God created man in his own image, in the image
of God he created him; male and female he created them." In this familiar
passage we learn that God created man in his own image. God created
us in a very special manner; different from the animals. We have his
image. And according to his perfect and absolute standard, the creation
of man was considered very good.
Last week we discussed that because we are created in his image,
therefore we love, we have emotions, we have moral notions (we agree
to certain common moral standards), we are rational in the sense that
we can carry on meaningful discussions. When we look at ourselves
and the people around us, we see glimpses of God. We recognize that
no matter who you are, what you do and where you live, you have dignity,
value and beauty.
II. Men's rebellion against God is the source of problems.
On the one hand we reflect God's beauty, but there is more. The first
people, Adam and Eve, were created not as robots. They were given
a free will, meaning that their decision and choices were real and
meaningful. Soon after their creation, God told them not to eat the
fruit of a certain tree in the garden. And the day they ate, they
would surely die. So Adam and Eve were given the option to choose,
to obey or not to obey God.
In Genesis 3:1 we read that Satan approached Adam and Eve in the
form of a snake. Satan said to Eve, "did God really say, 'you must
not eat from any tree in the garden'" Did God really say? He was casting
doubt about God in Eve's mind. 3:4, "you will not surely die." However,
God clearly told them in 2:17, "…for when you eat of it you will surely
die." Satan said, "You will not die." He denied God's word. 3:5, "For
God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you
will be like God, knowing good and evil." He was telling a half truth.
He did not mention anything about the consequences of eating the fruit:
death.
In summary, Satan was saying, "you don't really need God. You can
be your own God. You can decide for yourself what is right and wrong.
you can make such choices on your own."
Adam and Eve yielded and ate the fruit. Every behavior has its consequences.
When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the following consequences occurred.
The world was never the same again.
1. Man's separation from God.
3:8, "Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as
he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid
from the Lord God among the trees of the garden." From this passage
it appears that previously at a given time of the day, God would come
into the garden and had fellowship with men. They felt comfortable
in his presence. Now, after their disobedience, they hid and avoided
him. This is spiritual death. Man's relationship with God was broken.
2. Man's separation from self.
In Gen 2:25 we read, "The man and his wife were both naked, and they
felt no shame." Before the disobedience, they did not feel shame with
their nakedness. They were able to face themselves as is. But now,
3:7, "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." After their rebellion, the first thing they noticed
was their nakedness. Immediately they used fig leaves to cover themselves.
They no longer were able to face themselves.
This was where all the psychological problems began to surface. Such
as poor self-esteem, low self-image, self-consciousness.
3. Man's separation from each other.
Before the rebellion, when God brought Eve to Adam for the first
time, he said, Gen 2:23, "This is now bone of my bones and flesh of
my flesh;.." this is the first Hebrew love poem, expressing his adoration
for Eve. But now, 3:12,13: "the woman you put here with me-she gave
me some fruit from the tree and I ate it. Then the LORD God said to
the woman, ''What is this you have done?" The woman said, ''The serpent
deceived me, and I ate."
What is happening here? Instead of taking responsibility for his
behavior, Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the snake. We see a breakdown
of human relationships.
We certainly see plenty of this around today. He made me do this.
You made me so mad. Last year in a criminal trial, this person said,
"Whenever I hear words such as Wisconsin, Mississippi, New Jersey
or….. I will get really angry and start shooting people." Everyone
else except me is responsible for my behavior.
4. Man's separation from the environment.
Before, the environment was good and man was to rule over it. Now,
Genesis 3:17-18, "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful
toil you will eat of it, all the days of your life. it will produce
thorns and thistles for you……." The land is antagonistic towards men.
5. Man's physical death.
Finally, the other consequence of rebellion is physical death. 3:19,
"By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return
to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and
to dust you will return." After rebellion, death became a necessary
part of human life. There is no stopping of it.
These are the consequences of man's rebellion against God.
III. Men have that dark streak within that needs to be conquered.
There is beauty and dignity within us because we are made in God's
image. We also have this dark side because of man's rebellion against
God.
Psalm 51:5, "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my
mother conceived me." Jeremiah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above
all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" Romans 5:19, "For
just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made
sinners….." Romans 3:23, "For we have all sinned and come short of
God's glory." This is human sinfulness. This is our dark side. This
is what theologians call total depravity.
This explains why Susan Smith several years ago drowned her 2 boys
to gain the love of her boyfriend. This explained one year ago, Andrea
Yates killed her 5 children. This explains how human greed can lead
to the collapse of Enron and other companies. There is that dark side
in human beings.
At a personal level, we see our dark side through the words and behaviors
when we are angry. We see our dark side when we are in front of the
computer, and we are just one click away to those inappropriate and
immoral sites.
Fathers of teenager girls understand this dark side very well. When
your daughter's date first shows up, just looking at him, he's such
a nice young man. But do you trust your daughter to him completely?
Of course not. You may go through this questionnaire. Do you own a
van? Do you wear an earring, nose ring, belly button ring or have
a tattoo? Do you attend church? How often do you attend church? Attach
documentation from your pastor here. When can I interview your mother,
father and pastor? In 50 words of less, explain the meaning of the
word "late". In 50 words or less, define the sentence "don't touch
my daughter." If you were to be beaten up, which bone do you wish
to be the last to be broken? What do you want to become if you grow
up?
We all have this dark and ugly side with in us. Before God, we are
totally depraved. If we don't check it, if we don't tame it, we are
all capable of doing something hideous. What can we do about it?
1. We need Jesus Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new
creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Jesus Christ alone
can set us free from the bondage and dominion of sin. Previously,
it was natural for us to sin, to be disobedient to God. But when we
put our trust in him, he will break the chain that caused us to be
sin's slavery. Now, with Christ in me, I can say no to sin. I don't
have to listen to him anymore. I am free, I am a new person.
2. We need the Holy Spirit.
In 1 Pet 1:2, "…who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge
of God he father, through the sanctifying work of the spirit, for
obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood." Peter is talking
about the purpose of our Christian living. The Holy Spirit works in
our lives so we can be obedient to Jesus Christ. This work of the
Spirit is called the sanctifying work. Having come to know God, the
Holy Spirit is helping us to be sanctified, so we can be obedient
to Jesus Christ. He empowers us to get rid of our old nature, the
dark side. He helps us to put away the old clothes, as in Colossians
3:5ff, "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly
nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed,
which is idolatry……now you must rid yourselves of all such things
as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language…" He would
also empower us to put on, "compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness
and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances
you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.
And over all these virtues put on love……."
We need the Holy Spirit to daily help us put our old nature, the
dark side to death. And then we are also dependent on the Holy Spirit
to help us to bear the fruit of the spirit, with is, Gal 5:22, "love,
joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness
and self-control." Our high calling as Christians is not to be used
by God. This is not our objective in life, though it is good and important.
God's word clearly tells us that our calling, our objective in life
is to be obedient to Jesus Christ. As we obey his words, we become
more and more like Jesus Christ our Lord. Whether or not he uses us,
or how he uses us is his prerogative. Our priority is to be obedient
to him.
3. We need to look forward.
For us Christians, Christ has delivered us from the bondage of sin.
His spirit is helping us daily to become more Christ like. However,
as long as we live on this word, we'll experience the influence of
Satan. He is like a roaring lion looking for people he can devour.
As long as we live in this world, there is a struggle in us.
Recently in our study of Psalm 46, we learned that when God brought
the Israelites out of Egypt, on one particular daybreak, he delivered
his people from Pharaoh's pursuit. Then several hundred years later,
in another daybreak, God delivered the Israelites from the Assyrian
army.
Now we look forward to another daybreak, when our savior will return
and bring us to where he is. Romans 8:22-23, "We know that the whole
creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up
to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the first
fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption
as sons, the redemption of our bodies." Paul is saying that while
we are still on earth, there will be pain and groans because of sin,
because of Satan's influence. But we are waiting for a day when our
savior will come and deliver us completely from Satan's influence.
On that day we will be seeing Christ face to face. We'll be completely
like him. This is our hope.
Conclusion:
We are noble, that is, we have dignity and value because we are made
in God's image. We are cruel, we have that dark side, the corruption
within because of man's rebellion against God. There is a part of
me that I am quite embarrassed to show you. And to be honest, I don't
even want God to come in and see it. Because he is light, and I am
dark. Darkness does not want to see light.
In times like this, Instead of seeing how corrupt and dark others
are, we are to recognize our own propensity for sin and evil. Moreover,
it also reminds us how much we all need Jesus Christ as our savior
to deliver us from the bondage and dominion of sin. We also need the
Holy Spirit to help us to daily rid our old nature and become more
like Christ.
Note: this sermon was inspired by the message by Dough Russell.
