I was recently reading an interesting article from Denmark.
The article wasn’t about a group of masked men who had stormed a bank to steal valuable and precious gold. No. These masked men had rushed into a hospital to steal (of all things) hand sanitizer and masks. Thankfully, they left the toilet paper alone.
People were shocked. They commented, “How could they do that? How could they be so selfish? Why don’t they think about others?”
You may have asked yourself the same questions about people’s behavior these days. Perhaps you are even a victim of someone taking the last roll of paper right in front of you (speaking of evil).
That’s the reason why I’m writing this article. I want to clear up misconceptions about people and their behavior as it relates to the human heart. Despite popular thought, the Bible has a lot more to say about this matter than you may realize.
The Great Irony
Before we look at the root cause of the issue, let me point out something ridiculous. I find it ironic that the people who often lament over people’s evil actions are the same people believing in the theory of evolution.
The theory that we have involved from stardust. The belief that there is no absolute moral right and wrong. The notion that people are born without inherent worth, value and dignity (unlike what Christianity teaches).
Here is the kicker. If evolution is true and nothing ultimately is right or wrong, why is it wrong for people to be selfish and plunder hospitals and stockpile toilet paper without thinking of others? Isn’t this just a normal part of the evolutionary process? These people are merely acting based on their evolutionary belief that the strongest survive, so what’s the problem?
The reason why we have a problem with people’s selfishness is because God has created every human being in His image with worth, dignity and value. God created us to love one another, so inherently (whether we embrace or reject God), we know that selfishness and theft is wrong (Rom 2:15).
Why Are People Selfish?
The answer is sin. Sin entered into the world when Adam and Eve sinned against God (Gen 3). Every human being has been born with a sinful nature ever since (Rom. 5:12-21).
In other words, the Bible teaches that we aren’t born good or neutral but sinners. We are born with a sinful heart that is inclined to do what is selfish and evil. Sin is doing the opposite of what God commands us to do. That’s the reason why these men plundered that hospital.
Jesus spoke indirectly about this incident when he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:20-23).
This list of sinful acts is not exhaustive, but look at it. When a group of masked men decides to storm a hospital a steal property belonging to others for selfish reasons, we easily see how it originates from “evil thoughts” and result in “coveting,” “wickedness,” “deceit,” “pride,” “foolishness” and “theft.”
Jesus said that all these things originate from a sinful heart.
Although we can look at these men with disgust, we must not overlook the fact that we have sinful hearts as well. Many people don’t see themselves as sinners, but the Bible says that we are all guilty of sin and that our sin has separated us from God (Isaiah 59:2). Because God is holy and just, He must punish all sinners. The bad news is that the consequence of sin is death and hell (Rom. 6:23).
Our Only Hope
But there is hope! God is so kind and loving that He made a way so that you would not have to go to hell and receive the punishment for your sin. You can receive forgiveness for your sins and experience eternal life with Him. God became a man, Jesus Christ. He lived the perfect life and died on the cross. He suffered in our place and satisfied God’s holy demand of justice. Then He rose from the dead, defeating the power of sin and death. The Bible says, “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom 5:8).
The response God requires of all sinners, including you and me, is that we turn from our sins and place our faith and trust in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Then God will forgive our sin and grant us the gift of eternal life.
Don’t Wait Until Tomorrow
You might not end up dying from the COVID-19, but none of us are immune from death. 10/10 people die. It’s a reality for everyone, whether today, tomorrow or sometime in the future.
The question, “When am I going to die?” isn’t as important as “Are you ready to meet God and give an account for your life?” If not, I urge you to turn from your sins and trust in Christ as your Lord and Savior today. God is loving and rich in mercy (Eph 2:4).
“In some ways, this virus has brought the world to its knees. My hope is that from our knees, we will all cry out to the Lord and find our peace in Him” – Pastor Jason Matossian
Leave a Reply