As we look around our world right now, we are bombarded with images of violence, hate, racism, lying, cheating, rioting, and murdering. Where does it all come from?
You make think that these current events are new to the world we live in. It’s “unprecedented times”. Well, not really. It’s just plain old sin as usual. Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 1:9, “There’s nothing new under the sun.” In other words, it is the same thing, just packaged differently.
Sin came into the world during The Fall of Man in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were created without a sin nature. When they chose to disobey God, sin entered the world and changed it to as we know it. They were given a choice. Unfortunately the world is experiencing the effects of the Fall.
Sickness, pain, suffering, and hard work became the new reality. Was it fair that we suffer the consequences of Adam and Eve’s choices? Yes and no. Yes, because we would have made a similar choice. We make bad choices every day. No, because we shouldn’t be punished for the sins of our ancestors. But that is why Jesus came as the Savior of the world to undo what happened in the Garden. You get to choose to accept or reject his offer.
Europe Had The Bubonic Plague Or The Black Death, 3 times.
Each plague would wipe out 60 % of Europe’s population. Guess where it originated? China. The plague was brought to Europe on boats carrying infected rats. Native Americans were never exposed to viruses and sickness until the Pilgrims came over to The New World and bought their sicknesses with them. 75% of the Native American population died of small pox, but you don’t even hear about that part of history. The Spanish flu and Polio epidemic are also more recent illnesses that wiped out a lot of people.
The Patriarchs
If you read the Old Testament Patriarchs (Adam, Abraham, Jacob, David) , and then the New Testament history, you will find the same lies, murder, greed, adultery, rape, and theft we see today. Why? Because man is born with a sin nature. It is our nature to do the things that please ourselves. Polite society tries to whitewash it and make it more acceptable and easy to swallow for the masses.
What makes a father drink himself into a stupor? What makes a mother take her daughter and sell her to a sex trafficker? What makes a husband beat his wife? What makes a teenager steal in order to buy designer clothes? The answer is, mankind is not inherently good, as some people seem to think. Without God, Mankind is evil inside. Each person has to choose to do good. Without a moral framework, such as the 10 Commandments, and basic laws of conduct in a society, the world would all be evil continually, without any good in it.
What About The Prevalent Racism That Seems To Be Filling Our Screen Time?
Is that new? No, it is not. Where does it come from? Well, it doesn’t come from God. God is no respecter of persons. God did not invent slavery. Man did. All of us are children of God, created in His Image. He loves everyone, regardless of color, culture, sex, or political affiliation. Just about every society, culture, and country has slavery in its history. That would include slavery of white Europeans by the Moors(Muslims) called the Barbary Slave Trade. Ireland was also a victim of slave trading. Do you remember St. Patrick, patron saint of Ireland? Well, he was captured by slave traders and suffered greatly at the hand of his captors. He went back years later to tell them of Christ and his forgiveness and salvation.
Of Course, Israel Was One Of The Earliest People Groups That Were Enslaved.
Jerusalem was occupied, destroyed 17 times and conquering civilizations built on top of it. Israelites were captured by countless powerful civilizations, such as the Babylonians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and Assyrians to name a few. Young Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. Daniel was captured by Babylonians as an innocent teenager, castrated and remained in captivity the rest of his life. Sometimes God had allowed those heathen lands to come in and enslave the Israelites because of their sin, and disobedience to God.
There Was Also Slavery From Those Who Didn’t Pay Their Debts.
Today, if you don’t pay your credit card bills, they close your account and send you to collections. People file bankruptcy to get out of debt. If you don’t make your car payment, they come and take away your car. In biblical times. If you didn’t pay your debts, you would have to work it off for free until it was paid back, hence slavery. Some call it indentured servitude as well. Some got jail time for not paying their taxes.
A Greater Evil.
So although the Transatlantic Slave Trade was a horrible, unacceptable part of history, the Africans were not the only victims of slavery. In fact, it is well documented that African tribes kidnapped and enslaved each other for various reasons. It was the trading among African tribes that allowed the transatlantic traders to come in and take Africans onto the slave ships. Slavery is definitely evil at its core. Being sold by your own people is even a much greater evil.
Evolution
Did you know if you believe in evolution then you are a racist? Think about Charles Darwin. He says that black people aren’t as evolved as white people. He was a racist. The title of his book was “Origin of the Species by Means of Natural Selection: or, The Preservation of Favored Races In The Struggle For Life”. If you don’t believe me, look it up. Every public school is teaching evolution to our children in school, but it is racist at its very basic level. Yet no one is banning Charles Darwin. They are banning pancake syrup instead. Or destroying a statue of Ulysses Grant, a President who did more for the slaves and Native Americans than any other.
Take The Holocaust, For Instance.
It is hard to believe that a human being would treat another human being like a lower life form. You can’t deny there is an enemy of God after reading accounts of the Jews being put into concentration camps, and exterminated. His name is Lucifer, the Devil, Beelzebub, The Father of Lies, the Prince and Power of the Air. He is real, regardless of the unbelievers who want to deny the existence of evil in this world. Can we blame the Devil when we do something evil? “The Devil made me do it?” I say no. You are responsible for your own choices. But I sure wouldn’t do any deals with the Devil. He orchestrates the agents and acts of evil.
No One Would Argue That Adolf Hitler Was The Epitome Of Evil.
(Well, except for the White Supremacists and Neo Nazis), He was known to use Darwin’s theories of evolution to support his evil agenda for the eugenics program to create a “Pure Aryan Race”. The ironic thing about it was Hitler had Jewish lineage on his mother’s side. Some believed Hitler to be possessed by Satan. I wouldn’t argue against that because he sure acted like the Devil in the flesh. He convinced so many people drink his Kool Aid and commit atrocities against humanity.
Is There Any Hope?
Evil and sin have been around since the beginning of The Fall of Man. It will remain until Jesus comes back. But Jesus has provided hope through salvation by grace through His death on the cross and resurrection. We can live a life free from the slavery of sin by living by the power of the Holy Spirit that lives insides us.
As believers, we can have hope, even though there is chaos and rioting or evil surrounding us. Our mandate has not changed. To glorify God and tell others about the love of Jesus. This is a great opportunity to spread the Gospel while we are stuck at home with our family and a good internet connection.
Don’t get caught up in the Facebook arguments, hatred against someone different than you are, or spreading fake news. Don’t believe the hype. God is still in control. Things are not as they seem. Take the high road and be an encouragement to someone else today!