Strong, healthy cultures are not an automatic reality

 

Political Correctness And The Nice, Safe, Tame Jesus

The proponents of political correctness would like to suggest to us that Jesus was always, first and foremost, nice.  But if we honestly examine the accounts of Jesus’ life what we find is a man who is always loving while, at the same time, maintaining an uncompromising commitment to the truth.  Look closely.  The result of being loving and truthful is that all of Jesus’ words and behaviors wouldn’t necessarily be described as “nice.”  Have you noticed?  For those who take Jesus seriously, this is important.

Being nice is a good thing.  I like “nice.”  I’m in favor of people being “nice.”  I want to be perceived as a nice fellow.  (Hey, it happened once, back in the 80’s.  It could happen again.)  But when good confronts evil, when right confronts wrong, when truth confronts deception, it’s possible that standing for what is good, right and true will not be perceived as nice.

Some people don’t want a Jesus who might upset things.  Jesus, however, does not change to conform with people’s desires.  (That’s probably not very nice, huh?)

When we try to make Jesus into someone who was always tame, safe and nice, we make Him into something that does not represent the truth of who He really is.

A Minute And A Half of God Stuff Podcast - No. 25

God is the unwavering standard.

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"Good" And "Evil" Are Not Equal

Good and evil are not equal but opposite powers.  Evil exists as a corruption of good, it is not an eternally existing quality.  God is good and that tells us that good, ultimately, prevails over evil.  So, look to Christ, put your trust in Him and be encouraged.

Evil Does Not Prevail, God Does!

A while ago, someone said to me, “It seems like sin or evil is almost always a distortion of something good.”

I told the person, “That’s a very good observation.”

Philosopher William Dembski writes, “evil is always parasitic, never creative.  Indeed, all our words for evil presuppose a good that has been subverted.”

Then he gives some examples…

“Impurity presupposes purity.”  In other words purity must exist in order for there to be such a thing as impurity.  Does that make sense?  If there were no “purity” we would have no conception of “impurity”.  This is an example of “a good that has been subverted.”

Here’s another example Dembski provides: “deviation presupposes a way…from which we’ve departed.”  There has to be a proper way—a “right” way—in order for a deviation from the way to occur.  Again, we have something good that is subverted.  This is the nature of evil.  And it is part of how evil can be so deceptive.  Evil begins with something good—“it seems right” one might think—and distorts it.  My friend’s comment was insightful.

Fortunately, “good” is how God originally created the world.  And we know that goodness is God’s desire for you and me. His plan is to restore things—particularly people—to their good and proper condition and purpose; to make things right.

 In fact, righteousness is His desire for you and me.

“Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous.  He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Rom.3:24

The distortions of evil do not prevail, God does!