What Real Good Are They?
September, 1996
“Wherefore thou art inexcusable, O man,
whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou
condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” --Romans 2:1
A man is not excused because he has good intentions. Good intentions are better than bad
intentions, but if we do what we condemn in others, we condemn ourselves.
It won't help us to say, "Well, I won't condemn it in others,
then. Didn't Jesus say, 'Let him that
is without sin cast the first stone'?"
But we do not justify ourselves by denying that we are in the
image of God. This is like cutting
your throat to cure a cold. The problem
is not that we have the ability to make moral judgments, for this is essential
to the image of God. One of the
problems of the modern day is that we cast man in the image of the beasts of
the field, and are amazed when he is as morally insensitive as they.
We do not cure irresponsibility by more irresponsibility, in spite
of the spirit of the modern age. The
cure is found in David's great prayer of repentance: "Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the
hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom" (Ps. 51:6) It means facing,
acknowledging sin and the wickedness of unbelief and selfishness, accessing by
faith the perfect righteousness of Christ, and embracing Him for life and
salvation. This is the cure, not good
[pretended] intentions.
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Pastor C. W. Powell
Trinity Covenant RCUS
Colorado Springs, CO.