We Are Not Good People

Sadly, this week in an area near where we live, a man decided to go on a shooting spree and killed at least four people. At time of writing, there is still no clear revealed motive.  It seems that in moments like these we find ourselves shocked at the evil in the world around us.  May I suggest that our question should instead be, "Why does this not happen more often?"

We want to believe that people are basically good because we want to think that we are basically good.  We want to think that people are generally loving and kind and think of others because we want this to be the truth.  However when we examine the truth's of God's Word, we see a quite different picture. 

"The heart is more deceitful than all else and is and is desperately sick;  Who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, NASB)

". . . as it is written, 'There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; All have turned aside, together they have become useless;  There is none who does good, there is not even one.'"  (Romans 3:10-12, NASB)

"Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and we were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest." (Ephesians 2:3)

And I could go on.  The Scriptures present the truth about us and about the world in which we live.  Apart from Christ, we are terrible people.  We are only restrained by the common grace of God and apart from that common grace, we would be much worse.  But the Bible clearly teaches that people are not good.  We need Jesus. We need Jesus badly.  And our neighbors need Jesus.  And our friends need Jesus. 

When bad things happen around us, we need to realize our need for Jesus more than ever.  We should give thanks for the grace of God that has saved us and pray that God would extend that grace to others around us.  We need to pray that Jesus would return quickly and take care of this messed up world we live in.  Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus!