Politics and human nature
H ave you noticed the presidential candidates have attacked each other over their past mistakes, failures, and activities?
I doubt we will ever have quality candidates for a national office for the excruciatingly painful examination of every detail of a candidate’s life. This leads me to ask, who among us is squeaky clean, with no mistakes or concerns?
James, the half brother of Jesus wrote in his letter to Believers, “… each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow” (James 1:14 17).
The apostle Paul wrote, “… do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
“Such were some of you …” Let that soak into your mind. In case you doubt our sinfulness, we read; “… if we walk in the Light as he Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous (just) to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned we make Him a liar and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:7-10).
It is undeniable, I am a sinner saved not by anything other than God’s forgiveness, grace, and mercy. Are you a sinner saved by God’s grace?
If we are all sinful, why then are we so critical of others for their weaknesses or sin?
My family used to live in the shadows of a maximum- security prison for a number of years. Throughout the year trustees would mow our lawn, shovel snow and one even delivered our evening newspaper. We learned much from the trustees. I learned that not one of the trustees was guilty of any crime. All the trustees said the police framed them, their identity was mistaken, the judge had a grudge, their attorney failed them somehow – no one in prison was guilty of anything!
Interestingly, the one group of prisoners despised and looked down upon by other inmates were (and still are) child-molesters. Often, these folks were in protective segregation else other inmates would abuse or sometimes kill them.
What would a murderer, bank robber, thief, rapist, or drug dealer have against a child molester? Human nature tells us why. Everyone has to believe they are “better” or at least not as bad as someone else. It really is that simple.
Jesus speaks to the nature of being human. We read; “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (Matthew 7:3-5).
With our human nature, disobedience, sin and turning away from God we read of the extreme pursuit for us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
With our human nature, we need a Savior. Our votes have given us a President who is like me and you, sinful, deceitful, and human.
We need our President but we need our President to be saved by God’s grace and admits their need for a Savior.
Clayton P. Adams, West Memphis, Arkansas, email: claytonpadamslll@gmail.com.
Clayton Adams
Time in the Word
