Radical Christianity - Fallen Man's Starting Point

This week I led a discussion at my church regarding the nature of man. Our conversation was prompted by "The Truth Project," a DVD series published through Focus on the Family. Both during and after the discussion, I was reminded how in-your-face Christianity is. The Bible's view of man does not tickle our ears. Rather, it smacks us right between the eyes. We may not like what the Bible says about us, but, at least we know what God thinks. And, as Scripture says, "Let God be true and every man a liar." Consider, then, the following verses regarding ourselves. I warn you, however, we may not like what we hear.

The final two verses of John 2 tell us that Jesus would not "entrust" himself to men because "He knew all men" and he "knew what was in man." This may not seem too radical. However, the verse prior to these two tells us that many people "believed in His name" and beheld "His signs which He was doing." John tells us that Jesus did not want the people "to bear witness concerning man." Our Lord did not want His divine miracles and words to be attributed to a mere mortal. We should not miss the connection here with Paul's statement in Romans 1. Paul says natural man "exchanges the truth of God for a lie, worshiping and serving the creature more than the Creator." The crux of all human rebellion against God is stripping God of His authority and putting ourselves in His role. Whether we desire to be God, or esteem another mortal as "holy" makes not difference. Either way, we give credit to man when all credit should be to God. As Paul says, "For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things. To whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."

It is not a mistake that John's next chapter tells us of Nicodemus. Christ told the Jewish leader that we are unable to "see" or "enter" the kingdom without the Spirit. Let us not mince words, here. That means we are blind and unable to open a gate or door to get into the house. These words of Christ are recapitulated by Paul in Romans and Corinthians. Romans 8:7-8 informs us that "natural" man "does not" and "cannot" submit to God's law because it is "hostile" to Him. We are His enemies. I Corinthians 2:14 reaffirms this point: "But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God; for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."

Knowing this truth helps us focus on man's core issue, and provides us a strategy for witnessing. That is to say...if men are blind and unable to open the door to God, then their problem rests with God, not us Christians. When witnessing to non-believers, we should not worry about having the best logical answers to their questions. Neither should we worry about having a dramatic conversion experience to share. Salvation neither comes through reason nor experience. It comes through revelation. God must move before men can see. Remember...Jesus told Nicodemus he could not even "see" the kingdom of God that was right in front of his face. Thus, our method for witnessing should be to focus on the message of Scripture. That message is the "power of God unto salvation" (Rom 1). Men, women, and children become believers by "hearing" the "word of Christ" (Rom 10). God in His "foolishness" uses a message about an innocent man who lived, died, and rose for others.

May we never grow weary of this message. And, may we diligently seek to focus on this message when witnessing to blind and incapable men, always hoping that the Spirit illuminates their minds, hearts, ears, and eyes. We must do this because God alone is the "Author and Perfecter of our faith."