Given the current social, political and moral climate in
which we live, there is a quote, attributed to Nelson Mandela, making the
rounds. “No one is born hating another person because of the colour of his skin
or his background or his religion. People must learn to hate, and if they can
learn to hate, they can be taught to love, for love comes more naturally to the
human heart than its opposite.” Taken as it was meant this is a lovely quote
with a positive message to inspire better behaviour. However, when we take a
closer look at it this is a very dangerous sentiment for a Christian to buy
into.
Truth: Human beings are not born hating each other. This can
be seen in the way most children play with each other. They share everything
they take people as they come without probing deeply into differences. ‘We’re
all 5-years old let’s run through the yard until we pass out’. As human beings
we learn differences as we grow and the adults in our lives teach us how to
value each difference. This is either done overtly by the use negative speech
in describing different groups of people or subliminally by physical or reflex
reactions to individuals of different groups.
Truth: Human beings can learn to love. This is a word I have
taken great issue with, as you have read in the past, and on which I am focused
on trekking through the 10 Commandments. It has been used, misused and abused
to the point that most people have no understanding of the true meaning. As
Christians we know this is why Jesus came to Earth and died, so that we would
have the example and opportunity to learn what is and how to love. The wishy
washy sentimentality we attribute to love does not hold water. Love, while
positive and uplifting requires hard choices and difficult experiences in this
world of sin.
Fallacy: “…love comes more naturally to the human heart than
its opposite.” This statement is categorically untrue and followed to its
logical end, is very dangerous. This statement assumes that human beings, at
our roots, are basically good and will choose to do good if left to our own
devices. This has been demonstrated, in millennia of human activity and
corroborated by God, in His word to be categorically false. The Bible makes it
clear that the we are “shaped in iniquity”, the human heart is “desperately
wicked” our natural inclinations are to be “children of wrath”, and especially
in these times when human existence becomes like the days of Noah again (Luke
17:26), our minds are set on evil continually (Psalms 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9;
Ephesians 2:3; Genesis 6:5).
With this understanding we know that we cannot depend on
ourselves to do what is right. Our ‘righteousness are as filthy rags’ (Isaiah
64:6). This is why we required a Saviour. This is why we need the Holy Spirit
to guide us constantly. Our natural inclinations are toward evil and hate, not
good and love. As Bible believers we need to be hyper-cautious in these last
days. The Bible says that the deception of these days will be so great ‘if it
were possible the very elect would be deceived’ (Matthew 24:24). We need to be
sober and vigilant at all times (1 Thessalonians 5:6; 1 Peter 5:8). Let us not
be like the 5 foolish virgins, let us allow the Holy Spirit to fill us that we
may be able to discern pure complete truth from grievous error (John 16:13).
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