If it Were Possible

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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