The Problem of Sin

Ultimately, we don't have a crime problem or a gun problem-- or even a violence problem. What we have is a sin problem.     Gov. Mike Huckabee

We've all been horrified this past week by the senseless shooting in the movie theater in Aurora, Colorado.  When something like this happens our society jumps to discover the reasons why it happened and how we can prevent it from ever happening again. We so desperately want to find the cause and effect for each and every wrong. It lets us label the problem. It gives us the illusion that we can fix it. It gives us something to hold onto--something that makes sense out of the senseless. Immediately, news articles and TV shows began talking about how we can fix this problem: like how we need to learn to recognize the symptoms and behaviors of a serial killer; or how we must have tighter gun control so people cannot store up such a vast arsenal of destruction; or how people should not be allowed to wear masks or dress up as characters when they go into movie theaters anymore. And all those things may very well be true. But really, I think Mike Huckabee nailed it on the head in his Saturday night commentary. "Ultimately, we don't have a crime problem or a gun problem--or even a violence problem," he said. "What we have is a sin problem. And since we ordered God out of our schools and communities, the military and public conversations, you know, we really shouldn't act so surprised when all hell breaks loose!" The thing we forget, dear people, is that sin abounds in the hearts of man. Oh, we know in our heads this is true because it says so in the Bible, but in a situation like this we see it with our own eyes played out on the TV screen nightly; we feel the terror in our own hearts. Turning from our God and going our own way leaves individuals--and our society as a whole--free game for the snares of the evil one and the power of his destructive plan for the earth. Evil personified is loosed in this world, prowling around "....like a roaring lion seeking whom it may devour." 1 Peter 5:8 Instead of looking for answers on the evening news or from the latest pop psychologist, maybe we should turn to our Father God, who says, "And a new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you..." Ezekiel 36:26-27 The problem of sin, friends, will not be resolved by tighter laws or better law enforcement; it will be resolved by nothing other than a heart transplant, performed by the One who brings order out of chaos and redemption out of destruction. Pray for true redemption for our nation and our world. Greg