The Goodness of Man
The Goodness of Man
It is strange that thinking men so often fail to see beyond the glittering generalities to the solid foundation of truth that lies beneath. Almost every error has a basis of truth, but men see the scaffolding rather than the building because their eyes are blinded, either by self or by a more sinister power.
When delivering the graduate lecture to the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich many years ago, an English writer of some distinction talked to the young officers on the honor and high integrity of human nature. He gave as two examples a captain who had gone bravely down with his ship and a mother who had suffocated her own child under a mattress. The first, he claimed, was human nature, and the second was not. He called upon his audience to choose their creed in life as illustrated by these two incidents. "Which of them has failed from their nature, their present, possible actual nature, not their nature of long ago, but their nature of now?" He later went on to say, "You have had false prophets among you - for centuries you have had them - solemnly warned against them though you were; false prophets who have told you that all men are nothing but fiends or wolves, half beast, half devil. Believe that, and indeed you may sink to that, but refuse it, and you may have faith that God made you upright, though you have sought out many inventions. So, you will strive daily to become more what your Maker meant and means you to be . . . and you will say, 'My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go.'
There are two root errors in this whole treatment of the great problem of human nature, or perhaps one root error that has two branches. This is the failure to see that man is fallen from God's perfection, that even our righteousness are as filthy rags in His sight (Isa. 64:6). It is the failure to recognize the implications of the holiness and justice of God. The two branches that grow out of this error are easy to trace. The first is that even the highest and best that man may have, his strongest heroisms, his noblest acts and aspirations, cannot measure up to the perfection that God's righteousness requires. The other branch, so often neglected by Christian theologians, is that there are some naturally good elements in the human heart - high character, stern honesty, noble honor - that have ever been ingrained in the best of the human race. Without it we would not have chivalry and the splendid literature that has grown out of knightly doings. Without it we would not have the magnificent traditions of fair play and justice which are the component parts of the righteousness which exalts a nation.
By all means, coin as much of this local currency of honor and integrity as human nature can spend, but do not forget that God has said that He will not accept this currency toward the entrance fee to Heaven. The only coin that will pass at that gate is the righteousness of Christ, which He is ready to place in the account of anyone who will approach Him in a true attitude of humbleness and adoration.
1. If our eyes are blinded to God, is Paul right when he says, “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.”
2. When God created us in perfection and we fell, what part of His image bearing did humanity keep?
3. How do we convince a culture around us that is so driven by success and efficiency that their efforts are worthless?
