Many people believe in the basic goodness of mankind. They claim babies are born pure, then sour along their way through life. If we tap into our original, pristine nature we bring out the best in all of us.
But the Scriptures approach our basic nature differently.
God looks down on heaven on all mankind so see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. Everyone has turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
To be honest, no one really expects to find anyone who’s returned to a perfectly good and moral state. We keep our passwords private, we hang up on scammers, we avoid dark alleys, we lock our doors. We expect what life experiences teach us and we react accordingly.
David noticed the same. Even as king he dealt with dark situations and ongoing unease. Of those out to harm him he wrote: evil finds lodging among them (Psalm 55:15).
David begged the Lord for a way out—Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!
God answered David’s prayer and salvation indeed surged out of Zion. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:24).
Are we all basically good and just a nudge away from returning to our original shiny state? No, unfortunately not. But the Lord provides our rescue through Jesus Christ.
Rather than hope in myself and the myth of my basic goodness, I turn to the one who knows me best and provides the way to redemption, truth to live by, and life in his grace.
Psalm 53 in reading the Bible cover to cover in 2022
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