In this article, we are called to better analyze the dangers that are present in man’s heart and which we must face:
We live in a world where there is a lot of cruelty and violence, when we see local and international news on television, we hear countless cases of intimidation, injustice, robberies, beatings, murders and wars, in some places violence seems to be a way of life, in others it seems to erupt unexpectedly in seemingly peaceful places How do we explain this violence?
- Many now claim that violence does not come from the human heart.
- But is the result of external social conditions.
- It is said that if we can improve the social environment.
- Goodness will manifest itself in the essence of man.
- Many others claim that violence is the result of human evolutionary development and was necessary in their struggle for survival as an animal.
- None of these statements is biblical or ultimately useful in understanding the violence we see in our world.
Christians understand that human beings were created good, but they fell into sin and rebellion against God and alienation from each other. Apart from God’s redeeming and renewing grace, fallen man finds only violence in his heart. David eloquently expresses this truth when He writes about God’s attitude toward the wicked: “The proud will not remain in your eyes; you hate all those who practice wickedness. You destroy those who tell lies; Does the Lord hate bloodthirsty and con artists?(Psalm 5: 5- 6).
In this passage, David highlights three main features of the villains: first, they are arrogant and proud. They give much more courage and importance to themselves than they deserve, without recognizing God’s superiority over them. Secondly, they are full of lies and mistakes. They live according to the lies they invent and not according to God’s truth. Third, they are bloodthirsty and violent. In their pride and disappointment, they are willing to use cruelty to move forward, rather than seeking love and peace.
At the beginning of Genesis, we see a picture of this evil in action. 8 A man murders his brother Abel out of selfishness (4: 8) . 8 The capercaillie of the 1980s, Lamech, also displays this selfishness: “And Lamech said to his wives: Ada and Zila, listen to me; women of Lamech, listen to what I tell you: I killed a man because he hurt me, and a child because he stepped on me (verse 23).
The selfish sense of superiority we see in Ercun and Lamech can be seen in many ways throughout history. Consider this judgment on the fundamental attitude of the British Empire:
The British Empire was not liberal in the sense of being a pluralistic and democratic society; the empire openly repudiated the ideas of human equality and placed power and responsibility in the hands of a chosen elite of a small part of the British population. The British Empire was only undemocratic, was it undemocratic?My argument is that, in terms of management itself, given that there was clearly a lot of racial arrogance in the management class as a whole, the idea of class and hierarchy was equally important, if not the most important (Kawasi Kwarteng, “Ghosts of Empire”, page 2).
While 8 8 Ochy and Lamech seem to show their power through selfishness, other evil individuals seek to justify their violence. One way or another, they say that the victims of their violence are somehow inferior or less humane than them. I can justify violence against those who are not like me: they are not part of my family, my ward, my tribe, my nation, my race, or my religion.
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Dr. W. Robert Godfrey is President and Professor of Church History at Westminster Seminary in California, and collaborating professor in the Ligonier Department. He is the author of several books, including John Calvin: Pilgrim and Pastor.
By W. Robert Godfrey www. ligonier. org. © 2013 Ligonier. Original Ministries: Understanding Personality
This article is part of the December 2012 issue of Tabletalk magazine.
Translation: Isabela Siqueira. Crítica: Renata do Esperito Santo?© Faithful Ministry. All rights reserved. Website: www. MinisterioFiel. com. br. Original: Understanding the heart of man?W. Robert Godfrey
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