In the world of Christianity we can sometimes lose focus on what the real problem is in the world, the real problem in the world is _____________? Sometimes we fill in this blank with various things that we begin to act like are the real problems. For instance some fill in the statement like this “the problem is Sex.” Some fill in the statement like “the problem in the world is alcohol.” Some fill in the statement with “the problem is video games.” Others fill in the statement with “the problem is gun control.” These are just a few of the things that are listed when we begin to talk about the problems in the world today. Some are more relevant in our community now more than ever. But none of these are actually the problem!
Sex, alcohol, video games etc. are not what we should be filling the _________ with. The source of the problems in the world and the solution are only found in Christianity. The ________ actually should be filled with these words. The problem with the world is the Human Heart! The Bible is very clear that the problem in the world is that the human heart has been filled with sin and the influence of sin! Lets look at a few verses from scripture and especially what Jesus says about the subject.
Mark 7:14-23“
And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (James also reiterates this point as well in James 1:13-15)
I believe that what we do today especially as Christians is very similar to what the religious leaders of the day would have done in the days of Christ. They would have said all these things are evil and they make you evil! The truth of the matter is that these things don’t make us evil, what makes us evil is the fact that we desire these things in our heart over God! We desire to sin and want to sin! That is the truth about Christianity. See sex is a good thing not evil, but out of the heart of human beings they use it for evil because their hearts are deceitful! Alcohol in itself is not evil but people choose in their hearts to use it for evil! Guns are not evil but people in their hearts use it for evil!
The other great truth that I think we need to know is that God wants to transform your heart! Through Christ we can receive a new heart, we can be born again as a new creation! The problem within human beings can only be fixed by the blood of Christ that was shed on the cross and through receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit when we truly come to give our lives to Christ!
Christianity is a little harsher on us as human beings than it is on the things outside of us. The Bible tells us that all of us are a lot worse than we like to think we are, we are all capable of evil actions and those evil actions start within us not from the outside things that we like to blame it on! With that being said the greatest truth is that Christ can make us brand new and the Holy Spirit can begin to transform us and sanctify us once we give our lives to Christ.
