i am absolutely convinced beyond all doubt that we are born, all of us, with the knowledge of basic right and wrong embedded in us by God. We are also born with a rebellious nature whose intent is to always say “no” to God and “yes” to everything we want. In fact, our rebellious nature is a natural “no” to everything God. ‘No’ to His preferences, ‘no’ to His standards, ‘no’ to even believing He exists, much less that He is the Lord of Lords and King of Kings. When it comes to God Almighty, by inclination of our flesh, it is just ‘no’.
When my son was born he seemed so innocent. So small and delicate, so fresh and seemingly unlearned of all the wrong in the world. Yet, given a little time, i also saw, growing in him a consistent motivation to do everything his way, based on what he wanted, and how he wanted to dictate and demand. Sure, i realize a child doesn’t know anything, but there’s also a taught steel wire of resisting any right authority and a gravitational pull towards being self-indulgent, self-righteous, self-satisfying at the expense of others, and a complete disregard for doing the right thing as long as the child prospers itself.
When i knew he needed to eat food that was good for him, one day he just straight out said, “no. i want cheese-its”. When i pressed the issue, he bowed up at me, saying even louder “No.” When i knew we needed to comb his hair, or wash his face, he didn’t want to sit still for that, he wanted to watch cartoons, and again he looked me in the eye and said “no”. i said ‘yes’, and he even began acting out, crying and screaming ‘no’. After a series of many, many such situations, a little light of realization began to grow in me. The naturally occurring thread of rebellion was raising its head, and i knew if i didn’t persuade him different, he would end up a horrible, self-centered, demanding person, and would find no need for God. i also knew his rebellious nature could eventually kill him … this was no longer just teaching right behavior, now i could very well be saving the life of my child.
James4:17, “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” When God told Adam and Eve in the garden to not eat of the tree, in their hearts they basically said “no. i don’t believe you, and i’ll do what i want to do regardless of you!” Their rebellion on that day cost us all our lives. All of Israel was called by the Lord into a relationship with Him. When God said, “I will be your God and you will be my people,” they said, “No. We want a man to rule over us.” Wow, they preferred someone with a rebellious nature to rule over their rebellious nature. Just ‘no’ to God and ‘yes’ to themselves.
The N.T. writers, repetitively made it abundantly clear that many of the “normal” ways we’re used to thinking about our lives is arrogant, self-serving, and faithless.
For anyone who does not believe Jesus is the Son of God, was crucified and risen from the dead, their natural “no”, or rejection of the gospel denies them any real life. Oh, it may appear they are doing well, but in the end, without God they are just another lifeless corpse. And for us who are believers, if we have said ‘yes’ to God, resisting our natural ‘no’, it means acting according to what we believe and know to be true. If we keep going on our path of worldliness, self-indulgence, lack of honesty and transparency, giving power to our flesh over our spirit as opposed to trusting God in our everyday work-a-day world choices, that to us is sin. And listen – Sin is anti-relational and the longer we oppose God, the more we diminish and dishonor ourselves and the more our relationship with Jesus just ebbs away, slowly but surely, like the tide going out. It is always the right time to do the right thing. We know what is right and we have no excuse not to do it. When we bow up at God and practice our natural ‘no’, we need to change course, call it what it is, and let the Lord make us all we wish we were.
It’s easy to agree with God and the Bible without actually making any changes. Sincerity is not knowing Jesus. We love to think and dream about big ideas, us with our incessant point and counterpoint debating, weighing and measuring. But if we spend most of our time only thinking about it all, never taking-action and DOING what we should, that to us is sin. It is still the ‘natural no’ we were born with. The Lord called us to not just avoid evil and rebellion, we are called to DO what we know is good.
i’ve realized how little control i have over much of my life, and if i put off doing what is right, well, you know, i may not have another opportunity to plant God’s goodness in a situation like this one or that one. We’ve all missed opportunities to do the right thing, and you “know” in your heart when you haven’t done it. The Lord reminded me the other day when i didn’t call a man in need because i decided there was something more pressing in the moment and then i simply forgot. If the next day i see the man in need and he inquires as to why i didn’t call, i’d probably say, “Oh, i just got busy.” Friend, i think most of the time when people say they were busy, maybe what they really meant was “it just wasn’t that important”. My opportunity passed, my natural ‘no’ took precedence and i knew it. The Lord says to me, “Have you ever heard someone say, “After I get this or that done, then I can serve the Lord, but right now I’m too busy”?” Realization flooded in, and in the moment, i was crushed because i knew that was me.
1 Corinthians 13:11, “When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, and I reasoned like a child. But when I became a man, I gave up childish ways.” It is always the right time to do the right thing, and learning to deny our “natural no” is part of growing up.
What do you think?