Routine...

Routine is a comfortable place to live. How do I know this is true? This morning I woke up without internet. The fibre had been down since 22:00 the previous evening. I was hoping to get on top of the day, but at 04:45 I was still without a connection. I quickly realised how dependent I have become upon it. Work, blogging, communication, entertainment, research, and even the simplest of daily tasks all seem to require an internet connection. Without it I found myself feeling strangely lost and unproductive.

Rather than moving into a tailspin, my thoughts drifted back to an earlier time. A time when a Bible was a physical book in my hands and not simply another application on a screen. There was something about turning pages, feeling the paper between your fingers, and taking the time to slowly work through a passage. Life seemed simpler then, although the demands of life were no different. Every generation has had to work, survive, raise families, face hardships, and ultimately confront death. Yet there was an advantage to the slower pace. When we slow down, we tend to absorb more.

As I sat reflecting on this, my thoughts drifted toward a question that Christians often wrestle with. If we are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, and if God accepts us because of His Son's sacrifice, why are there still so many instructions in Scripture about how we should live? The answer appears obvious at first, but I think it deserves closer examination.

If I fail and fall into sin, does that disqualify me from salvation? No. Christ paid the penalty for that sin. If He did not, then that sin would still need to be judged and paid for. God is holy and perfect in character. He does not accept bribes, nor does He simply turn a blind eye to wrongdoing. Justice demands that sin be dealt with.

This is where the discussion becomes interesting. Man entered into sin in the Garden of Eden. The covenant was broken, and every generation since has inherited the consequences of that rebellion. The evidence is everywhere. We do not have to teach children how to lie, become selfish, or put themselves first. Those things seem to come naturally. Scripture teaches that we inherit a fallen nature, and human history confirms it.

Now here is the question that many avoid asking. If we inherit this sinful nature, and if that nature inevitably produces sin, how can God hold us accountable?

It is not a new question. In fact, Paul anticipates the objection in Romans. The natural response of fallen man is to question the fairness of God's dealings with mankind. If we are born with a nature inclined toward sin, how can we be blamed for acting according to that nature? Yet Paul never arrives at the conclusion that mankind is innocent. Instead, he reminds us that the Creator has rights that belong to the Creator alone. We may not fully understand every aspect of God's dealings with humanity, but Scripture never presents us as innocent victims. We inherit a fallen nature, yet we willingly participate in sin. We are corrupted by sin, but we are also guilty of it.

The believer knows this through the conviction of the Holy Spirit and the testimony of Scripture, but the unbeliever is not without witness. God has given every person a conscience that testifies to right and wrong. It may be ignored, suppressed, or even seared over time, but it remains a witness against us. That is why mankind is accountable. We not only inherit a fallen nature; we repeatedly act upon it despite knowing better. If mankind's problem was simply ignorance, education would have solved it long ago. Yet the most educated societies on earth still lie, cheat, steal, hate, and murder. The problem runs far deeper than a lack of information. The problem is the nature itself.

In a human court of law, a defence attorney may argue that a person was born with a condition that influenced their behaviour. Such an argument may even reduce their culpability. Yet Scripture does not arrive at that conclusion. While the Bible acknowledges the reality of our fallen nature, it also makes it abundantly clear that we willingly participate in sin. We are not merely affected by it; we practise it.

The Apostle Paul understood this tension better than most. In Romans 7 he describes a battle that every believer recognises. He knew what was right yet often found himself doing the opposite. His mind agreed with God's law, yet another principle seemed to wage war within him.

"For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do." (Romans 7:19)

I think most of us can relate to that statement. How often have we known exactly what we should do, only to find ourselves doing something else? Our actions often contradict what our minds know to be true.

This is why I do not want to underplay what I call the sinful gene. Not because it makes us innocent, but because it demonstrates how hopeless our situation really is. If every human being inherits a fallen nature, and every human being apart from Christ eventually sins, then what chance do we really have of standing before a holy God based upon our own merit? The answer, if we are honest, is none. Not a little chance or a slim chance, but no chance at all. The deeper we understand the problem, the brighter the gospel shines.

If salvation depended upon my ability to overcome my sinful nature through determination, discipline, religious effort, or good intentions, I would be hopelessly lost. The same would be true for every person reading these words. God did not leave mankind to solve a problem that mankind could never solve. Because He is just, sin had to be judged. Because He is merciful, He provided a substitute.

He sent His beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, into the world. Jesus lived the life we could never live. He faced temptation in every area of life yet never sinned. He fulfilled every righteous requirement of God and then willingly went to the Cross to pay the penalty for sinners. That sacrifice was not temporary, symbolic, or one of many sacrifices. It was, as Scripture declares, a once-for-all sacrifice.

The question then becomes, what am I supposed to do with that information?

The question then becomes, what am I supposed to do with that information?

The answer is not to attempt to earn God's favour through religious effort, nor is it to convince yourself that your good deeds somehow outweigh your bad ones. Scripture points us in a different direction altogether.

When the Philippian jailer asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" the answer came back clearly: "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." (Acts 16:30-31).

Paul writes similarly in Romans: "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)

This requires honesty. We must acknowledge our sin and our inability to save ourselves. We must come to God on His terms, not ours, calling upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ in faith. Scripture makes the promise that "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13)

The resurrection stands as God's declaration that Christ's sacrifice was accepted, and that death itself has been conquered.

Do you believe this?

That is the question every person must answer. Our chances outside of Christ are none. We cannot save ourselves, because the problem runs deeper than our actions; it reaches into our very nature. Christ is not merely one path among many. He is the only hope any sinner has of being reconciled to God.

This brings me back to where my morning began. An internet outage reminded me how uncomfortable we become when routine is interrupted. Yet perhaps interruptions are not always a bad thing. Sometimes they force us to slow down, think deeply, and revisit truths that we have allowed familiarity to hide from view. One of those truths is this: apart from Christ, I am lost. Not merely inconvenienced by sin or struggling with sin but genuinely lost and without hope. That reality is what makes the grace of God so remarkable.

Signing off,

Tyrone

Related passages: Romans 2:14-15; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12-19; Romans 7:14-25; Romans 9:14-24; John 3:16-18.