The Human Condition
By S. Michael Houdmann
Having a consistently biblical worldview is crucially important. As an example, our understanding of the human condition has a dramatic impact on how we understand what is happening in the world. Recent events in the USA and around the world clearly illustrate this. I don’t even need to name the events, as the same types of things will be happening no matter when this post is being read.
What is the human condition?
According to the Bible, the human condition is:
There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes. Romans 3:10–18
According to the secular humanistic worldview that dominates most of current thought, the human condition is: “We are essentially good. We only behave poorly when we are treated unfairly or experience injustice. If everyone had everything they need, the world would be at peace and people would be content.”
A biblical understanding of the human condition results in recognition that, first and foremost, humanity needs a savior. Human beings need to be redeemed, cleansed, and given a new nature. Secondly, the evil that is within humanity needs to be contained, and if it cannot be contained, it needs to be destroyed.
A secular humanistic understanding of the human condition results in evil being ignored and/or blamed on others. The reason person A wants to kill person B is because person B must have done something mean to person A. If person B would just show person A respect and stop taking advantage of person A, person A would no longer want to kill person B. Person B needs to apologize to person A, pay all necessary reparations, and commit to making sure person A has everything person A needs. Problem solved. Person A and person B can now live in peace.
The problem is that if the biblical worldview is correct, the above paragraph is never going to work. Person B can do everything that is required, and person A may still decide to kill person B. In fact, person A may just kill persons C through G due to their close association with person B. Why? Because person A is a wretched sinner. All person A truly cares about is person A. You can’t appease sin. You can’t calm sin down by giving it free stuff. You can’t win sin over to your side by giving in to its demands. You can’t legislate sin away. Sin will always seek to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10).
The way certain people respond to certain events blows my mind. What are they thinking? Are they even thinking? Sadly, yes, they are thinking. They are thinking from an entirely different worldview. Their flat out ludicrous view of the human condition causes them to misunderstand and mis-react to what is happening in the world.
Is it any surprise that if you tell people there is no God, they begin to live like they are not accountable to anyone or anything? Why are we shocked that when we tell young people they are nothing but evolved monkeys they start acting like monkeys?
Similarly, when we try to coddle and appease inherently evil sinners, why are we stupefied when they turn around and spit poison in our face?