Brokenness Unveiled
“So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God He created him;
male and female he created them
…. And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”
- Genesis 1:27, 31
“I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.”
- Romans 7:18
Between Genesis 1 and Romans 7 the tragic story of humanity is narrated in painful detail. The gut-wrenching accounts of nearly every book of the Old Testament expose the brutality, the arrogance and the near-sighted self-indulgence of the human race. Parts of this are downright sickening. They are embarrassing and shameful.
We read some of these stories and we want to cover our faces and turn away from the
text because we just cannot believe that people – not to mention GOD’S PEOPLE – could have such corrupt, wicked attitudes and desires. We use these stories as object lessons and attempt to steer one another way from immoral and godless actions. We do everything we can to put as much distance between us and the characters in these stories as possible.
It is human nature to play the comparison game. It’s one way we cope with our own
sinfulness. We look at our lives and try to encourage ourselves by saying that we’re not “as bad as” the worst possible examples of sin we can find in the Bible. We haven’t committed idolatry like Aaron and the Israelites (Exodus 32). We haven’t buried stolen treasure in the ground in direct disobedience to the Lord like Achan (Joshua 7). We haven’t murdered our brother, like Cain (Genesis 4). We haven’t committed adultery and then sent the husband of the woman we’ve violated out to die in battle, like David (2 Samuel 11).
But, here’s the thing: the gospel illumines the reality of every person’s darkness and calls us to admit it and to renounce it. At some point, if we are going to take Jesus and the apostles seriously, we will need to admit that “they” are “we”.
The judgment for hate is the same as the judgment for murder (Matt 5:21-22). Looking at someone with lust is adultery in the heart (Matt 5:18).
Oaths, vengeance, selective kindness, greed, anxiety, fear and hypocrisy…they are
already occupying us from within…they are already poisoning, distorting and violently opposing the good “image” in which we were created (Matt 5-7).
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”
-Matthew 5:3
The gospel unveils the brokenness within us. If we are willing to admit this brokenness, we can be healed. Poverty in spirit has to do with the humility of heart that is necessary if we are going to be honest about our condition.
It is foolishness to pretend we are whole and good apart from Jesus. It is pointless to deny our selfishness and pride. It is death to stay in our sin and to refuse the gracious call of Christ to confess and turn from our inner decay so that we can experience the powerful new life we are offered through His Spirit.
The Kingdom is available – the realm over which Jesus rules, and in which we can come to taste forgiveness, cleansing, life and love. The key that unlocks its door is repentance. May we embrace this repentance together and discover the joy and satisfaction of a pure heart and a clean conscience by the power of God.
“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Your steadfast love;
according to Your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin”
- Psalm 51:1-2
in the image of God He created him;
male and female he created them
…. And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good.”
- Genesis 1:27, 31
“I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.”
- Romans 7:18
Between Genesis 1 and Romans 7 the tragic story of humanity is narrated in painful detail. The gut-wrenching accounts of nearly every book of the Old Testament expose the brutality, the arrogance and the near-sighted self-indulgence of the human race. Parts of this are downright sickening. They are embarrassing and shameful.
We read some of these stories and we want to cover our faces and turn away from the
text because we just cannot believe that people – not to mention GOD’S PEOPLE – could have such corrupt, wicked attitudes and desires. We use these stories as object lessons and attempt to steer one another way from immoral and godless actions. We do everything we can to put as much distance between us and the characters in these stories as possible.
It is human nature to play the comparison game. It’s one way we cope with our own
sinfulness. We look at our lives and try to encourage ourselves by saying that we’re not “as bad as” the worst possible examples of sin we can find in the Bible. We haven’t committed idolatry like Aaron and the Israelites (Exodus 32). We haven’t buried stolen treasure in the ground in direct disobedience to the Lord like Achan (Joshua 7). We haven’t murdered our brother, like Cain (Genesis 4). We haven’t committed adultery and then sent the husband of the woman we’ve violated out to die in battle, like David (2 Samuel 11).
But, here’s the thing: the gospel illumines the reality of every person’s darkness and calls us to admit it and to renounce it. At some point, if we are going to take Jesus and the apostles seriously, we will need to admit that “they” are “we”.
The judgment for hate is the same as the judgment for murder (Matt 5:21-22). Looking at someone with lust is adultery in the heart (Matt 5:18).
Oaths, vengeance, selective kindness, greed, anxiety, fear and hypocrisy…they are
already occupying us from within…they are already poisoning, distorting and violently opposing the good “image” in which we were created (Matt 5-7).
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”
-Matthew 5:3
The gospel unveils the brokenness within us. If we are willing to admit this brokenness, we can be healed. Poverty in spirit has to do with the humility of heart that is necessary if we are going to be honest about our condition.
It is foolishness to pretend we are whole and good apart from Jesus. It is pointless to deny our selfishness and pride. It is death to stay in our sin and to refuse the gracious call of Christ to confess and turn from our inner decay so that we can experience the powerful new life we are offered through His Spirit.
The Kingdom is available – the realm over which Jesus rules, and in which we can come to taste forgiveness, cleansing, life and love. The key that unlocks its door is repentance. May we embrace this repentance together and discover the joy and satisfaction of a pure heart and a clean conscience by the power of God.
“Have mercy on me, O God,
according to Your steadfast love;
according to Your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity
And cleanse me from my sin”
- Psalm 51:1-2