Articles
A Law That Truly Changes People
Why do people do so many terrible things and commit so many atrocities? The reason is that people have heart disease. Jeremiah says the human heart is desperately sick. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9)
Jesus says a sick heart leads us to do all sorts of terrible things. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” (Mat 15:19)
What causes hearts to be diseased? Diseased hearts don’t have Jesus living in them. If we’re not busy obeying God, Satan is using us. Paul says that if we’re not slaves of obedience to God, we’re slaves of sin. “Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?” (Rom 6:16)
Jesus says we’re either working for him, or we’re against him. There is no neutrality or middle ground. “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Mat 12:30)
In our nation, many are asking how we can cause people to behave themselves. The answer is in addressing the true problem, hearts without God. The only law that will truly solve our problems is the law of God in the human heart. “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” (Jer 31:33)
Our nation and our world will change for the better when we all know, love, and submit to God’s good plan for our lives. So, share God’s goodness with your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers. Let God heal hearts. Then, watch the world change for the better when people obey God from the heart (Rom 6:17,18). -Paul
