The Problem Is Me!

After preaching through the first two and one half chapters of Paul's Letter to the Romans I've made it to chapter 3:21-22. After preaching about God's condemnation of sin and the sinner for weeks now (1:18-2:20) I could sense God's people feeling overwhelmed by the seriousness of what He was communicating to us through the pen of the apostle Paul. And I'm sure that was His point. God's point is that He wants the readers of Romans to get the whole force of what He thinks of sin. He wants Paul's readers to understand that in themselves they are depraved sinners.

For an opening illustration Sunday I played the song The Problem sung by the Canadian Contemporary Christian band Downhere. Last week I ran across a quote by G.K. Chesterton who responded to a newspaper editorial which asked, "What's Wong With the World, " by saying, "I am." I don't know if that's where the band found the idea for the song, but they echo Chesterton. I will have a link at the end of the blog to a recording of the song. Here are the lyrics.

The Problem - Downhere

There's got to be some reason for all this misery
A secret evil corporation somewhere overseas
They're pulling strings, arranging things
It's a conspiracy

Or what about the ones who shape the course of history
What if we petitioned for one grand apology?
I'll write to my prime minister
You, write your president

Everybody's wondering how the world could get this way
If God is good, and how it could be filled with so much pain
It's not the age-old mystery we made it out to be
Yeah, there's a problem with the world
And the problem with the world is me

Some will say the devil and his legions
They put us in a headlock of submission
But they lost all power over me
A long, long time ago

And since I was a kid you know I've caused a lot of hurt
And no one ever taught me how to put myself first
It came so very naturally
But I'm not a prodigy

So I will look no further than a mirror
That's where the offender hides
So great is my need for a redeemer
That I cannot trust myself
No, I cannot trust my self
I dare not trust myself
So I trust in someone else

The sooner you can sing along
The sooner you can sing this song
The happier we'll be
The problem with the world is me

It's a very biblically insightful song that hits the nail on the head that Paul's letter was building to in his first section, that is, the depravity of mankind and its remedy. This coming Sunday (Lord willing) as our congregation celebrates communion together after studying Romans 3:21-25 we will be thinking and focusing upon the remedy for human depravity, which of course is Christ. Romans 3:22 says that the righteousness of God comes to all men and women through faith in Jesus Christ, but they must believe. Again, this is the verse to which Paul was building in this section. Mankind is sinfully depraved and the only remedy is Jesus Christ.

The Problem Downhere: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9iPHGyaWuE&feature=related

Still A Grandfather!!

I haven't written for a while because I didn't know how to respond to a heartbreaking event in the life of my family. Shortly after writing the blog titled "A Grandfather!" our daughter's unborn baby miscarried. I cannot express to you in words the pain and heartache in her face as she told us the news after the ultrasound at the hospital. I would have done anything at that moment to take the pain she was feeling upon myself. I really would have. My wife and I wept as we watched her and her husband walk to their vehicle arm-in-arm, shoulder-to-shoulder from the hospital. She and her husband are doing fine now, some weeks later.

So as I process all of this, I am as confident as ever that I will see my grandson or granddaughter in heaven. He or she will be mature. Even now he or she is mature, worshiping God and enjoying his or her eternal home. I believe that human life begins at conception and I also believe that babies and young children, even unborn babies, that die, in God's grace, go to heaven (see John MacArthur's book Safe In The Arms of God). I also think of the Scripture when King David's baby died. Talking about the child he said, "I will go to him, he will not come to me (2 Samuel 12:23).

So, I am still a grandfather and someday I will meet my grandson or granddaughter after I see my Savior. Can't wait!