- Ever feel helpless
to change who you are?
00:00:01.13\00:00:02.90
You might wanna stay tuned
00:00:02.90\00:00:04.33
because that's exactly
what we're gonna talk about
00:00:04.33\00:00:06.20
on today's episode of Authentic.
00:00:06.20\00:00:08.80
[upbeat music]
00:00:08.80\00:00:11.47
[upbeat music]
00:00:17.65\00:00:20.28
[upbeat music]
00:00:27.32\00:00:30.16
Today, I was trying to
think of the most evil person
00:00:30.16\00:00:32.59
I could think of
without resorting to Hitler
00:00:32.59\00:00:35.33
because, well,
that's just too easy.
00:00:35.33\00:00:37.27
Everybody does that.
00:00:37.27\00:00:39.47
In fact, if it's possible,
00:00:39.47\00:00:41.00
and I'm speaking
as part of a family
00:00:41.00\00:00:42.70
that was profoundly
affected by what the Nazis did
00:00:42.70\00:00:45.47
to Europe, but
if it is possible,
00:00:45.47\00:00:47.98
I think we've begun
to overuse the Nazis
00:00:47.98\00:00:50.41
to the point where we
almost trivialize what they did.
00:00:50.41\00:00:53.72
For example, I hear
people on both sides
00:00:53.72\00:00:56.52
of the aisle throwing
around the word fascist
00:00:56.52\00:00:58.79
to describe their
political opponents.
00:00:58.79\00:01:00.76
And when you
talk to these people,
00:01:00.76\00:01:02.52
it becomes obvious
they don't actually know
00:01:02.52\00:01:04.03
what a fascist is, they
just know it's a negative word,
00:01:04.03\00:01:07.30
so they apply it to
their ideological enemies.
00:01:07.30\00:01:10.17
And of course, if you've spent
any time cruising the world
00:01:10.17\00:01:12.90
of social media,
you'll know that Hitler's name
00:01:12.90\00:01:15.67
gets thrown around an awful lot
00:01:15.67\00:01:17.41
because people who
appear to lack the ability
00:01:17.41\00:01:20.21
to express their point
of view in a meaningful way
00:01:20.21\00:01:23.04
seem to resort to the
Nazi label to sum things up.
00:01:23.04\00:01:26.75
Honestly, it's just lazy.
00:01:26.75\00:01:28.48
And it's a shame
because what happened
00:01:28.48\00:01:30.72
under the Nazis in the
first half of the 20th century
00:01:30.72\00:01:33.22
should never be downplayed.
00:01:33.22\00:01:35.99
If you start calling
people fascists or Nazis
00:01:35.99\00:01:38.59
because you don't like them,
it begins to rob those words
00:01:38.59\00:01:42.00
of real meaning, which
in time will water down
00:01:42.00\00:01:44.87
what actually happened.
00:01:44.87\00:01:47.07
And I'm not
convinced we want to do that.
00:01:47.07\00:01:49.24
People are doing it now so often
00:01:49.24\00:01:51.17
that someone's actually
given this phenomenon a name,
00:01:51.17\00:01:53.71
and it's Godwin's law.
00:01:53.71\00:01:56.04
Godwin's law says the
longer an argument goes,
00:01:56.04\00:01:58.85
the more likely somebody
will bring up the Nazis.
00:01:58.85\00:02:01.95
And it happens when
people get frustrated
00:02:01.95\00:02:04.45
because they've run out
of intelligent arguments.
00:02:04.45\00:02:07.19
It's just too easy.
00:02:07.99\00:02:09.82
But the other
example I'm gonna resort to,
00:02:09.82\00:02:12.13
to describe evil incarnate,
00:02:12.13\00:02:14.40
I'll admit it's
not a whole lot better,
00:02:14.40\00:02:16.10
I'm gonna go
with Jeffrey Dahmer,
00:02:16.10\00:02:17.80
the famous
cannibal and serial killer.
00:02:17.80\00:02:20.70
But then again, maybe
arguing from an extreme example
00:02:20.70\00:02:24.14
will help me make my case.
00:02:24.14\00:02:26.27
A few seasons ago,
we looked at that book,
00:02:26.27\00:02:28.71
"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,"
that famous 19th century novel
00:02:28.71\00:02:33.38
where Robert
Louis Stevenson explores
00:02:33.38\00:02:36.05
a bit of a
psychotic break in a character
00:02:36.05\00:02:38.62
who's trying to actually
eliminate the evil in his heart.
00:02:38.62\00:02:42.52
Dr. Jekyll hates the
fact that he has a tendency
00:02:42.52\00:02:45.36
toward evil and he
resorts to the world of science
00:02:45.36\00:02:48.43
to help him overcome it.
00:02:48.43\00:02:50.40
Let me read you
just a little bit.
00:02:50.40\00:02:51.97
He says, "It was
on the moral side,
00:02:51.97\00:02:55.04
and in my own person,
that I learned to recognize
00:02:55.04\00:02:57.81
the thorough and
primitive duality of man."
00:02:57.81\00:03:01.38
In other words,
00:03:01.38\00:03:02.68
the fact that we seem
to be both good and evil
00:03:02.68\00:03:04.71
at the same time.
00:03:04.71\00:03:06.51
"I saw that, of the
two natures that contended
00:03:06.51\00:03:09.32
in the field of
my consciousness,
00:03:09.32\00:03:11.35
even if I could
rightly be said to be either,
00:03:11.35\00:03:14.16
it was only because
I was radically both.
00:03:14.16\00:03:16.89
If each, I told
myself, could be housed
00:03:16.89\00:03:19.03
in separate identities,
00:03:19.03\00:03:20.50
life would be relieved
of all that was unbearable."
00:03:20.50\00:03:24.53
Now, this might
be a work of fiction
00:03:24.53\00:03:27.20
intended to amuse people,
00:03:27.20\00:03:28.90
but the themes in this book
00:03:28.90\00:03:30.74
are some of the
most important themes
00:03:30.74\00:03:32.34
in the history of human thought.
00:03:32.34\00:03:35.08
When you and I first
come into this world,
00:03:35.08\00:03:37.35
we're born into a relatively
comfortable environment,
00:03:37.35\00:03:41.02
unless you happen to be
born into an abusive household.
00:03:41.02\00:03:44.65
For most people, however,
childhood is a pretty good gig.
00:03:44.65\00:03:47.92
Your needs are met,
your world is protected.
00:03:47.92\00:03:50.99
But eventually, we do go
out into the rest of the world
00:03:50.99\00:03:54.36
and discover
that all is not well.
00:03:54.36\00:03:56.53
There are bad people
and bad things out there,
00:03:56.53\00:03:59.67
and we're going
to have to contend
00:03:59.67\00:04:00.97
with those
things on a daily basis
00:04:00.97\00:04:02.87
for the rest of our lives.
00:04:02.87\00:04:05.67
And then we learn to blame
others for our difficulties.
00:04:05.67\00:04:10.08
And it seems
like human suffering
00:04:10.08\00:04:11.55
has just got to be
somebody else's fault.
00:04:11.55\00:04:14.68
It's something I've witnessed
00:04:15.62\00:04:16.89
in young political
activists quite a bit,
00:04:16.89\00:04:19.12
and I used to be one of those.
00:04:19.12\00:04:21.06
Their desire to fix the world
00:04:21.06\00:04:22.59
almost always seems
to demand a scapegoat.
00:04:22.59\00:04:25.86
The government,
corporations, or, well, frankly,
00:04:25.86\00:04:29.00
anybody who isn't
part of their little group.
00:04:29.00\00:04:31.67
Now, that doesn't mean
00:04:31.67\00:04:32.83
that the world
doesn't have evil people
00:04:32.83\00:04:34.94
who create a lot of our
problems because there are,
00:04:34.94\00:04:39.14
but at the same time,
00:04:39.14\00:04:40.38
we seem to have
this massive blind spot
00:04:40.38\00:04:42.98
when it comes to identifying
our own contributions
00:04:42.98\00:04:46.35
to pain and suffering.
00:04:46.35\00:04:48.22
Eventually, most
of us come to a moment
00:04:48.22\00:04:50.85
when we begin to realize
it's not just everybody else;
00:04:50.85\00:04:54.72
that we are a
substantial part of the problem
00:04:54.72\00:04:58.09
because you are
just as self-centered
00:04:58.09\00:05:00.50
and self-interested
as everybody else.
00:05:00.50\00:05:03.43
We finally realize that the evil
00:05:03.43\00:05:05.47
that plagues the human race
00:05:05.47\00:05:07.10
also has some
anchors in our own hearts.
00:05:07.10\00:05:10.54
So what Stevenson
does with his character
00:05:11.67\00:05:14.04
is have him turn to science
to try and fix the problem.
00:05:14.04\00:05:18.71
But what happens is
that his experiments
00:05:18.71\00:05:20.75
lead to a split personality
where the good Dr. Jekyll
00:05:20.75\00:05:24.59
splits off from
the evil Mr. Hyde
00:05:24.59\00:05:27.06
and Mr. Hyde,
much to his chagrin,
00:05:27.06\00:05:29.62
begins to wreak
havoc in the community.
00:05:29.62\00:05:31.99
So now we have an evil man
00:05:31.99\00:05:34.23
who is completely
unhampered by any morality.
00:05:34.23\00:05:37.70
Now, anybody who
reads the story honestly
00:05:37.70\00:05:40.70
is going to realize
that this is not a tale
00:05:40.70\00:05:42.64
about somebody else.
00:05:42.64\00:05:44.14
It's describing you.
00:05:44.14\00:05:46.01
There is something about all
of us that is profoundly broken
00:05:46.01\00:05:49.01
and we seem powerless
to fix whatever that is.
00:05:49.01\00:05:53.21
I find the same theme
in some Greek tragedies
00:05:53.21\00:05:55.72
where you have a hero trying
00:05:55.72\00:05:57.49
to accomplish
something important,
00:05:57.49\00:05:59.35
but that hero is
stymied by his or her own flaws.
00:05:59.35\00:06:03.36
A really good
example, well known,
00:06:03.36\00:06:05.56
would be Sophocles' famous and
horrible story "Oedipus Rex,"
00:06:05.56\00:06:09.93
a play about a Greek king
who has to live in the shadow
00:06:09.93\00:06:12.57
of a horrible prophecy,
00:06:12.57\00:06:14.57
one that said he would
eventually kill his own father
00:06:14.57\00:06:17.91
and then marry his own mother.
00:06:17.91\00:06:20.04
And of course, he
doesn't want to do that
00:06:20.04\00:06:21.51
because who in the world would?
00:06:21.51\00:06:23.41
It's wrong.
00:06:23.41\00:06:24.58
And yet, as the
story progresses,
00:06:24.58\00:06:26.75
he discovers that he
can't fight the prophecy
00:06:26.75\00:06:29.48
and he
accidentally kills a stranger
00:06:29.48\00:06:31.82
who turns out to be his father,
00:06:31.82\00:06:33.59
and then he marries a woman
00:06:33.59\00:06:35.19
he later finds out
is his birth mother.
00:06:35.19\00:06:37.86
It's a horrible story,
00:06:37.86\00:06:40.06
but the Greeks were illustrating
a really important point.
00:06:40.06\00:06:43.43
There's something wrong
with us and we can't fix it.
00:06:43.43\00:06:46.67
No matter how hard we try,
00:06:46.67\00:06:48.50
we're always gonna
find ourselves powerless
00:06:48.50\00:06:50.91
to eradicate the evil
that lurks in our hearts.
00:06:50.91\00:06:54.04
And that is probably
the worst realization
00:06:54.04\00:06:57.08
that most of us come to,
00:06:57.08\00:06:58.95
to finally understand that
given the right circumstances,
00:06:58.95\00:07:01.95
we are just as capable
00:07:01.95\00:07:03.79
of incredible evil as an Adolf
Hitler or a Jeffrey Dahmer.
00:07:03.79\00:07:08.59
I know it's a
little bit shocking.
00:07:08.59\00:07:10.19
None of us likes to think that,
00:07:10.19\00:07:12.26
but all of us have a
really dark place in our hearts
00:07:12.26\00:07:14.93
that can suddenly
emerge if we choose to feed it.
00:07:14.93\00:07:17.73
And of course,
with Jeffrey Dahmer,
00:07:17.73\00:07:20.07
the word feed
might be inappropriate.
00:07:20.07\00:07:22.90
But of course,
this all brings me
00:07:22.90\00:07:25.14
to the claims of the Bible,
00:07:25.14\00:07:26.51
which underlines the idea
00:07:26.51\00:07:27.84
that human beings
really do have a terrible flaw,
00:07:27.84\00:07:30.45
that all of us are the
real cause of suffering.
00:07:30.45\00:07:34.05
Modern critics, especially
those who walk in the footsteps
00:07:34.05\00:07:36.82
of Sigmund
Freud, like to suggest
00:07:36.82\00:07:39.25
that the Bible's
teachings are harmful.
00:07:39.25\00:07:41.49
They'll cause
neurosis by putting limits
00:07:41.49\00:07:43.89
on how you express
your natural urges.
00:07:43.89\00:07:47.00
But that's a really
shallow understanding
00:07:47.00\00:07:48.66
of what the Bible says
about your human nature.
00:07:48.66\00:07:51.17
I mean, right at the
beginning of the story,
00:07:51.17\00:07:52.93
as the first two people are
being ushered out of paradise,
00:07:52.93\00:07:56.50
we discovered
that the real problem
00:07:56.50\00:07:59.01
is the dual nature
of the human heart.
00:07:59.01\00:08:02.61
After all, what was the essence
00:08:02.61\00:08:04.75
of Adam and Eve's transgression?
00:08:04.75\00:08:06.68
They ate from the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil.
00:08:06.68\00:08:09.78
And that was a problem
00:08:09.78\00:08:10.92
because in the original formula,
00:08:10.92\00:08:12.79
we were made to be
perfect reflections
00:08:12.79\00:08:14.89
of the goodness of God.
00:08:14.89\00:08:16.42
We were made in his image,
00:08:16.42\00:08:18.26
but then we suddenly became
something far less than that.
00:08:18.26\00:08:22.10
All through Genesis 1,
00:08:22.10\00:08:23.33
you have God
calling his creation good.
00:08:23.33\00:08:25.23
In fact, he calls it
good every single day.
00:08:25.23\00:08:28.30
And when it's
completely finished,
00:08:28.30\00:08:30.07
after he creates the human
race, he calls it very good.
00:08:30.07\00:08:34.71
So in other words, we
weren't always like this,
00:08:34.71\00:08:37.31
not in the beginning,
00:08:37.31\00:08:38.41
and that propensity toward evil
00:08:38.41\00:08:40.32
didn't exist until we chose it,
00:08:40.32\00:08:42.82
and now it's killing us.
00:08:42.82\00:08:45.65
The fruit of the tree
wasn't actually toxic.
00:08:45.65\00:08:48.02
It was our willful
choice to indulge evil,
00:08:48.02\00:08:50.59
to declare independence from God
00:08:50.59\00:08:52.59
that caused the
problems we now live with.
00:08:52.59\00:08:55.46
And now I have another problem
that we have to live with
00:08:55.46\00:08:57.77
because the
clock on the wall says
00:08:57.77\00:08:59.47
it's time for a
break, so don't go away.
00:08:59.47\00:09:01.77
I'll be right back after this.
00:09:01.77\00:09:03.87
[upbeat music]
00:09:06.64\00:09:07.91
- [Narrator] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:09:07.91\00:09:10.11
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:09:10.11\00:09:13.45
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:09:13.45\00:09:15.88
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:09:15.88\00:09:18.22
Here at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:09:19.05\00:09:20.56
we've created the
Discover Bible Guides
00:09:20.56\00:09:22.72
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:09:22.72\00:09:24.29
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use,
00:09:24.29\00:09:26.80
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions,
00:09:26.80\00:09:29.76
and they're absolutely free.
00:09:29.76\00:09:31.77
So jump online
now or give us a call
00:09:31.77\00:09:34.10
and start your
journey of discovery
00:09:34.10\00:09:36.37
- In his excellent commentary
on the book of Genesis,
00:09:37.67\00:09:39.87
a commentary that I've
only just started reading,
00:09:39.87\00:09:42.54
Rabbi David Sykes has a
very interesting observation
00:09:42.54\00:09:46.11
about the nature of the
Garden of Eden and the tree.
00:09:46.11\00:09:49.55
Just listen to this.
00:09:49.55\00:09:51.22
"What exactly was the tree
of knowledge of good and evil?
00:09:51.22\00:09:54.59
Rabbi Moses ben Nahman explains
00:09:54.59\00:09:56.99
that before man
ate from that tree,
00:09:56.99\00:09:58.93
he knew only goodness,
and so he acted accordingly.
00:09:58.93\00:10:02.33
Not being aware of
evil, man was not tempted
00:10:02.33\00:10:05.33
to go against God's will.
00:10:05.33\00:10:07.27
It was only through an outside
being, namely, the serpent,
00:10:07.27\00:10:10.07
that evil gained a
foothold within man.
00:10:10.07\00:10:12.77
After eating from the tree
of knowledge of good and evil,
00:10:12.77\00:10:15.38
man was capable of
both good and evil,
00:10:15.38\00:10:18.41
and these two drives gave
00:10:18.41\00:10:19.75
rise to an internal struggle.
00:10:19.75\00:10:22.12
From good, there was now
the descent to good and evil
00:10:22.12\00:10:26.02
and man's task of
maintaining good in the world
00:10:26.02\00:10:28.79
became more challenging."
00:10:28.79\00:10:31.03
From the Bible's perspective,
00:10:31.03\00:10:32.86
this is our number one problem.
00:10:32.86\00:10:34.76
We have a tragic flaw,
00:10:34.76\00:10:36.13
a propensity toward
evil that we can't fix.
00:10:36.13\00:10:39.50
Wipe out all the
world's dictators,
00:10:39.50\00:10:41.64
take away the
power that some people
00:10:41.64\00:10:43.54
use to make the
rest of us miserable,
00:10:43.54\00:10:45.64
and the problem
will still be there.
00:10:45.64\00:10:48.38
Why?
00:10:48.38\00:10:49.48
Because it's endemic.
00:10:49.48\00:10:50.71
It's human.
00:10:50.71\00:10:51.65
It's not just some people
00:10:51.65\00:10:52.91
who pose a
problem, it's all of us.
00:10:52.91\00:10:56.32
So consider someone like
Karl Marx from that perspective.
00:10:56.32\00:11:00.96
And let's think about
some of the ideological changes
00:11:00.96\00:11:03.32
he introduced in
the late 19th century.
00:11:03.32\00:11:06.26
What Marx proposed
is that the structure
00:11:06.26\00:11:08.66
of classes we have in
society is our biggest problem,
00:11:08.66\00:11:12.13
and he taught
that in time progress
00:11:12.13\00:11:14.27
would lead to a
revolution, and then everybody
00:11:14.27\00:11:16.71
would just start
sharing resources equally.
00:11:16.71\00:11:19.24
We would all share
the means of production.
00:11:19.24\00:11:22.14
But now look what happened
00:11:22.14\00:11:23.58
when those revolutions
actually began to break out.
00:11:23.58\00:11:26.38
The most notable one being the
Bolshevik Revolution of 1917,
00:11:26.38\00:11:30.52
when angry Russians suddenly
got rid of the ruling class
00:11:30.52\00:11:33.76
and seized the reins of power.
00:11:33.76\00:11:35.36
Marx would argue
that violent revolutions
00:11:36.52\00:11:38.76
are undesirable but
necessary for progress.
00:11:38.76\00:11:42.06
It would just be
a temporary problem.
00:11:42.06\00:11:45.17
But then look at
what actually happened
00:11:45.17\00:11:47.30
after the Soviets came to power.
00:11:47.30\00:11:49.17
They introduced
a new ruling class,
00:11:49.17\00:11:51.14
one that exercised
a lot more brutality
00:11:51.14\00:11:53.81
than any monarch ever did.
00:11:53.81\00:11:56.31
The so-called
equality people hoped for
00:11:56.31\00:11:59.08
quickly devolved into
another two-tiered system.
00:11:59.08\00:12:02.08
You had the party elite who
lived in the halls of power,
00:12:02.08\00:12:05.65
and then everybody else who
ended up living like paupers.
00:12:05.65\00:12:08.96
It was exactly the same problem
00:12:08.96\00:12:10.73
they had before the revolution,
00:12:10.73\00:12:12.99
but now it was amplified.
00:12:12.99\00:12:14.46
But why?
00:12:15.66\00:12:16.63
Why did that happen?
00:12:16.63\00:12:17.93
It's because no matter
how good our intentions,
00:12:17.93\00:12:20.04
there's a deep well of evil
00:12:20.04\00:12:21.47
and selfishness
lurking in every human heart
00:12:21.47\00:12:24.97
and even a basic book on
world history quickly reveals
00:12:24.97\00:12:27.94
that we have never,
ever, been able to change this.
00:12:27.94\00:12:31.38
All we ever do is
substitute one horrible idea
00:12:31.38\00:12:33.98
for another one, and
the suffering never stops.
00:12:33.98\00:12:37.69
And just in case
someone wants to accuse me
00:12:37.69\00:12:40.12
of playing
ideological favorites,
00:12:40.12\00:12:41.82
you can see the same thing
right here in the United States.
00:12:41.82\00:12:44.93
Every four years, we
elect a new president
00:12:44.93\00:12:47.30
who promises that this election
00:12:47.30\00:12:49.56
is going to
dramatically improve our lives.
00:12:49.56\00:12:52.03
Every two years, we
elect a somewhat new Congress,
00:12:52.03\00:12:54.97
and every six years,
we reformulate the Senate.
00:12:54.97\00:12:58.07
It's been going on now
for nearly a quarter of a
00:12:58.07\00:13:01.38
millennium. And while some
governments have proven better
00:13:01.38\00:13:04.91
than others, not one of
them has ever solved our biggest
00:13:04.91\00:13:08.42
problems. Why?
00:13:08.42\00:13:09.42
Because unless we figure out
00:13:09.42\00:13:10.65
how to change our
essential human nature,
00:13:10.65\00:13:12.35
that is never going to happen.
00:13:12.35\00:13:14.86
That's kind of
the point you find
00:13:14.86\00:13:16.73
in the Old
Testament Book of Daniel,
00:13:16.73\00:13:18.83
which shows us a
progression of human governments
00:13:18.83\00:13:21.16
that only get worse
with the passage of time.
00:13:21.16\00:13:24.37
In Daniel 7, the
prophet sees a series
00:13:24.37\00:13:26.90
of animals coming
up out of the sea,
00:13:26.90\00:13:29.00
each of which represents
a different major empire.
00:13:29.00\00:13:32.14
There's a Babylonian lion, a
Persian bear, a Greek leopard,
00:13:32.14\00:13:35.61
and then a
ferocious Roman beast.
00:13:35.61\00:13:38.95
Now, at the time
he had the vision,
00:13:38.95\00:13:41.05
the prophet Daniel
was living in captivity,
00:13:41.05\00:13:43.12
something that
God allowed to happen
00:13:43.12\00:13:45.39
because the nation of
Judah had started living
00:13:45.39\00:13:47.76
like their
gentile neighbors anyway.
00:13:47.76\00:13:50.26
Originally, the
descendants of Abraham
00:13:50.26\00:13:52.86
were supposed to be different
00:13:52.86\00:13:54.13
from all other
systems of government.
00:13:54.13\00:13:56.13
They were
something of a republic,
00:13:56.13\00:13:58.50
with a supreme written law
00:13:58.50\00:14:00.24
that was anchored in
the temple and its services,
00:14:00.24\00:14:03.17
but then they
demanded a human king
00:14:03.17\00:14:04.81
like the Gentiles
had, and God allowed it.
00:14:04.81\00:14:07.81
And from that moment forward,
00:14:07.81\00:14:09.31
the Hebrew kings became
more and more and more corrupt
00:14:09.31\00:14:13.15
until God just blew the whistle
00:14:13.15\00:14:14.55
and told whole his kids,
time to get out of the pool.
00:14:14.55\00:14:17.49
They had done the
same thing as Adam and Eve.
00:14:17.49\00:14:19.69
They told God,
no thank you, sir.
00:14:19.69\00:14:21.66
We're gonna do things our way.
00:14:21.66\00:14:24.23
Of course, that
meant there was no point
00:14:24.23\00:14:26.36
to maintaining
the social structure
00:14:26.36\00:14:28.03
that God had established,
00:14:28.03\00:14:29.70
a situation
where every individual
00:14:29.70\00:14:31.57
essentially
answered to God directly.
00:14:31.57\00:14:35.04
Now that they had demanded
a gentile form of government,
00:14:35.04\00:14:37.84
there was no reason for
them to have their own republic.
00:14:37.84\00:14:40.98
And I'm using the word
republic quite deliberately
00:14:40.98\00:14:43.31
because that was the word
00:14:43.31\00:14:44.88
that 17th century
English dissenters used
00:14:44.88\00:14:47.75
as they debated the idea
00:14:47.75\00:14:49.08
that God didn't
intend for monarchies.
00:14:49.08\00:14:51.85
And those debates were part
00:14:51.85\00:14:53.52
of how the American
Constitution was conceived.
00:14:53.52\00:14:57.33
Once God's people in Daniel's
day became indistinguishable
00:14:57.33\00:15:00.96
from the other nations, God
just gave them what they wanted
00:15:00.96\00:15:04.30
and from that moment forward,
00:15:04.30\00:15:05.90
they had to live under the thumb
00:15:05.90\00:15:07.34
of pagan oppressors
just like everybody else,
00:15:07.34\00:15:10.71
and their special
protection was gone.
00:15:10.71\00:15:13.51
Then in Daniel 7,
00:15:14.48\00:15:15.84
we discovered
that the only thing
00:15:15.84\00:15:17.45
that will ever fix
the mess we live in
00:15:17.45\00:15:19.61
is a new kind of government,
00:15:19.61\00:15:21.55
one introduced by the divine
intervention of the Creator.
00:15:21.55\00:15:25.45
Here's what it
actually says in Daniel 7:14.
00:15:25.45\00:15:29.59
"Then to Him was given dominion
00:15:29.59\00:15:31.79
and glory in a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations,
00:15:31.79\00:15:34.30
and languages should serve Him.
00:15:34.30\00:15:36.23
His dominion is an
everlasting dominion,
00:15:36.23\00:15:38.60
which shall not pass away
00:15:38.60\00:15:40.04
and His Kingdom the one
which shall not be destroyed."
00:15:40.04\00:15:44.11
Turns out, the Bible
raises the same questions
00:15:44.11\00:15:47.21
the pagan philosophers did.
00:15:47.21\00:15:49.31
What is the nature
of evil and suffering
00:15:49.31\00:15:51.31
and why do we
have to live with it?
00:15:51.31\00:15:53.28
Why can't we seem to
fix what's wrong with us?
00:15:53.28\00:15:56.75
There's a passage
in the book of Romans
00:15:57.85\00:15:59.12
that I've read on
this show many times,
00:15:59.12\00:16:00.99
but I'll read it one more time
00:16:00.99\00:16:02.82
because it's an amazing
description of the internal
00:16:02.82\00:16:05.59
struggle that you
and I have to live with.
00:16:05.59\00:16:07.60
It was written by Paul, the
great apostle to the Gentiles,
00:16:07.60\00:16:11.03
a man you would think
would feel some kind of sense
00:16:11.03\00:16:13.97
of
accomplishment for all he did,
00:16:13.97\00:16:16.27
maybe even a sense
of moral perfection.
00:16:16.27\00:16:18.71
But instead, he
struggled with the evil
00:16:18.71\00:16:21.04
that lurked in his heart.
00:16:21.04\00:16:22.58
He writes, "For I know that
in me, that is, in my flesh,
00:16:22.58\00:16:26.31
nothing good dwells; for
to will is present with me,
00:16:26.31\00:16:30.09
but how to perform
what is good, I do not find.
00:16:30.09\00:16:33.05
For the good that I will to do,
00:16:33.05\00:16:35.02
I do not do; but the evil I
will not to do, that I practice.
00:16:35.02\00:16:39.53
Now, if I do
what I will not to do,
00:16:39.53\00:16:41.96
it is no longer I who do
it but sin that dwells in me.
00:16:41.96\00:16:44.93
I find then a law, that
evil is present with me,
00:16:44.93\00:16:47.57
the one who wills to do good,
00:16:47.57\00:16:49.97
for I delight in the law of God
00:16:49.97\00:16:51.67
according to the inward man."
00:16:51.67\00:16:54.04
Now, that might
seem familiar to you.
00:16:54.04\00:16:56.01
Most of us understand
00:16:56.01\00:16:57.25
if we haven't been
desensitized, right?
00:16:57.25\00:16:59.41
If we haven't ruined our
moral compass by abusing it,
00:16:59.41\00:17:02.52
that we should be a lot
better than we actually are.
00:17:02.52\00:17:06.09
To varying degrees, we
recognize the difference
00:17:06.09\00:17:08.56
between good and evil.
00:17:08.56\00:17:09.82
And once we see that
00:17:09.82\00:17:11.29
and we
understand our role in it,
00:17:11.29\00:17:13.46
we begin to present
the evil that we produce.
00:17:13.46\00:17:16.43
But our attempts to fix it,
00:17:16.43\00:17:18.17
our attempts to correct
the darkness never work.
00:17:18.17\00:17:20.80
And so Paul writes this,
"O, wretched man that I am!
00:17:20.80\00:17:24.24
Who will deliver me
from this body of death?"
00:17:24.24\00:17:27.61
Okay, we're gonna have
to take another quick break
00:17:27.61\00:17:29.88
because it's not
just the evil in my heart
00:17:29.88\00:17:31.75
that can't be controlled,
it's also the clock on the wall
00:17:31.75\00:17:35.18
and the violation
of timelines on TV
00:17:35.18\00:17:37.39
or radio also cannot be fixed.
00:17:37.39\00:17:39.75
So let me do the right thing
00:17:39.75\00:17:41.02
and I'll come
right back after this.
00:17:41.02\00:17:43.26
[upbeat music]
00:17:46.06\00:17:47.36
- [Narrator] Here at
the Voice of Prophecy,
00:17:47.36\00:17:48.73
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:17:48.73\00:17:50.67
for the whole family,
00:17:50.67\00:17:52.07
like our audio adventure
series: Discovery Mountain.
00:17:52.07\00:17:55.30
Discovery Mountain
is a bible-based program
00:17:55.30\00:17:57.77
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:17:57.77\00:18:00.14
Your family will enjoy
the faith-building stories
00:18:00.14\00:18:02.91
from this small
mountain summer camp and town,
00:18:02.91\00:18:05.75
with 24 seasonal
episodes every year
00:18:05.75\00:18:08.25
and fresh content every week.
00:18:08.25\00:18:10.39
There's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:18:10.39\00:18:13.62
- A little while ago, I was
reading a 19th century author
00:18:16.49\00:18:19.16
who suggested that one
of the very worst moments
00:18:19.16\00:18:21.80
that life has to offer
00:18:21.80\00:18:23.57
is when you see
your own negative traits
00:18:23.57\00:18:25.50
coming out of your child.
00:18:25.50\00:18:28.10
It turns out it's
not just you and me
00:18:28.10\00:18:30.31
who are morally compromised,
but our kids are too.
00:18:30.31\00:18:33.38
And it's frustrating because
if we can't control ourselves,
00:18:33.38\00:18:36.44
how are we
supposed to correct it
00:18:36.44\00:18:38.35
when it shows up in our kids?
00:18:38.35\00:18:40.68
The longer you
live, the more you realize
00:18:40.68\00:18:42.52
that you are a
part of the problem.
00:18:42.52\00:18:44.69
It is not just everybody else,
00:18:44.69\00:18:47.82
which brings us to
the Bible's explanation
00:18:47.82\00:18:50.09
of sin and repentance.
00:18:50.09\00:18:51.93
Just before the
break, we left Paul mourning
00:18:51.93\00:18:53.96
over the sinful thoughts and
deeds he couldn't seem to stop,
00:18:53.96\00:18:56.90
and he suddenly wails,
"O, wretched man that I am!
00:18:56.90\00:18:59.73
Who will deliver me
from this body of death?"
00:18:59.73\00:19:02.80
And here's the
solution he comes up with.
00:19:02.80\00:19:05.27
"I thank God-through
Jesus Christ, our Lord."
00:19:05.27\00:19:09.08
What he's
suggesting is that the solution
00:19:10.21\00:19:12.08
to my wickedness
is the same solution
00:19:12.08\00:19:14.52
that Daniel witnessed
for the world's wickedness
00:19:14.52\00:19:17.19
and it's Christ where
you and I fail to exhibit
00:19:17.19\00:19:20.22
the image of God,
where you and I fall short
00:19:20.22\00:19:22.72
of the glory of God,
00:19:22.72\00:19:24.13
the spotless Son of God
offers, to stand in your place.
00:19:24.13\00:19:28.20
Paul refers to
Christ as a last Adam,
00:19:29.23\00:19:31.77
and that's because
Jesus was a replacement
00:19:31.77\00:19:33.97
for the first Adam,
the man who blew it.
00:19:33.97\00:19:37.07
So God and human flesh is
now a perfect human being,
00:19:37.07\00:19:41.54
and because of that,
he's earned the right
00:19:41.54\00:19:43.58
to stand at the
head of the human race.
00:19:43.58\00:19:45.81
And at that point,
00:19:45.81\00:19:47.35
to use the language of the
Bible, he offers to adopt us.
00:19:47.35\00:19:51.02
"For you did not
receive the spirit
00:19:51.02\00:19:52.79
of bondage again
to fear," Paul writes,
00:19:52.79\00:19:55.06
"but you received
the Spirit of adoption
00:19:55.06\00:19:57.53
by whom we cry
out Abba, Father!"
00:19:57.53\00:20:00.36
To the church of
Ephesus, Paul wrote,
00:20:00.36\00:20:02.13
"Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
00:20:02.13\00:20:05.67
who has blessed us with
every spiritual blessing
00:20:05.67\00:20:07.77
in the heavenly
places in Christ,
00:20:07.77\00:20:10.11
just as He chose us in Him
00:20:10.11\00:20:12.77
before the
foundation of the world,
00:20:12.77\00:20:14.78
that we should be
holy and without blame
00:20:14.78\00:20:16.85
before Him in love,
having predestined us
00:20:16.85\00:20:19.68
to adoption as sons by
Jesus Christ to Himself,
00:20:19.68\00:20:24.15
according to the
good pleasure of His will,
00:20:24.15\00:20:26.82
to the praise of
the glory of His grace,
00:20:26.82\00:20:29.32
by which he made us
accepted in the Beloved."
00:20:29.32\00:20:33.23
Now, I have no idea
if it's still on the air
00:20:33.23\00:20:35.23
because I
actually don't have cable,
00:20:35.23\00:20:36.60
but you might
remember a program on ABC
00:20:36.60\00:20:39.30
called "Extreme Makeover: Home
Edition" with Ty Pennington.
00:20:39.30\00:20:43.20
The premise was that
they were gonna make tweaks
00:20:43.20\00:20:45.24
to existing homes in order
to make more livable, you know,
00:20:45.24\00:20:48.31
minor modifications,
00:20:48.31\00:20:50.25
but then a
surprising number of times,
00:20:50.25\00:20:52.11
they seemed to just bulldoze
the house and then rebuild it.
00:20:52.11\00:20:55.65
So one day, I'm watching this,
00:20:55.65\00:20:57.99
and it occurs to me that
00:20:57.99\00:20:59.12
that's the way
the Bible describes
00:20:59.12\00:21:00.69
the problem with humanity.
00:21:00.69\00:21:02.46
You and I typically
expend a lot of effort
00:21:02.46\00:21:04.39
trying to paint over
our serious moral flaws,
00:21:04.39\00:21:06.96
even throwing a
second coat on it,
00:21:06.96\00:21:09.43
if it doesn't seem to go away,
00:21:09.43\00:21:11.53
but it never fixes it.
00:21:11.53\00:21:13.57
That's because our
moral flaws run far too deep
00:21:13.57\00:21:16.30
to be solved by a coat of paint.
00:21:16.30\00:21:19.07
Evil is not just
an aesthetic problem,
00:21:19.07\00:21:21.34
it's a structural problem.
00:21:21.34\00:21:24.08
If the foundation of a
house continues to shift,
00:21:24.08\00:21:27.08
patching the cracks in the wall
00:21:27.08\00:21:28.75
is going to become
a never-ending job.
00:21:28.75\00:21:31.92
What we really need
is a brand new structure,
00:21:31.92\00:21:34.52
a new foundation, which
is what the Bible teaches.
00:21:34.52\00:21:38.16
From the biblical perspective,
00:21:38.16\00:21:39.53
sin is not just a
list of dos and don'ts.
00:21:39.53\00:21:41.70
It's a much deeper problem.
00:21:41.70\00:21:43.50
Sin is not just what you
do, it's actually who you are.
00:21:43.50\00:21:48.47
So let's say you
have a robotic arm
00:21:49.54\00:21:50.84
in a factory that
starts to malfunction.
00:21:50.84\00:21:52.81
It's drilling
holes in the wrong places
00:21:52.81\00:21:55.08
in some product
because its ability
00:21:55.08\00:21:57.28
to do accurate math has
been compromised somehow.
00:21:57.28\00:22:00.62
So as a
programmer, it occurs to you
00:22:00.62\00:22:02.32
that this robot has all the
tools it needs to fix itself.
00:22:02.32\00:22:05.85
You're just gonna
tell it to adjust,
00:22:05.85\00:22:07.86
move the hole
it typically drills
00:22:07.86\00:22:09.76
in some product three
millimeters to the left,
00:22:09.76\00:22:12.69
and that should
solve the problem,
00:22:12.69\00:22:14.56
but it doesn't,
because the real problem
00:22:14.56\00:22:16.46
is that the
whole program is wrong.
00:22:16.46\00:22:18.60
The robot had bad instructions
00:22:18.60\00:22:20.64
that compromised its capacity,
00:22:20.64\00:22:22.97
and it has no idea what three
millimeters even looks like.
00:22:22.97\00:22:26.51
Unless you fix the core problem,
00:22:27.38\00:22:29.41
it's gonna continue to
make the same mistakes.
00:22:29.41\00:22:32.21
Now, what's
interesting is how the word
00:22:32.21\00:22:34.22
that's usually translated
00:22:34.22\00:22:35.45
as sin in the New Testament
00:22:35.45\00:22:36.79
literally means
missing the mark.
00:22:36.79\00:22:40.02
You might be trying to
live a good and moral life,
00:22:40.02\00:22:42.62
but you're never
gonna score a bullseye
00:22:42.62\00:22:44.89
as long as the fundamental
problem continues to be there.
00:22:44.89\00:22:48.50
That's what the
Bible means when it says
00:22:48.50\00:22:50.13
that you and I fall
short of the glory of God.
00:22:50.13\00:22:52.83
We might be trying, but
we're never gonna hit the mark
00:22:52.83\00:22:56.20
unless something radical,
something fundamental changes.
00:22:56.20\00:23:00.18
And now I've gotta
take one last break,
00:23:00.18\00:23:02.11
so that I don't miss the mark.
00:23:02.11\00:23:03.85
I'll be right back after this.
00:23:03.85\00:23:05.88
[upbeat music]
00:23:08.78\00:23:10.09
- [Narrator] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues;
00:23:10.09\00:23:14.12
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:23:14.12\00:23:18.73
If you've ever read
Daniel and Revelation
00:23:18.73\00:23:20.93
and come away scratching
your head, you are not alone.
00:23:20.93\00:23:23.90
Our free focus
on prophecy guides
00:23:23.90\00:23:26.30
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:23:26.30\00:23:29.07
and deepen your understanding
of God's plan for you
00:23:29.07\00:23:32.04
and our world.
00:23:32.04\00:23:33.17
Study online or
request them by mail
00:23:33.17\00:23:35.61
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:23:35.61\00:23:39.21
- Just as in the book of Daniel,
00:23:39.21\00:23:40.82
the book of Ezekiel was written
00:23:40.82\00:23:42.58
during the Babylonian captivity
00:23:42.58\00:23:44.65
and at one point,
this is what God says
00:23:44.65\00:23:47.32
to his wayward people.
00:23:47.32\00:23:48.82
Listen to this.
00:23:48.82\00:23:50.29
"For I will take you
from among the nations,
00:23:50.29\00:23:53.13
gather you out of all countries
00:23:53.13\00:23:54.96
and bring you
into your own land.
00:23:54.96\00:23:57.27
Then I will
sprinkle clean water on you
00:23:57.27\00:23:59.10
and you shall be clean.
00:23:59.10\00:24:00.47
I will cleanse you
from all your filthiness
00:24:00.47\00:24:02.54
and from all your idols.
00:24:02.54\00:24:04.41
I will give you a new heart
and put a new spirit within you.
00:24:04.41\00:24:08.04
I will take the heart
of stone out of your flesh
00:24:08.04\00:24:10.18
and give you a heart of flesh.
00:24:10.18\00:24:12.58
I will put My Spirit within you
00:24:12.58\00:24:14.68
and cause you to
walk in My statutes
00:24:14.68\00:24:17.29
and you will keep My
judgments and do them."
00:24:17.29\00:24:20.72
What we really need, according
to the words of the Bible,
00:24:22.12\00:24:25.13
is a change of heart.
00:24:25.13\00:24:27.03
But before that could happen,
00:24:27.03\00:24:28.70
we have to admit
that our tragic flaw
00:24:28.70\00:24:31.63
is real and that it's deadly.
00:24:31.63\00:24:33.64
It's killing us.
00:24:33.64\00:24:35.40
We've become
experts at blaming God
00:24:35.40\00:24:37.91
for the state of this world,
00:24:37.91\00:24:39.54
while ignoring our
own contribution to it.
00:24:39.54\00:24:42.21
And until we can admit
that we are the actual problem,
00:24:42.21\00:24:45.81
the situation is
never going to change.
00:24:45.81\00:24:49.02
The biggest thing
that stands in the way
00:24:49.02\00:24:51.19
of that happening is pride,
00:24:51.19\00:24:53.69
because admitting
you're broken can be difficult,
00:24:53.69\00:24:57.09
especially if we've been pushing
the evil in our own hearts
00:24:57.09\00:25:00.83
down behind some
kind of moral blind spot
00:25:00.83\00:25:04.47
so that we don't have
to look at them anymore.
00:25:04.47\00:25:06.97
And it's a very real struggle
00:25:06.97\00:25:09.00
because, well, God has
given us the gift of freedom.
00:25:09.00\00:25:13.34
We are free, moral agents
00:25:13.34\00:25:15.91
who actually have been
given the power to choose.
00:25:15.91\00:25:19.18
It's the way that a God of
love has designed this place.
00:25:19.18\00:25:22.88
This is why Paul continued
to struggle with his own evil.
00:25:22.88\00:25:25.89
And we're talking the apostle.
00:25:25.89\00:25:27.92
He struggles with it
after his conversion.
00:25:27.92\00:25:31.56
And this is the reason
you often see church people
00:25:31.56\00:25:34.83
point their
finger at everybody else
00:25:34.83\00:25:37.23
instead of dealing
with their own problems.
00:25:37.23\00:25:39.73
I mean, just try
to imagine a church
00:25:39.73\00:25:42.37
where everybody
accepts the notion,
00:25:42.37\00:25:44.87
the idea, I am the problem
here, not everybody else.
00:25:44.87\00:25:49.38
Now, sadly, that
doesn't happen very often.
00:25:49.38\00:25:51.21
It's rare, because, well,
church people also have pride
00:25:51.21\00:25:55.18
and sometimes, unfortunately,
more than other people.
00:25:55.18\00:25:59.02
And pride is the
original problem,
00:25:59.02\00:26:01.56
the original sin that gave
birth to all the other problems.
00:26:01.56\00:26:06.36
Maybe the strongest
illustration the Bible has
00:26:06.36\00:26:09.13
for our need to surrender
00:26:09.13\00:26:11.40
and our hesitation to do it
00:26:11.40\00:26:13.70
is a guy by the name
of Naaman the Syrian.
00:26:13.70\00:26:16.44
He was a military commander
00:26:16.44\00:26:18.71
who found himself
infected with leprosy,
00:26:18.71\00:26:21.44
which, of course, is a
completely incurable disease,
00:26:21.44\00:26:24.21
or was at the time.
00:26:24.21\00:26:26.38
When the prophet of
God informs this man
00:26:26.38\00:26:28.68
that the cure for his leprosy
00:26:28.68\00:26:30.35
is to bathe in the
Jordan River seven times,
00:26:30.35\00:26:33.22
he was completely insulted.
00:26:33.22\00:26:35.32
The Jordan was
this muddy little creek,
00:26:35.32\00:26:38.83
and a man of his stature
00:26:38.83\00:26:40.56
should be bathing
in a much nicer place.
00:26:40.56\00:26:44.27
But you know,
there was nothing magical
00:26:44.27\00:26:45.83
about that Jordan River water.
00:26:45.83\00:26:48.47
The whole thing was just
a challenge to his pride.
00:26:48.47\00:26:51.81
He had to humble
himself in order to be cured
00:26:51.81\00:26:55.68
of his deep-seated problem.
00:26:55.68\00:26:57.28
So maybe you're
one of those people
00:26:58.28\00:26:59.85
who has come to realize that
it's not just everybody else.
00:26:59.85\00:27:02.35
It's not just other people.
00:27:02.35\00:27:04.55
You've been contributing
to the mess in this world
00:27:04.55\00:27:07.06
because you also have
very serious character flaws.
00:27:07.06\00:27:10.83
The longer you live, the
more obvious that becomes.
00:27:10.83\00:27:14.56
Our pride tends to convince us
00:27:14.56\00:27:16.77
that we should assert
our flaws and treasure them.
00:27:16.77\00:27:19.10
Just live them out.
00:27:19.10\00:27:20.14
Follow your instincts.
00:27:20.14\00:27:21.57
Just relabel those
instincts as something positive.
00:27:21.57\00:27:24.31
But what you might need
to do is swallow your pride
00:27:25.54\00:27:29.21
and take an
honest look at this book.
00:27:29.21\00:27:31.58
Maybe, just maybe, the
real answer can be found here,
00:27:31.58\00:27:36.28
with a God who had no
problem humbling himself
00:27:36.28\00:27:40.09
if it meant he could save you.
00:27:40.09\00:27:42.22
I'm Shawn Boonstra.
00:27:42.22\00:27:43.26
Thanks for watching.
00:27:43.26\00:27:44.59
This has been
another episode of Authentic.
00:27:44.59\00:27:47.93
[upbeat music]
00:27:47.93\00:27:50.53
[upbeat music]
00:27:56.91\00:27:59.57
[upbeat music]
00:28:06.51\00:28:09.18
[upbeat music]
00:28:16.46\00:28:19.13