Z.K.Pahrü
Baptist Theological College, Pfustero
Introduction: Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth president of the United States of America, once said, “When I do good I feel good, when I do bad I feel bad. And that is my religion.” Doing good works may not necessarily be considered a ‘religion’ as Abraham Lincoln would have it but when a person has good thoughts, does good things and act justly towards their fellow beings certainly exhibits a sign of a religious person. In other words, religion that is considered ‘genuine’ and ‘pure’ should have manifested itself in good words and deeds. We ought to do good because that would not only usher in peace and happiness for individual but also for the whole society/nations.
I: No one on earth would be willing to do ‘bad’ because that would make one feels bad or unhappy. In this sense everyone will be struggling to do good because everyone will be willing to live a happy and peaceful life. Alexander the Great might have considered himself doing good thing in conquering other countries as that would help other people to embrace Greek civilization. Dictator Hitler might have thought to himself that the killing of more than 6 million Jews was good and even religious because the Jews have blasphemed and killed Jesus – the God turned Human. The imperial nations like Britain once thought they were chosen people of God and hence has the mandatory from God to conquer the world and spread the Gospel. They have tried their best to transform the whole world but end up in tragedy (disaster). The Americans might have been trying to do ‘good’ for the people around the world today. But so far the result appears to be contradicting to what they believe as ‘good’. If we critically look at the world histories all through the centuries, in the name of ‘Growth’, ‘Progress’ and ‘Development’ humans have sacrificed their labour onerously but always the world civilization end up in tragedy (war, killing, flood, drought, desertification, fire, tsunami, etc) mostly of human made disasters.
When every attempt of human beings ends up in disaster every time we try to do good, we are but forced to ask, who we are. What has gone wrong with us? Why are our actions often led to destruction rather than enhancing and sustaining life? What have blinded our sense as human beings – the sense of the knowledge of good and evil? What future awaits us? Another world war? Another worldwide disaster? Problems continue to infest human society. Civilization rises and falls. What lessons have we learnt from the histories? Where do we move from here now?
II. Look at our own church/institution/society and even to each individual. There are lots of problems. We always try to do good and avoid from such and such problems but could not. We do not do the thing we want but we do the very thing we do not want. We know what is good and what is right but could not do it. We could not do it not because we do not want it but we miss it because invisible hands of sin caused us to. Sometimes we do things thinking it’s good but its result turn out to be opposite causing so many people to misery. What we think as ‘good’ then, is not necessarily good always.
III. Think of our everyday life. If we are doing good all the time, why should we feel bad. We will be feeling good and other would be happy as well. However, our life experience teaches us that it is impossible for us to do good or the right thing always. It is not because that we want to do bad, but, as Apostle Paul has pointed out, it is because of the effect of ‘sin.’ We must accept that we use to make lots of mistakes and bad things in our lives. You may consider a person good today but that very person could be a bad person tomorrow. We all are affected by ‘sin’ and hence finds difficult to understand our actions. The Apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Romans said: “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate… it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me…I can will what is right, but I cannot do it…I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I do… I did what I ought not to do…” (Romans 7:14-25).
Human beings have lots of weaknesses and shortcomings due to the effect of sin. Humans are prone to make mistake. If anyone thinks whatever he/she does or think is always correct then he/she is liar. It is like saying that “I am not affected by ‘sin’ or I am free from ‘sin’”. Whoever refuses to acknowledge the affect of sin will think he/she is the best. They may not acknowledge publicly but their act will reveal it. These people will think they never commit mistake and hence will try to correct others all the time. They considered themselves ‘perfect’ although they are not. These people will not forgive others, neither seeks forgiveness from others. They become proud. This ‘pride’ leads to self-destruction and destroys even the whole society. This is the reason why family breaks down. This is the reason why society breaks down. This is the reason why the world civilization often comes to an end in tragedy.
IV. Affected by ‘sin’ does not mean that we are totally isolated from the goodness of God. We remain as good creation of God but somehow our nature has been changed by ‘sin’. I do not submit myself to the view that ‘sin’ has completely turned us to hopeless and useless ‘sinner’. When we are infected with malaria, we do not become a mosquito but somehow that infection would disturb the normal functioning of human body. Water remains water even after mixing with sugar. Like sugar turns water sweet, sin changes human nature and blurred the goodness in human beings. This is the reason why we find it very difficult to do what we ought and commit unwanted things again and again.
The effect of sin creates pseudo-good in humans’ mind and when this mentality grows bigger it resulted to ‘pride’ and when ‘pride’ became mature leads to conflict, war and disaster. This ‘pride’ often comes with education, political power, wealth and riches, good looks, and with what we called ‘talent’. If we study the world histories, it is the educated people, famous politicians, the wealthy people, and famous rulers, powerful nations who cause conflicts and wage wars for their personal ambitious desires. Human wisdom and understanding without the fear of God leads to destruction.
We should not expect ourselves to do the right thing always nor should we expect others to do the same. We need to admit that we all are affected by sin and fall short of the glory of God. ‘To err is human’ is indeed a wise saying. We must understand one another’s shortcomings and weaknesses. We must forgive one another and help each other. Unless we admit that we are affected by sin and that we do mistake at times, we cannot live together. Admitting one’s shortcomings and mistakes and forgiving others when one does wrong is an essential part and parcel of a genuine Christian. Forgiving one another’s sin as often as one could is what Jesus demands from his followers.
V. Human self-confidence in themselves and independent mentality from God lead to unwanted situation all the time. Bible has recorded that Adam and Eve met the saddest moment in their life as soon as they cross the limit set forth by God. Their act of disobedience shows their desire to live an independent life without God. The story of the Tower of Babel shows the foolishness of human beings who challenged God with pride. The incident of Sodom and Gomorrah is a startling example of the coming of God’s judgment upon human beings who have completely lost the sanctity of humanness. Many a time, God sends prophets to warn the rebellious and corrupted kings and rulers so that they could mend their ways. Jesus came to this world in order to build up good and right relationship between God and human beings. Jesus said, “apart from me, you can do nothing.”
Human beings can become ‘normal being’ only when they develop right and good relationship with God. It is ‘sin’ that separates us from God. Once we are separated from God, we become ‘abnormal beings’ and commits all unwanted things. We will be able to become normal beings and do good only when we establish right relationship with God - who is the source of all good. The more we come closer to God, the more we will realize about ourselves. Indeed, it is imperative for us to come to realization (repentance) that “the good creation of God as I am” has been affected by sin and need someone to help me out. Jesus is the One who can help us out as He is the light of the world – the light that removes our ignorance (sin).
Conclusion: Dear believers, perhaps we might try many times to do ‘good’ on our own but we will not be able to do good as long as we are separated from the goodness of God. This does not mean that we should not try to do ‘good’ or ‘be religious’. It only teaches us that we must commit ourselves to God whole-heartedly. If we want to do ‘good’ for one self and for the society, our knowledge must spring out from the fear of the Lord for that is the beginning of knowledge. Any knowledge that springs out apart from the fear of the Lord would lead to destruction and death. This is the reason why we need to worship God with all our heart, mind and soul and beseech His wisdom. God can help us to see through beyond our ‘sin’. In other word, God can help us to see clearly who we are and what must we do. God is the only one who can help us to take right decision and do the right thing, at the right time, at the right place and for the right people. And when that happens, there will peace, harmony and happiness in our society.
