CHAPTER 4
MAN
The story has often been told of the clock that just would not go. 'Leave it a few days, and see what happens,' was suggested. But still the clock would not go. 'It needs oiling well'—so this was tried; but still the clock would not go. All kinds of things were tried: 'Give it a good shake'; 'Put it in a different place', etc. At last it was taken to the shop where it was bought. 'We shall have to send it back to the makers,' they said. It came back from the makers with just one comment: 'it needs a new inside, the spring is broken.'
What a picture of man! We read of dreadful things— crime, murder, violence, burglary, etc., and all kinds of ways are used to try to stop them—education, more schools, more police, remand homes, detention centres— but man remains as bad as ever! Why? Because he is wrong at heart; his mind, and will, and affections, and understanding are completely wrong. He is a sinner.
The Bible word is that man is fallen. He was not always as he is. God made man perfect. He made him out of the dust of the earth. He gave him a soul. He made him different from all the animals. In the Garden of Eden we see man unfallen and happy, peaceful, enjoying union with his Maker.
Then the Fall. A little boy, when asked what the Fall meant, gave a good but simple answer: 'Adam fell from good to bad.' We all fell in Adam; Adam is the 'head of us all'. You remember when Goliath and David fought, Goliath said, 'Don't let the two armies fight. You choose a man to fight for you; I will fight for the Philistines.' David was the 'head' of the Israelites (the Israelites were 'in him'); Goliath was the 'head' of the Philistines (all the Philistines were 'in him'). David won, so all Israel won; Goliath lost, so all the Philistines lost. We were in Adam; we fought, we lost, we fell. So 'sin entered the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned'. This is the doctrine of 'original sin'.
We are born into this world as sinners, our hearts are depraved, and so as we grow up we sin in word, thought, and deed. We do not love the Lord with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We are not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners. 'Sin is the transgression of God's law.' God has given us a good, holy law—the ten commandments. We break them. We are guilty. We deserve eternal punishment.
Because we have sinned we must die (and after death there is the judgement). 'The wages of sin is death.' Some years ago plans were drawn up for a beautiful new town— an ideal town.
'But where is the police station?' a visitor asked.
With a smile he was answered, 'There will be no need for any police in this lovely environment.'
'But there is no church,' persisted the visitor.
Again a smile: 'No one will want to go to church when the time comes for the town to be built.'
The visitor, however, did not give up. 'Why is there no cemetery?'
Silence! No answer to this question!
We can do nothing to save ourselves. We cannot deliver ourselves. We are helpless and guilty. We are like the clock—we need a new inside. The story is told of the little black boy who fell into a pit. Night, with all the dangers of wild beasts, drew nearer, and he could not get out. He trembled with fear. A crowd of natives gathered round. One told him he was a foolish boy to fall in. Another said he was very naughty to be playing near the hole. A third told him to get out as he got in (which he could not). Another threw him a stick to hold, but the stick broke. Of all things, someone even lectured him that when he did get out, he must never fall in again! And the night grew nearer—until at length a very strong, kind native went right down into the pit himself, picked him up, and lifted him out.
Our need is so great we need the Lord Jesus to do everything for us.
Some of you will have heard the story of 'The Little Highland Maid'. A well-known Scottish minister was conducting worship in the house where he was staying. He asked if all were present. 'Yes,' they said, 'apart from a little maid. She is in the kitchen. She will not understand. She cannot read or write.'
The minister insisted that the little girl was brought. When he asked her questions, it was clear that she did not know the first thing about religion. Before he left, the minister taught her to pray this prayer: 'lord, show me myself.'
Later, when the minister again visited that home, he found the maid in great trouble and distress. Asking the cause, he found she was burdened with a sense of her sin and guilt before a holy God. Her prayer had been answered. Now he talked to her about the Lord Jesus, and left her with another prayer: 'lord, show me thyself.'
Not until many years after did the two meet again. It was a gracious young lady, rejoicing in God's salvation, who introduced herself to the minister, and told him how the second prayer had been answered, and Jesus made precious to her as her Saviour.
Suggested Bible readings
Genesis 3.
Romans 1: 18-32.
Romans 3: 9-20, 23.