John 1 and Nature vs. Nurture

Had a stirring discussion the other night with some stellar folks around the first chapter of John.  This chapter is a thick and deep compilation of who Jesus is.  John 1 is not light reading but it is good.  It is solid.  It exposes much in our thinking, shockingly so.

Some solid thoughts:

• John 1:1 precedes Genesis 1:1 (Wow!  That is a deep and solid thought)
• The Word is God…not a god (vs. 1)
• Jesus is the creator (vs. 3)
• Jesus is the life…that life brings light but those in darkness don’t understand it (vs. 5)
• John the Baptist is a stud…he is not the light but points to the light (vs. 6-8)
• Jesus came to his own but his own did not receive him (vs.9-11)
• Receiving is on the same level as believing (vs.12)

Controversy Corner- I asked the question, “For the most part are  people Negative, Neutral or Positive towards God?”

Great discussion followed.  The question seemed to bring out some concerns on whether babies are innocent (positive towards God) or “evil” (negative towards God).  Age old question of Nature vs. Nurture.  In other words are babies born with pure innocence and the world beats them down or are they born with the propensity towards “evil” called a sinful nature?

Personal Pain-

I told Allison that I wish I could believe and say what I want to believe and say and just overlook the Scripture sometimes.  I have witnessed many times how The Scriptures seem to cut to the heart and soul of a person.  IN SAYING THAT, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE DIFFERENT VIEW POINTS EVEN OF THE SAME SCRIPTURE.  God is good and wants all to come to the point of receiving Him (II Peter 3:9).  God loves children with an  immense love, in fact, EVERY child has a guardian angel (Matthew 18:10).  However, children are born with a sinful nature (Psalm 51:5- Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me).  It is not that children aren’t adorable, cute and cooing.  I don’t think it is even that a child is an extreme example of selfishness…feed me now, change me now, I need sleep now and if I don’t get that I will cry and make my needs known (actually I can imagine how some might think a crying baby is cute also, I never was able to join that crowd).  I think it is simply a nature that is transferred down through time because of Adam and Eve’s sin.

Sinful Nature 101-

Every human being sins. Sin is often defined as missing the mark. It is a failure to live up to God’s requirements.

We sin because we have a sin nature. Every human being possesses a sin nature — a corrupt nature inherited from Adam. Our sin nature separates us from God: “The result of one trespass was condemnation for all men” (Romans 5:18).

Christians have two natures at work in their being — one is the old sin nature, and the other is a new nature controlled by the Spirit. These two natures are constantly at war with each other. Paul explains that, despite his best intentions, he is still influenced by his sin nature: “I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do — this I keep on doing” (Romans 7:18-19).

While our two natures are constantly in conflict, it is not the sin nature that will ultimately control the Christian. Part of the sanctification process involves dying to the old nature. The Christian will sin, but the Christian will not continue in unrestrained sin: “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you” (Romans 8:9). Sin in the Christian’s life will be followed by remorse and repentance.

At Christ’s second coming, when the believer’s body is glorified, the sin nature will be destroyed once and for all. Until then, we are told to resist the sin nature’s temptations.

God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it” (1 Corinthians 10:13).