Do you ever forget how sinful the world is? Not that any believer could mistake this place for an untouched paradise—but do you ever lose sight of the depth and breadth of this ruined world’s corruption?
I think if we’re honest, it’s easy to get caught up in our everyday routines and temporarily forget or ignore the depth of the depravity around us. Sometimes we are overexposed and desensitized through entertainment, or too invested in relationships that skew our view of the world. Other times we simply get caught up in short-term issues of life—work, school, and other pursuits—that warp our perspective and distract us from eternal matters.
Clearly corruption, depravity, and sin aren’t the most delightful things to think about. That’s why many pastors avoid such topics like the plague. But it is vital to have the right perspective on those issues because a biblical understanding drives us to guard against distraction and keep at the work of God’s kingdom. Rightly understanding the world around us ought to motivate us to invest in God’s people and work for His purposes in this ruined world.
In a landmark sermon titled “Hope for a Doomed Nation,” John MacArthur describes the pathology of a culture sprinting to its own demise. I want to share some of the points he raised—and some of his comments—with you as we look at this sinful world from God’s perspective.
Living for Pleasure
Perhaps no culture in the history of the world has been more eager for pleasure, or more adept at heaping distractions and entertainment in its own way. As John explained in his sermon, the reprobate mind doesn’t think deeply or broadly—it’s not disciplined or productive. It exists merely to pursue its own lusts, which today equates to one long, inebriated stupor.
God’s Word warns about the dangers of living for pleasure. In 1 Timothy 5:6, Paul writes, “But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives.” The point, as John explained, is that the intense pursuit of pleasure reveals the spiritual death within.
You kill yourself chasing pleasure. It’s the death of dignity, it’s the death of respect, it’s the death of potential, it’s the death of achievement, it’s the death of refinement, it’s the death of individuality, it’s the death of development, it’s the killing of your life, it’s the killing of your future. You’ve got to get past being endlessly entertained and fulfilling your lusts. . . . That’s hard for this culture to do.
We’re surrounded by evidence of the high cost of pursuing wanton pleasure. It robs you of your usefulness, your productivity, and your discipline. Worst of all, it dulls your senses and deadens your conscience, leaving unrepentant pleasure-seekers numb to their need for a Savior.
Selfishness and Pride
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