Worship Melodies: Ps 53:3

~~ Romans 3:12 (NASB) ~~ All have turned aside, together they have become useless; There is none who does good, There is not even one.

by Carley Cooper

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Like the rest of the world, I am in shock because of this latest tragedy in Newtown, Connecticut. But I can’t help but wonder, are we any different? When I first heard the details of this story, I couldn’t help but go back and remember the Columbine massacre. My reaction to that one wasn’t quite like most other reactions either.

Oh, the Pain they Must Have Felt
That was my first thought when I saw the horror of the Columbine bloodbath. However, those first thoughts and reactions weren’t about the victims. My thoughts went to the killers. “What did they do to those two guys to make them feel so much pain that they wanted to kill other people?” “They” meaning the other kids at school; the ones who were now victims. Of course, now I understand no one can “make” us feel anything. It’s our choice to react a certain way or not. But, my first sympathies were for the “bad guys” I know what it’s like to be teased and tormented to the point that I longed to escape that pain. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not excusing the killings. It’s wrong to kill. Period. And, our hearts ache more when the victims are innocent children. My first thoughts for Sandy Hook Elementary was simply a heavy heart for everyone involved, though I did have to wonder what kind of pain the killer must have been feeling to feel the need to do this. Some want to blame mental illness, but those thoughts come from the stigma surrounding mental health issues. Truth is mental health patients are four times more likely to be a victim than others, but that’s a whole other blog by itself.

The Truth Hurts

It’s taken me these several days since the tragedy to write this because I simply couldn’t get my thoughts together. Then, a friend on Facebook posted this message. It sums up my own feelings very well.

The Truth is, we ALL have within us the same evil capability that was acted upon today. NONE of us are exempt from this nature... it affects us all. A quick glimpse at God's Word confirms this... Romans 3:23 "All have sinned and fall short of the glory (Holy standard) of God." and Psalm 53:3 and Romans 3:12..."There is no one who does good." Apart from Christ, we are NOTHING. Apart from Christ, we are lost, degenerate, evil, self serving creatures who are capable of any and all degrees of evil.

But, Don’t Fear, there is Good News
My friend goes on to say:

There is a fine line that separates the perpetrator of the horror that played out in CT and China from you and me... It is called the Grace of God. There but for the Grace of God go I.... It is easy to say, "How could anyone do this?" Rather we should ask "What keeps me from acting the same way?" If your answer to that question is anything but JESUS... I implore you to pull that Bible off the shelf, dust it off, and begin to read about the degenerate state of all men... and how you can be saved from evil... both inside and out. God have mercy on us all.

You see, according to scriptures, hatred is equivalent to murder (1 John 3:15) and lust is equivalent to adultery (Matthew 5:28). Have you ever hated? Felt lust? Who hasn’t? That means, in God’s court we are on equal footing with killers and adulterers. The whole idea that one sin is worse than another is a man-made concept. However, we have been saved from our sins and the pending sentence due to us. Jesus paid our fines and completed our sentence for us when he died on the cross. The one catch is that you have to be willing to reach out and accept this gift by believing in Him and what He’s done for us. If you haven’t accept this gift, do it now. Tell Him that you want Him to be Your Lord and Savior and that you are willing to completely repent. We have no way of knowing if the killers in these massacres knew Jesus, or if they had asked Him for forgiveness. But I assure you that if they asked, they were granted forgiveness. None of us has escaped doing evil, but God loves us. He’s waiting for each of us to come to him. All you have to do is ask.

Let’s Pray
~~ Dear God ~~ Merciful, gracious, loving Father we know that we have all sinned and that not one of us has escaped the clutches of evil. Thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus to take my place on the cross. I want to know you personally. I know that I have done wrong and I am truly sorry. I am willing, with Your help, to turn away from my old life of sin and turn to you. I believe that Jesus took my place on the cross and died to pay my sentence. Please come into my heart and my life. I want Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of my life. I receive Him right now. In Jesus name, AMEN.

If you just prayed that prayer for the first time, please contact a bible-based church for more direction in your new life. Congratulations. It’s the most important decision you will ever make.

Now It’s Your Turn

Thoughts? Questions? Want to share your story? Ask for prayer? Please consider sharing in the comments section; even if the link you clicked to get here was on another site. (If you’re on the homepage, click on the post headline, and scroll down to find the comments section.)