ARE HUMANS everywhere in the world not the same? Are we not all flesh and blood? Has not knowledge greatly increased in the 21stCentury? And have scientists not researched, and found solutions to many of life’s problems having made great technological strides? But is the world really getting better or worse? Is there peace or contentment in the world?
Now, how wholly true is the assertion that some nations have developed, others are developing and the rest are under-developed? How developed is the United States of America, Japan, France, Britain, Germany and others? When people who are imbued with only secular knowledge talk about powerful developed nations, they emphasize the strength of their security systems, robust economies, impressive infrastructure and amenities, massive industrialization, sophisticated technological breakthroughs etc. These are basically economic developments that are imperative for human existence, but they do not necessarily make any nation developed.
Essentially, what is considered as development is a mere opinion. There is no nation in this world that is truly developed; all nations are developing nations that are at different stages of development. There is a chief end which all humans seek to attain. And that is a world where peace, comfort or contentment dwells. In any case, what is development to someone is not development to another. The world has over the years been deceived into believing a lie that some nations are developed.
A nation is not developed if it continues to struggle to find solutions to problems other nations, considered under-developed, are facing. A nation is not developed if its citizenry fall sick and die prematurely; a nation is not developed if its citizenry feel insecure and discontented culminating in suicides and murders. And above all, a nation which has not been able to fix the greatest problem of the world is not truly developed and so it is not powerful. Yes, the world has its greatest problem.
Well, climate change, wars, financial inequality, poverty, religious conflicts, lack of education, food and water security, unemployment, corruption, security are considered some of the world’s greatest problems. And, certainly, these are serious problems, but none of them is the greatest.
The greatest problem of the world is a problem which affects every human being irrespective of skin colour, nationality or language. It is a problem which makes humanity miserable, wretched, pitiable and helpless. Without controversy, this is the problem of sin, lawlessness, wickedness or evil which ravage individuals, families, schools, communities, governments and nations. It is the problem that mostly causes other problems of the world. And every human being is saddled with it as it is written:
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3: 23). “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Ecclesiastes 7: 20)
Sin has battled the peace and comfort of humanity ever since the world began. Now, which nation is free from sin, lawlessness or evil? The establishment of military, police, prison, judicial services and other relevant state agencies and departments funded with huge annual budgets are obviously the world’s attempts to fix the problem of sin and lawlessness yet it remains unresolved.
Now, which nation is free from sin and lawlessness? A nation free from sin or lawlessness will need no security officers or courts. Which logical thinkers can solve this problem? Where are the intellectuals, scientists, wise men and women who curse God? Rise up and fix the problem of sin, lawlessness, evil in the world if you know its origin and understand it. O, men and women of great knowledge and wisdom who develop and understand laws; arise and teach us the law of death so that we may live and never die.
Should we not realize that we are but ephemeral beings without the ability to fathom all the complexities of the world? Who can convincingly explain his or her beginning and ending? Are we not left in the dark? Should we, therefore, not humble ourselves and fear that there is a God who created the world? And He is the only one who knows the origin of sin or evil and understands how to fix it.
Certainly, no sinful person has the capacity to solve our sin problem. Only a sinless person, one without any record of lawlessness can. Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world of sin or evil. People He saves may be tempted to sin or make mistakes in a world of sin, but they do not practice sin habitually; they practice righteousness. The reason why there is still sin in the world is because the author of sin, the devil, who is called the evil one, is still at work in his children who practice lawlessness unrepentantly. This will continue until the appointed day when they will be judged and thrown into the eternal lake of fire.
So, now, let the world’s richest men and women, best scientists, intellectuals and critical thinkers who do not want to have anything to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ be challenged, team up and solve the problem of sin, lawlessness or evil if Jesus Christ is not the solution.
jamesquansah@yahoo.com
FROM James Quansah, Kumasi