Title: Human Nature (December 3)
Contents
human nature
(Genesis 2:7, Jonah 1:1-16)
(…) Today is the first Sunday of the last month of 2006, Advent. This morning, I would like to talk about the nature of man.(…) Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian kingdom mentioned in the text, was a city full of viciousness due to witchcraft, sorcery, cruel murder, idolatry, and corruption of sexual ethics. This is where God's intervention begins. God sent the prophet Jonah there to cry out that the wrath of God was imminent. Here, we can learn from the inevitable self-portrait of human beings, that is, human nature.
① It is human nature to call upon God in difficult times.
Since man was created in the image of God with the breath of God, when he encounters difficulties, he begins to think of God first. When the ship reached the point of shipwreck, the sailors were afraid, and each called upon the god they believed in. In the face of crisis, people become pure and sensitive. Then everyone calls on the names of the gods they believe in to set them free from fear and fear. This is an unavoidable nature.
② It is human nature to prioritize life over wealth.
When the ship is on the verge of shipwreck in a storm, he begins to throw objects into the sea to lighten the ship while calling out the name of the god he believes in. At the crossroads between material and life, people do not hesitate to choose their life and throw away their wealth. This is also unavoidable human nature.
③ It is human nature to think that disaster is judgment.
Disasters and calamities do not stop in this world. So people cast lots to determine the cause of the catastrophe to find the criminal. It is a religious means to relieve the wrath of God.
④ It is human nature that we cannot live if we disobey the gods.
(…) Indeed, human nature believes that if we disobey God, we cannot live. So the people threw Jonah into the sea to please the gods. He concluded that those who disobeyed God must die. This truth remains. If you disobey God, you will be punished. Adam, Cain, Noah's Flood, and the Tower of Babel all tell us the consequences of disobeying God.
⑤ It is human nature to want to live.
Before they threw Jonah into the sea, they said, “Lord, please do not destroy us by throwing this man into the sea.” . Humans want to live. Even if I live, I want to live well. I'm living well, but I'm trying to perpetuate that life. This is human nature.(…)
If you believe in Jesus, you will be saved. Human nature is satisfied. A person's worth depends on how God views me. By faith God sees righteously. Believe it, human nature is satisfied. Amen.