Men: Unbelieving folk

God has revealed to me a basic truth: we are an unbelieving folk.

Before we knew Christ and His redemptive work on the cross, we did not believe. We ignorantly justified ourselves and pursued our faulty versions of happiness. In the same way a fish is not aware of how wet it is, we were unaware of our depravity. We refused to accept our sinful natures. We knew there was something wrong. We knew that we had an illness that rightfully condemns us under the eyes of the Almighty. Our thoughts openly accuse us. We compared ourselves by ourselves and we found nothing wrong. We desired the darkness and succumbed to our own desires. Despite the glory of the Creator manifested on His creations, we did not look towards the sky nor genuinely gave thanks (Romans 1:18-32).

But when God came and revealed the truth about His Son, we, His elect, were exposed. Our sins were exposed. Our sinful natures and our desires to live in continuous carnality were revealed. We fell on our knees and repented. We worshiped the Father who sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. He purchased us and until this day, He faithfully continues His good work in us. He continually molds us to His desire, reordering the very faculties of our souls. We are His handicraft.

However, despite seeing the power of Christ unto salvation, we still do not fully believe. Many times we cry out for proof. We ask God to convince us of His sovereignty when the cross ultimately reveals that nothing is impossible for Him. We are pathetic, always in need of evidence even though His Word has revealed so much already. This is what I meant when I said we are an unbelieving folk in the start.

Please don't get me wrong. I am not bitter over our helpless state. In fact, I rejoice in such weakness for as Paul states, "when I am weak, I am strong". Let us glory in our inability to fully discern and accept His attributes. His light is exalted in our ignorance and loss. Only through darkness can a light be honored. In the same way, through our fallen bodies, we see the glory and extent of His grace and love.

I do not believe that we can truly appreciate such an infinitely worthy Being. We are unable to do so with our finite minds. We also cannot grasp the depths of His truths nor harness it. Unless His Spirit breaks the opaque shroud that blinds our hearts, we would not see. This gives me a self-impression of helplessness. Still, I rejoice in such weak condition. For in my weakness, His strength is seen. Only through my flaw can the richness of His glory be wholly viewed and understood. It is through our unrighteousness that God's righteousness is made clear (Romans 3:5). In the same way that oil is appreciated through water, so will God's righteousness stand out in our faults.

PS: Please don't get me wrong, we do not sin to increase grace nor do we stay in sin to see the holiness of God (Romans 6:1-2). Instead, upon hearing the Gospel by the power of the Spirit, we are changed, thus we are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17) no longer craving for the things of the world but of God.