Jesus' Diagnosis of the Condition of Humanity

Since we will be using the terms conscience,sin,guilt,we ensure a basic understanding of what these words mean. Conscience has been defined as the "process of thought,which distinguishes between morally good or bad,commending the good,condemning the bad,and so prompting to do the former and avoid the latter." We are using this word in the same way the apostle Paul did when he said of all humanity that"the requirements of the (moral)law are written on their hearts,their consciences also bearing witness,and their thoughts now accusing,now even defending them"(Romans 2:15).

So God's moral laws are written on every human heart,and to willfully violate His laws is what we mean by the term sin.

Guilt is the mental awareness that we have broken one or more of those laws and therefore,stand condenmed by God.

If treated properly,this internal shame or guilt will bring us to the point where we acknowledge the need for God's help. But this dimension of morality is often rationalized away or misunderstood. This internal dimension is sometimes referred to as self-esteem or self-respect.

It has to do with having the right sense of valuing ourselves and being secure with who you are-our identity. The proper understanding of self and having a sense that we are truly valued can bring inner peace and harmony deep within the very core of our being. On the other hand,an improper understanding of self,or having the wrong kind of self-love,along with embracing a sense of not being valued,can cause deep psychlogical damage and breed inner confusion.

So if we are to love our neighbors as ourselves,we must not listen to the lies of the rational-emotive and other cognitive therapies that say"our feelings of guilt and shame are basically our own doing,the results of our distorted thoughts and irrationality; we should learn how to get rid of them." One of the most dangerous things we can do is to discard legitimate feelings of guilt and shame. By "legitimate" we mean those feelings that are the direct result of breaking one or more of the commandments of God.

According to Jesus,a correct view of self and relational harmony with God will lead to life of integrity through the internal development of the virtues. It is this inner strength of charater that will foster right relationships with others. However,an improper view of self and relational disharmony with God will lead to a life of corrution through indulging in the vices. It is this internal corrution of self that foster improper relationships with others. Every time we choose virtue over vice or vice over virtue ,we are turning our hearts into something a little different than what it was before. When we take this truth and string it out over a lifetime,what Peter Kreeft noted makes sense. He sites the poet Samuel Smiles:


Sow a thought,reap an act.

Sow an act,reap a habit.

Sow a habit,reap a character,

Sow a character,reap a destiny.



In order to keep ourselves from a destiny that leads us away from God and into darkness,it is neccessary to deal with the root cause of our immorality. To find the root cause of our depravity ,we must look beyond our actions or behavior and within ourselves-the thoughts of our minds and the attitudes of our hearts.

Jesus said that the violation of God's moral law does not begin with an immoral action but rather with an immoral heart attitude. For example,we may never murder anyone or commit adultery,but if we hate someone or have a lustful heart,then the law of God has already been broken,even though the act has not yet been consummated. In other words,if we consistently hate our neighbor,we have already murdered the relationship with him or her in our heart...