Unchanging Realities
Excerpted from Entering His Courts by Steve Gallagher
"They are corrupt, they have committed abominable deeds; there is no one who does good." Psalm 14:1b
"Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven." Psalm 119:89
For the first 5,800 years of mankind’s existence, people lived extremely simple lifestyles. This began to change in the Industrial Age which was ushered in during the 1800’s. But who could have imagined the dramatic changes to people’s lives that would occur during the 20th Century? The tranquil pace of life that was in place in the beginning of that monumental century would give way to a frantic way of life by the end of it. This all occurred because of the enormous strides mankind made in the realm of knowledge.
Yet, with all of the improvements technology and science have brought to our lives, nothing has diminished the moral and spiritual realities taught in Scripture. I will touch on but a couple of them.
The first thing that has not changed is the nature of man. The Age of Enlightenment has not weakened man’s propensity toward sin. In fact, the great technological advancements made during the past hundred years have made it easier for people to indulge the sins of their flesh. For instance, consider young people who lived on farms at the turn of the 20th Century. Yes, of course, they could find ways to become involved in sinful activities, but the truth is that not many did. By the end of the century, radio, television and the internet made all kinds of sinful activity easily available to them. For all of science’s strides forward, they have not come up with a solution to man’s tendency to transgress God’s laws.
There is another thing that has not changed: the Word of God. In spite of the many attacks it has suffered from mockers, skeptics and God-haters, the Bible remains the one constant source of Truth on this dark planet. The truths taught in Scripture are every bit as relevant today as they were when they were written. Man has not changed; nor have his spiritual needs changed. The Bible contains every answer that people need no matter how modern their problems may be. The reason this is true is that the underlying issue with drug, pornography and gambling addictions, or any other ungodly behavior, is sin, and the Bible is the only source of Truth that has the wherewithal to address it.
For all of the physical improvements we have enjoyed during our lifetimes, we still must deal with our spiritual needs. Thank God that His Word remains relevant and powerful for the greatest needs we will ever face.
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