Politicians can’t usher in a new Golden Age.  Policies won’t reverse the course of culture.  Executive Orders don’t spark revival.  Only a seismic shift in America’s understanding of the fundamental premise underlying policies, parties, and positions can alter the direction of our nation.  However, no politician openly stating the biblical perspective on that foundational principle could hope to win an election.  No one on either side of the political aisle mentioned this topic during the recent campaigns, election, or inauguration.

So as we embark upon the fourth consecutive transition of Presidential power from one party to another, it’s time to address the elephant (political pun not intended) in the room.  When we elect new administrations to implement an alternative agenda from its predecessor, what’s actually taking place is vacillation from one (prevailing) view of human nature to the other.  In other words, America is unwittingly or consciously making a statement about the goodness or badness of mankind.  Politicians are aware of their stance on human nature as they decide on policy positions but understandably hesitate to articulate a belief that everyone is born inherently evil.  Leaders use words like “reason” and “common sense” to describe their policies but those are veiled euphemisms for what those “reasonable” positions have in common – they’re all based on a particular view of human nature.

Consider most major issues addressed during the 2024 election cycle:

• Crime – police presence depends on our trust in citizens not to break laws
• Defense – military spend depends on necessity of strength to deter aggression
• Borders – open or closing depends on whether “good” or “bad” are crossing
• Abortion – permitting until birth depends on belief women won’t resort to terminating a life solely to avoid responsibility for raising an unwanted child
• Genders – license to discard male and female designations assigned at birth depends on whether we entrust youth with authority to override physicians
• Welfare – amount and duration of benefits depend on assumptions about the recipient’s capabilities, need, and proclivity to abuse the system

The view of human nature underlying a person’s viewpoint on each of those topics also determines a far more important consideration – whether we need Jesus.  If we believe we’re born “good” or society eradicates the word “sin” from its vernacular, the forgiveness and grace of Jesus is deemed unnecessary.

Biblical View of Human Nature

It seems counterintuitive that assuming the best can be bad.  Scripture commands us to dwell on “whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable“.  So having faith in others to do the “right” thing may seem more “Christian”.  However, the Bible says human nature is evil, resistant to what is “right”:

• “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10)
• “Why do you call me good?…No one is good – except God alone.” (Mark 10:18)
• “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6)
• “For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:18-20)
• “So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature a slave to the law of sin.” (Romans 7:25)

We are not innately good – the Bible says so and observation confirms it.  Our progress as a society hinges on whether we’re moving toward or away from the truth and reality of mankind’s situation.  If we’re sinners in dire need of a Savior, then we should look to Jesus, not government, for salvation – because He always has our best interests at heart.  The more we trust in humanity’s goodness, the less dependence we have on God’s (goodness).  Culture erodes when leaders don’t espouse and policies don’t reflect the truth about (almighty) God and (fallible) mankind.  Misplaced faith in our adequacy encourages living for the moment, justifying immorality, “living my truth”, compromising values, breaking down the “traditional” family, relying on self, and escaping reality when it inevitably fails to meet our unrealistic expectations.

How Jesus Exposed Human Nature

America inches closer to decline, not a Golden Age, each time its citizens buy into the lie that man is inherently good.  Repentance through the work of the Holy Spirit is the key to revival, but the impetus for repentance diminishes when Hollywood, universities, and social media convince people they’re perfect just as they are.  An onslaught of people-positive messaging is necessary to sustain the delusion (about human nature), because an authentic self-perception lies just below the surface.  Every minute a person spends pursuing self-actualization, he or she precariously teeters on the edge of self-awareness.  In other words, while chasing freedom from moral restraint and remorse, guilt and shame are always nipping at their heels.  Non-believers tend to keep Christians and Christianity at arms-length to maintain their fragile illusion, live as they please, and suppress conscience.  The mere presence of a Christ-follower threatens to turn on a light they would rather remain extinguished.

Exposing someone’s true nature is as simple as convincing them to look just under the covers.  That’s why there’s no need to confront society head-on with an “air assault”, dropping verbal bombs, to destroy the delusion.  The better plan of attack is a “ground campaign”, lovingly shining the light on man’s sinful human nature by comparison to our Father’s holiness.  Jesus modeled and mandated several imperatives for making people aware of their sin and their need for Him:

1. He demonstrated His power and Peter “fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’” (Luke 5:8)
2. He showed His compassion and the leper “fell with his face to the ground and begged him, ‘Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.’” (Luke 5:12)
3. He offered physical and spiritual healing and “everyone was amazed and gave praise to God. They were filled with awe and said, ‘We have seen remarkable things today.’” (Luke 5:26)

Witnessing Jesus’ love, power, and forgiveness they came face to face with God’s nature and undeniably understood their unworthiness.  Instantly, they realized being in proximity to Jesus was standing on holy ground.  The Church is the Bride of Christ tasked with being His hands and feet, to carry on His work by the power of the Holy Spirit.  But does stepping into most churches today feel like walking on holy ground?  We represent a God so awesome that no one should be able to come into His presence without confessing and transforming in the blink of an eye.

Path to a True Golden Age in 2025

Our job is to reflect the Lord’s nature to illuminate man’s sinfulness.  Christians are born again into a new nature “created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:24)  We are commanded to “let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)  But do we have enough countercultural courage to convey a transformed nature so loving and humble that those around us question their own “goodness”?

Good isn’t good without bad.  Bad isn’t bad without good.  Dark can’t survive light.  Until some people see examples of what is truly good, they’ll consider themselves its epitome.  We can reactivate someone’s dormant conscience by giving them a glimpse of Christ’s righteousness.  Doing the opposite of what human nature typically does exposes sin and dispels the delusion:

• Expecting hate, shock them with love
• Expecting judgment, surprise them with kindness
• Expecting confrontation, respond with service
• Expecting self-righteousness, give them confession
• Expecting hypocrisy, be transparent (otherwise Jesus can’t be seen through us)
• Expecting retreat into comfortable confines, take the good news of Jesus out
• Expecting us to take care of our own, pour out generosity
• Expecting retribution on social media, offer forgiveness
• Expecting division amongst ourselves, show unity and love for one another
• Expecting self-centeredness, die to self

Frankly, it’s not hard to “compete” with human nature.  People do what people do.  It’s simple to stand out in stark contrast from the secular crowd.  Society envisions utopia but instead gets entropy because human nature doesn’t ever get better unless it is transformed by God’s nature.  The only countercultural force in the universe is sanctification through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Our nation’s hope for a Golden Age lies in understanding and living the truth of the depravity of human nature.  Otherwise, America will go the way of all defunct empires in world history.  Time periods and nationalities may change, but human nature remains the same.

It’s Your Turn…

How have you or your church debunked fallacies and shattered perceptions of human nature as good, Jesus as unnecessary, and mankind as the hero of its own story?