The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Grace H. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Research - Nature of Man
MAN IS EVIL. In my research through the Bible I have come to the conclusion that man is evil. In Genesis 3:22, the second that Eve bit the forbidden fruit, sin entered into her heart and man has been bound by it ever since. No matter how hard we try to avoid it, sin is constantly gnawing at our souls. Genesis 4:7 says, "sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it." For thousands of years man has been striving for perfection. We take God given inspirations and try to achieve them on our own. Cain gives us a good example of this in Genesis 4:1-16, where he decides God doesn't need the best of his harvest. Able, his brother, however, honors God with his best lamb and keeps God the center. Cain, infuriated and embarrassed by his offering, kills Able out of jealousy and hate, allowing sin to take control of his life. The whole Old Testament demonstrates repeatedly how man falls without God. Proverbs 14:34: "righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people."
"No one is righteous, not even one. No one seeks God, all have turned aside." (Romans 3:9-10) The Israelites are an illustration of this in how they continued to turn from God and worship false idols. Today we tend to think that the only ones who do that are those of false religions. This is a deception. The fact is, everything that we put ahead of God becomes and idol. "Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles." Rom 1:22-23. Sports, politics, fashion, drugs, alcohol, popularity, work, is all nothing when compared to the eternal aspect of life. They draw us away from the Creator and take hold of our lives. If we let these things consume our lives we deserve eternal damnation. "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, made us alive together with Christ, by grace you have been saved". Ephesians 2:4.
Humans tend to fall into judging ourselves by our intentions or talking ourselves up and deceiving ourselves about our true nature. Then we turn around and judge others with harshness and cruelty. God says, "Do not judge or you too will be judged, for in the same way you judge others you will be judged and with the measure you use it will be measured to you". Matthew 7:1-2. The only way around this treacherous path is Jesus Christ, the sacrificial Lamb of God. Only through Him is there a glimmer of hope in this dark world. It will be hard, but God never promised that the way would be easy. The reward in the end will be much greater than the struggles we endure on earth. Also, "your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering," 1 Peter 5:9b. Hold fast in the fight against our evil nature, for God will never forsake us, but we will forsake Him.
