Dear Trekker,
I am sad this month as pen again goes to paper. Oh how polarized is America! This great melting pot is melting away in a cauldron of hate, fear. anger and personal entitlement.
An interview a few years ago by a TV reporter with Anne Graham Lotz, Billy Graham’s daughter, produced telling words. I share them because they are applicable, true and sobering. In response “How could God let this happen?” Lotz commented: “I say God is also angry when He sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, “God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business – we want you out of our market place.” And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life, removing His hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first and say, “God, we’re sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins. We need to practice it.”
There are many ways to say “we have forgotten God.” One may describe it differently than Lotz. Yet, the sin of unbelief in all God has said and done has consequences. Unbelief always has dire consequences! Why will some be cut off forever and be condemned to eternal separation from God? John 3:18 could not be more clear: “For whoever believes in Him (Jesus) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already (currently, at the present time) because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only son.” (Trekker, read all of the Nicodemus dialogue vv 1-21.) The condemning sin of all sins is only one – unbelief. It bears repeating…the sin of unbelief has consequences as no other sin in our lives!
It all started in the Garden of Eden, did it not? (Go back to Genesis 2 and 3 with me.) God made man for Himself, in His image, to have fellowship with Him continually. But he wasn’t seeking more angels without the power of choice to believe God’s word or not! Man did have the power to choose to believe or not to believe what God said. God was explicit, v.17, Chapter 2: “You are free to eat of any tree in the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”
This was a command to Adam, as Eve was not yet created. Death is separation from God, because God is forever alive. In Chapter 3 we know Adam passed on the command to Eve, as the Serpent (the devil always appears in disguise) said to Eve, “Did God really say, “you must not eat from any tree in the garden?” Eve understood the question and corrected the Serpent…“but God did say you must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden and you must not taste it or you will die (Genesis 3:1-3). The devil is crafty, saying, v. 4, “You will not surely die…for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” A devil twisted lie – man is not like God at that point. Man is dominated by evil, because he has disobeyed God and is feeling the death of faculties. And such death (physical, spiritual, etc.) has never stopped.
Death kills all relationships. We become totally self-absorbed. Though made in the image of God, we focus not on Him, but on ourselves. We turn inward, not outward to God and others. We become obsessed with self and enter “the dark side of unbelief.” We do not think straight; we can’t help ourselves. We are dead in trespasses and sins. No one seeks God (only self), no not one (Eph 2:1, Romans 3:11). We are totally self-absorbed because of sin (Romans 3:10-12, Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3).
If the condemning sin is unbelief, “turning the coin over,” we see on the underside, the scourge of entitlement! Self says, I am special. I deserve “whatever” I want or desire. What is yours is mine and I will take it. The end (satisfaction of self) justifies any means! I am entitled because of who I am to whatever I want to have, to be, or to do. All means are at my disposal…and no law is above the law to please and gratify myself. This sin cycle, trekker, prevents order and peaceful communal living.
Entitlement is intoxicating to contemplate. As I have reflected on this non-biblical word, the “seven deadly sins” (sloth, lust, anger, pride, envy, greed, gluttony) come into new light. Entitlement is at the base of them all. “I deserve you to take care of me because you owe it to me” is sloth (laziness), and entitlement rolled into one. The Apostle Paul told the Thessalonians, “if you don’t work, you don’t eat.” Pretty straightforward. Rape is lust entitlement! Anger exposes the sin of entitlement. Pride is the essence of entitlement. As is envy, greed and gluttony. “I deserve it all” – the voice of entitlement clearly says!
“What is the power of God unto salvation” for this dark side of unbelief? It is the freedom and enabling power of the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:16-17). Evil thoughts centering on satisfaction of self are replaced by the Spirit with thoughts turning to God and others. “The Holy Spirit reprograms us,” we might say.
There are ways for us all to combat the prevalent attitude of entitlement. As believers, we all must fight the feeling of entitlement. I hear often the phrase, “You deserve” this or that. Caution… self-focus may lead to self-indulgence and narcissistic behavior patterns. We are entitled to nothing, even in Christ, but by His grace and mercy, we are blessed.
Three practical suggestions are in order for all of us: 1) We must own our behavior and take responsibility for our actions. 2) We need to replace entitlement with gratitude for what we already have. An attitude of gratitude for and in everything is key to healthy living for us all. 3) We’ve got to do toward others (all others) what we would like others to do for us. It is really common sense, not to think more highly of ourselves than we ought (Romans 12:3, Proverbs 3:7).
Be blessed, trekker. We all can win the battle against entitlement
Your trekker friend,
Jim Meredith
