OPINION: HARRY MARTINEZ: A needed balance

Kevin Hall, The Moultrie Observer, Ga.
·4 min read

Apr. 17—One cannot escape the accounts of ever-increasing criminal activity in our society. The various news media are saturated with what is characterized as "bad news." Sadly, these same outlets note the lack of solutions or means to effectively combat these issues.

There was a time in this country, that the root cause of all wrong was a frequent subject from the pulpits of most churches. Morality, respect for God's laws and institutions, including respect for authority, whether parental or law enforcement, were taught from a Biblical perspective. That which was wrong was called sin. Granted it was not a warming popular sermon topic when compared to hearing of the love of God. The reality of sin present in the world is obvious. However, it is God who has made possible a spiritual solution for the inherent sinful nature in man.

The Apostle Paul described the spiritual condition of mankind when he wrote ... "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23 NIV). He then explained the reason for this ... "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way, death came to all men, because all sinned" (Rom 5:12 NIV). The Apostle was speaking of spiritual death due to Adam's disobedience in the Garden. His acquisition of a sin nature and spiritual death would be passed on to the entire human race ... "for as in Adam all die" (1 Cor 15:22a NIV).

Had the Apostle Paul ended his message with this divine condemnation on the human race, humanity would be hopelessly lost, destined for an eternity apart from God. However, the Holy Spirit quickly had Paul reveal the solution to man's sinful nature ... "so in Christ all will be made alive" (1 Cor 15:22b NIV). This was the "good news" that all men needed to hear then and now ... "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16 NIV).

There was a balance in John's message. To receive God's offer of the Son brings eternal life and relationship with God as His child. To reject that offer leaves man alienated from God in the same spiritual condition in which he was physically born. "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son" (John 3:17-18 NIV). Each individual must face the same issue in life; what will be one's attitude toward the work of Christ on the Cross. Will it be to accept or reject His payment for sin?

The Gospel of John presents the eternal God who became flesh and entered into this world to remedy the sinful condition of mankind. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men" (John 1:1-4 NIV). "He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God" (John 1:10-13 NIV).

The work of God the Holy Spirit is to take the Word of God and convict sinful man of his need for a Savior. He faithfully reveals that ... "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Rom 5:8 NIV).

Harry Martinez, a resident of Albany, is a retired minister who served a nondenominational congregation in Florida. His weekly column appears in several South Georgia newspapers.