I want to start a series of blogs about human vices and virtues that can be applied to yours and mine's life. We like to think that we are good people by birth, or evil people by birth. Modern man believes themselves to be good and progressing toward a better person with hard work and struggles while Christians believe in the original sin coined by Augustine in the 3rd century A.D. Original sin talks about Adam and Eve taking and eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil making death inherently inevitable for man. Any person through this philosophy will claim that man is inherently evil. The bible says through Paul in Romans about Jacob and Esau that "before they did any good or evil", so when you are born, you inherited a clean slate: Clean from the good and evil deeds and words of yourselves and parents. A child doesn't know good or evil from birth, it is taught by example and teachers with words and deeds. Just because a newborn is new in ignorance, doesn't mean he or she is not capable of good or evil-- We are all able to do or say good or evil: that's the power of freewill.
This capability can be dangerous and a lot of people don't want to be responsible for their actions. Yes, there are consequences for vices like the lack of happiness of a greedy man or woman whose sole purpose is the love of money. Or, the poverty of a person who is able to work but doesn't because they feel entitled to riches without diligent hard work, so they chose laziness or theft to satisfy their tastes. Or, the consequence of a prideful spirit of independence believing one's self to be better than their neighbor because of pride of self when achieving something. There is nothing wrong with achieving something, but to make yourself pridefully better than someone else doesn't make you a better person. We all are capable of these vices, including myself, and that should frighten us to the core. I love Benjamin Franklin's saying that says: "Make war with your vices." The problem today is that we believe we don't have any vices because we have inherited perfection: it's an illusion and a lie.
History tells us that man or woman is capable of the most destructive evils and the greatest triumph of good. Spain's Ferdinand and Isabelle in 1492 justified their evil acts against the Jews with the Spanish Inquisition using a proverb from the scriptures to justify the popes decision. Spainard's used torture chambers with machines to pull arms and legs from a Jew's body to murder them with torment. If modern America believed deceitfully that we are not capable of such evil, look at abortion. The same tactic used against the Jews are being used on unborn babies. We are able to stop this abomination, so please end the abomination and make a choice to never repeat the past.
Goodness can happen as well by our good choices. David and his men were afraid because of death threats from Saul, and a messenger said that Keilah was being attacked by the Philistines. David inquired of God twice, and obeyed to go to Keilah to save that city from Israel's enemies. David chose to do good despite the evil against him and God rewarded him with a kingship and dynasty that lasts for all time. In American history, George Washington, After General Gate's victory at Saratoga in 1777, was pushed by Congress as well as general Conway and Gates to be dethroned from his office of generalship. It all started with a letter from Conway to Gates that was leaked to Washington that attacked his character. Washington ignored the attack and chose self-control and not to little himself to the level of those who ambitiously desired his station with jealousy. Washington knew he was capable of such pettiness because of man's human nature. He chose self-control and dignity. With that virtue came confidence of the people and that confidence made him the first president of the United States of America.
Jesus knew human nature and knew He become a man with such nature--even though he's the Son of God. He was all points tempted as we are yet without sin. Jesus saw a woman caught in adultery and she was accused by the Pharisees, He went on His humble knees to write on the ground. I believe He did this to remind Himself of the evil he could do in this temptation, so He needed a remainder of the commandments. He said: "Whoever is perfect, let him cast the first stone." The Pharisees were convinced of their conscience seeing what Jesus wrote, and walked away. When Jesus and the women were alone, Jesus said with love and grace: "Go and sin no more." I don't know about you, O reader, but I want to follow Jesus, my example, knowing my capabilities of vices and virtues. I hope in future blogs, I will discuss specific vices and virtues, so please continue to read, my friends.
