Leroy Richarson/Local Minister
Is there any hope for humanity? War, racism, theft, rape, murder, abuse, genocide, pollution. What atrocities won’t humans execute? Humans have the opportunity to change their stages from birth to death if they desire. A way has been provided. “No man can know his true self, caught between this potential for depravity and this potential for divinity, except in the light of what happened on Calvary.” –Stuart LeRoy Anderson
Stage One. What does the Maker of humans say about them in the beginning? Well, according to the written record of Genesis, He says they are good. If that is so, what transpired to change them into some of the wretched creatures of all time? The good thing about humans in the beginning was their innocence. Innocence in the sense that they had never experienced any thing that caused them pain, hurt, or disappointment yet had purpose that benefited the earth.
Stage Two. Humanity’s evilness started when he fell from innocence by his own choice. The fall or rebellion against his Maker initiated an avalanche of emotions that led man on a downhill slide that has continued for generations. Each generation more evil than the previous. Leo Tolstoy(Russian author) said, “Every body thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.” Is it possible to be redeemed back to a previous state of innocence?
What does humans say about humans? Some say that humans are of a few days and full of trouble. Some say that humans are evil from their youth up. Some say even human imaginations are evil. Some say humans are worms. If humans think humans are evil, what hope is there? As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.
Stage Three. The Maker decided before humanity began to redeem His rebellious children back to a state of right standing by becoming one of them. He lived among the rebellious and showed them the power, prestige, and protection they were missing. Now any human who wants to be good again can receive the intestinal fortitude of the Spirit of their Maker and be redeemed. How is this possible you ask?
“Our humanity were a poor thing but for the divinity that stirs within us.”(Bacon) Jesus Christ, the Anointed One, is the Redeemer who bridges the gap back to the Maker. To become good again happens when humans accept and receive whom the Maker sent to bring humanity back to Him. His Spirit then lives within them forever. “In these two things the greatness of man consists: to have God so dwelling in us as to impart his character to us, and to have him so dwelling in us that we recognize his presence, and know that we are his, and he is ours. The one is salvation; the other, the assurance of it.” -Robertson
At what stage are you?