Maybe the concept is too subtle for the bottle-fed folks, but readers of this blog should be able to handle it. The Bible says we are fallen. It does not say humans will always take the most selfish path. It is quite possible for humans to be moved by altruism while spiritually dead because the flame of moral truth burns in every heart, even if only a tiny flicker.
The whole point made in Scripture is that God has planted His witness in the hearts of humanity. Everyone is fully capable of recognizing the voice of God in Creation. That way, no one has any excuse when they stand before Him on the Day of Judgment. So God placed receptor in all human hearts; it’s a sensory organ by nature. A great many humans have no idea why they react as they do on some things. They aren’t conscious of how their hearts work, but they do know they are moved at times by altruistic pressures in their own souls.
The Fall doesn’t mean humans are incapable of responding to moral suasion. It means that we are not at peace with God by default. It means that yielding to moral truth does not make peace with God when that response is piecemeal and self-directed. Most of all, it means that you cannot claim God’s blessings until you bow the knee to revelation, until you stop trusting your own internal resources to evaluate what is good and evil.
The Fall means you do trust your own faculties instead of revelation. That’s the whole sum of being fallen — choosing to trust your own faculties on the question of good and evil. By definition, you cannot possibly do anything “good” without revelation. Not just a memorized copy of what you perceive to be revelation, but you must live in communion with God’s Holy Spirit, constantly listening and responding in order to meet His definition of goodness in all contexts. It is utterly impossible to objectify revelation; revelation is a relationship, a living connection.
A fallen nature is a predilection to ignore God’s demands. It’s such a deep and abiding issue in the flesh that the only solution is to submit to a death warrant, to be executed at a time and place of God’s choosing. He literally owns the balance of your human existence. Even that requires His divine assistance, because no flesh can make such a decision. So peace with God requires a miracle that allows you to accept His terms of peace, so that you can then decide to submit to Him as Lord. And it requires a conscious commitment to keep exercising that miraculous gift moment by moment.
Yes, there are a tiny few folks out there who will continue to live their human lives after having made some momentous decision the other way. There are truly demonic folks out there, and you should be able to sense their nature in your heart. Sometimes it’s a conditional thing, and it may be your experience while not so much for others. It’s fuzzy and God isn’t going to shave it down for your convenience. All you really need to know is that you will encounter folks who will never manifest that flame of moral awareness. Study and pray to know how you should respond.
A primary sign of the more common fallen nature is that folks will honestly believe they are essentially good. That’s a doctrine of our secular world. It requires the presence of the Holy Spirit to realize what an awful sinner you are. Humility is a gift of the Spirit. It doesn’t prevent you developing a sense of confidence that God will provide and use you in His work, but it does keep you face down at His feet. It keeps you grateful and compassionate. It also teaches you to rise up in conflict when God says it’s needed for His glory.
Don’t substitute any other care or concern in place of your commitment to His glory. That’s what distinguishes us in His eyes from the rest of the fallen world.
