7 C's of History - 2nd C: Corruption

Preached by David Kautt on September 14th, 2008 at Northwest Christian Church:

Scripture passages: Romans 5:12:

12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned— (NKJV)

1 Corinthians 15:21-22:

21 For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. (NKJV)

Romans 8:18 - 23:

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

The Seven C's of History. Last LORD's day we began a look at this subject: the Seven C's of History, in order to compare them and contrast them with the secular humanist, evolutionary point-of-view held by so many. And also, so as to prepare and equip us, as Christians, with reasons, logical, meaningful and most of all, Biblical reasons for the hope we have in Jesus Christ.

I don't know if you realize or not, my friends, but there's a war going on right now in our world, in our society, and I'm not talking about the ones where bombs & tanks & guns are being used as weapons. Rather, the war of which I speak is a war over that immortal question Pontius Pilate asked Jesus: "What is truth?" "What is truth?" (See John 18:38) What is the truth regarding the reason behind everything, who we are, who we got here, why we are here, and where are we going? Is the truth about ultimate origins to be summed up like this: "Something came from nothing, across the span of millions, even billions of years, through the agency of blind chance, finally, folks like us are on the scene? Is that the truth about ultimate origins and causes? Or, is the truth that which is summed up in the very first verse of this Book, "In the beginning God created the heavens & the earth."?

Creation at the hands of the All-Wise, All-Powerful Creator, that's the first 'C' of history, and that's the truth about ultimate origins. But, what about the second? Before we explore it and explain it, allow me to ask you, how many of you noticed the messages on our church signboard this morning, as you entered the building? Two questions, two penetrating questions, that likely cause even the best prepared of us to squirm a little bit. Number one, "Why is there death and suffering?" Why is there death and suffering? What is the truth about those two subjects? And, along with that, question number two, "Why does God allow hurricanes?" Why did God allow Ike to pound the Texas gulf coast, just 24 hours, or so, ago?

Corruption, that's the second 'C' of history. But does it adequately, effectively, logically and yes, most important of all, explain the problem of death and suffering, in a Biblical way? Beloved, I don't know if you realize or not, but, from the vantage point of secular humanism and Darwinian evolution, death is a friend. Death is, that means, that mechanism, if you will, through which greater, up-the-ladder, evolutionary development and improvement come to pass. Darwinian evolution, the heart and soul of secular humanism;s theology, philosophy, biology, and so on. In effect, Darwinian evolution teaches that is a friend!

Now, before we look at what God's Word has to say about all of that, allow me just to ask you to respond to that statement, "Death is a friend" from the stand point of your heart and your mind. For example you take a trip to the cemetery following the hearse, as it carries the lifeless form of your spouse, your child, your parent, your friend; is death a friend? Is is?! Or, how about this scenario: you're seated in your doctor's office, when in walks the Physician with a most grim expression on his face, and the words, the news, "Your condition is terminal!" Some of you have been there in that office, recently! How did you respond? Is death a friend? Is it?! What is the truth about suffering and death? Are they a friend, sort of "pave stones" in the "thorough-fare" called "evolutionary progress". Or, or, are they to be blamed on God?! How could a good God, a loving God allow a terrible, devastating event like Hurricane Ike to occur? Or, is there a third possibility, here? What is the truth about suffering and death?

The first 'C' of history this divinely inspired Book presents is the one we labeled Creation. Creation. How does that portion of history begin and end? Do you remember? Genesis chapter one; it begins with the awesome, powerful wisdom of God, our Creator. And, it runs all the way through to the end, Genesis 1, verse 31; not with death, but with life; not with what our heart and soul screams is bad, but with what God declares to be good, very, very good! What is the truth about suffering and death; about hurricanes and their horrible devastation? Genesis chapter 3 provides the case-in-point. And, places like Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:21-22 and Romans 8:18-23, supply the explanation and interpretation. Beloved, the truth about suffering and death, about hurricanes and their awful devastation, is not that is has always been - millions, even billions of years of slow, gradual upward (??), yes "progress" - nor is it to be found in blaming God, He caused it! Rather, my friends, do we believe, really believe what this Book says? The truth about suffering and death, according to this Book; is that one man, Adam, sinned and through that one man's sin, suffering and it's ultimate conclusion, death, entered into the world! In Adam, all die! ALL! And yes, because of sin, Creation, plants, plan-ets, animals, and people - all creation - groans. Why? Because death is a friend? No! But because death is the ultimate foe!

Corruption, the awful effects of sin - Adam's sin - and yes, our sin, upon our lives and upon this world. I want to give you at least five reasons why this second 'C' of history, why we simply must not let go of it or trade it away for the "death is a friend" way of thinking.

First, the "death is a friend" evolutionary mind-set, what impact does it have on one's view of life? One has to look no further back into the history of mankind than to the days of Adolf Hitler and godless Nazi Regime, to see it. One has to go no further than across town to that place called the 'Planned Parenthood Clinic', to see that Charles Darwin "Death is a friend" viewpoint actually serves to cheapen the value of life! "Get out of the way, you weak ones! Get out of the way, you defectives ones! Get out of the way, you elderly and in-firmed ones! Get out of the way, you unwanted ones!" We must cling to 'C' number two - Corruption - as the explanation for sickness, suffering and death, lest we sink into the cesspool of abortion, infanticide and euthanasia; the view-point that ought right to be called "Pro-death"!

Second, we must reject the "Death is a friend" evolutionary model, because of how it completely cuts sin out of the picture! You think about it, millions, perhaps even billions of years of death prior to mankind's arrival; through this process of evolutionary development, how could God called millions - maybe even billions - of years of death, "good"?! Fact is, He didn't! Furthermore, millions and billions of years of death, prior to the appearance of Adam and Eve - and their sin - in the Garden of Eden, what does that do? It directly contradicts Genesis 1 through 3, Romans 5 and 8, and 1 Corinthians 15!

Third, look ahead to the last 3 'C's' of history (Christ, Cross & Consummation), and think with me: If sin is not the cause, the reason, behind death, then what is the reason for Christ's coming to this earth? Then what is the meaning and purpose of the Cross? Do you see it, my Loved Ones? If sin is not the reason for sickness, suffering and death, then Jesus' death - Jesus' sacrificial, substitutionary death for us - was un-necessary; there is no reason - despite what the apostle Paul declares in Romans 5:6-11 - for God to "demonstrate His love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, powerless, ungodly, and (even His enemies), Christ died for us." There's no reason, no purpose for the Cross, if death and suffering and sin are not connected!

Fourth, what of the gospel, and what of the task of proclaiming the gospel? If death is friend and not foe, if the evolutionary explanation for the how and why of suffering and death is the truth; then, not only is our preaching in vain, so is our faith! "Let us eat and drink (and be merry), we're gonna die tomorrow, anyway, right?!" (1 Corinthians 15:12 - 34)

Last of all, if the viewpoint of secular humanism and Darwinian evolution, about death is right - that death is man's ultimate end - then what of our hope? What of our hope? There is no light at the end of the tunnel, marked "Bondage to Decay"! If death is the end... there is no joy - just ahead - as the groan of this age ends and the glory of the age to come begins, forever! There is none of this, if Corruption and death is not linked to sin!

But listen, beloved - listen - one the authority of the One who is Truth, I stand before you today to declare to you that Corruption - sickness and disease, hurricanes and devastation, and death - is not a friend, but a foe! Sickness and disease, hurricanes and devastation, and death, these are not what always has been; but what entered into this world when Adam and Eve deliberately broke God's law.

No, listen, my friends - listen - this explanation of death, corruption as a result of sin, does not serve to cheapen life; rather, it serves to underscore, underscore, just how valuable life - all human life - is! And, instead of gutting the gospel, by negating the necessity of the Cross of Christ, what does 'C' number two do? Genesis 3, verse 15, it points us forward to the Seed of woman, Jesus Christ, begotten of God the Father, but born of the virgin Mary, that He might crush the head of the Serpent and defeat death once and for all!

Finally, this explanation - this one right here in this Book - as to the truth about death and suffering, you know what it does? How is ought to impact you and me? Let me read it to you one more time:

18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; 21 because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

Corruption, the second 'C' of history, how does it answer the age-old questions regarding the reasons behind suffering and death - hurricanes and devastation? Are you listening? This Book answers those questions, not with fallen man's opinions, but with the truth - the simple, powerful, liberating, hope-supplying truth - from the One who is Truth!