I was born this way (and God doesn’t make junk)

Just because you were born this way does not mean that you should stay this way

Everyone is born a natural person with a human nature. They have instinctive needs for food, water, clothing, shelter. They have human desires for love and care. They have normal goals to grow up, raise offspring, and leave a legacy. They have innate tendencies to think, act, behave, or proceed in a particular way. And, the Bible tells us, everyone has inherited a fallen nature (Romans 5:12), which tends to do awful things.

They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious toward parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. (Romans 1:29-31 NRSV)

Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these. (Galatians 5:19-21 NRSV)

Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. (Genesis 6:5)

What if I was born a murderer? Should I stay that way? Should society accept me that way? Should I be encouraged to practice my natural lifestyle? Should you love me as I am? What about deceitful liars, inventors of evil, ruthless people, strife makers, or any other natural born proclivities?

The guilt of natural born humankind

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and wickedness of those who by their wickedness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. Ever since the creation of the world his eternal power and divine nature, invisible though they are, have been understood and seen through the things he has made. So they are without excuse; for though they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their senseless minds were darkened. (Romans 1:18-21 NRSV)

Jesus Christ supplies the power to change the way you were born

For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, “The one who is righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:16-17 NRSV)

And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. (Colossians 2:13-15 NRSV)

Come to Jesus and let him change the way you think

  •  Change the way you think and act.  Turn away from all the rebellious things that you have done so that you will not fall into sin. (Ezek 18:30)
  •  Change the way you think and act!  Turn from your wicked ways! (Ezek 33:11)
  • But if you don’t turn to God and  change the way you think and act,  then you, too, will all die. (Luke 13:5)
  • Peter answered them, “All of you must turn to God and  change the way you think and act…”  (Acts 2:38)
  • But I’m happy now, not because I made you uncomfortable, but because the distress I caused you has led you to  change the way you think and act  (2 Cor 7:9)
  • Don’t you realize that it is  God’s kindness that is trying to lead you to him and change the way you think and act?  (Rom 2:4)
  • Since you are stubborn and  don’t want to change the way you think and act,  you are adding to the anger that God will have against you on that day (Rom 2:5)
  •  let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think  (Rom 12:2)
  •  be renewed in the spirit of your minds;  and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph 4:2324)
  • asking God to  fill you with the knowledge  of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding (Col 1:9)
  • since you have taken off the old self with its practices, [su_higlight]and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge[/su_highlight] in the image of its Creator. (Col 3:9-10)
  • The Lord isn’t slow to do what he promised …  but wants all people to have an opportunity to turn to him and  change the way they think and act.  (2 Peter 3:9)
  • Return to me and  change the way you think and act,  and do what you did at first. (Rev 2:5)

Featured image from http://www.scoopvenue.com/2017/03/top-6-evil-humans-ever-live-earth/