"What the hell is wrong with us?"

On Wednesday, May 26, 2021, after the San Jose shooting that left ten people dead, the governor of California asked, "What the hell is going on in the United States of America? What the hell is wrong with us?" It's an important question. Yet, it's one we seldom ask. What’s wrong with us?

Allow me to offer a few thoughts from the Bible. First of all, the question presupposes that something is indeed wrong with us. Man’s inhumanity to man, which has been on display since Cain murdered his brother Abel, is a clear indicator that something is amiss. There’s a glitch in the system that causes us to inflict harm on ourselves and others. Why do we lie, cheat, steal, and kill? Why do we covet our neighbor’s stuff? The short answer is we do these things because we’re fallen sinners in need of mercy and grace.

The Scriptures teach that the sin of Adam and Eve resulted in all their offspring possessing a depraved nature, a sin nature. In the celestial register, the fall of Adam has been charged or imputed to every member of the human race. It’s as if the yet-to-be-born children of Adam and Eve participated in their parents’ crime of cosmic treason. Adam’s sin has been charged to our account because we were “in” Adam when he transgressed the command of the LORD. Furthermore, we’ve done our own share of sinning. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8).

Jesus said men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil (John 3:19). Because of our fallen nature, we naturally lean toward the dark side. Just look around and you’ll see this played out every day. The degree of violence happening in our country is appalling and shameful. In my book, The Spiritual Awakening of America, I take a unique look at the violent offenses committed during a "typical week" in America. I contend the heart of the human problem is the problem of the human heart.

The Word of God says in Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Isaiah 53:6 proclaims, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way.” We are a dusty lot, one and all. In Proverbs 20:9, the Most High God has a question for us: “Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?”

No one has the ability to clean their own wicked heart. An Ethiopian can’t change his skin, nor a leopard its spots. Neither can we do good who are accustomed to doing evil (Jeremiah 13:23). Why not? Because that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit (John 3:6). We’re all sons and daughters of Adam, born of the flesh, and our flesh is dumb (Romans 7:18).

The Bible states in Galatians 5 that the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another. In other words, my fallen nature is actively opposed to the things of God. Here is a list of the sinful deeds and passions of our flesh: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like;…” (Gal. 5:19-21a).

That’s not a pretty picture, but it’s the inborn tendency of our flesh, our sin nature. It’s the awful stuff we see in the news every single day. Because we’re fallen, we have a natural inclination to run wild and sin and live for pleasure. I’ll be the first to confess that I’m inherently hateful and selfish and dusty, and guess what? So are you! You want to know what’s wrong with us? We’re fallen. Jesus said we’re like scattered sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:36). We’ve made great advancements in science and technology, but our core nature has not changed since the days of Adam. We have traveled to the moon and back; but a person will kill you for stepping on their shoes! We’re silly, deceived children tossed about by the world, the flesh and the devil. That’s my brief, biblical answer to what’s wrong with us. Which begs the question, how can we make it right?

The Scriptures are just as explicit regarding the solution to our problem as it is regarding the problem itself. We find this gem in 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, “For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.” In this fascinating chapter, Christ is referred to as the “last Adam” (v.45) and the “second Man” (v.47). The first man or first Adam in Genesis 3 disobeyed the LORD and plunged his children into sin and death. However, the last Adam stayed faithful and righteous all the way to the point of death. He was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, “by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:3). Jesus died a cruel death for your sins and mine. But on the third day God resurrected our Lord, granting him victory over death and the power of sin. And now, in Christ, his children are also victorious over death and the power of sin. Per John 5:24, believers have already passed out of death into life!

So, in a sense, the solution to our problem is quite simple. In Adam all die; in Christ all shall be made alive. The Spirit of God teaches us, “Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19 NKJV).

Check out these super clear passages from Holy Writ: “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit” (1 Peter 3:18). In Adam we all die; in Christ we are made alive. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life. "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

Are you ready to repent of (turn from) your sins? Are you ready to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead? If so, that’s the road to salvation! To be born of the flesh is to be in Adam; to be born (again) of the Spirit is to be in Christ. By walking in the power of the Spirit and the Word, we gain the victory over our dumb flesh (Galatians 5:16). To learn more about the last Adam, check out the "Jesus is Lord" tab here.

Incidentally, we celebrate Memorial Day this coming Monday. It’s a time to honor the service members who gave their lives for the freedoms we enjoy today. In an infinitely greater measure, the Lord Jesus Christ made the ultimate sacrifice in order to liberate us from the chains of sin and death. "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!" ~ Revelation 5:12

We’ve discussed what is wrong with us from a biblical perspective. We’ve also seen how we can make it right. Lastly, did you notice that Governor Newsom included himself in this critical question? He doesn’t ask, “What’s wrong with them?” Or, “What’s the problem with you people?” He put himself in the mess and that’s a good place to start.

Otherness is the tendency to blame someone else for all our problems in life. Instead of looking inward and taking ownership of the situation and controlling our controllables, otherness is looking outward for a scapegoat. Otherness is a cop-out because it prevents us from being reflective, from examining ourselves to uncover what responsibility we have in our current situation.

It’s my firm conviction that a revival is the solution to the many problems in America today. But a true revival will never come if the people of God are unwilling to confess their sins and take to heart what’s happening around them. King David said, “Rivers of water run down from my eyes, because men do not keep Your law” (Psalm 119:136). Are we heart-broken over the sins of America? If not, shame on us!

We find a great pattern of revival in the book of Nehemiah, chapters 8-9. I believe the church today can benefit greatly by doing a deep dive into these two chapters. This is during the time of Israel’s return to Jerusalem following their captivity in Babylon. The Jews have been punished by the LORD for their rebellion and sinfulness (Lamentations 2:17), and now a small remnant is allowed to return. Let’s pick up the account at chapter 9, verses 1-3:

“Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, in sackcloth, and with dust on their heads. Then those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from all foreigners; and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for one-fourth of the day; and for another fourth they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.” Clear teaching of the Word, confession of sin and worship are three key elements in revival.

Notice please, they fasted with dust on their heads and they separated themselves from foreigners or strangers. But why the separation? Was it due to racial concerns? I think not, for God is no respecter of persons and the Jews were commanded to love the stranger, see Deut. 10:17-19. The LORD had an issue with the strangers in the camp and called for their separation, not because of their race but because of their religion, or to be more accurate, because of their false religion. During this period of revival when Israel is making a renewed commitment to walk in the fear of the LORD, all other gods were to be cast aside. So, the issue is the false religions and evil deeds of the strangers, not the race of the strangers. It’s important to make that distinction.

Check out Psalm 106:34-37 NKJV: “They [the Jewish nation] did not destroy the peoples, concerning whom the LORD had commanded them, but they mingled with the Gentiles and learned their works; they served their idols, which became a snare to them. They even sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.” If the foreigners who were traveling with the Jews feared Yahweh, no problem. But if the foreigners continued to serve idols, there’s the rub.

Generations later, we read, “But King Solomon loved many foreign women…from the nations of whom the LORD had said to the children of Israel, ‘You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you. Surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love…For it was so, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned his heart after other gods; and his heart was not loyal to the LORD his God, as was the heart of his father David” (1 Kings 11:1-2, 4). Here again, the Jewish mandate to separate themselves from Gentiles was due to the (false) religion of the Gentiles and not their race.

Another noteworthy point from Nehemiah 9 is they not only confessed their own sins, they also confessed “the iniquities of their fathers.” Their Jewish ancestors, who vowed to walk in the fear of the LORD, failed to uphold their side of the covenant. They forgot about Yahweh after they took possession of the promised land. Verses 25-27a (NKJV) of chapter nine tells us: “And they took strong cities and a rich land, and possessed houses full of all goods, cisterns already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and grew fat, and delighted themselves in Your great goodness. Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against You, cast Your law behind their backs and killed Your prophets, who testified against them to turn them to Yourself; and they worked great provocations. Therefore You delivered them into the hand of their enemies, who oppressed them...”

Instead of staying lean and mean for the LORD, the Jewish nation grew fat and happy. Once their physical needs were satisfied, they neglected their spiritual needs and turned their backs on the Rock of their salvation (Deuteronomy 32:15). They indulged their flesh and went after other gods. They sowed to the wind and reaped the whirlwind (Hosea 8:7)! The Shekinah glory left the temple. Babylonian invaders razed the city of David and took away the survivors. The people of Israel became slaves in a foreign land.

But now that they are back in their land, they didn’t blame the wicked Babylonians for their predicament or the fathers of the Babylonians. Please understand what the Spirit is teaching us here. The chosen people of God acknowledged their own sins and the sins of their own race, i.e., their fellow Jews/their fathers. They realized the root cause of their dire situation was not Babylon. The cause of their depressed condition was not the people of another race. They knew the real reason for their plight was their own rebellion and the rebellion of their own ancestors, who also refused to submit to the LORD their God. Therefore, they confessed both their sins and the sins of their fathers. Nehemiah 8 and 9 are two powerful chapters!

The Bible teaches us that Israel is to serve as an example for the body of Christ, see 1 Corinthians 10:6-11; Romans 15:4. Today, I wonder if my fellow evangelical believers in America are willing to confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors. When we consider the history of America - the evil slave trade, the purposeful extermination of Native Americans, the mistreatment of Asians and women – our Christian forefathers didn’t always walk in the fear of the LORD. Our national motto is: In God We Trust. I would like to think that we’re a Christian country, one nation under God. So, here’s a thought to mull over. If the chosen people of God were keen to confess their sins and the sins of their fathers, shouldn't we consider following this pattern of revival?

"What the hell is going on in the United States of America? What the hell is wrong with us?" I believe the Bible teaches we’re a fallen race of sinners in need of mercy and grace. And I also believe there’s nothing wrong with America that can’t be fixed by a Spirit-filled, sin-killing, life-transforming, heaven-sent revival. Please join me in praying for a true spiritual awakening and a fresh anointing to help us face down the crisis of today. Click here to learn more.

Grace, Peace and Jahspeed!

Next time, if the Lord is willing and the creek don’t rise, our topic will be: “Do you hate what God hates?”