Have mercy on me, O God according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions.

Psalm 51:1

If you asked anyone today the question “What is wrong with the world today?” You would get a multitude of answers: Government, Racism, inequality, Society (to name a few.)

But what is wrong with the world today isn’t really these problems, yes we have corruption in Government, racism is perceived to be causing hardships on people, and yes there is inequality. But, these are not the problems, but symptoms of the problems. The problem is much deeper than these issues.

Included here is a transcript of a segment of a sermon from Voddie Baucham, and he’s so clear:

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What is wrong with the world?

You!

I mean me too, but mainly you!

Hostel in mind and engaged in evil deeds.

What is wrong with the world?

You are the crowning glory of the creation of God.
You are created to live and bring glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Instead you are hostile toward the one by whom and for whom you were created.

That is what’s wrong with the world!

Students come up to me all the time after taking a semester in philosophy,
there ought to be a rule you should not be able to talk about philosophy unless you’ve had more than a semester of philosophy.

If you haven’t had any philosophy, that’s fine talk away, but if you’ve had a
semester you are messed up.

It’ll be better off just not taking it at all!

They’ll come up and they’ll say things to sound like they thought these things out.

I’m on the campus to talk about these issues and dealing with apologetics, and they want to catch me alone and ask me these questions.

And they look at me and they say

Philosophy Student: “I just wanted to ask you..If you believe in a God that is omnipotent and omnibenevolent, then how do you reconcile the issue of theodicy?”

Voddie: To which I respond to the semester in philosophy, right.

Philosophy Student: Oh yes, how did you know?

Voddie: Because if you hadn’t (had a semester in philosophy) you too just said: If God’s so powerful and so good how come bad stuff happens? But I’m not going to answer the question until you ask it correctly.

Philosophy Student: I worked on that all week what do you mean ask it correctly?

Voddie: You’re not asking the question properly.

Philosophy Student: What do you mean ask the question properly, it’s my question you can’t tell me how to ask my question!

Voddie: I will answer your question when you ask it properly.

Philosophy Student: how do I ask it properly?

Voddie: Here’s how you ask that question properly,
you look me in my eyes,and you ask me this:

How on earth can a Holy and righteous God know what I did,
and thought, and said yesterday, and not kill me in my sleep last night.

You asked it that way and we can talk,
but until you ask the question that way,
you don’t understand the issue!

Until you ask the question that way,
you believe the problem is out there!

Until you ask the question that way,
you believe that there are somehow,
some individuals who in and of themselves deserve something other than the wrath of Almighty God!
Until you asked me that question that way,
until you flip the script and ask the question this way,
and say

Why is it that we are here today?

Why has he not consumed and devoured each and every one of us?
Why, why Oh God does your judgment and your wrath tarry?

When you ask it that way you understand the issue!
When you ask it the other way you believe in the supremacy of man!

How dared God not employ his power on behalf of Almighty man!

You flipped the question around, you believe in the supremacy of Christ!

How dare I steal his air, because the last breath I took I’d borrowed it from Him, and I’m never gonna give it back!
When you borrow something, and never give it back you’re stealing!

If you need to take a moment, and get right, right now!

The problem is me!

The problem is the fact that I do not acknowledge the supremacy of Christ in Truth!

The problem is I start with me as the measure of all things!

The problem is I judge God based upon how well He carries out my agenda for the world!

And I believe in the supremacy of Me in truth
and as a result I want a God who is omnipotent but not sovereign!

if I have a god who is omnipotent but not sovereign, I can wield his power!
But if my God is both omnipotent and sovereign I am at His mercy!

Who am I?
The crowning glory of the creation of God!
Knit together in my mother’s womb!
Why am I here?
To bring glory and honor to the Lord Jesus Christ!

What is wrong with the world?
Me!

I don’t do, what I was meant to do!

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Until you understand you are a sinner, a wretched sinner, this verse means nothing. Until you understand the magnitude of the wages of sin, you have no concept of the emotions David, the psalmist is expressing. I am a sinner! He is talking to God, creator of the universe, pleading for Mercy! God had the right to take David down when he violated His law, but he gave David Grace, and now David realizes what he had been given, and he writes down this Psalm.

Mercy! Mercy towards me, a wretched worm of a sinner, I’ve violated your commands, I’ve misrepresented your will in my world. Until you’ve humbled yourself to God and come to a reckoning of your condition, the only hope is the lies you feed yourself to make you feel good. I’m a good person, God loves everyone. That is only partially true, God loves the world, but God Hates Sin, He has to hate sin! If he didn’t he wouldn’t be totally Good!

We, must right ourselves before Almighty God, Just as the psalmist here is expressing. We need to come to a reckoning of the Gospel, first that we are Sinners, and our transgressions need to be blotted out!

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord, He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored, He has loosed the fateful lightning of this His terrible swift sword, His truth is marching on.

I have seen Him in the watchfires of a hundred circling camps. They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps. I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps. His day is marching on.

In The beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea. With the glory of His bosom that transfigures you and me. As He died to make men Holy, let us live to make men free, While God is marching on!

Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! Glory, Glory, Hallelujah! Glory, Glory, Hallelujah!

His truth is marching on!

Battle Hymn of the Republic

Photo by Mauro Pilon on Unsplash