The depravity of the human race has been blatantly displayed in every place throughout all of history. The Apostle Paul was clearly right when he said, “None is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).
This truth is illustrated every day. We see riots in the streets, corruption in government, perversion in marriage, and then, of course, there is plenty of sin remaining in our very own flesh. The Reformer, John Calvin, taught that such things should turn our gaze to God. He wrote, “Indeed, our very poverty better discloses the infinitude of benefits reposing in God. The miserable ruin, into which the rebellion of the first man cast us, especially compels us to look upward.”
We have all sorts of trouble down here because we have neglected to look up there. We are made in the image of God. But many have forgotten God, leaving the phrase “image of God” meaningless. Now is a time to know God and worship Him. Calvin also said, “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” Man no longer knows himself. But there is no way to rediscover the truth about man without first coming to a true knowledge of God.
This presentation was given by Dr. Tom Ascol on January 21, 2021 at the Founders “The Only God” national conference in Southwest Florida.