The widespread publicity afforded to Warren Buffet last week when he announced his intention to leave his billions to charity coupled with a somewhat similar announcement a few weeks earlier by Bill Gates regarding his intention to step down as leader of Microsoft to focus on his humanitarian foundation illustrates a very deceptive flaw in our global human thinking. These very caring people are to be lauded for their giving spirit to others, but at the same time, the outpouring of attention continues to cement the myth of human “goodness” to combat the evil of this world, when in fact such “goodness” is nothing more than a deception that we can cure ourselves.
We as human beings are selfish, depraved and self centered; that is how God describes us in Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? The generosity of billionaires cannot cure it. God presents only one cure for the human heart: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 1:8 thru 2:1-2, NIV)
As people we need to understand, that it is not by human altruism, human attempts at goodness that this world will be changed. Our love for evil and our depraved nature will always overcome the riches of all the billionaires combined. We need Jesus. We need the pure and holy love that God displays when He decided that His Son needed to die in our place as the only way for us to be accepted by Him. This is the love, the giving, that will change human hearts from the inside. Man's acceptance of Jesus will make the need for billionaire charities obsolete. The world needs a heart change...which cannot occur through human charity. When a person accepts Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for themselves, they in effect subvert their existence to His authority. That is what is needed throughout the world.
Again, I do not wish to diminish the motivation of the Warren Buffets and Bill Gates of the world. Their dedication to spend their money in helping others is to be commended by all. But, apart from doing it as a part of worship to the authority of Jesus, the charity will ultimately be in vain.
We as human beings are selfish, depraved and self centered; that is how God describes us in Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? The generosity of billionaires cannot cure it. God presents only one cure for the human heart: If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives. My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 1:8 thru 2:1-2, NIV)
As people we need to understand, that it is not by human altruism, human attempts at goodness that this world will be changed. Our love for evil and our depraved nature will always overcome the riches of all the billionaires combined. We need Jesus. We need the pure and holy love that God displays when He decided that His Son needed to die in our place as the only way for us to be accepted by Him. This is the love, the giving, that will change human hearts from the inside. Man's acceptance of Jesus will make the need for billionaire charities obsolete. The world needs a heart change...which cannot occur through human charity. When a person accepts Jesus Christ’s sacrifice for themselves, they in effect subvert their existence to His authority. That is what is needed throughout the world.
Again, I do not wish to diminish the motivation of the Warren Buffets and Bill Gates of the world. Their dedication to spend their money in helping others is to be commended by all. But, apart from doing it as a part of worship to the authority of Jesus, the charity will ultimately be in vain.