Acts of Depravity

Hamas in Light of Scripture

By GFI board member, Mark Woita

Here I sit to write a blog.  And I’ve got no words.

I write just 10 days after Hamas attacked civilians in Israel.  The depth of the brutality and inhumanity of the Hamas attackers is unthinkable.  Incomprehensible.  No words can describe the attack.   

Biblical Doctrine of Total Depravity

Since these acts are perhaps the most depraved I’ve ever observed, they make me think of the Biblical doctrine of total depravity.  It states that since the transgression of Adam and Eve, all mankind is born in a state of sin, “dead in their transgressions and sins” (Ephesians 2:1) and born with a propensity for sin (Romans 3:9-18). 

Obviously, there are varying degrees of depravity.  However, even the least depraved human is incredibly corrupt when measured by the holiness of our creator God.  “There are none righteous, no not one” (Romans 3:10).    All of our righteous deeds are as filthy garments …” (Isaiah 64:6).  “The heart is more deceitful than anything else and is desperately sick…” (Jeremiah 17:9). 

Further complicating mankind’s dilemma is that “… by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified …”  (Romans 3:20).   Man’s attempt to reach God via good works can be likened to people attempting to swim to Hawaii from California.  The worst swimmers (least righteous) only make it a little way until they drown.  The best swimmers (most righteous, most good works), swim perhaps many miles.  Nonetheless, they drown far, far short of their goal.  Their objective is impossible.  Futile. 

Because of mankind’s “total depravity”, and because God is so holy and unapproachable by human effort, therefor God did what man cannot.  God bridged the vast sin gap between Hawaii and California, between Himself and His creation, paying the price for our sin Himself!  Amazing grace!  And to double the amazingness of His grace, this sin-solution becomes effective by a person’s exercise of faith in Who Jesus is, and in His atoning work on the cross on our behalf! 

Members of Hamas may be so depraved that they “drown” in only a foot of water off California’s beach.  Whereas you or I may have been able to swim a mile.  Yet we all are humans, created in the likeness of God, and none are beyond the possibility of becoming an object of God’s grace. 

To do the deeds Hamas did, they first had to violate the important Biblical principle of all men being created in the image of God.  Islam teaches that Jews are sub-human.  Just as the Nazis did.  Hence, they are able to justify, in their depraved minds, the murder of fellow (non-) humans. 

In conclusion, we are ALL dependent upon the amazing grace of our God to bring us into a relationship with Him (total depravity).  And no one may ever dehumanize another person or groups of people … because God created even them in His image. 

Let us continue to pray for the Jews, Israel, peace in the Middle East, and His kind will to be done worldwide.  And let it start with us.  Blessings in Jesus.