We Are So Messed-Up
We Are So Messed-Up
So, if you have chosen to read this, you are pretty brave. You come at it with one of two (inevitable) perspectives: either that of a sinner saved by grace; or that of one prepared to defend yourself against truths you do not want to hear (and will not hear). But, I wish to comfort you, if you know yourself to be a sinner; and one who now has your entire identity tied-up with the Lord Jesus Christ. You have nothing to fear; and every reason to be encouraged.
The truth is, that in Adam and his Fall, we are completely messed-up, fouled-up, corrupted, twisted, contorted, and perverted. It is not a pretty picture--but it is very helpful for the saints to accept the truth, acknowledge it, and rejoice that we have now been set free in Jesus and His blood atonement of us.
Our fallenness is much worse than we can imagine. It has an "infinite" nature to it; and it is especially ugly because it twists and turns us away from our Creator, and has rendered us putrid and gross in the greatest degrees. . . . But, if you are regenerate in Jesus Christ, behold the depths from which the Lord of glory has rescued you(!!)
Everybody we know who is outside of Jesus Christ does the very same things we did (before our conversions). They, of necessity, seek to "hide" themselves behind some "fig leaves" of their own "righteousness"; and they have to go through life pretending that all is well with them, even though they know deep down in their souls, that all is far from being "well."
The glory of the gospel is largely encompassed in the infinite evil and perversion from which God has liberated us in the redemption wrought for us in His Son. The more we comprehend and appreciate the pits from which we have come, the more we marvel at God's wonderful grace to us in Jesus.
The world--including (especially) the religious world--tells us that we need to put on a false front, an image of what people think we ought to be--but the true saints of God need not do that.
Our glory is in the One human being (Jesus Christ) who possesses none of the infinite fallenness that has befallen all the rest of us. Our identity is not (any longer) in ourselves--instead, it is in our Savior. Our biggest problem here in this fallen world is our forgetting this most important truth.
Is it not wonderful to be free in Jesus Christ? Is it not grand, that we can admit the truth about ourselves--that we possess NO righteousness, goodness, or decency in ourselves; and that ALL of it is found in our union with our King Jesus who imputes His virtues to us?
As we deal with people in the world, let all the church's forgiven saints have compassion on them. They are doing the best that they can, to try to convince themselves and everyone else, that all is fine with them. It is scary to look at oneself with honesty and integrity; and, until we are in Jesus, we simply will not (can not?) do this.
But, for those of us who are in Jesus, let us readily-grant that we are putridly gross and disgusting in ourselves. Sure, God in His mercy does not reveal all of this to us; and His common grace gives everyone a modicum of civility--but let us never forget the awful situation from which we have been released (in Christ).
Love for God in Jesus increases exponentially, in proportion to our appreciation for how bad we are apart from Christ.
Let us, like Paul, exclaim this praise in light of our glorious transformations in Jesus: "Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!" (Rom. 11:33/ESV).
Rev. Mark J. Henninger
Treatise #54
18 December 2025
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