Read in the November 26, 2010, Birmingham News a quote from Billy Bob Thornton that revealed his worldview. He was talking about the characters in his new movie called “Faster” (not an endorsement of the movie, by the way, although it might be ok, just haven’t seen nor will I with theater prices!).
Billy Bob said this: “Also I like characters that, at their core, are good people but they just go down the wrong road.”
This quote exactly defines how the world views man: there are good people and bad people. If a basically good person chooses to go down the wrong path, then that explains their bad behavior. I guess bad people always choose bad paths!
Biblically, we know this quote is wrong since “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). All means all choose to sin not because they are good and choose bad or sinfully, but because they are born with a sinful nature and thus make choices that are sinful.
In other words, people aren’t sinners because they sin, people sin because they are sinners.
I like Mr. Thornton and a few of his movies, but his worldview is dead wrong and will lead many astray. The truth is that we all are bad people in need of God’s rescue and we ALL will walk down the wrong path until Jesus intervenes on our behalf and redirects us. That’s called repentance! We all need to be redirected from living for the path of destruction and begin walking down the path of the glory of God!
-Mark (thankful for the opportunity to think biblically by the power of the Holy Spirit living inside of me – I Timothy 1:14)