During the 1970’s a new and totally different mind-set was thrust upon the Western World, specifically the United States of America.  I remember distinctly the first time I heard what would quickly become the mantra of the nation’s liberal ilk: “Don’t make a good boy go bad.”  Though I was not a Bible-defined Christian (though I was a church-defined Christian) I recognized that something new and deadly had invaded my beloved nation that would cause numerous problems in the future.  I know now that the Lord was speaking to me about what the United States would soon become–a nation of victims.  Relative to this series, God was asking the America of those days if, when Jesus returned, would He find professing Christendom “so doing”–taking responsibility for their actions, words and thoughts.  Let us do some historical research into that very important question.

Looking back to my childhood I cannot remember my parents locking a door, even when we were to be gone for several days.  Being poor sharecroppers initially and later land renters, we had very little in terms of worldly possessions, but what we had was, to my knowledge, never put under lock and key.  I doubt that we had door keys.  We bought our first vehicle–a Ford truck–when I was 11 years old.  To show how far out in the boonies we lived, my father got stuck in mud as he drove it home.  From that time until I was in my 30’s I cannot remember taking the keys out of the ignition when we were in town.  In those days people were held accountable for their actions.   Where I came from (southern Missouri), thieves were not treated well.  For that matter, nor were any other law breakers.  Police were hired to stop crime and deal with criminals.  We did not care how they did it.  We did know that their methods were brutal.  But they worked.  No questions asked.  It was a different world, a world I greatly miss.

Then came the age of mass victimhood when the United States began to turn from her conservative, Bible-based roots to a liberal, social-based system of accountability in which nothing was the fault of the thief, liar, cheat, killer, etc.  Seemingly over night people, including myself, began to lock every door.  When in town, even during the day, we would roll up the windows and take the key out of the ignition.  During my youth many people lived off the mail routes where our mail boxed were located.  Our box was half a mile from our house.  Postmen would leave packages beneath the boxes where they remained until we could get to them.  I don’t recall anything ever being stolen.  Then came the era when we could “make a good boy go bad” by leaving a door unlocked, or leaving something outside over night, or having an unlockable gas cap, etc.

Several years ago a young man broke into an automobile dealership and destroyed a considerable amount of property.  In the process the police arrived, a gunfight ensued and the man was killed.  When interviewed by the media, those who knew him had nothing but kind words to say about him.  He was, according to them, an “athletic star,” a “nice kid,” a “pillar of the community” who “would do anything for you,” etc.  When asked what they thought had happened to him, the consensus was voiced by one admirer who said: “Life just took a bad turn.”  There we have it.  The problem was not that he was a bad person who was intent on doing bad things.  The problem was hovering without; the cause of this kind, generous, helpful, upright citizen’s death was LIFE.  The poor innocent soul just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when LIFE happened–:took a bad turn.  His tragic death was not his fault.  LIFE was at fault.  LIFE TOOK A BAD TURN AND PULLED HIM ALONG WITH IT.

We saw this attitude on global display when Bill Clinton was literally “caught with his pants down.”  Whose fault was it that he had turned the White House into a whore house?  I will use His own words to identify the cause of the problem: “I don’t know why these things just keep HAPPENING TO ME.”  Once again a “nice person” who would “do anything for anyone” had been victimized by ….  You guessed it–LIFE.  Life happened to him, it made a bad turn.  Slick Willie had no choice but to go along with it.

The same attitude is rampant today in the social upheavals in which people are killed, buildings are burned, etc.  Liberals quickly determined that the problem is not the character of the individuals doing the killing and burning.  LIFE was treating them badly; they had no choice but to react accordingly.  LIFE had not given them what they wanted, therefore they were justified in taking vengeance on innocent people.  Several years ago a man began riding around Dallas shooting people who were filling their cars at service stations.  When caught he explained why he shot people he did not know: HIS FATHER HAD TREATED HIM BADLY WHEN HE WAS A CHILD.  He should not be held responsible for the misery he had caused.  LIFE had made a good man go bad.

Upon His return, will those who had for years called Him “Lord, Lord” be “so doing”–obeying His Words–when He returns?  Will He find us taking responsibility for our own actions?  Or will we be guilty of continuous sin and blaming SATAN for it?  Or will we blame ADAM’S sin-transferral miracle by which his sin gene was miraculously placed into our dna at conception?  Or, as so many explain when their sin is found out, will LIFE, over which one exercises no control, be declared the real culprit?  Will we be innocent victims of the SAL (Satan/Adam/Life) Syndrome?  Will those within professing Christendom point the finger of guilt at SAL and explain that Jesus, knowing that they were helplessly infected with the incurable disease, died so that they could give in to it and get away with it.”  Unless He has lied to us, He did no such thing.  Read The Message of the Cross.  Key word–Message.  L.J.