I think what's most unsettling in the recent tidal wave of allegations of sexual misconduct amongst prominent public figures is that these wrongs have largely taken years (in some cases, decades) to surface. The chorus of "me, too" in the aftermath of all these revelations says that there is something pervasive about this issue that makes me wonder then, how many other evils are there that go unaddressed? What I am certain of is that Scripture doesn't gloss over pointing out what's wrong (e.g., Colossians 3:5-10, Romans 13:13) and exhorts us to live upright, godly lives (Titus 2:11) as people redeemed by Jesus Christ. We must acknowledge that there is in fact a badness that resides in all of us, and when all comes to light on that day that Christ returns, we shall see in full the greatness of our rescue.

There is an innate badness in each of us called sin. Though I state this matter of factly, I realize sin is a loaded term. Not all agree with the assessment of the human condition as sin. But, most would agree, things are not the way they are supposed to be. Sin is key to understanding salvation. We cannot come to recognize Christ as Lord and Savior without first acknowledging that we are messed up, and the only way we are made right is in the death of Christ, who condemned sin once and for all, giving us new life and freedom.

As wonderful as our salvation is, there is a tendency in the church to misunderstand sin.  Here are problematic views:

1. Legalism. This view believes that we we must make up for sin on our own - either through punishment or by doing good.

2. Licentiousness. A fancy word to say that we disregard any accountability to sin and indulge it fully.

These extreme views undermine the work of the gospel. To take sin seriously is to say that we have missed the mark of God's holiness, but we are not our own Savior. Neither is it to say that our sins are so grave that we merely give into them. We were bought with a price, so let us relish this, but not underestimate the offense of sin. To view sin properly is to say that we are absolutely wretched, but unconditionally accepted. I at times cannot wrap my head around this, but when I do there is such freedom!

The shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and the grand jury's decision not to prosecute the police officer who shot him has sparked an outrage that begs the question - is it justice we prize, or satisfaction?

To have justice there must be fairness. We live in a world that is incredibly unfair since the introduction of sin in Genesis 3. Much can be said about the unfairness of the entire Ferguson situation from both sides. It's unfair that an innocent shop owner was robbed. It's unfair that we have racial prejudice. It's unfair that a police officer felt threatened for his life. It's unfair that a life is now gone.

There isn't a satisfying resolution to this situation. A young black man is dead, and an officer's life is irreversibly altered. A community is in outrage. The Ferguson incident stands as a reminder that we as humans are inevitably flawed.

We want justice, but we know that we won't ever live in an entirely just world. So we seek satisfaction - a substitute for true justice, which will only be had when sin is finally done away with.

Our restlessness needs to be channeled towards faith. Our longing for our Savior's return ought to burn ever more greatly. Come, Lord Jesus!

I used to think (and on my worst days still do) that there was something horribly wrong with me that everyone else didn't seem to have. The world tells you that everyone is flawed, so you should get over feeling poorly about yourself - you can overcome your flaws and erase your shortcomings. After all, who doesn't like a good underdog story? While this may seem worth celebrating, it's not exactly correct. Scripture says there is something wretched within each of us, and this is a bad thing. We are not only afflicted with this present, deep flaw we call sin, but also unable to do anything on our own to overcome it. It is only when we see the futility of us being able to do anything about our imperfection that we see the good of a Savior who gave Himself up so that we may revel in the day when we will be finally rid of all that is wrong within us. So, we embrace our flaws, but deny that there is anything by human effort that we can do to make up for it. This makes Easter such a beautiful day - Christ is risen, giving us victory indeed!