PRODUCTS OF OUR HEART

Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?

I've been thinking, why is the world decaying at its moral seams in such a rapid way?  When I was a

boy, we thought sin was rampant, but it was not nearly as bad as it is today?  I have said many times 

that in those days the worst thing that happened in school was shooting spit balls and playing hookie.
Drugs and shootings were unheard of.  Sin has so progressed now that these terrible things are
repeated often.  I read just today of another shooting in school in Washington State where several
students are now dead.

God created a Man and a Woman and put them in the Garden of Eden.  Were  they then good or
bad?  They were completely innocent with no sin on them.  Did they remain in that innocent condition?
No, they both ate of the tree of which God had forbidden their eating.  God had said that in the day
they might eat of that tree, they would surely die.  This is commonly called the Fall of Man.  Adam,
who was innocent, ate and brought the curse of sin on him and all his posterity, Rom. 5:12  In this act
of Adam, man fell collectively from innocency into depravity which manifested itself in total inability to
please God. 

As Jeremy recorded the result was that the heart of man is deceitful above all things, and 

desperately wicked.  How wicked is the heart of man?  See Mark 7:21, 22 Mar 7:21  "For 

from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mar 7:22  thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  One might say, "But I am not guilty of all those things."  Maybe not, but you are guilty
of some, and you have the possibility of committing any or all of these wicked things, because your
heart is deceitful and wicked.   Today we have more and more removed restraints, which has resulted
in more and more wicked actions.  Jeremy said of the wicked heart, "who can know it?"  In other
words the limit is unknown of the wickedness our deceitful hearts may bring us to.

Is there no hope?  Our hope is in the grace of God.  He sovereignly brings His people to repentance
and faith.  In this He saves them by His grace.  We can begin by returning to the teaching our young
people to fear God and keep His commandments. That won't hurt; it might help.