Why are some unbelievers so nice?
Dear Friends,
Have you ever asked yourself why some unbelievers are so nice? And, on the other hand, why can some Christians be so unpleasant? If you haven’t noticed that both of those are true, you’re either not very observant or you’re living in denial!
There are two biblical truths, or doctrines, that help enormously with understanding these two things. The first is the doctrine of ‘common grace’. This is the idea that God showers people with many gifts whether they believe in him or not – for example, the ability to play tennis, to cook, to sing, or to do business. In this sense, his grace is ‘common’ to all, regardless of faith. It helps to explain why people who don’t believe in Jesus still do good things, and aren’t as bad as we might expect them to be.
The second doctrine is ‘total depravity’. This is often misunderstood. It doesn’t mean we’re all as bad, or ‘depraved’, as we could possibly be – that describes the devil. It means that no part of us is as good as it ought to be – not our minds, nor our wills, nor our emotions. This helps to explain why Christians, who ought to know better and be better, still do bad things, and aren’t as good as we ought to be. (This isn’t an excuse, by the way!) If we have both doctrines in place it will help us to cope with the disappointment we feel when unbelievers are better than expected, and Christians worse.
Chris Hobbs,
Vicar