A basic tenet of the liberal philosophy—at least with liberals I've encountered—holds that people are naturally good, and all things considered can be counted on to do the right thing.

You wonder what planet they live on.

In last night's news, a man bought up a hundred nursing/rehab facilities across the country, then neglected maintenance and upkeep, drained their finances of millions of dollars and holds that he did nothing wrong.

After the news, Bertha and I watched the 1939 James Stewart movie, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, an indictment on corruption in the highest levels of government. I'm recalling that when a preview was given in the nation's capital, everyone came expecting something good. Instead, they were highly offended. The very idea that they would be so depicted. And then ...

Early in the 1940s, the Senate committee headed by Harry S. Truman of Missouri investigated the shoddy construction of military camps around the country, as we ramped up for the war. At this distance, one would think military contractors would surely want to do their patriotic best for the nation's soldiers, but not so. They wanted to put all the cash they could in their pockets and too bad about the soldiers. Truman's Committee, it is said, saved the U.S. over a billion dollars—back when that was real money, as they say—and sent some people to jail.

We're all familiar with restaurants where employees pick up items dropped on the floor and return to plates which are then served to customers.

The most common news items these days will include medical people who were lying to the government and receiving millions of dollars fraudulently, politicians who got elected to drain the public coffers, bribes to prison officials for favors and such. And these are the good guys! Not the hardened criminals—or so we think.

Man is selfish. Man is a rebel. The heart is a rebel.

We need laws. We need oversight committees. And we need laws to protect us from those enforcing the laws.

We need punishment for those breaking the laws and hurting the public.

I'm recalling the fire—decades ago—in a factory where women worked long hours at sewing machines. Because some had been taking breaks to step outside for fresh air or to smoke, the owners locked all the doors. So, when a fire broke out, the women were trapped and were burned alive. That brought new laws to force factory owners to take steps for the safety of their people.

My dad was a coal miner all his adult life, beginning as a matter of fact when he was hardly in his teens. No more dangerous place existed in this country that the coal mines. I calculated once from figures available on the internet what the chances were of Dad surviving to old age considering all the people killed in the mines from 1926 on into the 1960s when he had to take disability. I forget the numbers, but it was horrendous.

When I read in the paper of deaths in coal mines in this country due to lax enforcement of safety laws, I'm angry. The mine owners and operators are criminals as surely as Al Capone ever broke the law.

Man needs a Savior. He needs a Savior to save him from a lot of things, but mostly from himself, from his natural selfish instincts and urges.

1. S. Lewis said something to the effect that if someone looks at my life and concludes that I look little like the Lord Jesus, that I'm a poor representation of Him, I would agree, but insist that they should see what I would have been without Him!

Me, too.

Oh, and speaking of man's sin, I've not even gotten onto the subject of abortion. Some of the so-called Christians in this land are the biggest advocates of the right to end the life of the babies in mother's wombs.

God help us. God save us.

"for He knows how we are formed; He remembers that we are dust" (Ps. 103:14).

The wonder of the ages might not be what the Lord did for us, but what He did not do to us that mankind so richly deserved.

For the original article, visit joemckeever.com.

Joe McKeever is retired from the pastorate but still active in preaching, writing and cartooning for Christian publications. He lives in Ridgeland, Mississippi.

Get Spirit-filled content delivered right to your inbox! Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.

Dr. Steve Greene is now sharing stories, teachings, and conversations with guests who lead with love on Love Leads, a new podcast. Listen now.

Dr. Mark Rutland's

National Institute of Christian Leadership (NICL)

The NICL is one of the top leadership training programs in the U.S. taught by Dr. Mark Rutland. If you're the type of leader that likes to have total control over every aspect of your ministry and your future success, the NICL is right for you!

FREE NICL MINI-COURSE - Enroll for 3-hours of training from Dr. Rutland's full leadership course. Experience the NICL and decide if this training is right for you and your team.

The NICL Online is an option for any leader with time or schedule constraints. It's also for leaders who want to expedite their training to receive advanced standing for Master Level credit hours. Work through Dr. Rutland's full training from the comfort of your home or ministry at your pace. Learn more about NICL Online. Learn more about NICL Online.