Radical Evil in the Ruined Soul

“The biblical, prophetic illumination of the human soul in its lostness is emphatic, starkly clear, and repeated over and over, from Moses and Samuel to Jesus, Paul, and John. The only path of spiritual transformation today still lies through this illumination. It must be gratefully and humbly accepted and applied, to oneself above all. When the prophet Jeremiah, for example, says, ‘The heart is more deceitful than all else and is desperately sick: Who can understand it?’ we have to recognize that we are the ones spoken of, that, indeed, I am the one described. Only then is a foundation laid for spiritual formation into Christlikeness.” - Dallas Willard, excerpted from Renovation of the Heart

Throughout the Bible, readers will recognize a disturbing power at work. It seems every author of scripture reckons with the reality of sin and its radical implications. This realization is especially vital for those who are seeking to be transformed into the image of Christ. Recognizing the reality of our hard and “unrepentant hearts,” leads us to seek redemption and restoration from God. 

Transformation into Christ’s image starts with this realization: the solution to sin nature is not inside of us. The strategy for our recovery is not self-actualization. Success is not about becoming more in tune with our internal desires. 

Attaining spiritual formation and heart renovation relies solely on the relinquishment of our own will and desires in order to instead embrace the knowledge of, or as Dallas Willard says “experiential involvement with,” God.

As we grow in knowledge and experience with God we see the desires of our hearts, the thoughts in our minds, and words of our mouths align with His. This transformation isn’t possible without understanding the reality and consequences of our ruined soul. As Dallas reminds us, “without this realization of our utter ruin and without the genuine revisioning and redirecting of our lives, which that bitter realization naturally gives rise to, no clear path to inner transformation can be found.”

Reflection 

Would you say you have a ruined soul? “Ruined” is a strong word! But all of our souls have been damaged by sin (Romans 3:23). How is your soul progressing along the path from ruin to restoration?

Prayer 

Saving God, help us today as we seek to adopt the desires of your Son, the one who paid for our redemption.