Just act natural

An old story is told about a frog and a scorpion. The scorpion asks the frog for a ride across the river. After closely considering the request, the frog politely declines. The scorpion responds, disappointed, “Oh come on! Why not?”

The frog, rolling his eyes, replies, “Because you are a scorpion! You will sting me, and I will drown.”

The scorpion, laughing out loud, says, “Oh, I wouldn’t do that, because if I did that, then I would surely drown too—so, naturally, that would be illogical, and I would be hurting myself.”

After carefully considering the scorpion’s logic, the frog agrees to the request. Taking the scorpion on its head, the frog begins heading across the river.

Halfway across, in the deepest part of the river, the scorpion stings the frog!

“Why!” screams the startled frog as it begins to be paralysed—“why would you do this—now we will both surely drown!”

“Because,” scoffs the scorpion, “I’m a scorpion, and stinging is in my nature. It’s what scorpions do!”

Naturally naughty!

The Bible tells us that God created the human race in His perfect image through the two first humans, Adam and Eve. He gave humanity free will along with the power and freedom to think and to make our own decisions (Genesis 1:26,27). And every human is totally dependent upon God for his or her existence.

Though created as free beings, made in God’s image with the command to rule the earth and care for its animals (verse 28), humans made a choice to make their own decisions and forge their own path, outside of God’s perfect love. In choosing to forge a path away from him, Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s law and created a fallen nature that drives humanity instead of God’s perfect one.

Thus, they fell from their position of leadership. The image of God in them was spoiled, and they lost their perfection and became subject to death. And this trait has been passed down to their descendants. Now every human being shares man’s fallen nature—and its consequences. “All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires, human depravity and fallen inclinations of our sinful nature,” wrote the apostle Paul. “By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else” (Ephesians 2:3).

This explains why we are all born with selfishness and tendencies to think and act in ways that harm others and ourselves. As much as we want to change, by ourselves, and through our own power, just like that scorpion, we can’t. It’s in our nature. The only thing we can do, without the help of Christ Jesus in our lives, is to sin. Paul described this desperate situation in a letter that he wrote to the Christians in Rome. He conveyed to them his observations about the hypocrisy of his own life: “I am all too human, a slave to sin. I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate. . . .

“I love God’s law with all my heart. But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 7:14–25).

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Supernatural rescue

The good news is that Christ’s nature is perfect. The Bible teaches us that wall he was born fully human, he was not afflicted by fallen human nature. Christ’s human nature was that which God intended—a perfect relationship between him and God. His perfect birth, life, death and resurrection, reunited this rebel world to Himself. And by His Holy Spirit, He restores the image of God in the mind and heart of anyone who accepts His rescue from their own harmful nature. Paul made this very clear in the following statement: “For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:16, 17).

Just act supernatural!

So, we see the inconceivable truth that through getting to know more about Jesus, and having Him change our character, He can re-create every one of us and open to us an opportunity to know and follow God! “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

“And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:17, 18).

God, through Jesus, gave every human being the ability to return to his or her perfect relationship with God. Jesus’ priceless gift gives us all the ability to choose to act supernaturally like Him, not deceitfully like the scorpion.

Choose Jesus’ supernatural power today and let Him transform your life!

Omar Miranda is a freelance writer who lives in Plainville, Georgia, USA. He contributes articles frequently to Signs of the Times®. Want something more? Get in touch with our help team with your questions or requests and we’ll do our best to help you. 

All Bible texts quoted in this article are from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois, 60188. All rights reserved.