"So if you, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father, who is in heaven, give good things to those who ask Him?"
— Matthew 7:11 (Berean Study Bible)
What is human nature? Is it good or evil? Is man born with a tendency toward evil already within, or is his evil the result of his environment? Some philosophers argue that man is born good and it is his environment that corrupts him. I beg to differ, because I believe the testimony of Scripture and the evidence of human history: man is evil by nature. Any person is capable of the greatest evil if given the opportunity and accountability is removed. One thing that restrains human evil is the fear of accountability—the fear of being caught, judged, and condemned. The fact that we need security, police, and armies reveals to us the evil nature of humanity.
Human nature is corrupt. It is selfish and wicked. Thus, it is no surprise that human institutions are also corrupt. Anything run by man is subject to corruption and is, to some degree, corrupt.
During a match between Egypt and Argentina in the 2026 World Cup, a clear Egyptian goal was disallowed upon review by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) for a foul adjudged to have been committed deep in the Egyptian half—a foul initially ignored by the referee. Many believed the cancellation of the goal was a sign of clear corruption by FIFA in favor of Argentina. They believe that Argentina, with Messi in the lineup—one of the world's most famous athletes—will bring more revenue for FIFA than Egypt. With Portugal's Ronaldo already eliminated from the tournament, FIFA would lose a lot of money allowing Messi to follow suit so early in the tournament, in the Round of 16. Famous athletes bring attention, and attention equals revenue. Professional sports is more about money than athleticism. FIFA is in business to make money, and the love of money is the root of all evil. While I will not say there was a clear conspiracy to get Argentina through, I will not deny it either, because where man rules, corruption is present.
Is FIFA a corrupt organization, you ask? I will answer: are human beings running it? If yes, then you better believe it is corrupt. It is ignorance to put trust in human institutions run by flawed, corrupt human beings. A spring can only yield the water from its source; if the source is dirty and corrupt, you can be sure the spring will be, too.
Since the human being is corrupt by nature, everything he touches becomes corrupt. Are governments corrupt? The answer is yes. You might argue that we have government watchdog agencies looking for corruption to root it out. However, the fact that watchdog agencies exist actually proves my point. There would be no need for a watchdog agency if corruption were not a reality. The follow-up question is: who is in charge of these agencies? Fellow humans who are also susceptible to corruption and can easily be bribed. The human being is selfish and, for the most part, concerned with self-promotion and preservation, doing whatever it takes to reach those ends.
What about churches and religious institutions? Are they corrupt, too? Since they claim to represent the Divine, who is not corrupt, one would hope not. But the answer is yes. It was church leadership that put Jesus, the Son of God, to death. Why did they do it? They feared His growing reputation and felt the people were abandoning them to follow Christ; they feared that if they did not act, they would lose their power. Here is another associate of corruption: power. Money and power are major factors in further corrupting the human heart, and to acquire money and power are often the major goals of religious institutions. Churches compromise their own teachings to preserve their institutions, their power, and their coffers. How many churches refuse to speak the truth for fear of offending sinners? Offending sinners equals fewer people in the pews, which equals less money in the coffers; less money in the coffers means less money for the leaders. So, yes, corruption is rife in every human institution because humans are evil by nature.
Because we recognize our own corruption, even while many claim to be "good people," we seek to hide it by putting forth a beautiful appearance. The more corrupt we are, the more we seek to construct a beautiful exterior to deceive others and hide reality. We dress in beautiful garments to hide our inner deformities. Many of us will not allow people to get close to us for fear they will discover our inner evils—not even God. We seek to hide even from God, who sees all things and is the only One who can truly help, and so our corruption remains and metastasizes.
In like manner, governments and other organizations fear close scrutiny, for they know that if one looks closely enough, the inner corruption will be revealed. Typically, journalists who truly seek to investigate corruption are targeted in return; some are even killed. We will do anything to keep our corruption hidden, all the while promoting beautiful appearances.
Beautiful government buildings hide inner corruption, fraud, and deceit. Beautiful church buildings cover the lawlessness within. Beautiful garments hide selfishness, envy, hatred, and strife.
When one understands human nature, one will spare oneself many troubles. You will no longer put your trust in man or human institutions, and when they show their true nature and fail you, despair will not overtake you.
If your spouse cheats, it will hurt, and you will feel betrayed, but you will understand it is human nature. By the grace of God, you will be more apt to forgive. You will understand that if not for the grace of God, you might have cheated yourself. Even if you have not cheated physically, you are guilty of many wrongs that, if subjected to close scrutiny, would leave you ashamed.
When a government commits injustice, you will call them out and preach the truth, but at the same time, recognize it is the corruption of the human heart on display. As such, you will not call for armed revolution in the streets or a new election to replace one group of corrupt people with another corrupt batch. Instead, you will preach righteousness, truth, and justice, hoping that at least one individual will repent, give their life to God, and be transformed.
When you experience "church hurt," you will not be discouraged, because you understand that despite their claims to holiness, many church people are rotten inside with corruption. For many, church is simply a social gathering—a moral boost—and not a place where they seek the Lord for true transformation. As a result, the corruption in the church can be worse because it is hidden under a garment of righteousness. People look good on Sabbath morning, but beneath the beautiful appearances are streams of corruption. Before you condemn them, look at your own hidden, inward corruption. When you experience church hurt and understand human nature, you will pray for your own purification and for God to forgive and help those who hurt you.
It is ignorance of our own corruption that makes us intolerant of others. FIFA, governments, and churches have beautiful, righteous laws in themselves. It is not the organization per se that is corrupt, but the individuals who make up the organization. The source of human corruption is the human heart, and the human heart is desperately wicked.
There is only one solution for the corruption you see everywhere: individuals must give their lives to Christ, asking for a heart transformation daily and choosing righteousness, no matter the cost.
The human heart is corrupt; no amount of beautiful outward garments can hide its corruption for long. Sooner or later, it bursts forth. The only cure is Christ’s garment of righteousness. Seek the Lord and be cleansed from inward corruption.
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