As Covid infections in the UK start to show a slight fall, government scientists have warned that deaths will continue to rise as they are already ‘baked in’. The coming weeks will see us pay the price for our social-mixing over Christmas, as infection turns to disease. The deaths are ‘baked in’ and there’s nothing we can do about it.
Hearing the phrase has got me thinking about things that might be ‘baked in’ to our human nature and the Bible has a lot to say on the matter. There’s some good news, bad news and hopeful news! The good news: we’re made the image of God* and He has set eternity in our hearts*. That’s why we’re capable of so much that is good and why most of us long for some kind of spiritual fulfilment. The bad news: our hearts are deceitful above all things and beyond cure*. That’s why we’re capable of such appalling evil – it’s ‘baked in’ and we can’t help ourselves. But then there’s hope. Because he loves us God wants to ‘bake in’ to us new hearts* and renew our nature* so that we can more fully reflect his nature once again. That’s why Jesus came and what his death on a cross achieved.*
Genesis 1:26, Ecclesiastes 3:11, Jeremiah 17:9, Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Corinthians 5:17
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