On the evening before a mob broke into and vandalized the US Capitol Building I was reading Genesis 6, the beginning of the account of Noah. The account spoke of the wickedness of man, “and that every intention of of the thoughts of his heart were evil continually.”

As I read through the account I began to sense that all of humankind was completely doomed — responsible for its own coming destruction. And then the narrative seemingly interrupts itself to introduce Noah. A man who was “blameless in his generation.”

When I read that, my immediate response was, “I hope to be blameless in my generation.” As I meditated more on the contrast between wicked men and righteous Noah I realized that in no way am I blameless — And if I am not blameless then (in Noah’s generation) I am counted as part of the wicked.

And then another Noah came to mind… an even better Noah… who was also blameless in his generation.

But, instead of escaping destruction in an ark made of wood, this Noah offered to exchange his righteousness (his blamelessness) with me. In exchange for his righteousness he took on the destruction that I deserved by dying on a cross made of wood.

Jesus Christ is this better Noah.

The moral failings that were so publicly witnessed on Wednesday, January 6th, 2021 remind us again of the wickedness of man. Not that just another person (or people) could be so wicked or evil, but that the wickedness of our own hearts has the potential to breed so much destruction & heartache for both ourselves and our fellow man.

It is so easy to look, point, and say, “Look at how great their wickedness is!” It is much harder to say, “Look at how great the potential of wickedness in my own heart could be if not dealt with!”

But while the potential of wickedness is so great, I believe that the life-giving and life-changing love of God in Christ Jesus for those that would call on His name is much greater.

In attempting to process all of these things, I found myself arriving at the conclusion that there is a necessary posture that I, as a professing Christian, must take as it relates to these events: a posture of Gospel-centered-humility. I would invite you to consider this posture with me.

We must have greater humility before our God. Without Him we are lost, hopeless, and doomed to our own destruction. While the wages of our sin is death, the free gift of God is eternal life! Cf. Romans 6:23

Because we are completely dependent on Him for both salvation and transformation, we must pray continually — asking His Sprit to take our hearts of stone and make them pliable flesh again. Cf. Ezekiel 36:26

But may we pray this for ourselves first, and then also for our neighbors & our nation.

May we have a greater hunger and thirst for righteousness that only comes through the transforming work of God in our lives. Cf. Matthew 5:6

And may we, who profess to being followers of a man who was both king and suffering servant… may we have greater humility before our neighbor. Instead of insisting on being first heard & justified, may we first insist on hearing, bearing, serving not only one another, but also our neighbor and the marginalized, and dare I say suffer for others as Christ suffered for us. Cf. Colossians 3:12-13, Isaiah 53

*Chris Warszawski serves as the Family Ministries Pastor at Lifepoint Church in Lewis Center, Ohio. Serving in church leadership roles for over a decade, Chris’ passion is to help leaders and families have generational impact. Read more about his new book at primedtolead.com