“Hi!” The response sounds innocent enough, but it is quickly becoming the statement of choice by my one-year-old little girl, Savannah, whenever she is doing something that she’s not allowed to and she realizes that she has been caught in the act.

Fatherhood has taught me many different things, but one of the most obvious to me right now relates to human nature. There are arguments out there that suggest that people are inherently good, or that human nature isn’t all that bad and we should believe that people will only try to do bad things when they are absolutely forced to.

However, being a dad and watching Savannah grow and develop tells me the exact opposite. I’ve never once taught her how to disobey, deceive, or manipulate me or others, but I’m constantly amazed, and even shocked, at how often those bad qualities come out of my little girl, and she’s only 14 months old!

A sin nature is embedded deeply within each of us – and if you don’t believe me, just come spend a day at my house. It is the natural inclination of everyone to rebel against God’s Law. We know that Isaiah understood that too when he stated that “All of us like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isaiah 53:6). We want to do what we want to do, but isn’t it awesome that in spite of our rebellion we have a Savior who has not only set us free from that sin nature, but has also given us the power to choose daily to live a life of victory?!

“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ…and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:4-6