Why did God become flesh? Was it to teach us to be good to each other? No! That would be putting the cart before the horse. We humans have proven repeatedly that we cannot do good to others as we ought. No, rather God came in mercy and in grace because, try as we may, we cannot save ourselves. The human condition is beyond mere human remedy. There is no political, psychological or moral solution to the world's ills. If we could fulfill the righteous requirements of the law by our own efforts (or merit) then it would have been completely unnecessary for God to become incarnate in Jesus Christ.
While I can deeply appreciate, and applaud, attempts at doing good to our neighbors, social concern, activism and being moral ... yet, independent from God these acts fall woefully short of what is needful to extract humanity out of its deep mire. We are captive to our own pride, greed and lusts. Until we, by grace, realize that all of our attempts are self-defeating then we will go on in our foolish tower building. The history and trajectory of humanity itself should be enough to demonstrate this to you ... technology may have improved exponentially, but we haven't ... even the best of us. And if you could see all of what is in my own heart you would spit in my face. You may be thinking .. "but the message is just too depressing. I cannot bear it" Perhaps, but it is facing reality. We ought to be more concerned about what is true than simply how it makes us feel.
But thanks be to God, the message of the gospel is that our rescue does not come from within but from without. In the end, we need grace ... and that is the reason I follow Jesus, my only hope. It is in grace alone that we behold the truth, beauty and excellency of Christ, come to know our own true condition in the face of God. If you don't know Him, He came to earth to fulfill God's righteous requirements and suffer a humiliating death on a cross but that was not the end. On the third day He rose from the dead for forgiveness of sins to all who trust in Him. Salvation is all of grace. We cannot earn or merit it.
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Quote:
“He is not called Jesus because He is our Exemplar, though indeed He is perfection itself, and we long to tread in His footsteps; but He is called Jesus because He has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” - C. H. Spurgeon