An Unpredictably Dual Nature
I don’t know how much his Presbyterian upbringing impacted the 19th-century Scottish novelist Robert Lewis Stevenson; but you would have to assume it had a profound impact on his outlook, particularly, his outlook on the human condition. Of course, many of his characters are marvelously colorful—the peg-legged Long John Silver, the paranoid Uncle Ebenezer, and, of course, the vile Mr. Hyde. Like many of Stevenson’s works, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde explores that unaccountable reality that mars so much of human existence—the outward appearance of goodness, masking a dark and horrific evil.
If you know the story, Dr. Jekyll, a respectable physician in London, has spent a lifetime struggling against a propensity to evil and a desire to indulge unnamed vices. In frustration at his inability to either quash his passions nor fulfill them adequately, Dr. Jekyll discovers a serum which will enable his transformation into Mr. Hyde, a callous, cruel, and remorseless being, bent on satisfying all manner of evil and wickedness. Unable to satisfy enough of either, the good and evil within rise up against the other. Eventually, the contest between the two sides of his character comes to a clash and disaster for Jekyll/Hyde.
Now, the Presbyterian connection comes in that inner interplay between good and evil. Observing the human condition, it is easy to identify an unpredictably dual nature—an amazing capacity for the good and beautiful, coupled inextricably with a horrific deformity. Of course, biblical students recognize this as the condition of every human being after the fall of Adam and Eve. Having been created in God’s own image, and blessed with His attributes of love, justice, mercy, and more, the honorable Dr. Jekyll is easy to understand. Unfortunately, the dreadful Mr. Hyde is just as easy to comprehend, given the sinful state humanity has fallen into. No longer as we were meant to be, humans now display a predisposition to wickedness in all that they do.
Created in God’s image, yes, but marred and depraved by the work of sin and evil. Formed to serve our Lord with joy and gladness, sin has bent us in upon ourselves so that we have become nothing more than whitewashed tombs—good enough on the outside, but decayed and deprived of life on the inside.
If Stevenson is correct—if the BIBLE is correct!—in assessing our condition, what hope is there for mankind? Of course, one easy solution is to deny that the evil within is really that bad. Dr. Jekyll’s Mr. Hyde is just an exaggeration, an aberration, one could say. But, what if that is not true? What if Mr. Hyde truly does live within us all? What if the depravity of sin and evil strives against the good without end, an ongoing, unwinnable battle?
But, there is no reason for such hopelessness. In Stevenson’s story, Dr. Jekyll eventually losses in his battle to contain the evil within, though he fights with all the intellect, sophistication, technology, and passion he can muster. But, he loses, terribly. Such a fate does not face us all—for believers, the battle has been won. Jesus has taken upon Himself the guilt of our sinful condition and granted to us the presence of the Holy Spirit. And now, the Spirit wars against that sin which remains. The battle is the Lord’s! The victory is the Lord’s! Praise be to the Lord!
As you prepare for worship this week, read Romans 6:5-14.
1. The initial verse of this section speaks of being united with Him. What does it look like to be united with Christ? After all, He now reigns in heaven—how can we be united with Him?
2. The “if we have been” is not to be understood as hypothetical but as a declaration of reality. What difference does it make that we absolutely have been united with Christ?
3. The “old self” of verse 6 references our sinful nature. What are some reasons why you would call that the “old self”?
4. What is the point of crucifying the old self? What is the ultimate end/goal of God in this action (see verse 6).
5. In verse 11, we are told to “consider yourselves dead to sin”. What does it look like to “consider yourself dead”? What would someone who considers themselves alive look like?
6. How do we stop sin from “reigning in your mortal body”? How do you know if that is happening or not?
7. If sin has no dominion over you (vs. 14), what does?
