In Australia, we have a public holiday every year on January 26th called ‘Australia Day’. Officially, it marks the anniversary of the 1788 arrival of the First Fleet at Port Jackson in New South Wales, and the raising of the British flag at Sydney Cove by Captain Arthur Phillip.

There is a lot of debate about celebrating this event, as historically the indigenous people who were already in Australia, were not treated well by the new arrivals.

Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. If you look at the history of the world, almost every country on earth has been subject to invasion and overthrow. Think about Native American Indians, the Incas, the Maoris, the Jews, African races – the list goes on. The British Isles alone were invaded by Celts, Saxons, Vikings, Normans, Romans etc.

Why does this happen? Why can’t we all live in peace and harmony? Because there is this ‘thing’ within us that makes us want what others have (and when that feeling gets strong enough, we attempt to take it.) Even today in our so-called ‘civilised world’ the largest expenditure by most countries is on their defence force.

My Dad used to describe it to me as being like the bias in a lawn bowling ball. These balls have a weight built into them on one side, so when you bowl it, it naturally curves towards the heavier side. If you bowl fast enough, you can force the ball to go straight, but it requires effort. Each of us has a bias within, that tends to make us look after what we want/need before anyone else. It takes effort to think of others before ourselves.

Job from the bible described this tendency we have within us: “Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward.” (Job 5:7, NIV)

God recognised that we need help and that’s why He gave us Jesus, His son. Through a massive effort of will, Jesus defeated the bias towards sin within himself by never once giving in to it. He died an agonising death on the cross, without putting up any sort of a fight, to show his complete faith in God.

And now, because of Jesus’ incredible feat, God is offering us a wonderful reward, free from the bias of sin, free from suffering and free from death!

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NLT)