The Invictus

                    The "Invictus"

The "Invictus" a  nineteenth-century poem by William Earnest Henley, express the lie that Satan told in the garden so long ago: "You will be like God" (Gen. 3:5).

I thank whatever gods that be
For my unconquerable soul...
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

As Christians we must understand the effects of the fall---we now have a predisposition to "do (life) our way." After the fall humanity has had the natural inclination to be autonomous and to throw off the creature-Creator relationship.

The song, 'My Way', by Paul Anka, sums up our desire to "do it our way:"

And now the end is near

And so I face the final curtain,

My friends, I'll say it clear...

And more, much more than this, I did it my way.

For what is a man, what has he got?

If not himself...

The record shows I took the blows -

And did it my way!

It is interesting to understand that there was never a defect in our nature (our humanness), after creating man God declared that His creation was "very good" (Gen.1:31). The tragedy came as a result of what Adam did with the free will that he was created with---Adam and Eve declared their independence from God when they chose to disobey, and do life their own way.

These following lines were found on a painting in a cafe:

I have Taken the pill.

I have hoisted my skirts to my thighs,

Dropped them to may ankles,

Rebelled at the Universities,

Skied at Aspen,

Lived with two men,

married one.

Earned my keep,

Kept my identity,

And frankly...

I'M LOST.

 The Old Testament prophet Isaiah tells us this about ourselves:

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way... (53:6).

BUT

God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

And that my friend is the gospel.