Homemade 30 Minute Mozzarella Cheese Recipe – Plus Bonus Ricotta Cheese

The post Homemade 30 Minute Mozzarella Cheese Recipe – Plus Bonus Ricotta Cheese is courtesy of Total Survival

I recently decided to try my hand at home cheese making with friends, and it came out delicious! I used the “30 Minute Mozzarella Cheese” recipe from Ricki Carrol's book “Home Cheese Making“. Ricki also features this recipe on her website at www.cheesemaking.com.

This easy mozzarella cheese recipe works best with whole milk. Since I have a friend with a cow, we used raw milk, which worked just fine. You may use skim milk, but the yield will be lower and the cheese will be drier. You cannot use UHT (Ultra High Temperature) pasteurized milk. The extreme heat damages the protein in the milk and it comes out looking like ricotta, no matter what recipe you use. Try switching brands of milk if your cheese fails.

Homemade 30 Minute Mozzarella Cheese Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 level teaspoons citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water
1 gallon pasteurized whole milk
1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet (or 1/4 rennet tablet) diluted in 1/4 cup cool, unchlorinated water
1 teaspoon cheese salt (optional)

Directions

1. Gently bring the milk up to 55°F ( 13°C) in a large, stainless steel pot. While stirring, add the citric acid solution to the milk and mix thoroughly.

This mozzarella recipe is so simple that the boys usually handle it themselves.

2. Heat the milk to 90°F (32° C) over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat and gently stir in the diluted rennet with an up-and-down motion for 30 seconds. (We use a potato masher to move the milk up and down.) Cover the pot and leave undisturbed for five minutes.

3. Check the curd. It should look like custard, with a clear separation between the curd and whey. (If the curd is too soft or the whey is too milky, let set for a few more minutes.) Cut the curd with a knife that reaches all the way to the bottom of your pot.

4. Place the pot back on the stove and heat the curds to 105°F (40°C), gently moving the curds around with your spoon. Remove from heat and continue to stir slowly for 2 to 5 minutes. (Stirring for 5 minutes will result in firmer cheese.)

5. Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon and put into a 2 quart microwaveable bowl. Press the curds gently with your hands, pouring off as much whey as possible. Reserve the whey. (You can use the whey to make ricotta cheese.)

***If you do not have a microwave:

After step 5, heat the reserved whey on the stove top to at least 175°F (80°C). Add 1/4 cup of cheese salt to the whey (you could probably substitute kosher salt, but cheese salt is best). Shape the curd into one or more balls, put them in a ladle or strainer, and dip them into the hot whey for several seconds. Knead the curd with spoons or gloved hands between each dip and repeat this process several times until the curd is smooth and pliable. Please be careful! This is really hot, and working with more liquid increase the risk of getting splashed! If you use the non-microwave method, you cannot use the whey to make the Ricotta from Heaven below, because the whey will contain too much salt.

6. Microwave the curds on high for 1 minute. Drain off all excess whey. Gently fold the cheese over an over (as in kneading bread) with your hands or a spoon. This distributes the heat evenly throughout the cheese, which will not stretch until it is too hit to touch (145°F (63°C) inside the curd). Rubber kitchen gloves are very handy at this stage.

7. Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each; add salt to taste after the second time. After each heating, knead again to distribute the heat.

8. Knead quickly until it is smooth and elastic. When the cheese stretches like taffy, it’s done. (See top photo in post.) If the curds break instead of stretch, they are too cool and need to be reheated.

9. When the cheese is smooth and shiny, roll it into small balls and eat while warm. Or place them in a bowl of ice water for half an hour to bring the inside temperature down rapidly; this will produce a consistent smooth texture throughout the cheese. Although best eaten fresh, it can be stored in the refrigerator at this point.

Yield: 3/4 to 1 pound from 1 gallon milk

With some experimentation, I found you can pull this mozzarella cheese into strips or strings – think “homemade string cheese”. Pull the strips, drop them in the water to cool, then pack them tightly in a Pyrex container or wrap in plastic wrap. They're not as pretty as the store bought ones, but they work just the same.

Although the original recipe recommended storing the cheese in water, I prefer storing it in a tightly sealed container without water. Water storage makes the cheese soft and washes out the salt.

Optional Lipase Powder

If you want to add lipase powder to give the cheese more flavor, use 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon, dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water and allowed to sit for 20 minutes. To start, probably try the mild and see how you like the flavor. Add the lipase and water mixture at the same time you add the citric acid solution. If you add lipase to this cheese, you may have to use a bit more rennet, as lipase makes the cheese softer.

Ricotta From Heaven

(also from Home Cheese Making: Recipes for 75 Delicious Cheeses)

Ingredients

Fresh whey, no more than 3 hours old, left over from making hard cheese

Directions (other options available at www.cheesemaking .com)

1. Heat the whey in a pot until foam appears, This usually happens just prior to boiling; if the mixture boils, it will taste burned.

2. Turn off the heat; let the whey set for 5 minutes.

3. Gently skim off the foam and place the whey in a colander lined with butter muslin.

4. Let drain for 15 minutes, then refrigerate. This ricotta will keep for up to one week in the refrigerator.

Yield: About 1/2 pound per gallon of whey

*Note – I later read that the 30 minute mozzarella whey is not recommended for making ricotta (it says this in the cheesemaking kits), but mine works just fine.

We ate one batch of mozzarella fresh, and then I made more to put on homemade pepperoni pizza. It was delicious.

The ricotta was lovely, too. Very smooth and creamy, and just a tiny bit sweet. I think it would be great in homemade lasagna.

I'm looking forward to trying other cheese recipes, but these were great ones to start with – very quick and easy.

Another family favorite that may be even easier, although it takes a bit longer, is fromage blanc. Fromage blanc is a soft white cheese that is great as a spread or dip. (Or for topping spuds – yum!) It can also be used in cooking.The recipe only has five steps – that's it! Learn how to make fromage blanc in this post.

You may also enjoy our other recipes, such as, “Never Buy Bread Again – 13 Homemade Bread Recipes“.

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Homemade 30 Minute Mozzarella Cheese Recipe – Bonus ricotta cheese

Quick and easy homemade mozzarella recipe.

• Author: Laurie Neverman

Ingredients

1 1/2 level teaspoons citric acid dissolved in 1/2 cup cool water
1 gallon pasteurized whole milk
1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet (or 1/4 rennet tablet) diluted in 1/4 cup cool, unchlorinated water
1 teaspoon cheese salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Gently bring the milk up to 55°F ( 13°C) in a large, stainless steel pot. While stirring, add the citric acid solution to the milk and mix thoroughly.

2. Heat the milk to 90°F (32° C) over medium-low heat, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat and gently stir in the diluted rennet with an up-and-down motion for 30 seconds. Cover the pot and leave undisturbed for five minutes.

3. Check the curd. It should look like custard, with a clear separation between the curd and whey. (If the curd is too soft or the whey is too milky, let set for a few more minutes.) Cut the curd with a knife that reaches all the way to the bottom of your pot.

4. Place the pot back on the stove and heat the curds to 105°F (40°C), gently moving the curds around with your spoon. Remove from heat and continue to stir slowly for 2 to 5 minutes. (Stirring for 5 minutes will result in firmer cheese.)

5. Scoop out the curds with a slotted spoon and put into a 2 quart microwaveable bowl. Press the curds gently with your hands, pouring off as much whey as possible. Reserve the whey. (You can use the whey to make ricotta cheese.)

***If you do not have a microwave:

After step 5, heat the reserved whey on the stove top to at least 175°F. Add 1/4 cup of cheese salt to the whey. Shape the curd into one or more balls, put them in a ladle or strainer, and dip them into the hot whey for several seconds. Knead the curd with spoons or gloved hands between each dip and repeat this process several times until the curd is smooth and pliable. Please be careful! This is really hot, and working with more liquid increase the risk of getting splashed! If you use the non-microwave method, you cannot use the whey to make the Ricotta from Heaven, because the whey will contain too much salt.

6. Microwave the curds on high for 1 minute. Drain off all excess whey. Gently fold the cheese over an over with your hands or a spoon. This distributes the heat evenly throughout the cheese, which will not stretch until it is too hit to touch (145°F (63°C) inside the curd). Rubber kitchen gloves are very handy at this stage.

7. Microwave two more times for 35 seconds each; add salt to taste after the second time. After each heating, knead again to distribute the heat.

8. Knead quickly until it is smooth and elastic. When the cheese stretches like taffy, it’s done. (See top photo in post.) If the curds break instead of stretch, they are too cool and need to be reheated.

9. When the cheese is smooth and shiny, roll it into small balls and eat while warm. Or place them in a bowl of ice water for half an hour to bring the inside temperature down rapidly; this will produce a consistent smooth texture throughout the cheese. Although best eaten fresh, it can be stored in the refrigerator at this point.

Yield: 3/4 to 1 pound from 1 gallon milk

You can pull this mozzarella cheese into strips or strings – think “homemade string cheese”. Pull the strips, drop them in the water to cool, then pack them tightly in a Pyrex container or wrap in plastic wrap.

Store cheese in a tightly sealed container and use within a day or two.

Notes

Optional Lipase Powder

If you want to add lipase powder to give the cheese more flavor, use 1/8 – 1/4 teaspoon, dissolved in 1/4 cup cool water and allowed to sit for 20 minutes. To start, probably try the mild and see how you like the flavor. Add the lipase and water mixture at the same time you add the citric acid solution. If you add lipase to this cheese, you may have to use a bit more rennet, as lipase makes the cheese softer.

Originally published in 2011, updated in 2017.

The post Homemade 30 Minute Mozzarella Cheese Recipe – Plus Bonus Ricotta Cheese appeared first on Common Sense Homesteading.

This Article Was Originally Posted at commonsensehome.com Read The Original Article Here

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7 Quick Tips For Keeping Snails And Slugs Out Of Your Garden | Survival Gardening

The article 7 Quick Tips For Keeping Snails And Slugs Out Of Your Garden | Survival Gardening was first published to http://ift.tt/1nr27gs

The most common belief about snails and slugs is that they are the same but, they are not. They do, however, have something in common – they are quite damaging to gardens!

Keeping The Snails And Slugs Away

The main physical difference between them is snails carry a shell and slugs do not. Here are brief descriptions on what they each look like.

• Snails are grayish in color and their shells range in color from white to brown to almost black. The shell can also be mottled or striped. A snail has 2 tentacles on its head.
• Slugs, as mentioned above, do not have a shell. They range in color from light yellow to gray to almost black. They range in size from ½ inch to as long as 10 inches. Like their cousin, they also have 2 tentacles on their head.

They will target almost any vegetation that is wet or moist. The damage they leave behind are obvious holes in plant leaves and flowers including succulent plants and plants that grow low to the ground. They both can demolish young seedlings and will leave just the stem behind.

Due to the fact that snail and slug damage can resemble damage done by insects such as caterpillars and grasshoppers there is one telltale sign – the slime trails that snails and slugs leave behind. The slime trails are silvery, reflective lines left behind on the plant leaves and the outer surface of pots. Another way to possibly tell who the true culprit is: caterpillars, for example, leave behind droppings that resemble tiny pellets.

The reason why you may not see them much at all during the day is because snails and slugs are mostly nocturnal but can be spotted on extremely cloudy and wet days.

Let’s talk deterrent. What can you do is deter these 2 pests? In this article, I will share with you all natural solutions to keep your survival gardens snail and slug free this gardening season.

Petroleum Jelly

Great for raised gardens and potted plants! Just smear petroleum jelly around the edges of the pots or raised garden beds. Snails and slugs simply will not cross the path of the petroleum jelly.

Some gardeners add cayenne pepper, salt, or ginger powder for extra measure!

Crushed or Broken Eggshells

Even though there has been evidence of snails and slugs crossing over paths with sharp like edges to get to their dinner, some gardeners swear by this method!

Simply apply a layer (or two) of crushed or broken eggshells to the soil surrounding the plant. The key here is to make the area of eggshells as sharp and jagged as possible. It is very likely that the snail or slug will find it too cumbersome to cross over the roughness of the crushed or broken eggshells and turn right around and leave.

Copper

The mucous (or slime) of a snail or slug does not mix with copper and when they cross copper they will get a mild shock.

Wide copper barriers up to 6 inches are recommended as some snails and slugs can be quite large. Copper mesh or flat pieces of copper will work best for this deterrent method.

Tip: Copper can tarnish over time which will make it lose it’s effectiveness to deter these pests. Cleaning the copper or replacing it when it does become tarnished is highly recommended.

Pistachio Nut Shells

These shells have two qualities that snails and slugs hate – they are sharp and salty!

Simply place a thick layer of pistachio nut shells on the soil surrounding the plant. You do not have to replace the shells. They will rot down into the soil over time which will greatly benefit the soil and, of course, the plant. Add more shells as needed.

Sand

Due to it’s dry and barren texture, sand is another substance that snails and slugs do not like.

Put a ¼ inch barrier of fine sand around the edges of garden beds and at the base of plants to protect them from these pests.

Sawdust

The denseness of sawdust is extremely unappealing to snails and slugs and they will not cross this barrier. Simply place a ¼ to ½ inch barrier around the edges of potted plants or garden beds.

Pick Them By Hand

Please do not use your bare hands as the slime of these pests does not come off easily. Wearing disposable plastic gloves is highly recommended.

The best time to do this is dusk or early morning especially in damp conditions. When you spot one, it is best to scoop them up with a spoon. The next step is totally up to you, of course. You can release them in an area where you know they will not be a pest and cause damage. To instantly kill snails or slugs, sprinkle them with good amount of salt or squirt them with ammonia.

What do you use to keep away snails and slugs? Tell us in the comment section below.

If you’re looking for useful survival gear that you can’t make at home, check out the Survival Life Store!

Check out these articles on other common garden pests and how to deter them from ruining your survival garden!

Natural Ways to Repel Grasshoppers

Send Raccoons Packing with These 8 Natural Deterrents

Interested in plants that repel insects and other pests? Check out this article!

Plants That Repel Insects and Pests

This Article Was First Found at survivallife.com Read The Original Article Here

Originally Published Here: 7 Quick Tips For Keeping Snails And Slugs Out Of Your Garden | Survival Gardening

14 Garage Makeover Ideas Worth Exploring This Spring

7 Critical Concealed Carry Skills That Will Keep You Alive

7 Critical Concealed Carry Skills That Will Keep You Alive is courtesy of http://ift.tt/1Qfw8v0

Image source: Pixabay.com

Most people who apply for a concealed carry permit fail to take into consideration that effective concealed carry is actually a lifestyle change.

Approximately 80 percent of the licensed students I work with report that they usually don’t carry on a daily basis. Most say they carry only in their vehicle or while traveling.

Along with the decision to carry daily come some changes in how you go about day-to-day life. Your attire most likely will need to change. (I recommend concealed carry over open carry.) If you carry off-body in a purse, bag or other off-body manner, this will require some adaptation.

Once you’ve established carry methods, your training should continue. This article will cover some key areas to cover in your concealed carry training.

As always, practice and live by the four critical gun safety rules:

1. Treat all guns as if they are loaded.
2. Don’t let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until the sights are on target and you’re ready to shoot.
4. Be aware of your target and what’s around it.

With that in mind, let’s examine seven critical skills you need to practice for everyday carry:

1. Getting the handgun into play if needed

Can you draw your handgun from its place of concealment efficiently? For most folks, getting the pistol out of concealment will present its own challenges and must be practiced. It will require more effort than when drawing from a strong-side open carry setup. Also, what about getting the gun back into its hiding place once the incident is over? You will want to establish a good grip while drawing (a fundamental of marksmanship), and your concealment method should help facilitate this. Practice your concealment draw method now, ahead of any stressful incident in the future that you hope never happens.

2. Defensive accuracy

If you must shoot, then hit what you’re shooting at. There is bullseye accuracy and then there is self-defense accuracy. Your goal should be to blend the two…. meaning you want a combination of speed and accuracy. Shooting lightning fast is great — to the extent you can hit the intended target. Shooting well is a perishable skill; you must hone this skill with solid training. Visit Pistol-Training.com for some excellent drills, or spend some lesson time with a qualified trainer.

3. Running the gun

I always have suggested to students that shooting accuracy is only half the battle. Skills such as emergency or speed reloads, malfunction clearances, one-handed shooting with both right and left hands and again drawing the gun from concealment are just some basic skills every armed citizen should develop and feel confident doing. I teach and practice these skills constantly, both for students and myself.

4. Moving to and shooting from cover

A deadly force confrontation happens in seconds. However, the situation may allow you escape and avoidance (which you should do if at all possible), or you could find yourself needing to take cover. Cover is any object that hopefully will stop incoming bullets. If possible, you should add into your training the act of moving to and shooting from cover.

The Self-Defense And Hunting Weapon That Doesn’t Require A Firearms License!

Image source: Max Pixel

For most people, this will be a different experience that can change how a person grips their handgun and sees their sights. Practice shooting from kneeling, sitting and prone now, instead of always keeping your feet planted in one place and hoping you will never have to move into an uncomfortable shooting position.

5. Dim light shooting

You must be able to identify your threat! There have been far too many tragic cases where a person shoots their own loved one believing they were an intruder. I ALWAYS carry a handheld flashlight and know how to shoot with the light in my support hand. You should have this skill, too. After all, approximately 60 to 70 percent of crime happens in dim light conditions. Depending on the technique used, this may mean firing your pistol one handed … a skill I recommend you train for. A weapon-mounted light system may or may not be appropriate, depending on the risk of flagging innocent people and your carry method.

6. Distance shooting

While most encounters (over 90 percent) occur from about seven yards or less, there could be a situation where a longer shot must be made. With the increase in active shooters, a shot from 12 to 25 yards or farther may be the only option. With a handgun, this can be a challenge for even the seasoned shooter. Train to make center mass shots at least out to 25 yards with your EDC handgun. As with all shooting, your marksmanship fundamentals must be constantly reinforced.
Distance shooting will test these skills.

7. Scenario based or “force decisions” training

Scenario-based training is one of the best techniques you can employ to prepare for an encounter you hope never comes. This type of training should be done in a highly safe and secure manner with qualified trainers, and only with Simunition or airsoft guns. Force decisions (also called reality based training) will challenge you mentally. Your mental prowess is, in my opinion, where the rubber meets the road. You can be the best bullseye shooter in the world, but making decisions under immediate high stress and reacting appropriately is what this type of training is all about. We use this training often. Many students begin to realize where their strengths and weaknesses really are.

A Final Thought

Remember that everywhere you carry, there is now a gun on the scene. Don’t let your gun be used against you. There are many cases of open carry or even concealed carry guns being taken right off the citizen carrying them. Carry discretely and securely.

As a fellow trainer once told me: “Train well and train often.”

What advice would you add? Share your thoughts in the section below:

This Article Was Originally Posted On offthegridnews.com Read the Original Article here

Original Post Here: 7 Critical Concealed Carry Skills That Will Keep You Alive

Dandelion Wall Art

Dandelion Wall Art See more on: http://ift.tt/1nr27gs

I LOVE this idea. This blowing dandelion sign makes a beautiful gift or home decor piece for anyone! It reads “Ring Bell if no answer Pull Weeds” a clever way to welcome people into your home! These wooden signs are made from pine boards and are approximately 12″ x 12″. Check out these in the link below…

More details HERE…

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Article Source Here: Dandelion Wall Art

The 8 Seeds That Can Store At Least 5 Years

The 8 Seeds That Can Store At Least 5 Years See more on: http://ift.tt/1Qfw8v0

Do you have a seed stash tucked away? I certainly do. It’s rare that I use up all the seeds I buy in any given year. When I have some left over, I put them away for next year’s garden.

It just seems so wasteful to throw seeds out, doesn’t it? And, of course, if you harvest and save your own seeds from year to year, then you definitely have a stash, too.

Whether your own stash was purchased or saved from a previous harvest, those seeds won’t be viable forever. The longevity of seeds depends both on which cultivars they are and how they’re stored. Some seeds — including leeks, onions, parsley and parsnips — will last a year at best. Others will remain viable up to five years after they were harvested, and possibly even longer if they’re stored in the right conditions.

Best Method of Seed Storage

Seeds are best stored in cool, dry locations. A general guideline is to keep the combined temperature and humidity level under 100. As an example, the ideal temperature for seed storage is about 40-45 degrees Fahrenheit, which would allow for a maximum humidity level of about 50 percent. To keep your seeds dry, store them in an airtight container. Glass jars with rubber seals on their lids, like baby food or home canning jars, work best. If you’re concerned about moisture within the jar, you can add in a desiccant such as rice.

Keeping the seeds in the fridge or freezer is an excellent way to maintain perfect storage conditions. Keep in mind that frost-free fridges and freezers work by drawing out moisture, and can seriously dry out seeds. However, as long as your seeds are in an appropriate container, they shouldn’t become damaged.

Need Non-GMO Seeds? Get The Best Deals Here!

Freezing seeds properly can exponentially prolong their longevity. After all, seed banks like the Svalbard Global Seed Vault count on freezing to keep their seeds viable for centuries. The home gardener shouldn’t expect her own seeds to last quite as long in a home freezer, given the strict scientific protocols and optimal conditions of the Global Seed Vault. Still, frozen seeds should remain viable longer than seeds stored at room temperature.

8 Seeds That Easily Store for 5 Years

Image source: Pixabay.com

While storage methods have a big impact on seed longevity, the type of cultivar also makes a difference. Some of the longest-lasting seeds are members of the cabbage family (Brassicaceae), but there are eight different types of vegetable seeds that will remain viable for about five years, even if not frozen:

1. Broccoli
2. Cabbage
3. Cauliflower
4. Cucumber
5. Muskmelons
6. Spinach
7. Radishes
8. Lettuce

Viable and Vigorous Seeds for Healthy Plants

For the healthiest and best-producing plants, you need viable, vigorous seeds. Viability is basically the rate at which seeds sprout or germinate. If, in a sample of 10 seeds of the same cultivar, eight sprout, the germination rate is 80 percent, which is highly viable. If, however, only two or three seeds in that sample sprout, the germination rate is 20-30 percent, and the viability is low.

In addition to viability, the vigor of seeds is an important consideration. Viability is generally measured under optimal conditions. But vigor measures how well sprouted seeds perform under less-than-optimal conditions (e.g., outside in the garden). Seeds need to be strong and healthy to flourish in variable weather conditions and in soil that may be less than ideal.

As seeds age, they decrease both in viability and vigor. They may lose their ability to sprout at all, and those that do sprout may just not have the strength to create a healthy plant. It’s easy to test a seed’s viability, but somewhat more difficult for the home gardener to determine a seed’s vigor. However, by keeping track of how long your seeds have been stored, you can use the list above to determine how well your seeds are likely to perform without bothering with tests.

If you’ve had any of the listed seeds stored for five years already, it would be best to get those planted this year, for healthy plants and a bountiful harvest.

What’s your personal record for planting seeds that have been stored a long time? Share your thoughts in the section below:

This Article Was Originally Posted On offthegridnews.com Read the Original Article here

This Article Was Found Here: The 8 Seeds That Can Store At Least 5 Years

Guilt And Depravity

The following article Guilt And Depravity Find more on: http://ift.tt/1nr27gs

“I know there is good in you.”

—Luke to Darth Vader, Return of the Jedi (1983)

As Seen on TV

The mass murderer … the serial killer, the paid assassin, the warmonger, the man responsible for the death of dozens or thousands of innocent people … suddenly becomes one of the good guys and joins the team. And everyone’s okay with this. Of course.

How many times has this plotline been drawn up for a TV show? We can think of Alias, Stargate, Babylon 5, Deep Space 9, Dr. Who, Once Upon a Time, Person of Interest, Arrow, Legends of Tomorrow, and Black List, for starters. Our common rationale for buying into this frightening scenario seems to be, “Yes, he was bad. But he’s good now.” This assent to “instantly good” usually betrays a rejection of some basic biblical categories. So, let’s take a closer look at guilt and depravity.

Guilty as Charged!

We begin with guilt. Guilt is a legal category, not really an emotional or psychological one. In general terms, a man who commits a crime is guilty. He has broken a law and deserves punishment. How he feels about his crime is irrelevant. His guilt is an objective matter.

Scripture tells us of our legal guilt before God our Creator. God has clearly revealed His law in Scripture. That law is an expression of His holy nature and of the loving and faithful communion that exists among the Persons of the Trinity. God’s law is, therefore, good and right in this absolute sense. The man who breaks that law is in conflict with and at war against God himself … at war with Ultimate Reality.

The Secret To Keeping Kids Calm In The Car … Without DVDs!

We might ask, “Can’t love overlook guilt? Can’t divine love just accept every man as he is, murderer and victim alike?” Scripture says: nope. God is One. There can be no conflict in His Being. In Him justice and love meet. His law is a perfect expression of His love, and God’s justice requires that He punish those who war against it. In fact, God describes Himself with these words:

The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation (Ex. 34:6-7).

‘At One’ (Atonement)

Hold on just a second, you say. God says He will “by no means clear the guilty,” and yet He claims that He forgives iniquity, transgression, and sin. Isn’t this a contradiction?

It’s not a contradiction, because God has many attributes. But it is, to me at least, another fascinating mystery of the Gospel. Though God must certainly punish sin, He can punish it in the person of a “fit” substitute. And His love and mercy have moved Him to provide such a substitute.

Image source: Pixabay.com

That Substitute is God Himself. The eternal God, in the Person of Jesus Christ, gave Himself as a penal substitute for sinners. Scripture speaks of atonement. The shed blood of Christ covers our sins so that we can be “at one” with God. God can forgive us because Jesus already bore our punishment on the cross. He can and will cover us with Jesus’ righteousness when we believe the Gospel. This is the doctrine of justification by faith.

You Dirty Rat! (Depravity)

But substitutionary atonement and justification by faith are not the whole of the Gospel, because guilt is not the whole of man’s problem. Fallen humanity is not just guilty before God … we also have a depraved nature, and that nature taints all that we are and do. In the days before the Flood,

. . . GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually (Gen. 6:5).

Theologians call this total depravity. This depravity has to do with the condition of the heart. So it’s “total” not in its depth, but in its breadth. It touches and defiles all that man is and does. It lies behind all of our choices, all of our thoughts and feelings. And, as long as we are dominated by such depravity, we will continue to be at war with God.

What depraved man needs, of course, is a new heart, a new nature. And this is the rest of the Gospel. The God who forgives sins for Jesus’ sake also transforms sinners through the regenerating and sanctifying power of His Holy Spirit (Gal. 3:7-14). Jesus forgives sinners and makes them new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17). He also gives sinners a heart to love God and to keep His commandments (Heb. 8:10; Ezek. 36:26-27).

But here’s the important thing: If man has no “depraved heart,” there’s not a lot for Christians to talk about, is there? Because it follows quite logically then, that we don’t need Jesus to change hearts. In fact, we don’t need Him at all, except as a little frosting perhaps on an already beautiful cake, so to speak. If our nature is basically good, then we can’t really talk about human depravity in any meaningful sense. Absolutely no need for “the Gospel rescue mission.” If you believe this, it’s the “gospel of humanism” that shapes your basic beliefs, assumptions about reality, and ultimately your worldview.

You’re Good Enough, Smart Enough, And Doggone It, People Like You

Romanticism in all its forms and from all ages assumes that man is basically good, that our emotions are pure and our basic intuitions always trustworthy. For those with this humanistic worldview, mankind in general has learned its destructive habits from society. Humankind’s poverty, education, food or “the man” has somehow corrupted him. We’re all hapless victims of Christianity or capitalism, of dark magic or our DNA. From this starting point, we’ve moved to saying, “But, if you just give us a new environment and the right external influences … you’re going to see change. Maybe regenerative wonders. Maybe behavioral miracles.”

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Where’s the love, right? We’ve got to share the love. Come on people now… If we just loved the criminal more, his inner goodness will “break on through to the other side” and he will become the new man. The good man. And since none of the criminal’s corruption was ever his fault, we must now also receive him warmly back into society without qualification or question. Liberal theology demands he’s never had a sin nature, so the orders are … forgive, forget and integrate back into our neighborhoods with starry eyes and hopeful grins knowing we’re all in this together and we’re all good. But where do these ideas really come from? Ideas like we are “all good?”

Fixed Nature?

The Pelagian and the existentialist assume that man has no fixed nature. Man creates his identity, creates himself, moment by moment by his own autonomous choices. The “good” man is the one who is currently choosing to do good. The “evil” man is the one who is currently choosing evil. But either man can alter the nature of his choices at any moment. The evil man can decide that he no longer likes the sort of person he’s been and suddenly choose good; the good man can abandon his good works and just as suddenly choose evil.

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Why would either make such a choice? Environment. Crisis. Loss. New perspective. Impress a woman? Whatever. It doesn’t matter. It’s not for us to question, we’re told. But once the man says, “I’m good now,” we are supposed to instantly forget what he’s been and regard him as he says he is. The past is a dead letter.

Think this is just theology with no practical application? One of my employee’s husband had a sister who was murdered back in the 80s. She was savagely beaten, raped, tied to a tree and shot in the head. Her murderer got away with the crime. Ten years later he even started to brag about it. Then one day he bragged to the wrong person and was turned in. He admitted in court that he did it and was given 71 years in jail. After serving only 10 years, he came up for parole and is about to be released. He told the parole board he was “good now” and proved it by getting a law degree at the taxpayers’ expense while he was serving time. A law degree proves you’re good? Irony of ironies, I suppose. Bottom line: His parole board and liberal judge wants him in your neighborhood because he says he’s good.

Conclusion: Ideas Have Consequences and Theology Matters

Man, in his rebellion against God, will not admit the existence of guilt and depravity. Yet our culture still clings to corrupted notions of atonement and justification. Atonement becomes self-atonement, a demanding program of charity and self-sacrifice or an elaborate system of blood rituals and magic, or a hell of suffering and torment inflicted by the mindless universe, the helpful sadist, or even the empty angst of one’s own self-destructive habits. Regardless, the goal of self-atonement is self-forgiveness and self-justification. The rest of us are expected to forgive on demand and, of course, pity anyone who struggles dutifully on their own personal 12-step journey. (We’ve got Freud to thank for much of this.)

The Gospel says that self-atonement is self-delusion and madness. Only God can forgive sins. He forgives sins only because of Jesus’ sufferings and death 2,000 years ago on the cross. In that divine atonement is true justification and new birth. There is no other remedy for sin.

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Original Post Here: Guilt And Depravity