What civilization is? ― Martin Lloyd-Jones

“Do you know what civilization is? Have you ever been in the conditions that I am describing to you? Have you ever been in some of those cities in America where there is terrible humidity? In America they not only measure the heat, they measure the humidity, and they are wise to do so. Have you ever been in the city of Boston, say, on a hot August Sunday afternoon when it is not only very hot but very humid as well? No sun can be seen, but it is there above the clouds. The whole universe seems to be pressing down upon you, hot and humid. You are tired, and you sit in a room, but what can be done? Before they had air-conditioning, people used to put on electric fans. The electric fan causes the air to circulate, and while you are sitting somewhere near the fan you feel a little cooler. You are quite convinced that the fan is cooling the atmosphere. But you are wrong. It is actually increasing the temperature because the energy of the electricity is adding to the temperature. You have the impression that it is cooling the air because there is movement, but the fan does not bring in any fresh air at all. It makes the same air go round and round. You merely get the illusion that the problem is being dealt with. That is all civilization does. It does not touch the problem. It does not make any difference to the real condition of men and women. We change this and improve that, and there is a sort of movement, but nothing new is brought in…

Do you see what happens? You circulate the same fetid, oppressive atmosphere. The same heat remains, it is even increased, but you are under the illusion that things are better. But they are not. You are simply moving ground and round in exactly the same condition. Here is the message of the New Testament: Humanity has shut itself in. It has shut the windows to heaven, and it cannot open them. It has been trying to do so desperately, but it cannot do it, and the more it tries, the more exhausted it becomes. But here is one who can bring us seasons of refreshing — this is the whole message of the Gospel of salvation. All the Old Testament prophets had been looking forward to Christ. They had said, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God‖” (Isa.40:1). They said, “There is one coming who will set us free.” Christ came into the world to open a window into heaven. This is a great theme in the Bible from beginning to end…”

― Martin Lloyd-Jones, Authentic Christianity