The Social Construct and Compact

There’s a significant bond between us. Often, we don’t recognize or acknowledge that bond. It’s a bond revealed in scripture that we often overlook. The book of Genesis says this about our societal construct and compact — “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.” Genesis 2:18, NLT. Notice, there are two distinct parts: 1) it is not good for man to be alone, and 2) I will make a helper who is just right for him. In this post, I want to spend the majority of my time on the first one not the second, which is where most of our conversations go in regard to this scripture.

In the creation story, there’s only one time where God sees something and says, “it’s not good”, and that’s where He says, “it is not good for man to be alone”. And right there, we learn something about who we are — mankind was created to be social. Knowing that truth helps us — men and women — understand who we are called to be — a sociable called to be in relationship with someone else. And since the creation, mankind has sought to find that kind of relationship with others. Further, there is an underlying construct and compact that we make to come into relationship with others.

But there is something that can happen when men and women unite — ordinary men and women, your average Joe or Sally or Suzy, can do great evil. History tells a clear story of the abuses of men and women when they unite under an evil cause. And that story goes back to Genesis 11:1, 3, 4, Berean Standard Bible, “Now the whole world had one language and a common form of speech…And they said to one another, ‘Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.’ So they used brick instead of stone, and tar instead of mortar. ‘Come,’ they said, ‘let us build for ourselves a city with a tower that reaches to the heavens, that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of all the earth.’” 

This story takes place after the flood that spared Noah, his wife, his sons, and his sons’ wives. In other words, the people who decide to build the Tower of Babel are Noah’s descendants. And the Bible makes it clear, they were united in building this tower that would “reach into heaven”. And right here, we see a dark truth about mankind — when we unite and come together, we can do great evil. In other words, we have a propensity as human beings when we are in a group to form a mob mentality. That mindset is how ordinary men and women can commit evil like the Holocaust — men and women were united in their hatred of the Jewish people.

Listen to what God said about this mentality and why He divided mankind at the Tower of Babel — “Look! They are one people with the same language for all of them, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. Nothing that they have a mind to do will be impossible for them!” Genesis 11:6, ISV. In the Webster Bible Translation, that verse says, “and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.” In other words, if they continue to operate as one people with one language, nothing will stop them from forming this mob mindset and committing even greater evils than they are doing.

Fast forward 4000 years, and we see this same mob mentality in effect. Where? The crucifixion of Christ. This is what scripture says about that moment: “But the mob shouted louder and louder, demanding that Jesus be crucified, and their voices prevailed.” Luke 23:23, NLT. The way that Satan caused Christ to be crucified was by utilizing the mob mentality to cause men and women to do great evil. 1Corinthians 2:8. Pilate, in response to their demands that Christ be crucified, asked the mob, “‘Why? What crime has he committed?’ asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, ‘Crucify him!’” Matthew 27:23, NIV. And here we learn another dark truth — a mob mentality cannot be reasoned with. 

“The cross is the ultimate recognition of man’s responsibility to His fellow man.”—Scott Wallis

In fact, the Apostle Paul tells us that is one of the main signs of a false apostle — “you put up with it if someone makes slaves of you, if someone exploits you, if someone takes advantage of you, if someone behaves arrogantly toward you, if someone strikes you in the face.” 2 Corinthians 11:20, Net Bible. Notice, someone uses our desire to be in relationship and abuses that desire for personal profit and gain. In other words, when it comes to relationships, we need wisdom, for not everyone will treat us as we should be treated. Some will seek to use us, abuse us, mistreat us, even enslave us and strike us. Why? To take advantage of us.

This is why we need to know that there is a hidden social compact and construct between us. And if we fail to understand that social compact and construct between us, it will be used against us by our evil adversary — Satan. Yes, Satan knows of and has used this social compact and construct against mankind before. And he will doubtless seek to use it again. Think about it, the mark of the beast revealed in Revelation 13 is the ultimate sign of Satan’s use of the mob mentality to control people — “He required everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead.” Revelation 13:16, NLT. How? By force!

The founding fathers understood this social compact and construct. They knew and understood that there’s a social contract between us as people. They codified that social contract into a document that has stood the test of time — the Declaration of Independence. In fact, more recently, 
drew a direct connection to that social contract and stated, “When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the 'unalienable Rights' of 'Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'"

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Notice, Dr. King refers to that social contract and he, in his brilliance, ascribes an even greater truth that’s revealed in the Declaration of Independence — a promissory note. In other words, there’s a duty that we have to one another. In truth, “I am my brother’s keeper.” And so are you. When we forget this most basic truth about the social compact and construct between us, we start to behave like Cain, who killed his brother and said to God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” In truth, he lied to God to cover his sin — the murder of his own brother. Pure evil! And yet, that same evil happens today. And people use the same excuse of Cain to belie their actions.

Dear Church, we have a responsibility to others that we often don’t acknowledge or accept — we are our brother’s keeper. Yet, the lawyer in us says, “Who is my neighbor?" Luke 10:29, God’s Word Translation. The scriptures state why the lawyer asked this question of Jesus, “he, desiring to justify himself”. Luke 10:29, ESV. And we, like he did, also try to justify ourselves through the same kind of excuses. But the truth is, we owe one another a duty. And that duty is what scripture says it is — “Let love be your only debt! If you love others, you have done all that the Law demands.” Romans 13:8, CEV. Notice, the Apostle Paul doesn’t say we don’t owe anyone anything. Rather, he says, owe no debt to anyone beyond the debt of love you already owe them. 

Yes, you are a debtor. You owe a debt that you cannot pay. The debt you owe is to your creator. And your creator plainly states that you owe a debt of love to others. In fact, that truth is heightened in the Church among believers, for Christ says, “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.” John 13:34, Berean Standard Bible. And right there, Christ seals the social compact and construct with one sentence and one word — love. Not a fictional fruity love. But real committal love that’s in it for the long haul. The love that requires something of us that’s difficult to give. 

Real love is described in the New Testament by a single person who was willing to demonstrate the greatest act of love in one place — the cross. Is it possible that’s what Jesus meant when He said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matthew 16:24, NIV. In other words, the cross is the ultimate recognition of man’s responsibility to His fellow man. Jesus fulfilled His responsibility to us by going to the cross. And He invites His followers, you and me, to pick up that same cross in recognition of our responsibility to others.

The question: How? First, recognize your duty of love. Next, be willing to fulfill your duty of love by sacrificing of yourself. Lastly, show your love in practical ways — do all the good you can, to everyone you can, when you can and while you can. As the Apostle Paul states, “Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” Galatians 6:10, NLT. 

Notice, if you’re a believer, you’re part of a new family — the family of faith. Now, it’s incumbent on us to act like it and love our brothers and sisters, even when we don’t feel like it. Yes, it’s part of the duty we have as believers. Yes, being part of the family does have social ties and connections AND responsibilities. Remember, God created the social compact and construct in the social contract — to love one another, as I have loved you — that’s written in blood on the cross and revealed in Christ’s death at the cross. Love has a cost. Let us not forget to pay that debt we owe — love — to the One who paid the debt that we couldn’t pay ourselves — for sin. 

I think we need to hear this message today in our new social media world, for it seems we’ve forgotten the social compact and construct between us and moved in the direction of the Tower of Babel — the mob mentality of unrestrained evil. May God have mercy on us!

Let us pray!

— Scott Wallis