HAVE you ever been a victim of corruption? Perhaps not of the kind mentioned above, but almost certainly you have suffered the effects of corruption.

According to Transparency International’s (TI) 2011 Corruption Perceptions Index,b “the vast majority of the 183 countries and territories assessed score below five on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean).” Two years earlier, TI acknowledged that its 2009 annual report exposed the pervasive reality of corruption: “It is clear that no region of the world is immune to the perils of corruption.”

“Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain. It hurts everyone whose life, livelihood or happiness depends on the integrity of people in a position of authority.”​—TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL

In some cases, the consequences of corruption can be disastrous. For example, Time magazine reported that “corruption and carelessness” were at least partially responsible for the very heavy death toll in the massive earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010. It added further: “Buildings rise with little if any input from engineers and plenty of bribes to so-called government inspectors.”

Is there a lasting solution to the scourge of corruption? To answer that question, we need to understand the basic causes of corruption. We will consider these in the next article.

THAT statement aptly describes the history of human rulership. It has been responsible for untold suffering and misery. In all ages, well-intentioned people who have tried to establish a more just society were constantly foiled by greed and corruption. Why is that so? Why does corruption persist? Basically, because of the following three unwholesome influences.

1. The influence of sin.

The Bible plainly states that we “are all under sin.” (Romans 3:9) Like an incurable hereditary disease, sin “resides,” or is “dwelling,” within us. For thousands of years, sin has “ruled” over mankind like a king. Its “law” is continually at work in us. Sinful inclinations lead many to put their own interests first or to center their lives on gaining material possessions or authority at others’ expense.​—Romans 5:21; 7:17, 20, 23, 25.

2. The influence of the wicked world we live in.

Our world is characterized by greed and selfishness. In such an environment, some people find it difficult to be different. Driven by selfish ambition, they become power hungry. They also develop a strong desire for more money and possessions​—more than they really need. Sadly, they are willing to behave in a dishonest way to achieve those goals. Rather than resisting unwholesome influences, such people “follow after the crowd for evil ends.”​—Exodus 23:2.

3. The influence of Satan the Devil.

Satan, a rebellious spirit creature, is “misleading the entire inhabited earth.” (Revelation 12:9) He thrives on manipulating humans. He may craftily exploit a person’s natural desire for material comfort and financial well-being to the point that the person acts deceitfully.

Does that mean that we are mere puppets in Satan’s hands​—that we are obliged to obey him when he pulls the strings? We will learn the answer in the following article.

ALTHOUGH our sinful nature, the world we live in, and the Devil can exert great pressure on us, we can resist their influence! How? By drawing close to God and by applying time-tested principles from his Word, the Bible. Consider two examples.

BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “Do not model your behaviour on the contemporary world.”​—Romans 12:2, New Jerusalem Bible.

Real-life experience: Guilherme is a successful Brazilian businessman. He admits that it is not easy to be honest. “A business person can easily begin to adopt dishonest practices, perhaps because of the pressure to meet company goals or to survive in a competitive world,” he says. “Many people regard giving and receiving bribes as normal practice. When you are an entrepreneur with heavy financial responsibilities, it is a challenge to be honest.”

Even so, Guilherme has successfully resisted the pressure to be dishonest. He says: “Even in a permissive business environment, it is possible to be honest. You need to have strong moral values. The Bible has helped me to see the benefits of honesty. An honest person has a clear conscience, an inner calmness, and self-respect. He can be a positive influence on those around him.”

BIBLE PRINCIPLE: “People who want to be rich fall into all sorts of temptations and traps. They are caught by foolish and harmful desires that drag them down and destroy them. The love of money causes all kinds of trouble.”​—1 Timothy 6:9, 10, Contemporary English Version.

Real-life experience: André is the owner of a company that installs security systems. One of his clients is a large soccer club. On one occasion, after a big game, André went to the administration offices and presented an invoice for the services he had performed. The financial department was still busy counting the money it had just received from the ticket offices. As it was already late, the supervisor hurriedly paid the suppliers, including André.

“On my way home, I noticed that the supervisor had overpaid me,” relates André. “I knew that he probably would never know who had received the extra money. But I also knew that the poor man would have to pay what was missing out of his own pocket! I decided to go back. I managed to push my way through a crowd of fans and return the extra money. The supervisor was greatly surprised. No one had ever returned any money to him.”

“That act of honesty earned the supervisor’s respect,” André continues. “A number of years have gone by, but of all the original suppliers, I am the only one who still has a contract with the club. I’m grateful that applying the Bible’s high moral principles has earned me a good reputation.”

It is encouraging to know that we can, with God’s help, resist corruptive influences. However, individual efforts will never completely root out corruption. The causes go deep​—too deep for imperfect humans to solve on their own. Does this mean, then, that corruption will never end? The final article in this series highlights the Bible’s encouraging answer.

DO YOU, like many people, fear that corruption is inevitable and will never be completely eliminated? If so, that fear is understandable. Throughout history, humans have tried every conceivable form of government. Yet, they have never succeeded in permanently eliminating corruption. Is there any hope that a time will come when all people will deal honestly with one another?

Happily, the Bible’s answer is yes! It tells us that God will soon take action to rid our earth of corruption. How will he do so? By means of his Kingdom, a heavenly government that will completely transform our earth. This is the same Kingdom that Jesus taught his followers to pray for. In what is sometimes called the Lord’s Prayer or the Our Father, Jesus said: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth.”​—Matthew 6:10, King James Version.

Concerning the Ruler of that Kingdom, Jesus Christ, the Bible foretells: “He will deliver the poor one crying for help, also the afflicted one and whoever has no helper. He will feel sorry for the lowly one and the poor one, and the souls of the poor ones he will save. From oppression and from violence he will redeem their soul.” (Psalm 72:12-14) Note that Jesus has empathy for those who are victims of corruption, and he will do something about oppression! Is that not comforting?

In the hands of that compassionate and powerful Ruler, God’s Kingdom will rid our earth of corruption. How? By eliminating the three causes of corruption.

The Influence of Sin

At present, we must all battle sinful tendencies, which incline us to act selfishly. (Romans 7:21-23) Still, there are good people who want to do what is right. They exercise faith in the ransoming value of Jesus’ shed blood, and they can receive forgiveness of their sins.a (1 John 1:7, 9) Such people stand to benefit from God’s greatest act of love, as we read at John 3:16: “God loved the world so much that he gave his only-begotten Son, in order that everyone exercising faith in him might not be destroyed but have everlasting life.”

For faithful people, God will do something truly marvelous. In the coming new world, he will eventually remove all traces of sin, progressively raising faithful mankind to perfection and a righteous standing. (Isaiah 26:9; 2 Peter 3:13) Never again will the influence of sin cause anyone to act corruptly. Under the rule of God’s Kingdom, faithful humans “will be set free from enslavement to corruption.”​—Romans 8:20-22.

The Influence of the Wicked World We Live In

Sadly, many today intentionally victimize others. They take advantage of the lowly and the poor, and they influence others to act corruptly as well. The Bible admonishes such individuals: “Let the wicked man leave his way, and the harmful man his thoughts.” If such corrupt individuals do repent, the Bible promises that God “will forgive in a large way.”​—Isaiah 55:7.

However, God will have no choice but to remove those who stubbornly refuse to change their ways. By means of God’s Kingdom, the Bible’s promise will come true: “Hope in Jehovah and keep his way . . . When the wicked ones are cut off, you will see it.”b (Psalm 37:34) With the incorrigibly wicked gone, faithful worshippers of God will no longer be victims of corruption.

The Influence of Satan the Devil

Foremost among hardened sinners is Satan the Devil. How thankful we can be that Jehovah will soon restrict Satan, preventing him from influencing humans. Eventually, God will destroy Satan completely. Never again will that wicked monster be able to influence people to act corruptly.

Granted, the idea that God will do away with all causes of corruption may seem to be mere wishful thinking. You may wonder, ‘Does God really have the means to bring about such changes? If so, why hasn’t he done it already?’ Those are good questions, and the Bible provides satisfying answers.c We invite you to examine for yourself what the Bible teaches about the near future, when all corruption will be gone forever.