Janelle Esker Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Isaiah 5:20-21. How’s that for starting out on a cheerful note?
I don’t know about you but I sense things changing at a rapid rate, faster than it’s normal pace. I’m a student of history and although not a historian by trade (I’m a teacher) the world seems to be in a state of chaos. The forces of entropy are employed at an ever-increasing rate. It’s important to note that we live in a fallen world. The world around us is always somewhat in a state of unrest.
It is also important to note that while we can feel unmoored by this daily chaos. Chaos often leads people to redemption. It is not without its benefits. God in His great wisdom and love set forth for us rules to follow. They are good rules that show us how to live in a broken and sinful world. They show us the truth, lead us to a saving relationship with Jesus, and teach us how to live successfully.
God’s beautiful commandments open up possibilities and allow us to create a rich, holistic life that is pleasing to Him. How to interact with our neighbors, health, finances, our home life, husbands, and children. The Word of God instructs us in the value of an education and the importance of every human life and even shows us how to find salvation and forgiveness in and through Jesus Christ! His rules are filled with loving kindness, protection, and truth.
In order to live life to its fullest we must obey His directives and woe to those that don’t.
Woe To Those Who Call Evil Good
I suppose we need to start by defining the words evil and good. We will start with a few verses from the Bible describing evil.
- Isaiah 32:6 – For fools speak folly, their hearts are bent on evil: They practice ungodliness and spread error concerning the LORD; the hungry they leave empty and from the thirsty they withhold water.
- Proverbs 3:7 – Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.
- Proverbs 8:13 – To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.
- Mark 7:21 &22 – For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.
We can get a pretty good picture from these descriptive Bible verses on what evil encompasses. Let us then look at the traits depicting evil to better help us understand the current issues of our day.
- Speaking incorrectly about God is evil.
- Thinking wisdom comes from yourself, your education, your status, and not God is evil.
- Pride, envy, greed, deceit, and arrogance are evil.
- Perverse speech and lewdness are evil.
- The act of sexual immorality like intercourse before marriage, adultery, LGBTQ actions, and transgenderism is evil.
- Murder (see the Bible’s definition of murder, Psalms 10:8; Hosea 9:13) is evil and this includes the life of the unborn. Abortion is evil.
- Lying and slander are evil.
Remember this…
Now, onto the word good! God’s goodness is a foundational truth in Scripture. His goodness is praised in the Psalms, especially in verses 25:8, 34:8, 86:5, 100:5, 118:1, 136:1, 145:9. Jesus affirms and confirms the Father’s goodness when speaking to the rich young ruler in ( Matthew 19:17, Mark 10:18, and Luke 18:19. In 1 Peter 2:3 Peter repeats the language of Psalm 34:8: “Taste and see that the Lord is good!”
It is imperative that we as Christ’s followers do not hide our light under a bushel, the mark of a Christian is love. We must proclaim the truth of God’s Word and we must do it with the wisdom provided by the Holy Spirit. There will be a cost. When we are representing Jesus, we must consider all of God’s Holy Scripture and speak the truth in love.
Go Deeper:
The Gospel Comes With A House Key
YOUR TURN…
What evil is the most pervasive in American culture right now?
Blessings,
Janelle
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