Deuteronomy 30:19-20a
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.
“Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to Him. For the LORD is your life …”
In the most recent email from the Voice of the Martyrs
Pastor under house arrest in Cuba (evil in the world)
Two Christian converts from islam jailed - whereabouts unknown
(evil in the world)
In the news
Two teachers killed by students this past week (evil in the world)
There are an average of 45 murders each day in the US (reported)
(evil in the world)
Sexual assault happens every 2 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year just in the US (evil in the world)
Abortions - based on an average there was a counter I was watching at 11 AM in the morning, here’s what it was showing:
1,529 abortions in the US so far that day
50,997 abortions in the world so far that day
Based on statistics provided by doctors who kill unborn children for profit (evil in the world)
Evil is everywhere
Evil - what is it?
The dictionary says that evil is an adjective:
- Morally wrong or bad, immoral, wicked
i.e. Evil deeds; an evil life
It is also a noun:
- that which is evil; evil quality, intention, or conduct: to choose the lesser of two evils
- the force in nature that governs and gives rise to wickedness and sin
Evil exists - why?
Sometimes the statement is made: “If God created everything and evil is a thing then God created evil.”
That makes sense doesn’t it? The only problem is that one of the two premises on which the conclusion is based is wrong.
Evil is not a thing.
Have you ever eaten a donut hole? Not the thing that they call donut holes but the hole that is in the center of a donut. Actually, the hole does not exist. It has no being, not existence. It is merely the absence of the donut dough. Once the donut material has been eaten the hole ceases to exist.
There is no place where they manufacture donut holes to put into the center of donuts.
The same goes for shadows. A shadow has no existence on its own. You never see a shadow on the ground and think, “Some guy took off and forgot his shadow.” A shadow is merely the absence of light caused by something blocking the light source.
The same thing goes for evil. God created the world good.
Entirely good except for mankind and mankind was very good.
God created a universe with creatures who are morally free. In creation as we know it the only creatures on earth that are morally free are humans.
When something is done that is out of character with the nature of God it is an evil act producing an absence of God’s goodness in that person’s life that hole is called evil.
It’s not a physical hole like the hole in the donut but it introduces an action that has an effect on the goodness of God’s creation.
Summary: God is good. God’s creation is entirely good. God gave us free moral will. Using that free moral will against the known will of God is sin. Sin is evil.
The opposite of evil is righteousness.
The goodness of God is never diminished. Evil is the absence of goodness or righteousness in the world caused by sin or disobedience.
James 1:13-15
“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.
“Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
Why do we need to know what evil is or isn’t?
As we engage with those who need Christ as their Savior they will ask us questions, they will challenges us and our beliefs and we need to have answers.
1 Peter 3:15-16a
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience …”
What value is there in evil? None … but … evil has effects …
Evil crushes the spirit.
Romans 6:23a
“The wages of sin is death …”
Romans 6:16b
“… you are slaves to sin, which leads to death …”
We think of this death as eternal death but it leads initially to a spiritual death, emotional death, relational death and perhaps physical death in this life.
What could be good about that? What could be of value in that?
When people are crushed by the result of sin (evil) it allows us to:
Show mercy
Show forgiveness
Share how sin crushed us
Share how Jesus set us free
To be used by God for His kingdom and His glory
We can shine the light of God’s grace into the shadow of the grief of others caused by their sin.
Here’s a problem caused by the shadow illustration; when we see a shadow of a person it is cast by their body blocking the light of the sun. The shadow, the evil is what actually casts the shadow which blocks the light of the Son of God and until we come to Christ we live in the shadow of that multitude of sins.
But we have the glorious privilege and opportunity of telling them that:
Romans 6:23a
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Romans 6:16b you have a choice:
“…you are (either) slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to (slaves to) obedience, which leads to righteousness.”
Yes, evil does exist. Yes, God has given us free moral will.
Yes, we all need to make a choice.
Do you think that it’s just a coincidence that heaven is described as a place where there is no night and hell is described as a place of eternal darkness?
What’s it like in the deepest recesses of your heart; is it dark or light, is it evil or righteous, is it the abode of sin and self or the abode of Christ Himself?
The Holy Spirit, speaking through James, the brother of our Lord talks about the evil that can be done by just talking in an evil manner and He asks the question, “Can salt water and fresh water come out from the same spring? With our mouth we bless God and with the same mouth we curse men made in the image of God.”
Can the evil one abide in your heart right alongside the Holy Spirit?
Never!
Challenge
Deuteronomy 30:19-20a
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses.
“Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to His voice, and hold fast to Him. For the LORD is your life …”
