What is good? What is evil? They are basic questions. On the face of them, they sound simple until we start thinking about putting a hard definition to them. That’s because the moment we put a hard, concrete definition to words like Good and Evil, we have things we must stick by and remove, which bother some people. Before we understand why that might bother some people, let’s look at it from another perspective.
If you have something evil in your life, do you want to keep it around? Do you want to associate with or be seen collaborating with something people see as evil? Of course not. We all agree on that, but why do we all agree we want to avoid “evil?”
“Because it’s bad.”
Well, yes, because it’s bad, but who gets to decide what bad is? Ah, now we get to the heart of the matter. If we don’t have a definition of good and evil for ourselves, we have to allow someone else to define it for us. So, why would we allow someone else to define good and evil for us? Because when we let someone else do something when it turns out poorly, we can disavow responsibility for it, “I didn’t do/say that So-and-so did. It’s their fault, not mine.”
9For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living.
10But you, why do you judge your brother? Or you again, why do you regard your brother with contempt? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.
11For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.”
12So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God.
Romans 14:9–12 (NASB95)
The all-caps words in verse eleven are quoting Isaiah 45:23.
22“Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; For I am God, and there is no other.
23“I have sworn by Myself, The word has gone forth from My mouth in righteousness And will not turn back, That to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.
Isaiah 45:22–23 (NASB95)
We don’t get to let someone else carry the blame for our sins in the last days. Those willing to try and relocate the blame for things on others will find things quite different in the final evaluation. That’s very important if we’re going to define Good and Evil. We can’t let someone else do it for us. We cannot abdicate our moral responsibility to someone else because we think that removes the blame from us in case we make a mistake, and we are going to make a mistake.
That’s important too. We are human. We make mistakes. We are going to get it wrong. What we need, then, is mercy and forgiveness rather than swift and accurate judgment. How does a devotion for the eighth day of Lent descend into a diatribe about judgment? Let’s look at what Jesus did right after he drove out the unclean spirit from the man (yesterday’s post.)
38Then He got up and left the synagogue, and entered Simon’s home. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was suffering from a high fever, and they asked Him to help her.
39And standing over her, He rebuked the fever, and it left her; and she immediately got up and waited on them.
40While the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them.
Luke 4:38–40 (NASB95)
Jesus is still in Capernaum in Galilee. The sick woman is Peter’s Mother-in-Law. She has a fever, not a demon, but Jesus tells the fever to go, and she is better. Not just better but energized enough to play hostess to her guests.
Word gets around that a healer is in town. People from all around gather, bringing their sick, injured, and anyone that needs help. Jesus deals with all of them. Note we are told nothing about these people other than, “…He laid His hands on each one of them.” The King James says, “…on every one of them.” Not a big difference, but I like the KJVs wording better. It’s the same meaning. Jesus didn’t care who they were. Luke doesn’t tell us anything about them. It isn’t even alluded to who they are. Jesus just healed them all. All of them. However, in some cases, the healing was like the man the demon came out of in yesterday’s post.
41Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!” But rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak, because they knew Him to be the Christ.
Luke 4:41 (NASB95)
Jesus wouldn’t let them speak because they knew who He was. He drove these spirits out, and they knew him as the Son of God. Why is that important, and how does it tie in with judgment and defining Good and Evil?
28“But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
29“Or how can anyone enter the strong man’s house and carry off his property, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
30“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.
Matthew 12:28–30 (NASB95)
38John said to Him, “Teacher, we saw someone casting out demons in Your name, and we tried to prevent him because he was not following us.”
39But Jesus said, “Do not hinder him, for there is no one who will perform a miracle in My name, and be able soon afterward to speak evil of Me.
40“For he who is not against us is for us.
Mark 9:38–40 (NASB95)
15But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons.”
16Others, to test Him, were demanding of Him a sign from heaven.
17But He knew their thoughts and said to them, “Any kingdom divided against itself is laid waste; and a house divided against itself falls.
18“If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul.
19“And if I by Beelzebul cast out demons, by whom do your sons cast them out? So they will be your judges.
20“But if I cast out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you.
21“When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed.
22“But when someone stronger than he attacks him and overpowers him, he takes away from him all his armor on which he had relied and distributes his plunder.
23“He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatters.
Luke 11:15–23 (NASB95)
There is either Satan or God. There is no middle ground. You are either with Jesus or the demons. There is no scenario where someone else holds responsibility for your or my place. It is a reality of life and how God set up creation, so why is this important, and how does it tie into defining Good and Evil?
It is the realization that you and I, no human being, gets to define what Good and Evil are. That’s already been done for us. Our only task in this is learning what those definitions are. Let me say that again.
You don’t get to define what Good or Evil is. I don’t get to define what Good or Evil is. No one gets to define Good or Evil.
God already defined Good and Evil.
This is why Christians need to understand why we are not God, and I type that not as a flippant statement but as a reality. In any setting, whoever is the final authority gets to make the rules those under that authority follow. Be that work, sports, or some other organization. If we don’t like the rules, we can opt to go somewhere else. However, creation is not so. We cannot leave creation. Moving up the chain of power and authority, eventually, we get to whatever is at the very top with no other power higher. That is God by whatever definition you want to use. God, who created all things, gets to decide what Good and Evil are. For Christians, God defined Good and Evil in His Word, the Bible. Whether we like it or not, that is a fact. Also, whether we like it or not, those are the rules under which all creation will be judged. If that’s the case, it behooves us to understand and follow those rules.
13“But now I come to You; and these things I speak in the world so that they may have My joy made full in themselves.
14“I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15“I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.
16“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17“Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
John 17:13–17 (NASB95)
Jesus blessed His disciples, His followers. If we claim the title that bears His name, that blessing flows to us. We are then burdened with the responsibility to rightly handle the trust that He has bestowed upon us.
11It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him:
12If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:
13If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
14Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers.
15Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness.
2 Timothy 2:11–16 (KJV 1900)
I like the King James for this last bit better. It uses the word “study” instead of “be diligent.” The Greek word has more flavor involving using speed, making an effort, and putting in work. Letting someone else, me or anyone else, do your thinking for you isn’t what scripture means when it says “be diligent” or “study.” That is something each of us must do for ourselves because we will stand in the day of judgment only for what we have done, said, or not done. So, be diligent in deciding what the definitions of Good and Evil are. Study the Word of God. Use your Spirit-led discernment to rightly divide the word of truth so that you will be approved unto God as a workman who doesn’t need to be ashamed of your work. God bless you, and Godspeed.