I enjoy Fall, it is my favorite time of year; my allergies are not as dramatic and the days are crisp and have a special feel to them.  It is a time of preparation for winter and the harvest is almost done.  Fortunately we live in a mild climate, but winter cold, snow and freezing rain will be coming in a few short weeks.

Our cats, that have been enjoying spending their days and nights outside, are coming in and re-establishing their private little resting spots. 

I am finding myself in my easy chair enjoying the football games.

Fall, my favorite time of year.  

I was watching a news show the other day and they were calling a particular person “evil.”  What is evil?

Webster’s on-line dictionary gives the following definition for evil: 

: morally bad

: causing harm or injury to someone

: marked by bad luck or bad events

Interesting, “morally bad; now, who makes that determination?

We have the crimes being committed in the Middle-east where radical Islamists are killing people, beheading them, driving them out of their homes and torturing those that disagree with their religion.

The World War 2 alliance of Japan, Germany and Italy, have been called the Axis of Evil – there were other countries that also joined in the mayhem of their side, but these were the main three.

Hitler is described as evil – over 10 million citizens, 6 million of which were Jews were deliberately killed.  And millions more due to the war he started.

Stalin, meanwhile, killed over 20 million, mostly Russian, citizens during his reign.

Everyone is pretty much in agreement that those examples are examples of evil.  Many would even say, Pure evil – meaning there is no redeeming value in either the countries or those that participate in the evil crimes.

But who really makes the determination that something is evil.  I have been told, that ‘you just know.’

There are those that call Christians – and others – that oppose gay marriage, or abortions as evil people.  Some have branded certain Christian oriented businesses as evil since they don’t believe in gay marriages and do not want to provide services to the celebration. 

Obviously we will dispute that.

While the world has difficulty defining what is evil, we should not.  The first book of the Bible, the second chapter deals with evil.  It is the defiance of man against God.

Genesis 2:16-17 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

¹⁷ But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Genesis 2:25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

Genesis 3:4-5 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

⁵ For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

and we know what happened next.

The world thinks of evil as a massive sin.  But a synonym for evil is sin, period.  If we take the three most commonly similar titles they are sin, evil and wickedness.  The Bible mentions one of the three of these in approximately 2000 verses. 

Evil is defined narrowly defined by God, if it is not good it is evil/sin/wickedness:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

¹⁴ For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.

James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

That verse sums up what sin/evil is – God tells us in His Word what He expects of us and God does not abide in evil:

Psalm 5:4-5  For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.

⁵ The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

Sin separates us from God.  When we are far from God, it isn’t Him that has left us, we have left Him. 

Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

² But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

It is our sins that separate us from God.  While the world may think of evil as something massive, God considers any sin evil.  Our ways, if not His ways, are evil and they keep us from Him.

But the world does not define morality, only God does.  Man changes, laws of man changes, punishment for breaking those laws changes.  What is immoral by man’s definition, changes, almost daily.

As an excellent example, suicide is bad and to assist a suicidal person used to be a crime, now there are states, such as Oregon, that condone suicide and the assistance to provide the person a means to commit suicide. 

We can all name multiple things that are now acceptable by society that is diametrically opposed to God and His Word. 

A non-Christian cannot speak definitively about God’s moral law, because he has not accepted God’s Word and has no basis to build on.  Yes, we have an ‘idea’ of what is right and wrong, but what is right today, is wrong tomorrow, and vice versa.

But, God never changes, and only He can define immorality, and He has; it is our sins, no matter how great or small.

But, God, loves us and has made a way for our sins to be forgiven, through His Son Jesus Christ. 

Romans 10:8-10 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;

⁹ That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

¹⁰ For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Later, Art :-)

From the ColumbiaRiverGorgeous
May Our Good Lord Bless and Keep YOU....’til we meet again