How do you relate to evil?
Kind of a funny question, right? On the surface, it seems like a no-brainer. Who’s going to claim they get the warm-fuzzies about evil? Or who’s going to say, “I definitely advocate for evil on my days off, sure!”
But the spread of evil in the world—and notably, even within the Church, the Body of Christ itself! —suggests we’re maybe not as firm and focused on the subject of hating what’s evil as we should be. Where are we going wrong?
Let’s start by defining evil: evil is whatever is of the Adversary, God’s opposer. The things of the Adversary are things in opposition to God’s Word, decrees, and statutes of right and wrong. It’s easy enough to say, “Yeah, duh, I’m not for the Devil! What, are you nuts?” It’s easy to call ourselves faithful when we look at the overarching banner of “Team God” vs. “Team Satan”!
The difficult part is that over time, the boundaries of mankind have eroded both culturally and personally, worldwide. This happens by one very simple question, asked over and over ad nauseum, to which many Christians who truly love Yahweh God have nevertheless fallen prey…
“Did God really say…?”
Did God really say we shouldn’t have sex before marriage? Did God really say we have to stick with one husband/wife? Did God really say there’s only one path to Him? Did God really say He wants everyone to come to a knowledge of the truth? Did God really say the wages of sin is death?
The thing about evil is it’s insidious. It’s not content with your hate, but it doesn’t even need your love. It just needs your tolerance. Your ignorance. Your “maybe, what-if” and your willingness to look the other way, to live and let live and keep your mouth shut. Then evil creeps in, inch by inch, so slowly you’re desensitized to its spread; the next thing you know, evil has made you unfaithful by your tolerance, acceptance, or participation, and you’ve moved out from under God’s protection. You’re a prime target for the wicked, for the Adversary.
Do you love Yahweh? Then love what He loves and hate what He hates. Remain faithful by keeping your heart absolutely in tune with His. Don’t get sucked in by the siren’s song of evil, which is often just the gentlest nudge to look the other way; instead, we all have to get firm and focused and stand our ground. We need to search the Scriptures, comprehend God’s heart, and make His will premier. We have to truly embrace what He loves and calls good, and fully reject what He hates and calls evil. Though it may be uncomfortable in many circumstances, there is no circumstance where remaining faithful to God’s truth is the wrong choice.
Because we love Him, we must obey. That’s our line in the sand.
