Weekly Devotional 4-6-15 Evil Had a Beginning and Continues
Recently a friend remarked about the wide spread evil that has permeated society today. He mentioned the atrocities of ISIS, i.e. the beheadings of men, women and children, the kidnapping of hundreds of women (including young girls), and the abuse they suffer at their hands or other militant extremists. He mentioned that here in our own country the newspapers are filled with the report of all sorts of crimes committed by persons against other persons. Then he asked, “How can people be so evil?”
In answer, I reminded him that this potential is in all of us, excluding no one, at least in un-regenerated persons. He wondered about this. I offered that it is God the Holy Spirit who is preventing, and has always prevented evil from being full blown (see 2nd Corinthians 2:1-7). But, there is coming a time when the Holy Spirit will be taken out of the way and then evil will no longer be restrained; an evil so extreme that unless that period of time be shortened there would no flesh be saved (see Matthew 24:1-22).
Then I switched gears and reminded my friend that unregenerate man is ruled by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (1st John 2:16). That the unregenerate are being ruled by these things and there is no limit what they will do to gratify these things, these lusts. Life becomes a matter of self, self above all else.
Adam and Eve were tempted with this very thing, when they listened to Satan and believed that they would become like gods. They forsook God’s blessings, and the result was that instead of being in unison with God and in unison with one another they became individualistic believing themselves to be more deserving that the other. Isn’t this what overtook Cain? Cain, in jealousy, killed his brother Abel (Genesis 4:1-8). Didn’t self-gratification overtake all persons of the antediluvian world? Man became so self-centered, that every imagination of his being was evil continually (Genesis 6:5). Wasn’t this the nature of the children of Israel, God’s chosen people? Rather than live according to God’s law and under His authority they wanted to be like the nations around them.
Paul writing of the human race before the call of Abram (Abraham), and to the pagan Gentile world after his call (which includes all generations of Gentiles through the present) wrote, “18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due. 28And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them” (Romans 1:18-32 NKJV)
In that all these things were and are true, why should my friend, why should we, expect that man would be different in this dispensation? Natural (unregenerate) man is motivated and led by self-worth and self-desire. Like the man of old, the unregenerate man of today is ruled by the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Remove God from life and there is no limit to the extremes man will go to satisfy these lusts.
As our conversation was ending I mentioned to my friend that even though a Christian has been regenerated to newness of spiritual life, and is indwelt by God the Holy Spirit, he still struggles with his old nature. I offered that this is why the Christian must fill himself with the things of God and not the things of the world. A person cannot have one foot in heaven and one foot on the earth, so to speak, and expect to have victory over the flesh. It just doesn’t work that way. Paul wrote that the only way to have victory over our old nature is to, “16Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. 17For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law (the bondage of sin)” Galatians 5:16-18.
On to victory! God bless
stevelampman@comcast.net stevelampman.com
Transforming Power; The work of God on Behalf of Man
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