What is Evil? Part One

 Psalm 34:12-16 “Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.

This lesson three of Focus on the Family’s “The Truth Project” examines the questions of: “Who is man?” and “Who is God?”, because these two questions form the foundation of one’s worldview. American Theologian Jonathon Edwards stated: “Of all kinds of knowledge that we can ever obtain, the knowledge of God, and the knowledge of ourselves, are the most important.”  Professor Dr. Del Tackett speaks in our Wednesday night Bible Study video series at our church, about the problem of evil in the world. Everyone acknowledges that evil exists. What is it and where did it come from? Why is there evil in the world? These are some of the most popular questions posed to Christians today by secular society? Christianity has answers this the question of “What is Evil?”, but if the question is passes back upon the God-rejecting world, they come up empty, because if one excludes Sovereign Creator God, they are left in a very difficult position in how to answer these questions. The Word of God reveals the ultimate answers. God created mankind as “dualistic” (both flesh and spirit), but secular man with a Naturalistic philosophy sees themselves and life as “monistic” (purely material), living within the closed universe of the “cosmic box” with no gods or purposive forces, no foundation for ethics, no free will, no life after death, and no meaning for life; just meeting man’s needs.

Romans 8:5-13 “Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.

I will post part two of this truth Project lesson notes and thoughts tomorrow.

Blessings, in Christ, Brian