OceanSide church of Christ

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HOW DOES EVIL HAPPEN SO EASILY?

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.   Those of us who are Christians are well aware that evil is part of this world (I John 5:19).

 

And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.

 

B.    The root cause of evil is two-fold:

1.     Satan and his ability to tempt and entice man (Matt. 4:1).

2.     Man’s willingness to yield to Satan’s enticements (James 1:14-15; Rom. 1:24, 26, 28).

 

C.   Evil’s work in our world does not surprise the child of God.  We do ask, however:  “How does evil happen so easily?”

1.     How does a lone gunman enter into a school and within minutes kill 26 people?

2.     How do some 2,185 children get abducted every day in the United States?

3.     How do we allow 1.3 million abortions to occur in the U.S. each year?

 

D.   There are multiple answers to these questions.  Let’s consider a few in this lesson.

 

I.           THE SECULARAIZATION OF SOCIETY

 

A.   Definition of secular

1.     The word “secular” comes from a Latin word that means “worldly, temporal” (as opposed to eternal).

2.     Secular relates to things that are not regarded as religious, spiritual, or sacred.

 

B.    The secularization of society is the removal of things religious and sacred from it.

1.     No Bibles in schools

2.     No prayer in schools

3.     No nativity scenes on public ground

4.     No crosses on public ground

5.     The removal of “in God we trust” from our money

6.     The removal of “under God” from the pledge

7.     More and more things being removed from the list of sins

8.     Working on Sundays and religious holidays

9.     Refusal of leaders to make their decisions based upon Scriptures

10.  The ability to blaspheme and make fun of all things religious at will

 

C.   Why is this a bad thing?

1.     The removal of religion, especially the Christian religion, removes that which seeks to purify the hearts of men.

a.     Matthew 15:9

 

For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, and blasphemies.

 

b.    The blood of Christ and the Word of God seeks to cleanse the hearts of men from these things (Acts 15:9).

 

And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

 

2.     When a knowledge of God is removed from society, that society will deteriorate into wickedness, immorality, and violence (Ex., the Gentiles, Rom. 1:18-32).

a.     Rejection of God

1)     Romans 1:18

 

…hold the truth in unrighteousness.

 

2)     Romans 1:21

 

Because that when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.

 

3)     Romans 1:28

 

And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge.

 

b.    Results of rejection

1)     Idolatry (Rom. 1:23-25)

2)     Homosexuality (Rom. 1:26-27)

3)     Immorality (Rom. 1:29-31):  Twenty-three (23) types of sin are presented in this list.

 

II.         THE DETERIORATION OF THE HOME

 

A.   There are three institutions established by God in this world:  the church, the government, and the home.  The home was the very first one to be instituted.

 

B.    The home is the fundamental unit of society.

1.     It is into the home that a child is born.

2.     For some 18-25 years, a child is brought up in a home.

3.     Much of a child’s world view, morality, and emotional well-being come from his/her education and experience in the home.

 

C.   The home has been crumbling for a long time in our nation.

1.     Abuse:  physical, mental, emotional, and sexual

2.     Divorce and remarriage

3.     Single parent homes

4.     Absentee fathers

5.     Living together before marriage

6.     Children left to tend to themselves at very young ages

7.     The absence of discipline

8.     The absence of religion

9.     Homes established by homosexuals and lesbians

10.  More rights given to children than to parents

11.   The concept that the government should be caring for our children

12.  Evil influences allowed to permeate our homes:  TV, alcohol, crafts, drugs, sexual activity, violence

 

D.   What needs to happen?

1.     The home as God established it must been seen as being important (Gen. 2:18-24; Jer. 29:6).

 

Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased, and not diminished.

 

a.     These were the words which God spake through Jeremiah when the children of Israel were about to be taken into captivity.

b.    For them to survive well in that foreign land, the home needed to remain stong.

2.     God-give roles must be restored in the home (Eph. 5:22-33).

3.     We must rid our homes of sinful influences (Prov. 4:14-15).

4.     We must make instruction in God’s Word a high priority in our homes (Deut. 6:6-9; Eph. 6:1).

 

III.       THE LACK OF DETERRENTS TO CRIME

 

A.   Most criminals in society are not afraid of punishment for their crimes.

1.     Most punishment involves probation, the payment of fines, and perhaps a brief stay in jail.

2.     Even jail time is not considered a bad thing:

a.     Three square meals a day

b.    Television

c.    Recreation

d.    A little money for cigarettes, snacks, etc.

3.     Even if a person is sentenced to death, it could take years before the execution takes place.

a.     The average time from sentence to execution is 10 years.

b.    The longest time was 36 years.

 

B.    Three texts:

1.     Ecclesiastes 8:11

 

Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

 

 

 

2.     Genesis 9:6

 

Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed:  for in the image of God made he man.

 

 

3.     Genesis 26:11

 

And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

 

IV.        WE HAVE CREATED AN EVIL ENVIRONMENT IN OUR SOCIETY

 

A.   Nothing in our society is off limits:  cursing, sex, violence, blasphemy, im-modesty.

 

B.    These things fill our TV programs, movies, books, the internet, and video games.

 

C.   We had deceived ourselves into thinking that these things can be heard and seen and not impact us.

1.     We become desensitized.

2.     We become more tolerant.

3.     We become practitioners of the evil.

4.     We stand less ready to be in opposition to these things.

 

D.   Two points:

1.     Many verses tell us about the influence evil has upon us.

a.     I Corinthians 15:33

 

Be not deceived:  evil communications corrupt good manners.

 

b.    Galatians 6:9

 

A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

 

2.     If evil does not impact us, why did God create the church? 

a.     The church contains “the called out ones,” the ones called out of the world by the gospel.

b.    God knew a place was needed so we can keep ourselves unspotted from the world.

1)     Ephesians 5:8

 

For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord:  walk as children of light.

 

2)     Colossians 1:13

 

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.

3)     I Thessalonians 5:5

 

Ye are the children of light, and the children of the day:  we are not of the night, nor of the darkness.

 

4)     I Peter 2:9

 

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that ye should shew forth the praise of him who hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.   Yes, evil seems to happen verily easily among us.

 

B.    What if?

1.     We made God and His Word a high priority in our nation?

2.     We returned to the home as instituted by God?

3.     We quickly punished evil doers?

4.     We created a wholesome environment in the United States?

 

C.   These things will not completely put an end to evil, but maybe evil would not have an upper hand and spread so quickly.