As the news on my tv reports one crime after another I often ask myself how people can be so evil. Murder, rape, kidnapping, human trafficking and these are just a few of the things reported. I’m guessing that if they are committing these crimes against others with no care for human life then they really aren’t worried that their actions hurt the heart of God?
Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians a clear reason evil seems to come so easily to some people.
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (dying), but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 1 Corinthians 1: 18 & 19
Not everyone God calls to salvation will accept it. Being saved by a man who was crucified is foolish to those who are dying. Those who reject salvation see only a man who died from a deserved punishment on a cross. He died a criminal’s death so they can’t understand why we would worship Him. To them He was too weak to fight to save Himself or He would have. But we know at Jesus’ weakest moment hanging on the cross He was stronger than we are at our strongest moment because it was the power of God. We also know He is so much more than what the world says He is. He wasn’t just crucified for a crime, but He sacrificed Himself to save each of us. He died so we could live. It was the moment Jesus was born for and destined to! Through His death, burial and resurrection we’ve been offered a chance to live forever. Our bodies will experience a physical death but spiritually we’ll never experience death.
Let me remind you just how all of this disregard for mankind and authority started so many years ago. Adam and Eve had the perfect life in a beautiful garden with God and along came a snake who lied and manipulated them. God said don’t and they did anyway. Sin was created at that moment.
Growing up we had this creek that ran behind our house. All summer we would drive to the creek to swim. Since the creek wasn’t in the yard and close to the house, we didn’t keep it mowed and cleared out. We used an idiot stick or swing blade to cut down a path. Since it was so grown up every time we walked to the creek there was a fear of snakes. This creek was fed from Clear Creek which was fed from the Arkansas River. So, there is no telling what was in the water. When we talk about the slithering, stinky, sneaky serpent in the Garden these memories flood my mind. Because of the snake fear my stepmom always made us carry a stick or use the idiot stick to slap the grass and make as much noise as possible. She said snakes feared us so making noise and movement in the grass would scare the snakes away. I can’t help but smile when I think that if Eve had known this snake scaring rule how differently things could have gone.
Since God loved His people and sin had entered in, he sent a man named Moses to save them from slavery. He set laws in place with Moses and said If you love me, you will follow my commandments. That didn’t turn out so well either. The people that were freed from slavery continued to walk in the same sin that Adam and Eve started. We all from time to time live in the flesh and loose our minds and can’t hold to the agreement with God. Since God is loving and kind, He sent Jesus to die on the cross to save each one of us because He knew we were slaves to the flesh, but He wanted to help us. By accepting this free gift of life we’re changed in an instant. Because of this one encounter we should no longer be these disobedient, selfish people. God knew if we’d follow the commandments He set before us we’d stay safe and close to Him and we couldn’t do that. Jesus became the only way to the Father after this.
It hasn’t changed much over the years look at how well we obey the law in our country. Every state within the US has a set of laws followed by a set of punishments for you if you don’t obey those laws. Then you have the Federal Government that has a set of laws also followed by a set of punishments. If we were good at following the laws of our land we would have no need for prisons or many police. Allen follows, Friday’s with Frank, on YouTube. He is a police officer in Arizona who posts videos of traffic stops he makes. I’m just amazed at the push back he gets. They refuse to show their ID or tell him who they are. They argue with him about the law as if He didn’t know it. I just can’t believe the way he is treated by others because his job is to enforce the law. Many people in that area are a part of a group called Sovereign Citizens. They believe that the law doesn’t apply to them and that the police by law can’t pull them over. They also believe and teach that they don’t need a driver’s license to drive a vehicle to work in the US.
We’re watching war between Israel and Iran unfold on the news. One bomb after another flying across the sky landing where innocent people are. I can’t help but picture my family being the target of those explosives. Knowing that someone loses their life each time is indescribable. Evil must drip off of those people pushing the missile activation button.
How does being a follower of Christ change the way we think and believe even though the world doesn’t get it? At the exact moment that the Lord calls your name and He says come to me and if you do, I will give you life and I’ll save you from your destiny of death. We were all born destined for Hell because we aren’t strong enough to fight the urge to not sin. We aren’t strong enough to follow the 10 rules that were set by God. At that exact moment of salvation when you say Yes to the Lord, I need you, I believe in you and I promise to follow you all the days of my life the Holy Spirit falls on you and takes up a home in you.
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Ezekiel 36: 26-27
This is what gives you the power to follow the laws of the land and the things God asks of us. This is what the leaders in Iran are missing. We are held to a standard that the world doesn’t understand. They can’t understand unless they also have the Holy Spirit living in them. When people reject the work of the cross, they also reject God therefore never knowing the power of the Holy Spirit within them.
But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you. Romans 8: 9-11
When the Holy Spirit lives in you the flesh is dead. You no longer live in the flesh. This is why you make decisions with His commandments and His ways in mind. We become more Christ like the closer to Him we get.
God has set boundaries for us to keep us safe and close to Him. Like the boundaries you have set for your kids, or your parents set for you. They know things and have experienced things you haven’t yet and so they set boundaries to keep you safe and alive. God also has these boundaries set up for us because He knows things we can’t even grasp if He were to tell us. Things to keep us safe and alive as well.
When you step outside of that boundary you feel it and know it. The Holy Spirit is nudging you and conviction can feel so heavy, so you step back in. Without the Holy Spirit in you there are no boundaries and there is no nudging. Small sin turns to big sin and before you know it your blasting Israel with bombs.
We’ve talked about this many times at home in the last couple of years. How can you hold someone else to the standards set for us by the Lord who doesn’t serve Him. Something closer to home that we’re seeing a lot are cars being stolen from driveways in the city limits in Van Buren. Other times breaking into and taking anything of value. Our little, quiet town is experiencing big town crime. What makes these people who are terrorizing our town think it’s okay. Why do they lack empathy for others? How do they live with themselves and feel like they deserve someone else’s hard-earned belongings. Why do they not feel a since of accountability for what they are doing? I know that the Lord comes down on me pretty hard and doesn’t let up until I gain a little self-control. Is the Holy Spirit not making everyone else feel guilty when they sin?
A little further from home we watch the war between Israel and Iran unfold and listen to the Americans response and other politicians who seem to be fighting for evil instead of good. Seeing this makes it hard not to be angry. It’s like everything they say is as confusing as listening to someone speak a language you don’t know. Post after post bashing Christians in America as if we are evil. How stupid we are for believing anything in scripture is true.
The explanation for such behavior is so simple. If you don’t trust in the Lord or His word, how can you make good, moral choices. The Holy Spirit doesn’t live in them giving them life. Destined for Hell they can’t help but spew hate and hurt only caring about themselves.
When the Holy Spirit lives in you it doesn’t mean you never sin it means that you have a power inside you that helps you fight the flesh and urge to sin. Sometimes we just want what we want no matter what the cost. But when you follow Jesus and not the world there is fruit or works that are evident in you. Just like it’s evident when someone isn’t following Jesus and you know because of the things you see them do and say. Galatians 5:22-23 describes what the fruit of the spirit is.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Galatians 5:22-23
This fruit isn’t like the gifts that God gives you. Such as the Gift of singing, teaching or preaching. Those are individually given and might not be the same for everyone. The fruit is a gift that each one of us is given. Everything described in this scripture is a group of characteristics we can produce because within us is the Holy Spirit. We were created to be set apart from the world and if you aren’t of the world but of Christ then these should be evident for others to see. My favorite one is Self-Control. You know it’s what you do to control yourself. Seems easy right? Not so much for me. I can have little self-control when it comes to things that make me angry. I can easily blow up when things aren’t going the way I think they should. Not only do I get angry, but I tend to panic at first and that is never good to mix with anger. I think that yelling in anger at someone is very similar to a loud disgusting belch. Not only is it disgusting but it is so offensive to others that they can’t get away from you fast enough. I believe there is a difference between fighting for something you are passionate about and screaming at others that don’t share the same opinion as you. And those around you just want to run as evil oozes out. The fruit of self-control, patience and peace are nowhere to be found. When I get angry sometimes, I blow up as if I have no self-control. But because the Spirit lives in me when I start to bubble up in anger, He covers it with peace and patience. This must come from Him because without Him I could never hold back the anger by myself, and I can’t control what’s coming out of my mouth.
Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Ephesians 4:26-27
God doesn’t teach us that anger is a sin but, not to let the anger cause you to sin. Because of the Spirit living in me and that gentle nudge He gives me when I’m going to far, I instantly just want to suck it all back in and take it all back. Thankfully our God is forgiving and not only forgives me but helps me to forgive others. He cleans up my heart and my mouth so that I can continue the work He’s called me to. But I must spend some time at the foot of the cross. Without Him this would be impossible and none of us would have any of this fruit listed in Galatians.
Every day we see things that make us so angry. Missionaries being kidnapped and held hostage. Sometimes tortured and murdered along with their families. Not to long ago we saw a preacher kidnapped from the pulpit while he was preaching to his church. Men are trying to take over woman’s sports. Iran shooting bombs at Israel. Americans fighting so hard to be heard and what they are saying is so unbelievably evil.
Alone we can’t fix all the problems of the world but with Jesus we can fight evil by showing others the power of a loving and just God. We should be so concerned that we are on our knees begging God to bring these people to the understanding of His ways. To soften their hearts like he did ours and continue to do for us so that His word can go from foolish worldly thinking to wise spiritual knowledge. The best way to fight the evil we see is on our knees at Jesus’ feet.
Scripture tells us not to fret or worry because the wrath of God is coming.
Do not fret because of evildoers, Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, And wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37: 1-4.
No need to worry about the evil when we know God is in control and He alone can handle the struggles we see. If we have the fruit of love and kindness then one of our greatest desires should be for God to soften the hearts of those who are showing evil works that are destroying the very place we call home. We must Trust in the Lord and do good even when it seems foolish to those who are perishing. When you choose to live in the flesh you are choosing to die and be separated from God but if you choose to follow Jesus then you have not only been given eternal life with Jesus but the heart of Jesus as well.
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