In the Holy Scriptures the Almighty uses the word “bad” 18 times. The word “evil” appears over 600 times. Biblically as well as socially, the word “bad” is used when what is being referred to is an inanimate object. A bad thing doesn’t know bad from good and has no way to change itself. Bad is not good in any way or degree. When something is bad it is inadequate or defective or lacks the capacity to do what it is designed to do. Whatever change can be made in something bad must be done from without by another entity.

“Bad” is used in the human realm when it refers to someone who simply does not know good from bad and does not realize that he is not good, but is in fact bad. In fact, he might believe he is good. A example of this fact is found in John 16:2 where Jesus tells His apostles that a time would come when they would be killed by those who would believe that, by killing them, they are “… doing God a service.” Recall that when he was being stoned to death, Stephen asked God to forgive his murderers because, “… they know not what they do.” They believed that they were obeying God. Recall that Jesus said the same thing to His Father as He looked upon on those who were joyfully watching Him die an agonizing death. There are people even today, some of whom I know personally who live openly sinful lives and think nothing of it. I am sure that living any other way never crosses their minds.

Before you say, “Why don’t you witness to them?” let me remind you that Jesus lived among, dealt with and passed by literally thousands of terrible, sin-ladened people and said nothing to them. It is written that “His voice was not heard in the street” (Mat. 12:19), meaning that He did not preach, witness, etc. to people in public places simply because He knew they were Satan’s devotees. Nor does He tell us to preach, go house-to-house telling people about Him, hand out leaflets, pray, witness, etc. in public places. Nor did He instruct His disciples (apostles) to do so.

Well-meaning people do such things because they believe they are pleasing the Lord. Why do they believe they are called to do what the Scriptures speak against? Either they DO NOT KNOW GOD’S WORD, OR THEY KNOW IT AND IGNORE IT, BELIEVING THAT THEY HAVE A BETTER METHOD OF DOING WHAT THEIR RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION TELLS THEM TO DO. An example of Christ’s selective method relative to putting forth God’s Truth is recorded in Matthew 13 where “great multitudes” of people had followed Him out of Capernaum and into the countryside. If ever He had a captive audience, this was it. He could bear witness of the Truth to a great number of people at one time, people who had followed Him on foot for a considerable distance. What an opportunity. So what did He do? He spoke to them concerning the “mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven.” However, He did not speak using plain language, rather He spoke to them IN PARABLES.

Confused by His failure to speak using words the people could understand, His disciples asked Him why He had addressed them using confusing picture stories about such things as seeds, tares, a mustard plant and leaven–things which that they could not place in a spiritual context (vss 13-35). He explained that THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAD FOLLOWED HIM AND STOOD LISTENING TO HIM SO INTENTLY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO KNOW THE MYSTERIES ABOUT ENTERING THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. This sounds strange to the Biblically unlearned. Some things we mere mortals simply do not understand. His ways are above our ways. In other places we are told that He knew the hearts (minds) of those He dealt with. Recall that at one point He called a non-Jew a “dog,” which was what Jews called all Gentiles (Mat. 7:6). Jews placed dogs on the same level as swine. Jesus placed a human being in the same spiritual category as a dog.

In both the Biblical and social realm, “Evil” and “bad” are viewed differently. “Evil” applies only to human beings who know right from wrong and deliberately choose the latter. In the spiritual sense, evilness is the opposite of righteousness. Just as a righteous person is righteous by choice, an evil person is evil by choice. Evil refers to a human being who knows about righteousness because he knows about God, His Word, etc., but who chooses to walk another way. ANY WAY OTHER THAN GOD’S WAY IS EVIL. NOWHERE IN HIS WORD DOES GOD APPORVE OF A RIGHTEOUS-EVIL MIX. IN REVELATION HE EQUATES SUCH A SPIRITUAL BREW WITH VOMIT.

Adam and Eve knew righteousness because they knew the Law of the God Who created them. They knew the penalty for breaking His Law but deliberately chose to do what they wanted to do. Why? Because the Serpent had convinced them that God would do nothing about it. Though to disobey God was a sin which caused death, they assumed that, because they were His creations, He would do nothing about their sin. What make them think that? The Serpent had told them that they could sin and get away with it. Sound familiar? A woman said to my mother: “God doesn’t like sin, but He won’t do anything about it.” That woman, a bastion of “the church,” was speaking for the whole of professing Christendom.

“Evil” is knowing what God has commanded and choosing to ignore it, “knowing” that it will be okay with Him because one is doing it for Him and in His name. Jesus spoke to this deadly error in Matthew 7 where He referred to His strait (difficult) gate leading into His church and His narrow (one and only) way that leads to life. Few, He said, would choose His strict, no options way to salvation that could be walked only in a state of holiness and righteousness. Many, He warned, would choose the devil’s wide (come as you are) gate into his church and his broad (stay as you are–it’s all good) way that leads to death (vss 13,14). Those who choose the latter (the “many”) are, by His definition, “evil” because they know His way but refuse to walk it because their way is better. Read Who Are God’s People. Key word–People.

An ancient example of this attitude is found in Genesis 6 and 7 where we find a man named Noah who was a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Pet. 2:5) whose message was ignored by the masses to whom he preached. The people knew the Truth which he spoke, but rejected it, preferring to go their own way, thereby making themselves “evil” (Gen. 6:5). God’s attitude toward such people was demonstrated when He killed everyone on earth except Noah and His family. God does not change. His attitude toward those who have access to His Holy Bible, read it, go to church, etc. but who either refuse to seek out His way or, they know His way but have figured out a “better way.” This attitude was demonstrated by a Texas pastor who, when confronted by God’s Biblical Truth that contradicted his denomination’s “truth,” said: “We go OUTSIDE THE BIBLE for our truth.” The fact is, he was speaking for the whole of professing Christendom.

In the following posting we will study some of the ways in which “the church” does exactly as that pastor said; she goes “outside the Bible” and looks to the heathen world in search of her “truths.” “Evil,” as God defines it, is when one knows the right path to walk, deliberately chooses to walk the wrong path, then accuses God of walking with him because he is supposedly “saved.” The Prophet Amos asks: “Can two walk together unless they agree”(3:3)? The evil one contends that, though he walks contrary to God’s way, God agrees with him, thereby acknowledging that the evil one’s church-dictated way is superior to His Bible-dictated way. In the following posting we will look at some of the ways the Institutional Church follows the leading of Satan while rejecting the leading of the Lord she claims has saved her. L.J.