Charles Pogue
We have a tendency to look about ourselves with amazement and say, “how could so many have become so evil from what I remember just a few decades ago? Who can believe it!”
There is cause for concern with the condition of mankind but there is no reason to stand in amazement. There was a woman approached by the devil. The devil told her to eat the fruit of the tree growing in the midst of the garden. If she did, she was told that she, like God, would know good from evil. What Satan really meant was, “you can decide for yourself what is good and evil.” The woman partook of the fruit and gave it to her husband and he did eat (Gen. 3:1-6). In doing so, they disobeyed God. At the time they were the only two people on earth.
God told a man to build an ark. Why? Because men were so evil every imagination of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually (Gen. 6:5). How evil was mankind? So evil God destroyed them all with a worldwide flood, except for Noah and his house.
Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom (Gen. 13:12). What was the condition of Sodom? Along with Gomorrah, it was so filled with the evil of homosexuality, God, having delivered Lot, rained down brimstone and fire upon the two cities, destroying them and the evil men dwelling therein (Gen. 19:24).
God delivered Israel from Egyptian bondage. He led them through the wilderness, feeding them, providing water for them from a rock when they thirsted. He fought their battles for them when they entered the land of Canaan. But in time Israel abandoned God and His law and went into the worship of idols. How evil did they become? So evil they made their children pass through the fire as an offering to idols (2 Kings 17:16, 17. How ironic that God had warned them against this very thing in the wilderness (Lev. 18:21).
How evil has man been in the past? So evil he crucified the only begotten Son of God. Paul described man’s utter evil when he penned the letter to the Romans:
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them (Rom. 1:18-32).
There is no question but that evil abounds in the world today. Many not only accept sin, but they also describe those who take God’s side and stand up against evil as sinners. How evil has man become? So evil that he, as did those of old, participates in and defends sexual impurity including homosexuality as well as men and women living together outside of marriage and having children together. His evil is accompanied by a height of stupidity which asserts one can choose his or her, or should we say, its, gender!
How evil has man become? So evil he will put to death unborn children right up until the process of birth has begun, and so evil that under certain conditions he leaves it up to a woman and her doctor to decide whether a child should be allowed to live or put to death after it is fully out of the womb. What, pray tell, is the difference between such acts and the idolaters of old burning their children as sacrifices to idols? There is no difference! There is still an idol, only now it is the woman.
Mankind is becoming more and more evil in our day, but let us be assured, evil is nothing new. Man left, to his own wiles, embraces sin as his lifestyle. Our responsibility is to keep ourselves separate from the evil of the day and to speak out against it. As we have seen from some of the examples given, those who stood with God were in the minority. It is true in our day as well,
In Second Corinthians 6:17-7:1, the inspired apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian brethren respecting their needed response against the idolatry of their day and the instructions are equally applicable to us.
Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
As the faithful of God always have, we live in a wicked world, let us fight the fight of faith and lay hold on eternal life (1 Tim. 6:12).
This article speaks the truth! It is encouraging because we know that if we are faithful to God He will be faithful to us. And, it is very frightening to know where the evil people go not knowing anything about it. Why they don’t listen to and read their Bibles, but like people of old they do not care or believe what the Bibles says.