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Sin and Evil
Jan 5, 01:40 PM
“The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will weed out of His Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.” Matthew 13:41
In the minds of most people sin and evil are synonymous. The church has certainly used the two terms interchangeably and the only result is that sinners constantly feel evil and evil people walk away unscathed. There are many who follow the legalities of Christianity to the letter but are in reality workers of iniquity. There is a difference between the sin which arises out of fallible human nature and malicious calculating wickedness. In Old Testament law, there was provision made for those who sinned “unwittingly” and those who violated the law with malice. This has served as the foundation of modern civil law and the concept of premeditation, but it goes deeper than legal technicalities.
There is a difference between a sinner and one who does evil – between those who fall into sin by weakness and those who cause others to sin by their crafty intent. Those who cause sin are a stumbling block and a snare to others. All of us miss the mark. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. It causes us great dismay and heartache. Its effects on ourselves and others can be devastating. However, we see that Jesus had compassion for the sinner – it is the sick who need a physician – He had only scathing rebuke for the self-righteous. This is not to condone sin, make excuses for it, or imply that it is okay. The point is this: there is a sacrifice for sin; there is no atonement for evil. “If anyone causes one of these little ones to sin, it would be better to have a large millstone hung around his neck and be drowned in the midst of the sea.” (Matthew 18:6)
The purification of the Kingdom is not simply a matter of sorting who is “in” and who is “out.” There will be a purging from God’s realm of every THING that causes sin – every motive, temptation, snare, and stumbling block – and every ONE who does calculating, malicious, intentional, plotting wickedness without a hint of conscience.
Evil is a virulent force on the face of the earth and it will grow stronger and bolder with time. The Bible promises that wickedness will be multiplied on the face of the earth as human beings go from bad to worse. We should expect it. We should not be alarmed when we see manifestations of it. We most certainly should not run from it or try to insulate ourselves from it. Our task is to do what we can to save people from it. Evil exists in many forms beyond the daily fare of obvious terrorism. Some forms of evil are perfectly legal. Many wonder why God does not simply deal with it as it arises. It appears that His strategy is to allow it to reach its zenith before He will cut it off at the root.
For us who remain until that time, we must be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, operating in wisdom, prudence, and patience. Many loving believers will face the brunt of evil’s assault. Now, more than ever, it is important for believers to respond in true Biblical wisdom as opposed to reactionary stupidity. It is vital that we guard our hearts so that our love will not grow cold, and that we continue to manifest Kingdom life until the glorious appearing of Christ. And it is critical that we begin to function in the full spiritual authority with which we have been endowed by the Father.