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Tag: evil

Because the days are evil – 5 – a Perilous Dark Path to Perdition
But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.
1 Timothy 6:9 KJV

Destruction and Perdition

Perdition. Now there’s a word rarely heard in these last days. Do you know what it is?

Of course we can imagine several paths to destruction and doubtless destruction of the body is inevitable. Yet what of perdition?

ἀπώλεια – apōleia

Destroy, Destroyer, Destruction, Destructive:

… indicating “loss of well-being, not of being,” is used
(a) of things, signifying their waste, or ruin; of ointment, Mat 26:8; Mar 14:4; of money, Act 8:20 (“perish”);

(b) of persons, signifying their spiritual and eternal perdition, Mat 7:13; John 17:12; 2Th 2:3, where “son of perdition” signifies the proper destiny of the person mentioned; metaphorically of men persistent in evil, Rom 9:22, where “fitted” is in the Middle Voice, indicating that the vessels of wrath fitted themselves for “destruction;” of the adversaries of the Lord’s people, Phl 1:28 (“perdition”); of professing Christians, really enemies of the Cross of Christ, Phl 3:19 (RV, “perdition”); of those who are subjects of foolish and hurtful lusts, 1Ti 6:9 (for the preceding word “destruction” see No. 3, below); of professing Hebrew adherents who shrink back into unbelief, Hbr 10:39; of false teachers, 2Pe 2:1, 3; of ungodly men, 2Pe 3:7; of those who wrest the Scriptures, 2Pe 3:16; of the Beast, the final head of the revived Roman Empire, Rev 17:8, 11;

(c) of impersonal subjects, as heresies, 2Pe 2:1, where “destructive heresies” (RV; AV, “damnable“) is, lit., “heresies of destruction” (marg., “sects of perdition”); in ver. 2 the most authentic mss. have aselgeiais, “lascivious,” instead of apoleiais.
See PERDITION, PERNICIOUS, WASTE.

I include source detail due to our unfamiliarity.

1 Noun Strong’s Number: g684 Greek: apoleia
Waste (Noun and Verb):

“destruction,” is translated “waste” in Mat 26:8; Mar 14:4.
See DESTRUCTION, B, II, No. 1.

You never gave this sin a thought, not even for a moment.

It was harmless. And you just did it (this one time).

But then your path of doing right becomes shrouded in darkness.

Once again, and then twice (and more) your path toward the deeper darkness quickens your heart.

I hear the cries of perdition in the near distance! But from which cluttered maze of sin have they come?

Works of the Flesh

Now the works of the flesh are obvious:

sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar.

I am warning you about these things—as I warned you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. –

Galatians 5:19-21

Paul brings light to these dark sins with great clarity. Need I say more?

Where do you stand during these last days which are evil?

With those revelers standing in the shadows of darkness? Trying to hide your sins luring you into the mire of a slippery path near the entrance of destruction?

Lord, help you.

Call upon the only One who can save your soul from perdition and destruction, the One who loved the world so much that He suffered for you one the Cross — died — rose from the grave…

Christ Jesus will judge the living and the dead.

Which are you?
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Because the Days are Evil,
to be continued... God-willing
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October 19, 2019
Because the days are evil – 3 -satan.שָׂטָן
Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand.
Psalm 109:6 KJV

Previously we observed the existence of Satan in the Supernatural Before Adam as a serpent tempting man to question God.

If you acknowledge the Almighty Creator of all things and all men, yet recognize that evil pervades creation and the hearts of mankind, then you must ask about this power who deceives the minds of men.

Who (or what) is Satan?

You may have read scripture seeing little reference to Satan, but a deeper understanding of our English translations will reveal a willing and powerful opponent of the Lord God in places beyond the garden and circumstances considerably beyond original sin.

Psalm 109

Several translations of this same verse in Psalm 109 suggest, “Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser bring him to trial.” RSV

The man after God’s own heart pleads:

O God of my praise,
Do not be silent!
Psalm 109:1

He prays to the living God – ruler above the angels, spirits who serve and the fallen. The Lord rules over creation whether spirit or wicked man.

5 Thus they have repaid me evil for good
And hatred for my love.

6 Appoint a wicked man over him,
And let an accuser stand at his right hand.

The Hebrew word for accuser here is satan – שָׂטָן

The heading of Psalm 109 in the NASB reads: Vengeance Invoked upon Adversaries. Our best understanding of Satan is that this fallen angel of darkness is accuser of the faithful and adversary of Christ.

Job

A description of Satan in the Hebrew book of Job occurs in a setting of heaven unseen to mankind.

The NLT reads: “One day the members of the heavenly court came to present themselves before the LORD, and the Accuser, Satan, came with them.” – Job 1:6

The King James describes them as the “sons of God [‘elohiym] and the NIV describes them as “angels.” Satan is one of these supernatural beings unseen by Job (and mankind).

The LORD [Yĕhovah] said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Then Satan answered the LORD and said, “From roaming about on the earth and walking around on it.”
Job 2:2 NASB

Consider it: Satan, an unseen angel opposed to God, walking about among men inciting us (with the Lord’s consent) toward evil.

διάβολος – diabolos

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil… And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God…
Matthew 4:1,3a

Of course Satan knew the incarnate Son of God, led by the Holy Spirit of the Lord God! Yet the devil, the accuser of man, tempted Jesus just like he did deceive man in the beginning of creation.

the Dragon and Serpent

Fearful images: mythical? Perhaps. The great deceiver would have you believe that. But possibly these serpents command such unimaginable evil that man dare not give these any hint of existence.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John uncovers a fearful glimpse into the end which includes these representations of evil power.

drakōn – It is the same beast of eden from the Hebrew of Genesis 3:

Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made.

In another unseen future apocalypse in heaven John reveals:

And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war… – Revelation 12:7 NASB

War — between the unseen forces of good and evil. Can you imagine that? Could a decisive defeat of these devils and Satan soon inaugurate a new heavens and a new earth without evil?

Surely men of dust decaying with each mortal day will become caught in the middle of this battle between good and evil.

Where do you stand? Who is your champion in this life — and the next?

Who will stand beside your soul at the Judgment when the Accuser recounts all of your sins before the Judge Who IS?
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This October series, Because the Days are Evil,
To be continued, God-willing...
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October 9, 2019
Because the days are evil – 1
See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:15-16 NKJV

Intro to October series on evil

Choose any month of the calendar year and assign it to good or evil. The newness of our January resolutions seem to evoke a new good in our lives. December brings the good will of Christmas and the lights of Chanukah. In November some Americans acknowledge our thankfulness to God.

Choose any day and you will find both good and evil. Yet if you were to choose one day most celebrated – yes, celebrated for evil – it would be Halloween. October, for this reason, may be the one month most tempting toward evil in each measured year of our mortal flesh.

Therefore, this month I will set aside my usual serial approach to studying a single book of the Bible such as James or 1 Peter in favor of taking on the serpent in the room and his evil agenda against any who would call God and Christ Jesus Lord.

One additional introductory thought: this series on evil will also be rooted in Scripture, rather than the cultural lore associated with the enemy of the Lord God, that fallen angel destined for destruction Satan. God-willing, I will strive to keep each topical post brief, lest the devil sway you from God’s written word.

Ephesians 5:

Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
Ephesians 5:1 NKJV

Speaking to true Christians (not just those who occasionally show up in a building with a cross somewhere), Paul writes:

8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth), finding out what is acceptable to the Lord.

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them.

Evil is always associated with darkness, though some spirits of the dark pose as angels of light. Even Satan is a fallen angel, but more of that in a later post.

“Awake, you who sleep,
Arise from the dead,
And Christ will give you light.”
Ephesians 5:14 NKJV

60 ק֥וּמִי א֖וֹרִי כִּ֣י בָ֣א אוֹרֵ֑ךְ וּכְב֥וֹד יְהוָ֖ה עָלַ֥יִךְ זָרָֽח׃
²כִּֽי־הִנֵּ֤ה הַחֹ֙שֶׁךְ֙ יְכַסֶּה־אֶ֔רֶץ וַעֲרָפֶ֖ל לְאֻמִּ֑ים וְעָלַ֙יִךְ֙ יִזְרַ֣ח יְהוָ֔ה וּכְבוֹד֖וֹ עָלַ֥יִךְ יֵרָאֶֽה׃
ישעה 60 The Westminster Leningrad Codex (WLC)

Walk in Wisdom

15 See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, 16 redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

17 Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Walk the straight and narrow path without such foolish ways toward where we all tend to wander. We crave the crowds on the left or slip into the mire of the sin on the right.

Redeeming our time implies that we must buy back the lost time for our sin.

But what if you cannot afford the cost of your sin? How long would it take for you to earn your way back into the eternal good of heaven?

Beloved, our mortal days are both evil and brief.

Do not forsake Christ as those who would sway you toward foolish rebellion against His unfailing love do so willingly.

Jesus IS our Redeemer, because of His sacrifice for our sin.

20 giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 21 submitting to one another in the fear of God.

Receive the Holy Spirit, Paul urges believers as he cautions against common sinfulness. Your heart is the Lord’s, therefore praise Him above all. Submit to each other, as broken parts of the body of Christ who fear God.

Do you fear God?

“Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
The Revelation of Jesus Christ to John 14:7b CSB

Those who do evil forget their fear of the Lord. The foolish revel in their sins and mock the faith of the righteousness.

We will be judged as good or evil

Yet the Lord will judge good and evil, punishing the tormented souls of evil-doers while showing mercy to the faithful who would do good for God’s sake, because of Christ Jesus.

Christ IS our Savior and Redeemer, Judge of our souls so prone toward sin.

Do you fear God and desire grace at the mercy seat of judgment?

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord.
Ephesians 5:8

Jesus is either your Lord or

you must answer for your own sins without redemption.

Let not your epitaph be:

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD…
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To be continued...
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October 2, 2019