Truth Project #2 Lesson 3 Good vs Evil

                                      Good vs Self and Evil

If man is basically good, why is there evil in the world?  For what purpose was man made?  Who created man?  Who does man answer to?

                                                                                 

                                                                 

Self Actualization is a philosophy that is holding the world captive right now.  If it feels good, do it!  If it seems right it is okay.  All things self oriented.  The law says I can!

God said:  8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers* of this world, rather than from Christ. Col 2:8

Murder in the name of "I had to do it"!   Abuse in the name of  "They deserved it"!  Murder in the name of  "It is legal"!    Dictatorship as in Cuba and North Korea, Michael Jackson and his drug abuse, here is a person that answered to no one and now he is dead, by his own self realized ways!  and the list goes on.....,. 

This is truth...if it does not line up with Gods word, it is a  false reality!  It is a made up truth.  Whether it is a man made religious rule, scientific data, or self actualization. (If it feels good do it, it is right for me, never mind how it affects you!) We all have the freedom  to choose to live in truth or in a made up reality.  What do you choose?

Do you honestly want to know the Truth about mankind, why man was made, what is man suppose to be doing, who man is to serve?  Do you really want to know why is there evil in the world?

                                                            

                                              If you do:

    Start reading the Bible.  You will find all the answers to every question you can come up with . 

            What was the model for mankind?

And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. Genesis 1

The Image of God (Hebrew: צֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים‎; tzelem elohim, lit. "image of God", often appearing in Latin as Imago Dei) is a concept and theological doctrine that asserts that human beings are created in God's image and therefore have inherent value independent of their utility or function.

Man was created in Gods image, so getting to know God is the best place to start in order to understand mankind.  There is sooo much to learn about God.  The more you understand about God, the clearer your picture of mankind, his purposes and his end will become.

Understanding the fall of man in the garden, (he gave into the temptation of evil ) through his sinful act of disobedience also helps us understand mankind and evil.

                        What does God say about Evil: 

EVIL (Heb. ra’; Gk. kakos, ponēros, phaulos). Evil has a broader meaning than *sin. The Heb. word comes from a root meaning ‘to spoil’, ‘to break in pieces’: being broken and so made worthless. It is essentially what is unpleasant, disagreeable, offensive. The word binds together the evil deed and its consequences. In the NT kakos and ponēros mean respectively the quality of evil in its essential character, and its hurtful effects or influence. It is used in both physical and moral senses. While these aspects are different, there is frequently a close relationship between them. Much physical evil is due to moral evil: suffering and sin are not necessarily connected in individual cases, but human selfishness and sin explain much of the world’s ills. Though all evil must be punished, not all physical ill is a punishment of wrongdoing (Lk. 13:2, 4; Jn. 9:3; cf. Job).

Gen. 3:5-6

For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil

Gen. 6:5

And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

Ps. 52:3

Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.

Proverbs 15:28

The heart of the righteous studieth to answer: but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

Ecclesiates 5:1

Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil.

Mark 7:22-23

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

3 John 11

Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

 

Rev. 2:2

Beloved, follow not that which is evil, but that which is good. He that doeth good is of God: but he that doeth evil hath not seen God.

 

I will close with this thought from Joshua:

 

Joshua 24:15

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

 

The choice is yours....whom will you serve this day:  Self or God??

 

The Truth Project....Harvest Christian Fellowship Tues. nights.  7pm