In our times many people are coming to greater awareness and understanding that there are serious evil forces at work in the world. This information is hard to comprehend in light of the vast history of mankind and the “civilized” cultures that we have come to accept as the norm. Yet, evidence continues to build that there are powerful individuals who seemingly perpetuate significant harm, illness and death on others for their personal gain. How can this be? This is my imperfect attempt to help understand the evil that seems to be growing all around us. It is based on my repeated reading of the Bible and seeking to understand the whole of God’s work in history.
I’ve been practicing a discipline of once a week fasting for 24 hours to pray and focus on these hopes and aspirations:
- Seek Truth through God’s word, the Bible
- Discern how to apply God’s word to my life
- Effectively share God’s word with others
So I can KNOW God, repent of my sin and experience the full joy of salvation, encouraging others to do the same.
Reading Romans 1 brings to mind the many relevant comparisons applicable to our world today. This passage of Scripture, written by Paul to a group of people living in Rome, describes the depravity man can descend to when they ignore God and leave Him out of their life equation.
Since the domination of Charles Darwin’s book, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life, the theory of evolution has gained a strong foothold in nearly every area of science and medicine. The theory of evolution underpins the training and thinking of most scientists and medical professionals in a technical system that denies God’s design and creative authorship. How has this caused deception and confusion that extends even among God’s own people?
Like the people Paul was describing:
They know the truth about God because He has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities – His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
God can be known when we seek to discover Him through all He has made.
Yes, they knew God. But they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give thanks to God. They began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like.
Like people today. We don’t want to acknowledge God, because that might impact our life choices. So we deny Him, because we don’t want to worship Him.
As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshipping the glorious, ever-living God. They worshipped idols made to look like mere people.
The people Paul referred to worshiped idols in the form of statues and images. Today we consider ourselves too civilized for that kind of thing. However, I think if we open our eyes we can see how people today also worship many things other than God. We may worship modern medicine, specific procedures, like vaccines, technology, gadgets, education, status, etc. When we worship, we show adoration or devotion toward a person or principle. There is a lot of false worship going on today. There are so many ways in which we worship the technologies we have developed with our own hands, or worship our own ideas and our own intelligence.
When we develop our own sources to worship, we declare we do not need God. Today doctors and scientists feel they have defeated disease through their wonderful vaccines. They have now abandoned a sensible approach to healing in deference to their wonder drugs. They have stopped seeking real science and believe the lies they have had repeated over and over. The drug and vaccine culture have also had the power to make many people very wealthy. Over the years many of these drug companies have accumulated massive profits. Buying stock in these companies has often been a good investment. Do these companies follow ethical practices and seek truth? Do you, as a Christians investor even care?
So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. The men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.
Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done.
Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning and they disobey their parents.
There are many signs all around us of an abundance of evil. We see evidence of a corrupt government, corrupt science, dangerous medical practices pushed on unsuspecting public in the name of profit, unprecedented levels of murdering of unborn children, unjust wars, human trafficking and killing innocent women and children, and sexual perversion of all kinds. We see government agencies like the NSA, CIA, FBI, DHS, CPS amassing power that causes the average citizen to tremble. We see injustice all around us and don’t know who to believe any more.
God is looking for individuals to give up their idols, repent and seek Him. He wants a relationship with individuals. His judgment will come, but those who seek salvation through Jesus Christ will be saved.
There is an explanation for the evil around us. It has occurred because people have forsaken God and He has abandoned them to their own wicked desires. He offers salvation through Jesus to all who will humble themselves and turn from their wicked selfish desires. The level of evil and suffering is bound to increase. The Bible has a lot to say about the future. In these crazy evil times, the most important, protective thing any person can do, is seek Jesus.
For I have a great sense of obligation to people in both the civilized world and the rest of the world, to the educated and uneducated alike…
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes… This Good News tells us HOW God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.”
If I am successful in sharing information that gives light in matters of health, but ignore these essential truths, what have I gained? The most important information anyone needs is a knowledge of God leading to faith. Knowing God and accepting Jesus Christ, “in whom is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 1) is the foundation that leads to all truth. He gives light in every single subject when you seek Him.
I pray my reflections will be beneficial. I’d love to hear your thoughts on the evil developing and becoming more obvious in so many areas of modern ‘civilized’ societies. Please use the comments box below.
Author: Becky Hastings, a truth seeking, ardent Christ following, wife, mother and grandmother, passionate to help the next generation raise healthy offspring for the glory of God.