In the last devotion, we started to take what we discuss about morality and apply that to make us better disciples. In this devotion, we will look at how that apply to right/good and wrong/evil.
Nuggets
- In God’s Word, good is always right and evil is always wrong, so to be morally correct, we need to repay evil with good.
- We may need to redefine Matthew 25: 31-46.
- We need to choose what is right and good in order to combat evil.
- We need to rule our passions.
To read devotions in the Redo for Godliness series, click the appropriate button below.
Devotions in the Moralities Lead to Godliness series
In the last devotion, we started looking into how Manton started to tie up his sermon entitled The Moralities of Christianity. We looked at morality enforced through sanctification and principles.
In this devotion, we will look at right and wrong. Remember, we will leave the connections and the application to whenever all the topics have been discussed. So, endings might be a little abrupt.
Resources
Let's Put It into Context #1
“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable — if there is any moral excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy — dwell on these things” (Phil. 4: 8 CSB)
The definition of moral, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “of or relating to principles of right and wrong in behavior.” Morality, then, is “a doctrine or system of moral conduct.” When it is the plural form — moralities — it is a “particular moral principles or rules of conduct.”
Resources
Our morals determine our character. Character, according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation.”
Resource
Let's Put It into Context #2
Nuggets from the last devotion:
- Our morality increases from the sanctification process.
- Our morality is a reflection of our faith.
- Our morality is our faith expressed through love.
- Our morality is contingent on the grace of God.
Morality Enforced through Right and Wrong
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12: 21 ESV)
In God’s Word, good is always right and evil is always wrong, so to be morally correct, we need to repay evil with good.
God gives us definite instructions as to what is right and wrong. That is important to know.
Thomas wrote “that good and evil are in this world. This fact distinguishes this from other worlds. In heaven there is good only; in hell evil only. On earth both co-exist, though both coalesce.”
Resource
The coalesce threw me. How do good and evil combine? No one really wants evil to come out on top.
Redefining Good
We may need to redefine Matthew 25: 31-46. Thomas said something that got me thinking. He said that “… if thine enemy be hungry, feed him …”
My mind immediately went to the sheep and goats. “And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’”
Glossary
Some worldview people see this verse as believing disciples should work to eliminate the social injustices of the world. But let’s flip the narrative and redefine good.
- For I was hungry for the Word of God and you introduced me to it and helped me understand.
- I was thirsty, and you took me to the well of Living Water and gave me drink.
- I was a stranger searching for God, and you welcomed me and guided me to find Him.
- I was naked, and you clothed me. “I rejoice greatly in the LORD, I exult in my God; for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness …” (Isa. 61: 10 CSB).
- I was sick because sin is an illness, and you visited me with the cure.
- I was in prison (Gal. 3: 22) because all sinners are prisoners to sin, and you came to tell me how to break out.
God’s priority is our spiritual condition, not our physical condition. He wants us to witness to others to expand His kingdom.
Yes, we have our free will. Free will is the ability within us to make decisions, which determine actions that produce character.
We get to choose. Paul admonished us to choose wisely.
Oh, yes. We will be forced to make a choice for or against God. We will make a number of choices every single day.
Choosing Right/Good
We need to choose what is right and good in order to combat evil.
- That means not repaying evil with evil.
- It doesn’t even mean repaying good with good.
- It definitely doesn’t mean repaying good with evil.
- It means repaying evil with good.
Resource
Well, that is logical. Repaying evil for evil escalates the situation, not fixes anything. Repaying good for good looks good on the surface, but also doesn’t fix anything. Repaying good with evil does not show God’s love. That can only be done when repaying evil with good.
Smedley contended overcoming evil is done by mastering our morality. When we discipline our passions and make good judgments, we provide a good witness and build relationships.
Resource
Let’s roost a second on the “Do not be overcome by evil …”. Evil (a.k.a. Satan) is going to want us overwhelmed. He will want us caught up in our passions, not thinking about God or what He wants us to do. He wants us surfing the moment on a downhill wave.
Jenkins believed that we can withstand Satan’s onslaught. I can see what he is saying.
We have the Sovereign God in our corner. He is greater than anything we face — even Satan himself.
Resource
I know. Now we just have to convince ourselves of that. We see Satan coming at us from all sides — and that is all we see.
Has God ever left us? No. Has He ever let us down? No.
Oh, yeah. God may not have answered the prayer the way we wanted and given us what we thought we had to have. But He never has not provided for us.
Waterland argued that we are not giving into evil when we forgive the offense and let it go. We are not “losing” the battle. We do that when we give into the temptation and respond as a worldview person would.
Combating Evil/Wrong
Instead, we need to rule our passions. Jenkins thought that we could only use kindness as a weapon. I beg to differ. I think we have love in our arsenal, also. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be able to keep the second greatest commandment. It is the commandment of love, not kindness.
Glossary
Sometimes, do we feel that doing that gives them too much power? Do we feel like we are condoning their behavior?
Waterland wrote, “The Scripture bids us be kind and generous; and yet bids us also beware of ill men, and not to deliver ourselves up thoughtlessly into their hands. Love and charity are one thing, easiness and folly another.”
Resource
We have to balance the situation and determine what God is really calling us to do.
Clark reminded us disciples are called to be meek. Meekness is a personality trait exhibiting a mild or moderate disposition that places dependence on God.
Resource
How we react to adversaries of the gospel is important. I don’t know when Rogers wrote his sermon, but he argued that — in his time — adversaries had not increased either in numbers or strength. His argument was they had always been there, maybe not just as noticeable or active previously.
Resource
We have to watch how we approach evil. We don’t want to condone the evil, but we don’t want to alienate the person to whom we are witnessing. We definitely don’t want to be tempted by it.
Rogers reminded us that we don’t want to be antagonistic. We can’t have a holier-than-thou attitude.
We have to approach them with love but realistically. We can’t approach them in ways that accentuates the divide, but we cannot tolerate sin.
Carpenter said that, even though we may hate something that is evil, we may not necessarily have victory over it. We have to make sure that the hatred is evidenced by our not associating ourselves with it.
Resource
As we grow our character, we need to do that based on our previous experiences. Reflection will play a big role in our growth.
Father God. You, as Sovereign God, has decreed what is good and what is evil. Lord, we choose to follow Your good. Help us grow so that we can withstand the evil when Satan tries to overwhelm us. Amen.
What do you think?
Leave me a comment below (about this or anything else) or head over to my Facebook group for some interactive discussion.
If you don’t understand something and would like further clarification, please contact me.
If you have not signed up for the email daily or weekly providing the link to the devotions and the newsletter, do so below.
If God has used this devotion to speak with you, consider sharing it on social media.
Pingback: Morality to Honor God – Seeking God with Elaine