Several years ago, columnists John Hawkins wrote an article for Townhall.com on what he described as “everyday evil.” He purposely excluded the more heinous offenses and instead listed twenty-five misdeeds more commonly committed, yet not necessarily illegal. For the sake of time and space, I will only note five of these in an effort to convey his reason for writing the article.
Suing someone who did nothing wrong in order to try to collect a large settlement.
A comedian telling a joke about how dumb people are when they do the right thing.
Trying to convince people to commit wrongful acts so that you’ll feel better about doing those acts yourself.
A pastor watering down his Christian beliefs because they conflict with political correctness.
Spreading malicious rumors about friends and co-workers.
Living off the charity of others undeservedly while feeling no shame.
The point of his article was to show that acts which once brought shame to wrongdoers, now seem to have little if any repercussions. The list of evils committed today are endless and mankind seems to ever be inventing new variations.
Actually, those that view themselves as good and just, have done far more to spread evil, degrade civilization, and drag our culture into the sewers. Common courtesies and general respect for others has been replaced with crudeness in endless forms. Words once spoken only in the shadows are now shouted from the rooftops, or worse yet, the airways and internet.
Gallant gentlemen of yesteryear have become a rarity, while crude, boorish, indecent, lewd, foul, obscene, tactless hoodlums have overrun our culture. In addition, mysteriously feminine and inherently reserved ladies have become difficult to find as well. These have been replaced by those that have chosen to adopt a presence of immodesty in their appearance. They often profess to have been liberated to participate in much of the same behavior of the seemingly ill-bred men described above. Vast numbers of females today have traded both chastity and modesty for what they perceive as a reprieve from the once inexplicable countenance of womanhood.
Our entire culture seems to be spiraling downward and completely out of control. We as believers in Biblical Christianity have the responsibility to model Christ-like behavior to those who appear to be without hope. Could it be that the degradation of mankind prevails because we have not spoken out against such behavior? Psalm 14:3-4 describes a time very much like our own. It reads:
“They have all turned aside, They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one. Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call on the Lord?”
Verse three of that passage says, “There is none who does good, no, not one.” That was written for a particular time in history when there was not a single person on this planet that was without sin. It was also written for this time that we are now living as well. But there was a time when there was “One who did good.” His name was Jesus. The only person who ever lived a sinless life was born, lived and died so that His sacrificial death could pay our own sin debt that we were not worthy to pay.
At a point in the very near future, someone will commit a sin and God the Father will turn to His Son Jesus saying, “It is time!” Jesus will then return to earth and gather those that have placed their trust for salvation in the atoning death of Christ and bring them with Him back to Paradise. Those that are left behind will be lost for all eternity. There is a way, but there is only one way to be saved.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes unto the Father, but by me.” John 14:6
Today is the day of salvation for someone. Could it be you?