Theological Catch-22

There is a ‘Catch-22’ when it comes to discerning good and evil.

If your heart is evil, then there is no way for you to discern what is truly good as contrasted to evil. It is a situation described in Scripture where evil people call evil good, and good, evil.

(Isaiah 5:20) Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

We can further elaborate on this subject by citing what Jesus had to say in this regard.

(Matthew 7:17-20) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. °A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. °Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. °Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

(Matthew 12:35) A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

With these two passages of Scripture, it should be apparent that the real problem resides in the heart, mind, and soul of mankind, which is where we can identify the culprit.

(Jeremiah 17:9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

What does a deceitful heart do? Create deceptions. Who can know it? Not the deceived, where that desperate heart deceives the self, first and foremost. What then will a desperate, wicked, deceitful heart do in order to insulate itself from good?

Anything and everything it can.

The end result is a person who is, realistically, unable to discern between good and evil, and being evil, chooses the evil and disguises it to look good; making excuses and rationalizations so as to make evil appear good and good (people) look evil in order to further cloak their own evil and the evil works they think are good.

What happens then when an otherwise evil person, who has embraced religion in order to look and appear good, is confronted with the Gospel? They must manipulate and massage the Gospel to conform to their already established system that they use to cloak their evil hearts.

If the Pharisees are any indication, this can be done by embracing the law, where one gives a convincing projection of themselves as being good because of the law and their devotion to it. Keeping the law is the standard by which they can not only judge themselves as good, as well as others who likewise have embraced this methodology, it also results in an outlet for evil to practice the evil of condemning others of evil for rejecting what they uphold is the standard for doing good.

Consider then what Jesus had to say to the Pharisees whose “right”-eousness was through the law.

(Matthew 21:28-32) But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. °He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. °And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. °Whether of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first. Jesus saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That the publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you. °For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not: but the publicans and the harlots believed him: and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

The publicans and harlots who believed enter into the kingdom of God “before” the Pharisees, which can be understood in two ways, where “before” implies they enter into the kingdom later, or they stand there watching the others enter into the kingdom in their presence and they do not. They watch others enter when and where they do not.

A hopefully simple question for those who have embraced law and see the law as the means for them to look upright and “obedient” to God, even if only the Decalogue and not the whole law. The publicans and harlots did not keep the law. They were not obedient to it, and yet here they are, entering into God’s kingdom while those “obedient” to the law do not. Those “obedient” to the law see faith/belief as part of keeping the law, yet this example trashes that assumption.

But with a desperately deceitful heart; a wicked, evil heart of unbelief (Heb. 3:12) like the Pharisees who relied on the law, there will be a rude awakening later.

The way out for those with the evil hearts is only possible through one avenue, and that is where they receive what only God can relate to them. Only He can crack open a closed, evil mind.

When the Gospel was preached to the Jews by Jesus, a relatively very few believed Him, due to their hard hearts ensconced in the law. Same with the preaching of the Gospel by the disciples after Jesus’ death and resurrection. But all of the persecution of Jesus and His followers came from those of the law, who used the law as the means of persecuting and putting many of them to death.

And still today, many will not see the obvious. And if you don’t see what is so plainly placed before you, that is your own evil heart holding you prisoner, with the law that produces wrath and makes all guilty before God.

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It is important that you understand; Everything on this blog is based on the current understanding of each author. Never take anyone's word for it, always prove it for yourself, it is your responsibility. You cannot ride someone else's coattail into the Kingdom. ; )

Acts 17:11

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