Dr H Reflections

Oh, That You Would Choose Life

Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life so that you and your descendants might live! – Deuteronomy 30:19

Isaiah 5:20-25

What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light, and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.

Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. That is why the LORD’s anger burns against his people, and why he has raised his fist to crush them.  

The Reality of Evil in a Fallen World

The September 11 attacks were deeply shocking, yet they did not come unexpectedly. Well beforehand, Islamist extremists explicitly threatened to kill large numbers of Americans indiscriminately.

The 9/11 Commission’s Final Report highlighted a key flaw in the national response: “The most important failure was one of imagination. We do not believe leaders understood the gravity of the threat.” This failure extended beyond strategy or information. It was also a failure to reckon seriously with the existence of deliberate and far-reaching evil. In many instances, people had lost the ability to imagine that such destruction could be deliberately planned.

The Failure to Recognize Moral Evil

Modern culture often frames human behavior without clear moral absolutes, leading many to doubt the existence of evil, especially in its most extreme forms. However, denying evil’s existence does not make it any less real; it only makes it harder to recognize and respond to wisely.

The 9/11 Commission emphasized that safeguarding against such threats goes beyond military power or policy changes. It also involves clearly acknowledging malicious intent. Some actions are not just mistakes, tragedies, or misguided decisions; they are deliberate acts of profound evil that must be understood as such to be effectively countered.

Evil from a Theological Perspective

Evil, including moral wrongdoing, is a common topic of discussion in theology and philosophy, often examined under The Problem of Evil. However, questions about pure evil and absolute good go beyond abstract ideas and are central to theology. When belief in God is rejected, moral standards tend to weaken, be redefined, or discarded, making it harder to discuss absolute good and evil clearly.

History also shows that the concept of evil can be misused; moral language has often been exploited to justify cruelty and oppression. Nevertheless, such misuse does not negate the existence of truth. Misusing moral concepts does not change reality, and distorting moral truth does not cause it to disappear.

The Biblical Witness to Absolute Good and Evil

For those who stand on the truth of the Word of God, there is no ambiguity about the reality of good and evil. The Scriptures speak with clarity: evil is real, the world is fallen, and some people and powers actively oppose the purposes of God. This conflict is neither imaginary nor merely symbolic. It is a real and ongoing part of life in a fallen world.

1 Kings 21:25: “No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the LORD’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife, Jezebel.”

This verse presents a sobering picture of moral corruption. Ahab did not simply commit occasional wrongs; he gave himself completely over to evil. The stark language is intentional, illustrating how thoroughly evil can become entrenched when one turns away from reverence for the Lord. His life serves as a grave reminder of the devastating power and the profound tragedy of human rebellion.

A Call to Moral Clarity and Spiritual Steadfastness

In an age of moral confusion, the line between good and evil is often blurred, reversed, or denied altogether. What God calls evil is frequently accepted, excused, or even celebrated. What God calls good is often resisted or condemned. Such confusion does not alter the truth. It only reveals how urgently moral clarity is needed.

Children of the King are therefore called to stand firmly for righteousness, truth, and life. Faithfulness requires more than private conviction; it calls for discernment, courage, and a deep submission to the revealed standards of God. Only by remaining grounded in His Word can believers resist deception and endure in a world where evil is both active and unashamed.

REFLECT & PRAY

Sun Tzu wisely wrote, “The wheels of justice turn slowly, but grind exceedingly fine.”

Father, we live in an age in which good is often called evil and evil is often praised as good. Strengthen us to stand firmly for truth and righteousness. Grant us discernment to recognize evil clearly, courage to resist it faithfully, and steadfast hearts that remain anchored in Your Word.

INSIGHT

Evil, Justice, and the Father’s Righteous Rule

Evil and injustice wound the Father’s heart. He is neither indifferent nor passive in the face of wickedness. The Scriptures reveal Him as the Holy One who sees evil correctly, judges justly, and responds to rebellion in righteousness. His patience should not be confused with approval, nor His delay with moral indifference.

Isaiah 5:24-25:

“Therefore, just as fire licks up stubble and dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will rot and their flowers wither. For they have rejected the law of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies; they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. That is why the LORD’s anger burns against his people and why he has raised his fist to crush them.  

This passage demonstrates that divine judgment is neither arbitrary nor impulsive. It is God’s just and holy response to the rejection of His law and the disrespect shown toward His Word. Evil stirs God’s righteous anger because it directly contradicts His character, justice, and purposes.

The Danger of Delayed Justice

While God’s justice is certain, He does not always act immediately in a way that human beings can see or measure. That delay, however, often has serious consequences in human society. When justice is postponed, evil has the opportunity to spread, harden, and increase.

Solomon explains in Ecclesiastes 8:11: “When a crime is not punished quickly, people feel it is safe to do wrong.”

Solomon identifies a sobering pattern of human behavior. Delayed justice does not merely fail to restrain evil; it can actually promote it. When wrongdoing appears to go unanswered, people begin to assume that consequences will never come. This false sense of security emboldens sin.

If evil were judged instantly in every visible case, many might be deterred from pursuing it. However, when justice is delayed, some assume they can act without fear of consequences. As a result, rather than encouraging moral restraint, delayed justice often fosters greater defiance.

How Evil Expands Through Collective Corruption

The problem intensifies when this mindset moves beyond the individual and begins to shape groups, institutions, and even entire cultures. What starts as personal rebellion can expand into collective blindness. When it becomes more important than telling the truth, groupthink can take over. This often leads to poor and harmful judgments. Moral accountability erodes, and error gains social approval.

This pattern is closely connected to confirmation bias, the tendency to favor information that supports existing beliefs while ignoring or dismissing whatever challenges them. Because this bias often works beneath conscious awareness, it distorts judgment in subtle but powerful ways, making evil easier to justify and righteousness easier to resist.

When people lose sight of God, they also lose sight of the foundation of human dignity, moral order, and the value of life itself. Once detached from that foundation, the human heart does not remain neutral; it moves toward disorder. Alienation from God gives rise to moral confusion, and moral confusion opens the door to greater evil.

The Final Judgment

The Scriptures do not present the apparent triumph of evil as unanswered. Even when justice is delayed in human history, it is neither forgotten nor denied. The decisive answer to evil is found in the coming return and reign of Christ, who will judge with complete and perfect righteousness.

The apostle John reveals in Revelation 19:11: “Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war.”

Revelation 19:14-16:

“The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of all kings and Lord of all lords.”

Revelation 19:14-16 presents Christ not only as Savior, but also as righteous Judge and sovereign King. He does not tolerate evil indefinitely, nor does He compromise with it. He confronts it, defeats it, and establishes perfect justice. In the end, the moral order of the universe rests not on human institutions or systems, but on His righteous rule.

The Tragedy of Moral Reversal

One of the clearest marks of spiritual decline is the reversal of moral categories. When evil is called good and good is dismissed as evil, society falls into profound corruption.

Isaiah 5:20-21:

“What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light, and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter. What sorrow for those who are wise in their own eyes and think themselves so clever.”

This warning is relevant in every era that prioritizes personal autonomy over divine truth. Moral inversion is not a sign of sophistication. Rather, it is an aberration. To call darkness light is not wisdom, but blindness. Celebrating evil as good is not progress, but evidence of moral collapse.

The Call to Choose Life and Goodness

Every child of the King is encouraged to oppose evil with moral clarity and spiritual resolve. The Scriptures depict righteousness not as passive avoidance, but as an active dedication to truth, life, and goodness. Believers should turn away from destructive paths and deliberately walk in ways that honor God.

Deuteronomy 30:19: “Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!”

The call is clear: choose life and refuse to join a world that mistakes darkness for light. Embrace truth rather than deception, righteousness rather than corruption, compassion rather than cruelty, and obedience rather than defiance.

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© Dr. H 202