I
was watching a creepy episode of the Tv series “Forensic Files” today.[1]
There are about 400 of the programs in the series, I think. A police
detective said something about the culprit at the end of the episode that
caught my attention. He said: “EVIL PEOPLE THINK EVIL THOUGHTS!” There is so
much truth to be gained from what he said. I was then reminded of something
great that I heard Pastor Jack Hyles say recently in a sermon...
“I believe any man in this world, can love any other man in this world, if he thinks right! The reason you hate is because you think hate. The reason you love is because you think love.” —Dr. Jack Hyles, a quote from the excellent MP3 sermon, “What The Law Could Not Do” (July 5, 1987 - First Baptist Church of Hammond, PM service).
It cannot be overemphasized enough the importance of maintaining a proper thought life as a believer! The Lord Jesus Himself warned us about EVIL THOUGHTS, which emanate from the human heart...
Matthew 15:18-20, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.”
The inspired Word of God warns us about associating with evil people, because EVIL PEOPLE THINK EVIL THOUGHTS...
Proverb 23:5-7, “Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven. Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats: For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart is not with thee.”
The Holy Scriptures teach us that every human heart by nature is “deceitful above all things” and “desperately wicked,” who can know it? ...
Jeremiah 17:9-10, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”
The Holy Bible teaches us as Christians how to avoid developing EVIL CHARACTER (our habits)...
2nd Corinthians 10:3-6, “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.”
When a sinful thought of idolatry, greed, lust, rebellion, foolishness, hate, gossip, slander or envy enters into our mind, we must immediately capture that thought, CASTING DOWN such wicked imaginations, and bring our thoughts into OBEDIENCE to Jesus Christ! Proverb 24:9, “The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.” I love something that Pastor Steven Anderson said in a sermon...
“God's Word is the weapon of our warfare to defend our mind, to battle against the assault on our mind that takes place daily. And when you understand how important this is, you can see that Satan is out to get your mind! You know—through TV, through music, through advertisements, through billboards, through magazines, through wicked people that you come into contact with—he's constantly trying to get into your mind, to corrupt your mind—Pervert your mind, get you to think wicked thoughts, get you to think an evil thought—and he wants to get into your mind!”
SOURCE: Pastor Steven Anderson; A life-changing quote from the sermon “SINS OF THE MIND | MP3”
Sin is not the same thing as evil. Sin is to break God's commandments. Evil is premeditated sin. A person who hits their thumb with a hammer while pounding a nail, and takes the Lord's name in vain, has sinned. They didn't plan to do it, it just happened. A woman who has an abortion has done evil, because she planned to do it, and is guilty of premeditated first degree murder! No woman who has an abortion will escape the judgment of God. Exodus 20:13, “Thou shalt not kill.” There are two ways to sin: COMMISSION and OMISSION. To do what is wrong is to COMMIT a sin. 1st John 3:4, “Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.” Pharaoh admitted to Moses that he has sinned. Exodus 9:27a, “And Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, I have sinned...” To fail to do what is right is a sin of OMISSION. James 4:17, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” Pharaoh and his people in Egypt were both sinful and wicked. Exodus 9:27b, “I and my people are wicked.” They were wicked because they chose to live in sin and rebellion against God.
“The reason you don't like the Bible, you old sinner, is because it knows all about you.” —Billy Sunday
So we learn that as believers we cannot escape being SINNERS, but we can avoid becoming EVIL. There is a progression that a person takes to become evil. Dr. Bob Jones Sr. (1883-1968) wisely said, “Behind every tragedy in human character is a slow process of wicked thinking.” Yes Sir! I don't want to become evil. I would rather die! I want to have God's goodness in me. Goodness is a part of the “fruit” (singular) of the Holy Spirit. I love the epistle of Galatians...
Galatians 5:13-26, “For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Carefully notice dear reader that the Bible is NOT speaking about behavior modification, as the lost world attempt to do through their manmade rehabilitation programs.
Two men were once standing on a street corner—a communist and a Christian. They beheld a poor homeless man wearing an old worn and torn coat. The communist man sarcastically said to the Christian man: “Communism could put a new coat on that man!” The Christian man wisely replied to him: “Christianity could put a new man in that coat!” Proverb 28:5, “Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.” Oh, how lost people need the saving-power of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! God is LOVE, and born-again believers who know God and fellowship with Him, shew forth love toward others...
“Winning people to Jesus, by the way, is not an intellectual exercise. People are going to ask you all kinds of crazy questions. ...You can give 'em an answer, but that's not what wins hearts to the Lord—it's the love of God!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr. (a quote from: “Developing A Process of Evangelism To Reach The Lost With The Gospel
Jude 1:22, “And of some have compassion, making a difference.”
“We don't love people because of what they do, or don't do; we love them because God loves them, and God cares about them, and He wants us to help win them to the Lord!” —Pastor John K. Jenkins Sr. (a beautiful quote from the sermon titled: “Developing A Process of Evangelism To Reach The Lost With The Gospel”
Notice also that one of the works of the flesh is “heresies” (false teachings). That is interesting! Seditions refer to evil people who plan to break the law and anarchists. Variance refers to people who like to cause discord between brethren. This is not talking about healthy church splits over low moral standards and false doctrine creeping into the assembly; but rather, people who just like to cause disharmony. Gossip is the quickest way to do this! Lasciviousness is a sexually filthy-minded person. Emulations means selfishly competing with one another. 2nd Corinthians 10:12, “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.” Strife refers to ungodly troublemakers. Wrath is unrighteous anger. These are other aforementioned sins in Galatians 5:19-21 are the “WORKS OF THE FLESH.”
