Good and Evil in Spiritual Matters
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Presentation Transcript
Discernment Hebrews 5:12-14
Good And Evil • Most people are against any attempt to classify good and evil in spiritual matters • To them, nearly all moral practices are good and almost all religious teachings are right • Thinking and acting that it is good does not make the evil good.
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Isaiah 5:20
The Bible speaks plainly of good and evil • Good heart (Lk. 8:15); Evil heart (Heb. 10:22) • Good fruit (Matt. 7:17); Evil fruit (Matt. 7:18) • Good morals (1 Cor. 15:33); Evil dealings (2 Tim. 3:13) • Good report (Phil. 4:8); Evil report (2 Cor. 6:8) • Good works (Matt. 5:16); Evil works (James 3:16)
Biblical Failures In Discernment The young prophet who believed a lie (1 Kgs. 13) The foolish rich man (Lk. 12:16-21) Martha (Lk. 10:38-42) The Pharisees (Matt. 23:23-25)
Some Guidelines For Discernment The Faith (Heb. 11:24-25) Hope (Rom. 8:24-25) Love (Jn. 14:23) Courage (Matt. 28:20) Caution (Eph. 5:15-16) Investigation (James 3:13)
But examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good 1 Thessalonians 5:21