Deliver us from Evil

My Goodness

Rousseau, the French Romantic philosopher, believed man is naturally good, and anything that is not natural has corrupted us from this natural state. In other words, it is our environment, our education, our upbringing, that corrupts our, otherwise, natural goodness. But who gets to decide what it natural or good? Rousseau? Sadly, he failed to live up to his famous dictum, being somewhat of a moral derelict. He was called by his one real love, “an interesting madman.” Say what we like, call him what we may, he has left an enormous influence on the Western world and its educational institutions. People still roll out Rousseau despite the appalling track record of man to his fellow.

Not believing in a good God we are left with believing (hoping) in a good humanity.

Further, when the world of the late 19th century/early 20th century was reveling in its newfound freedom from, so-called, oppressive religious dictates and a new era was being welcomed, we found ourselves enmeshed in two world wars. What is of significance is that Germany was at the height of culturally excellence/advancement – philosophy, theology, science and technical achievement, music and the arts – and yet, hell erupted out from this cultured nation, causing, mayhem, misery and murder, beyond belief. Maybe it was because men were beyond belief? Undeterred, we plough on.

Rousseau was right in this: a lack of goodness (evil) is a corruption of a natural state of being. The difference for a believer is that good was God’s original summation of all he has created, the more so with mankind, but it was lost because of unbelief/disobedience. This is only rectified in Christ - an enormous cost for an enormous problem.  Rousseau thought education sufficient to the task. We think it takes a cross - the most ignoble representation of man’s torture of his fellows. 

Romantic Notions

To not recognize the reality of evil in the behavior of mankind is like putting our head in the sand and trying to whistle at the same time. And it is equally foolish to imagine it is always the ‘other’ who is evil – never us. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a Russian dissident, who offered insights … on the nature of good and evil, the dangers of tyranny, and the importance of truth said, "The battleline between good and evil runs through the heart of every man.” He had suffered many years in the Russian gulags. He had reason to blame evil on his guards, fellow prisoners, on the prison administrators and the Russian government, but he knew evil was never far from every one of us – it runs through all hearts. Romantic notions about our inherent goodness didn’t cut it with Solzhenitsyn.

The average citizen in Germany in the 1940’s close to concentration camps simply ignored the terror on their doorstep. Some showed great courage, but many were quiet. What would we have done?  It is wise to be realistic as we would likely act similarly in their circumstances. Protest we might, but until we face such issues, we don’t really know what we would do, much less our tendency to evil (even if evil is only silence). Failing to see our corruptibility, our capacity for evil, is failing to understand ourselves.

Children of Wrath

The Apostle Paul, never one to mince words, said we are “by nature children of wrath.” The epistle to the Ephesians is clear that we were formerly ruled by evil forces in the spiritual world, that we had no escape from, even with the best of intentions. We were dead in sin. Until Christ.

John, in the book of Revelation, speaks in apocalyptic terms of the power, extent and final demise of evil. It is no fairy story.

Jesus said to his disciples that if they being evil knew how to give good things to their children, how much more God to his. He went as far as to say to some who were plotting to kill him were of their father - the devil.

This is all a far cry from the French philosopher.

Reason for Praise

 Before we continue it is apropos to acknowledge mankind is capable of great good.  History doesn’t shy away from this. We were made in God’s image and for all the current ruin of that imprimatur there is still a likeness of that image. Enormous good has been done, even though most of it is likely to be from the religious impulse and response in humanity, and less our from goodness. All the same: diseases have been cured, beauty has been expressed, wonderful books and poems written, technology and exploration has opened a glimpse to the stars, etc.

This is cause for celebration and thanksgiving; it makes many endeavors worth it, beneficial, praiseworthy.  But it doesn’t expunge evil, as a good ending to a fairy story can.

We are capable of great good and great evil, but it isn’t a case of simple decisions as to which we choose, with the hope better circumstances, or education or, whatever, will always tip us towards kindness and goodness (oh, that this were possible). Sin insures, we lean towards evil, more than good. History is testimony of this, and history is a record of who we are, not who we prefer or imagine ourselves to be.

Good News

Which brings me to the point. If we fail to express in our preaching and teaching the reality of evil, sin and the wonder of forgiveness, we aren’t preaching the good news. A thing isn’t good unless we compare it with what is bad. Otherwise, the good news is only better news, no more. Jesus showed us bad news is the oppression of sin and Satan, which the entire world is held captive to - it has bad effects and a bad ending.

If we fail to recognize the bad news, equally we fail to see the value of the cross, the resurrection and enthronement of Jesus Christ. We won’t experience real liberation from bondage, if we don’t recognize and own the grip of bondage to start with; it isn’t just having a bad day or acting like the child of your parents; it is a potent evil that runs through mankind’s veins.

If mankind is essentially good then the gospel is nothing more than a moral uplift (never a bad thing in itself), but this invalidates the cross and makes Jesus’s death only a moral example and not a saving act. It is an amazing example of love, of moral courage, but that would be all it was.

Being made righteous in Christ is not to be made slightly better – with a better ethic to live by. Were that the case Christianity is no different from every other religious scheme of moral uplift and personal betterment. The cross, having dealt with evil powers, brings us into entirely new existential space.

The Lord’s Prayer

A prayer Jesus told us to pray, a remarkable prayer that covers many of the issues of God’s will and our needs, ends with an explicit prayer for God to deliver us from evil. Whilst there is varying opinion as to how this links to the other parts of the prayer, and what it means, it is there by divine intention and addresses something uncomfortable for us, especially if we hold to the notion of humans being essentially good. We are to consistently pray that God delivers us from evil (or the evil one – nothing changes in either case). To be aware of evil in our thought-life, our daydreams, our hatreds, and inclinations, is to be deeply aware of our own failings. It is only those that can admit to evil that will be delivered from evil.  

Making Disciples

If our messages centre around self-fulfillment, a better version of you, we aren’t preaching Christ. We are preaching self- centered living when Jesus invited us to pick up our cross - daily.

If our messages are only ever affirmative, positive, we aren’t preaching what Paul wrote to us, nor Peter, nor John, nor Matthew … you get the drift. Paul included encouragement, alongside of rebuke and correction, and in some cases judgment upon individuals. Encouraging messages give us courage, always a good thing, but they don’t challenge and shift us like being faced with the truth of who we are.  

Jesus said, Blessed are those that mourn, those that are poor in spirit.’ We say, ’Blessed are those who are the self-actualized best version of themselves.’’

If our messages are focused on some version of the essential goodness of mankind, we aren’t reading the New Testament. Nothing in the scriptures makes this point. We are capable of good, and should be encouraged to, but we aren’t essentially good.

If our messages are Christ-lite and principle-heavy, we aren’t preaching Christ or the gospel. We are using scripture to promote the good life, a means of getting ahead – tripping on the least number of toes in the process.    

When we say, ‘Everyone is searching for God,’ we haven’t read King Daivd or the Apostle Paul – they both said there is none than does good, none who seeks after God. We might be seeking after a god to our liking, but not the God who dwells in light unapproachable, revealed in Jesus and who will judge all mankind for their/our deeds. 

When we say, ‘God wants to fulfill your dreams, he has a destiny for you,’ we are assuming a lot about God that doesn’t match the witness of scripture, and about what motivates our dreams. This can be a misleading promise to hold out to people, because there seems to be no recognition in it of selfish orientation, which we are all masters at. How many have heard these pronouncements and left faith behind when God appears to have failed fulfilling their aspirations.  

‘Our Father’ is not our grandfather.