June 13, 2018 - - Isaiah 5:20 Courage to call evil evil

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Isaiah 5:20 NIV

And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. John 3:19 ESV

...the categories in which we speak about evil have been transformed: "sin" became "crime" which in turn became "sickness", which in its turn became "dysfunction".
What is true of categories is true of institutions too. Professionalism, most people would agree, is infinitely better than being unprofessional, amateurish, and mediocre. But professionals, experts, and specialists not only enable but all too often disable--by removing traditional ways of handling human responses to problems and creating dependency on a layer of experts, such as the "grief counselors" who descend on communities after catastrophes such as the Columbine School murders. 
Such broad ways of marginalizing traditional responses to evil and suffering can be seen throughout the modern world. But what matters even more are the specific ways in which this sidelining affects each nation's capacity to recognize and resist evil. When none dare call it evil, evil does not disappear--it is all the freer to surprise us and do its deadly work.
Os Guinness: "Unspeakable--Facing up to evil in an age of genocide and terror"

It is evil to teach children about sexual promiscuity in our schools and then be surprised that we live in a culture where there is all kinds of sexual misadventure. Courts are filled with cases of rape where women are made to feel victims all over again. It is because sex has no boundaries in our culture.

It is evil to allow Muslims in Canada to call for the destruction of Israel without the penalty of calling this hate speech.

It is evil for provincial and federal government to overspend their budgets, budget for deficits and put our generation, our children and following generations into terrible debt.

It is evil to murder pre-born children in the womb. There is no excuse for it.

What can bring transformation? It is a repentance from sin and evil and turning to Jesus Christ. He is our peace. Following Jesus Christ obediently means we call evil what it is: evil, and we choose to walk in His light.

King of Justice and Mercy, one of the most devastating expressions of Scripture is this, Isaiah 5:13: 
Sheol has enlarged itself
And opened its mouth beyond measure;
Their glory and their multitude and their pomp,
And he who is jubilant, shall descend into it.
People shall be brought down.
In Jesus' body on the cross sin has been punished and the wrath of God poured out. All who go to Him for sheltering forgiveness are saved, but the frightening truth of Scripture is this: evil-doers will parade into jaws of hell which had been widened to receive them. Spirit of the Living God bring revival across our land. Let the glory of God cover this great nation as the waters cover the sea. Let evil be thrown down and the glory of all that is good, all that is found in Christ, be exalted once again. Amen.