Practicing Evil
Practicing Evil
20 For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. 21 But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
John 3:20-21
Are people intrinsically good or are they evil? That is a question that people have argued for generations. The Bible says we are born in sin but also that we were created in the image of God. Now there will be those that point to that image being before the fall but it still begs the questions, sin has distorted that image but by how much? Is there nothing left of good in us when we are born in this world?
What’s interesting about verse 20 is that it jumps over that question and get to what really matters. Whether we are born good or evil, it is those who practice sin who really are in trouble. Those who hate the light are the ones who are in danger of eternal condemnation.
Verse 21 is also very interesting because it says that it is possible to do the truth and then go towards the light. Truth can be found and converted into a good action before walking towards the light and I would assume that this is possible through the Holy Spirit.
In both cases choice is the key. We are born into sin, yes, but that doesn’t take away the choice or ability to do good or truth as its stated here. Through the Holy Spirit, even before going to God through your choice, you can already chose to do good and see how different it is to evil.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good;
Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!
Psalm 34:8
It is through this blessing that everyone, even the worst among us can still have a choice to go to the light. It is because of this that we have to be so careful in how we judge, and worse prejudge, someone around us. Yes, maybe that person is in the darkness. Yes, maybe they don’t anything to do with the light and with our human eyes we see only an impossibility. But with God nothing is impossible. By allowing them to do an act of good, even in the darkness, they can taste and see what God has for them. Even in the darkest corners, God can work on our hearts.
Let us never give up on anyone.
Blessings
Pr. Steven Couto