“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort [encourage] one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” Hebrews 3:12-13.
Hebrews 3:13b quoted above says, “… lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”. This part of the verse affects all of us, especially for the Christian who becomes separated from the church body.
Isolation allows Satan to bring error into our lives or to press us slowly into some sin that ensnares us and hardens our heart toward Jesus.
“Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits [morals].’” 1 Corinthians 15:33.
As for those who are not Christians the peril is similar. For example everyone is aware that it is wrong, or a sin, to commit adultery, and for that reason many stay away from this vice.
But for those who are sorely tempted, it captures the heart and haunts them until they justify themselves by reasoning that it is just this once or no one will be hurt if they are not caught.
They may even “accidentally on purpose” find themselves in a compromising position and it just happens. Just once and you are hardened by the lie of sin, and the next time is easier.
Sin ensnares then hardens then it becomes an evil heart. Adultery has at times ended in murder, abortion, disease, or divorce.
“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.” James 1:13-15.
Evil is a living thing that will eat you alive. Remember, God Himself tells us that He made man upright.
“Truly, this only I have found: that God made man upright, but they have sought out many schemes.” Ecclesiastes 7:29.
What does God say about our use of that ability?
“Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually [all the day].” Genesis 6:5.
“Continually” is, all the day; all the thoughts of his heart were evil all the day long. Lest you say to yourself, this was before the flood, those people were wiped out, see what the Lord records when Noah exited the ark after the flood.
“Then the Lord said in His heart, ‘I will never again curse the ground for man’s sake, although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.’” Genesis 8:21b.
And this is God’s commandment to Noah and all mankind after the flood.
“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man.” Genesis 9:6.
And God’s word recalls the following nearly four thousand years later.
“As it is written: ‘There is none righteous, no, not one; there is none who understands; there is none who seeks after God. They have all gone out of the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none who does good, no, not one.’ ‘Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit’; ‘the poison of asps is under their lips’; ‘whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.’ ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood; destruction and misery are in their ways; and the way of peace they have not known.’ ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.’” Romans 3:10-18.
All of these statements were made by God, who says of Himself.
“I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind….” Jeremiah 17:10a.
The book of Proverbs has this to say.
“For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and He ponders all his paths.” Proverbs 5:21.
The word “paths” here refers to our habits, God ponders our habits. We cannot stop here for in Psalm 139 King David penned these wonderful words.
“O Lord, You have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.” Psalm 139:1-4.
“For You have formed my inward parts; You have covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.” Psalm 139:13-18.
The God of all creation is fully capable of making a right assessment of all of us.
“For His [God’s] eyes are on the ways of man, and He sees all his steps. There is no darkness nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves. For He need not further consider a man, that he should go before God in judgment. He breaks in pieces mighty men without inquiry, and sets others in their place.” Job 34:21-24.
King Solomon, wisest of all men made the following observation.
“This is an evil in all that is done under the sun: that one thing [death] happens to all. Truly the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.” Ecclesiastes 9:3.
And what is mans opinion?
“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.” Proverbs 21:2.
Again, what did it say in Romans chapter three? “There is none righteous, no, not one…there is none who does good, no, not one…The poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness…”
None of us is righteous, none of us does good, we murder people with the very words of our mouths, if only we could see ourselves as we really are, our faces would go pale and our hands would hang limp at our sides.
The prophet Isaiah saw his sinful condition as it really was and cried out when he saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and lifted up.
“Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah 6:5.
But God is not a monster; He does not sit in heaven and run a tally on us so He will have plenty to scream about when we stand before Him.
God is against those “who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” Romans 1:18b, willingly defying Him.
But to those who come to Him He says, “…the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” John 6:37b.
It is possible to cast off the burden of sin and find rest, for Jesus calls out to all who will listen.
“Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28.
And again:
“…whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Acts 2:21b.
For the Christian it is possible to turn away from evil. And Christians do evil, many churches and many Christian lives have suffered shipwreck because they were guided by the flesh not the light of Scripture and God’s Holy Spirit.
It is possible for everyone who calls on the name of Jesus as their Savior to cease from evil.
“This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.” 1 John 1:5-7.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9.
Is Man Inherently Evil? Part 2 taken from godisrevealed.com posted on 8-8-15, updated on 8-23-23.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version, copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission, all rights reserved.