He’s Not Always ‘Mr. Nice Guy’

Who’s your favorite actor or actress? (I know some consider ‘actor’ the proper term for both genders, but I’m using both terms since we might have both a favorite male and female in the acting profession.) Anyway, why is that individual your favorite? Is it because of that person’s excellence in being able to take on very different roles, or because he or she seems to be such a likeable person regardless of the role being played?

 

Over the years I’ve admired certain actors and actresses, sometimes thinking, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to hang out with him (or her)?’ It can be hard to separate their screen presence from who they really are – or might be – in person.

 

Sometimes various sources reveal that what we see on TV or in the movies is definitely not what you get in person. I think of one popular crime series we watched in which the guy and gal seemed like such a perfect match; later it was divulged the two actually loathed one another when off the set. Disillusioning, right? At least they did a great job of acting as if they liked each other. 

 

In a very different sense, I wonder if some folks might feel this kind of disconnect about Jesus Christ. People say, “God is love” (quoting 1 John 4:16) so often it’s practically become a meaningless cliché. Envisioning a grandfather-like deity who tolerates any and all misdeeds with an “Aw shucks, kids will be kids” sort of attitude, they extend that image to Jesus, the Son of God. He’s perceived by some as a good buddy, an all-accepting Savior who can and will overlook sin in any form, all in the name of “love.”

 

This isn’t a new phenomenon. We’ve had songs like “What a Friend We Have in Jesus” (written in 1855 by preacher Joseph M. Scriven) for a long time. It’s encouraging and heartening to know we can enjoy a growing personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. But if we examine the Scriptures, we see He didn’t just come to become our best friend. 

 

Intended or not, this perception of Christ as “Mr. Nice Guy” may have been advanced by the acclaimed, highly successful video series, “The Chosen.” (Of which I’m a great fan, by the way.) In its first four seasons, we often see Jesus (admirably portrayed by Jonathan Roumie) in ways rarely depicted on the screen. He’s having fun at times, teasing and joking a bit with His followers, dancing, and being the kind of person described above – someone we’d love to be able to hang out with.

 

In the Bible we do see occasions in which Jesus seemed to use subtle humor. Whether He danced or not, the Scriptures are silent on that. We wouldn’t be out of order to conclude He enjoyed having a little fun. When Jesus walked on water, as recounted in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and John, He demonstrated His divine power. But it also might have been a “Surprise!” moment with His followers.

 

Season 5 of “The Chosen,” however, is presenting a very different side of Jesus. It’s the end of always regarding Him as “Mr. Nice Guy,” which might be somewhat troubling for some viewers. Much like finding out a favorite actor or athlete isn’t exactly what we presumed.

 

In an early episode we see an angry Jesus overturning the merchants’ tables at the temple, an event recounted in each of the gospels. “Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. ‘It is written,’ He said to them, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making a ‘den of robbers’” (Matthew 21:12-13).

 

Definitely no more Mr. Nice Guy. On numerous occasions in the gospels, and represented in “The Chosen,” Jesus confronts the self-righteous, hyper-religious Pharisees and Sadducees, including soon after literally upsetting the apple carts at the temple.

 

He chastises them with “seven woes,” making no effort to soften the blows of His condemning accusations. Jesus starts off, “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!” a phrase He uses seven times. Then He proceeds, “You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to” (Matthew 23:13-14).

 

Jesus continues, specifying other ways their ritual hypocrisy serves to honor themselves but does nothing to honor or glorify the God they claim to worship. Jesus declares, “You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean” (Matthew 23:25-26).

 

This is a different side of Jesus from what we see earlier in the gospels as He goes about teaching, healing the sick, raising the dead, and performing other miracles. However, there’s no contradiction. He’s God incarnate when demonstrating great compassion, kindness, mercy and love, and He’s God incarnate when demonstrating other important dimensions of God’s character – including His justice and truth.

 

Exodus 34:6-7 describes this well, recording an interaction between God and Moses. “And He passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, ‘The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished; He punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”

 

We can be thankful for God’s mercy and grace, embodied in Jesus Christ. But we must never forget that He is also just and a hater of sin in every form. As C.S. Lewis, in his fantasy series, “Chronicles of Narnia, stated about the Christ figure, Aslan the lion, “He’s not safe, but he’s good.” 

There might be times when we discover that a beloved celebrity isn’t the person he or she appeared to be; they’re sinners just as we are. But not so with the God of the Bible. He is love, as the Scriptures declare, but He’s also holy. There’s no separation between the two. 

Humility, the Virtue That Undergirds the Rest

Of the many virtues we find in the Bible, which is most significant? Love? Holiness? Generosity? Integrity? Selflessness? In Galatians 5:22-23 we find one short list of possibilities: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” But which of all the virtues is most important?

 

We could find strong biblical support for each possibility, including the ones cited above. However, I would suggest another: Humility.

 

Why? First, before looking at what the Scriptures say specifically about humility – or being humble – let’s consider how C.S. Lewis responded when asked a different but related question: “What is the great sin? What sin is worse than any other?” His answer was: 

“There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others… the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison. It was through pride that the Devil became the Devil: Pride leads to every other vice. It is the complete anti-God state of mind.”

 

For more on why Lewis singled out pride, read chapter 8, “The Great Sin,” in his book, Mere Christianity. My thought is that if pride indeed is the greatest sin – and I’m inclined to agree – then the greatest virtue might be its antithesis, humility. One definition of humility is, “the practice of meekness, obedience to God, respect of self and others, submissiveness…putting others’ needs before their own, sacrificing for the love of others.”

 

Think about it: To love others as the Bible teaches, unconditionally and even sacrificially, requires humility; willingly putting others ahead of ourselves. To be patient with others often requires setting our schedules, agendas and desires aside. To be genuinely kind toward others may mean putting their needs ahead of our own. Basically, it’s just the opposite of the “it’s all about me,” “Look out for No. 1!” perspective being promoted by today’s society.

 

Sorry to remind you, but we’re in another national election year, with many major political offices at stake, not the least of which being President of the United States. We’ll have to endure a bombardment of political messages created to exalt their respective candidates who will “approve this ad.” Pride – and its perpetual companion, ego – will be on full display: “I’m the best…my opponent is the worst!” 

 

We won’t see much humility being exhibited during the coming campaign season, yet as Lewis observed, “there is no fault which makes a man more unpopular” than pride. Conversely, there’s something endearing about its counterpart, humility. When an accomplished individual, regardless of their area of expertise, deflects praise and directs credit elsewhere, whether to God, family, teammates, coworkers or whomever, it tends to warm our hearts, doesn’t it?

 

In the Scriptures we find dozens of passages that deal with the virtues of humility. Proverbs 11:2, for example, makes note of both the “great sin” and perhaps, the greatest virtue: “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.” In Proverbs 18:12 we find the same idea: “Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.”

 

“Humility and the fear of the Lord bring wealth and honor and life,” Proverbs 22:4 tells us. Another verse that has spoken strongly to me is Proverbs 27:21, “The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold; but a man is tested by the praise he receives.” When we’re being commended for work well-done, do we risk breaking our arms patting ourselves on the back, or do we give honor and glory to God for giving us the capability for what we’ve achieved?

 

Another reason I consider humility among the greatest of all biblical virtues is because of the example set by the Lord Jesus Christ. Speaking to His disciples, Jesus offered a truth that might have caught them off guard when He said, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (John 15:13). They didn’t understand at the time, but He was referring to His impending crucifixion, willingly giving His life to atone for our sins.

 

In the New Testament book of Philippians we're given a wonderful description of humility:

“Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:5-8).

 

There’s no greater demonstration of humility than that. In our humanness, it’s easier to be prideful and egocentric. But following Christ’s example and empowered by His Spirit, our desire should be to heed the apostle Paul’s exhortation: “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3).

We’re not likely to see much of this through the coming months of electoral puffing and pontificating, on the athletic fields, or in the media. But if we’re followers of Jesus, to think and act with humility is indeed part of “the calling [we] have received.” 

Halloween: Proceed With Caution

With Halloween upon us, the annual celebration of witches, goblins, and candy corn, it behooves me to offer a few thoughts about it. 

I remember – in the “olden days” – when kids would canvas the neighborhood, whether attired in some chintzy costume our moms bought at the 5&10 or something homemade, like an old sheet with holes cut for our eyes. (It helps to be able to see where you’re going.) We ventured forth with our parents’ blessing, never fearing the “treats” had somehow been sabotaged or tainted.

 

How things have changed! These days costumes are so elaborate they can cost nearly as much as a suit of clothes. All the big retail stores have displays featuring scary “animatronic” characters. Entire stores are dedicated to Halloween finery. And some haunted houses are so frightening, movies like “Friday the 13^th” and “Nightmare on Elm Street” seem tame by comparison.

Nevertheless, it’s still the one day that mom and dad can send their children to carefully selected homes where the kiddos can gather a year’s worth of candy to fuel their sugar rush – all to be consumed over the next week or so.

 

Not to put a damper on this seemingly innocent event, but what do you suppose the Scriptures have to say about Halloween? Technically nothing. That name – or All Hallows Eve – as it’s also known, don’t appear in holy writ. But the Bible has lots to say about the occult and the unseen spiritual war being waged all around us.

 

Many of us have heard about what Ephesians 6:11 calls “the full armor of God,” proceeding to identify the elements of this armor: the belt of truth…the breastplate of righteousness…feet fitted with…the gospel of peace…the shield of faith…the helmet of salvation…the sword of the Spirit, which is the world of God…and prayer” (Ephesians 6:14-18).

 

But what’s this spiritual armor for – what’s it protect us against? This passage also gives us the answer: “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:11-12). These are sobering words. 

 

Many would argue, “Halloween is just a fun ‘holiday’ for kids. There’s nothing evil about it.” In one sense that’s true. Little girls dressing up as princesses or furry animals or even Barbie, and little boys wearing costumes like characters from Paw Patrol or Sesame Street or superheroes aren’t summoning denizens from the dark world. 

 

Too often, however, trick-or-treaters’ garb is more like the monsters of contemporary theatrical Halloween horror films in which too much blood and gore is never enough. If you don’t believe evil in our world is perhaps more pervasive than ever, you haven’t looked at the movie listings at the local theater. Or even tuned in to the evening news, for that matter. We’re powerless to dispel the presence of evil, but we certainly don’t need to celebrate it.

 

In one of his most powerful letters, the apostle Paul offers encouraging words: “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers…will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39). Are there angels and demons? The apostle clearly states there are. Thankfully, Paul also gives the assurance, “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).

 

In his classic book, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis wrote, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our face call fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” Halloween, maybe more than any other day of the year, can prompt us either to dismiss the existence of satanic powers altogether or to focus on them far too much, inadvertently opening a door we wish we’d never opened. 

Trick or treating per se isn’t wrong or bad; many churches even stage “trunk or treat” outreaches to offer a safe place for children to collect sweets and perhaps experience a friendly first introduction to the body of Christ. However, to borrow the lines from the old song, “Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.” 

There’s a very active, aggressive spiritual world all around us that we can’t see – but we can observe and sometimes experience firsthand its devastating effects. Amid the Halloween frivolity, we’d be wise to heed the warning of 1 Thessalonians 5:21-22, “Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.”

Instead of Wisdom, Maybe We Need Some ‘Foolishness’

A while back I wrote about the explosion of information in our world, observing that despite having oodles more knowledge now than we ever did, we haven’t experienced a corresponding increase in wisdom. It’s said that today’s smartphones give us knowledge surpassing that of all libraries combined 50 years ago. But do our smartphones provide us with more wisdom?

 

The answer, I suppose, depends on what we perceive to be wisdom. Views on morality, ethics, science, psychology, religion and many other things have changed dramatically from what they were 50 or 60 years ago. But is that because we’ve become wiser – or less wise?

My perspective, and I don’t believe I’m alone in this, is that foolishness in our society has increased exponentially. Things that used to be almost universally regarded as wrong are now hailed as right by many – and vice versa. A very old book, the Bible, foresaw this thousands of years ago:

“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. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight” (Isaiah 5:20-21).

 

This says to me that even though we’ve unquestionably accumulated more than enough information and knowledge to drown in, we’re not necessarily any the wiser for it. The Scriptures address this as well:

“Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” (1 Corinthians 1:20).

 

Maybe it’s not worldly wisdom we need, based on the speculations of finite human minds, but foolishness – the “foolishness” of our all-wise, infinite Creator God, as 1 Corinthians 5:25 states: “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is greater than man’s strength.” 

 

This isn’t saying God is foolish in the sense we typically understand. It’s more like a world-champion weightlifter telling an infant, “My little finger is stronger than your entire body.” Science, mathematics and other disciplines have taught us much, but it seems that all our learning only exposes how much we don’t know. Therefore our “wisdom” is dwarfed by even the most foolish idea the Lord could ever muster.

 

There are those who dogmatically argue against the existence of God, confident the complexities and intricacies of the world, the solar system and the vast universe can be explained by human reasoning, but I think it’s more like an ant trying to understand how the loaf of bread was created that it’s ogling at a picnic site.

 

Trying to explain biblical truth to some people is tantamount to mission impossible. Their minds are set, they have no interest in learning about an eternal, omnipresent, all-powerful God when they feel quite confident in serving as their own gods. But again, this isn’t a new development. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…. For in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know Him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe” (1 Corinthians 5:18, 21).

 

Nevertheless, if the world around us in its “wisdom” assesses us to be fools, so be it. As the apostle Paul said, “We are fools for Christ’s sake” (1 Corinthians 4:10).

C.S. Lewis, a one-time skeptic whose quest to disprove the Bible led him instead to embracing faith in Jesus Christ, said it so well: "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen; not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." Perhaps as well as anyone, Lewis discovered that indeed the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom.

Have You Ever Stopped and Turned Around?

People who know me are aware of my “traveling disability” – I’m directionally challenged. Whenever I go to a new place, I either need clear directions or must rely on my good friend, Gladys Penelope Snodgrass (GPS). In fact, I can somewhere 10 times and, if the route is complicated in any way, will probably need directions again. 

 

I admire people who can travel to a new location and from that first visit will have the directions down pat, even years later. That doesn’t describe me. A common stereotype about men is that they never stop for directions, insistent on finding the way on their own. However, acknowledging my directional deficiencies, I’m usually quick to stop to ask someone – or consult GPS – for guidance.

 

One time I did attempt the “find it yourself” approach, but after a while realized the farther that I drove, the more distant I was getting from my destination. I’d rather humble myself and admit I’m lost – or suspect I might be – than keep following the wrong route. 

 

I marvel at the account in Exodus of how the ancient Israelites, after being freed from bondage in Egypt, wandered in the desert for 40 years before God guided them to the Promised Land. In that culture, women were expected to submit to the authority of men. And the men of Israel probably were too proud to ask for directions.

 

There’s a spiritual parallel here, but it’s not limited to the male species. Many of us have spent considerable time wandering through life, often in a tremendous hurry, but we seem to be going in circles. We’re going nowhere, but at least we’re making great time. Or as a friend used to describe people trying to live without Jesus Christ, “They’re lost, but they don’t know they’re lost.”

 

Recently I heard a story about C.S. Lewis, a one-time atheist who became a stalwart theologian and apologist for Christianity. Although raised in a Christian home, he rejected the faith at an early age and for a time thought he was doing just fine, on the right path, right on schedule. Then, as recounted in The Most Reluctant Convert, a biography of Lewis by David Downing, came an “aha” moment.

 

Lewis was enrolled to attend the esteemed Oxford University College, but when he exited the train in Oxford, he mistakenly began walking down the street in the wrong direction. He had never been to the town before, so Lewis grew disappointed at the nondescript houses and shops he saw along the way. He continued for a while until he reasoned that perhaps he was going the wrong way.

 

Not long after turning around, Lewis began to see the beautiful towers and spires for which the college is noted. Recalling this experience in his own book, Surprised by Joy, Lewis states, “This little adventure was an allegory of my whole life.” This became an important step in his journey of returning to the wonder of a life of faith, realizing the futility of following the path that had absorbed him into “the mundane inanities of modern life.”

 

Only when he turned around did Lewis find his way to the college, and this “turning” served as an important moment in realizing his need to turn back to the God he had encountered as a child. And what a turning it was – he became the author of many books about the Christian faith, including Mere Christianity, A Grief Observed, and the Chronicles of Narnia fantasy series.

 

Tragically, countless men and women are traveling in the absolute wrong direction, thoroughly convinced it eventually will get them to where they want to go. They have no idea that unless they turn around and proceed in the opposite direction, which the Bible calls “repentance,” they will never arrive at their desired destination. As Acts 3:19 declares, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”

 

The many religions of this world suggest there are many ways of finding the peace, joy, sense of purpose and fulfillment we all long for. But Jesus Christ boldly declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).

 

This opportunity is available for anyone who will call out to God, acknowledge their need for Him and the fact that they have been headed in the wrong direction for much too long. If we do so, we’re told, “A highway will be there, a roadway, and it will be called the Highway of Holiness” (Isaiah 35:8).

 

Is it time that you – or someone that you know and love – admitted going the wrong way and decided it was time to consult a new GPS: God’s Positioning System? 

There was a time in my life that I was far off-course spiritually, knowing nothing about a real, transforming relationship with the Lord. But I finally “saw the light,” no longer directionally challenged spiritually. Ever since then, following Jesus has become an incredible adventure I could never have imagined. When God said in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call on me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know,” He wasn’t kidding. 

We Dare Not Underestimate Evil’s Extent and Power

When you hear the word “evil,” what immediately comes to your mind? Images of someone in a red suit with horns and a pitchfork? The promo for a newly released film, or perhaps a horror novel, promising a tale of “unspeakable evil”? A recent news report about some heinous crime? 

Back in 1966, author Truman Capote became a literary sensation with his self-described “non-fiction novel,” In Cold Blood, about the 1959 murders of four members of a Kansas family. The fact his work centered around actual, horrific events, not the result of a vivid imagination, made it even more disturbing – and riveting.

 

My friend Sondra Umberger has recently published a trilogy of novels, Unraveled–Rewoven (www.connectingToChrist.com). Similar to In Cold Blood, they’re based on true events. Since she’s a Christian counselor, not a professional writer, it would be unfair to compare Umberger’s writing with Capote’s book. However, the story she unfolds is as compelling, alarming – and frightening.

 

Her novels revolve around four characters: Catherine, a young woman plagued by recurring nightmares she can’t explain; Marion, a Christian counselor who helps Catherine dig deeply into repressed memories to uncover the root of the nightmares – horrific secrets of her “lost years”; Catie, Catherine’s nickname from childhood, when she became the victim of evil beyond imagining; and Hunter, the dashing church leader who becomes Catherine’s husband, bringing a terrible secret of his own into the relationship. 

 

Topics explored in Unraveled–Rewoven are not the stuff of casual dinner conversations. But they’re real issues, far more pervasive in our society, and the world, than most of us could ever fathom: child abuse, mental cruelty, satanic ritual abuse, pornography addiction, human trafficking.

 

If this three-book saga were the product of the dark imaginings of horror meisters like Stephen King, Anne Rice, H.P. Lovecraft or Edgar Allan Poe, it would be troubling enough. But this fictionalized account, fashioned from true, traumatic events experienced by real people, shatters one’s complacency, along with the notion that our world is inhabited by people who are all “basically good.”

 

Writing in an unusual “braided” style, Umberger has interwoven the stories of the four main characters in a manner that’s at first unexpected, then captivating. She deftly shifts from one to another, weaving them tightly and inseparably together like strands of someone’s braided hair. 

 

Slowly, with the help of Marion and others, Catherine begins to recover erased memories of her childhood years between the ages of 6 and 9, forging a path toward recovery and healing. She also must deal with discovering Hunter is addicted to pornography, a vice he initially denies, but eventually acknowledges as he initiates a process for finding freedom and release from its evil grip.

 

It might be inaccurate to describe the trilogy’s climax as a “happy ending,” but it does underscore the redemptive and healing powers of Jesus Christ, how pain from the past and besetting sins of the present need not be permanent. And how God can still use evil deeds in accomplishing His ultimate purposes.

 

As the reader emerges from this sinister story line, the question arises: If the realm of the demonic can have such impact on the lives of just the handful of people described, what’s the extent of evil that infests every area of life? As we painfully observe the chaos around us, what sinister forces are working “behind the curtain”?

 

In the Old Testament book of Job, the afflicted main character bemoans, “Yet when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, then came darkness” (Job 30:26). And in 1 Peter 5:8, the apostle warns, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” Evil can manifest itself at any moment, in many ways.

 

Jesus Christ confronted and challenged evil in myriad forms during His earthly ministry – being tempted directly by Satan in the wilderness (Matthew 4); casting out demons on many occasions; and facing evil opposition from disbelieving religious leaders fearful of His influence, which led to His crucifixion. Our culture seeks to dismiss or minimize the actual presence of evil, but the Scriptures speak much of its insidious power.

 

Archibald G. Brown, a minister and associate of Charles Spurgeon, stated, “The existence of the devil is so clearly taught in the Bible that to doubt it is to doubt the Bible itself.” It’s been observed, “The greatest trick the devil ever played was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”

 

At the same time, we need a balanced perspective. In his cleverly satirical novel, The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis wrote, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves (the devils) are equally pleased by both errors….”

 

We must be vigilantly aware of the presence of evil and oppose it in every way we can, but should focus even more on becoming agents for God’s good. John Newton, a one-time slave trader whose conversion inspired his hymn, “Amazing Grace,” commented, “Many have puzzled themselves about the origin of evil. I am content to observe that there is evil, and that there is a way to escape from it, and with this I begin and end.”

 

In James 4:7 we find this admonition: “Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Similarly, the psalmist urges us to “Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14).

 

This battle between good and evil has existed since the first days of creation, and it’s one we can never win in our own strength. As Ephesians 6:12 declares, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

 

The passage proceeds to describe “the full armor of God” – “the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit – the word of God” (Ephesians 6:13-18). It’s notable that most of these items are defensive in nature; only the Word of God – the sword of the Spirit – is used in taking the offensive.

 

One additional piece of armor, prayer, must not be overlooked or underestimated. The esteemed apostle Paul knew this well, writing in the next verse, “Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel.” Jesus, after delivering a boy from demon possession, explained to His incredulous disciples,“This kind cannot come out by anything except prayer" (Mark 9:29).

 

At times this spiritual battle seems overwhelming, tempting us to fall into despair. But the Lord’s victory has already been won. In Revelation 20:10 we read, “And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.” 

The Great Peril of Denying the Presence of Evil

When you read or hear the word “evil,” what comes to mind? How about the word, “sin”? In popular culture, both have taken on almost salacious connotations. Rather than being perceived as wickedness or wrongdoing, including those terms in a movie title or book description typically serves to pique the interest of potential viewers or readers. 

 

This is to society’s detriment. Evil and sin are hopelessly, and eternally, intertwined. We seem to have lost a sense of transcendent virtue, as well as its antithesis, pure evil. Many people chuckle at the mention of Satan or the devil, whom the Bible describes as the “prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2). When mentioned, folks envision some little guy in a red suit with a pitchfork. A reference to sin also is likely to elicit giggles. As someone has accurately said, “If sin wasn’t any fun, we wouldn’t want to do it.”

 

But to shrug our shoulders, diminishing or even denying the pervasiveness of evil is to our great peril. Evidence of it is everywhere. We don’t have to look hard. Violence, sensationalized by TV, movies and electronic media, is being played out across our nation. Domestic abuse is rampant. People are held captive to many forms of destructive addiction. Hatred and vitriol is spewed across social media, rather than respectful, reasonable communications.

 

Recently I finished editing a trilogy of novels written by a friend, drawn from real-life experience – hers and those of women she has worked with as a professional counselor. Her books focus on three terrifying years as a young girl subjected to satanic ritual abuse. Reading them brought to mind the horror novels I used to read, until I realized they were pointing me away from God, rather than toward Him.

 

What makes her story so horrific, so mind-boggling, is that it’s not the product of the twisted imagination of some weird author, but an account of the depths of evil that few of us can fathom.

 

Years ago, one-time atheist turned Christian apologist and author C.S. Lewis wrote: “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight.”

 

Then there are the words of the late commentator Paul Harvey, first aired on his ABC Radio program on April 3, 1965, called “If I Were the Devil.” I won’t present its entirety here – you can find the full transcript as well as audio and video versions of it online. But many of his observations – made more than 55 years ago – seem hauntingly familiar.

 

Harvey said, “If I were the Devil…I mean, if I were the Prince of Darkness…I should set about however necessary to take over the United States. I would begin with a campaign of whispers. With the wisdom of a serpent, I would whisper to you as I whispered to Eve: ‘Do as you please.’… To the young I would whisper, ‘The Bible is a myth.’ I would convince them that man created God instead of the other way around….

 

“I would caution them not to be extreme in religion, in patriotism, in moral conduct. And the old, I would teach to pray. I would teach them to say after me: ‘Our Father, which art in Washington.’… I would evict God from the courthouse, and then from the school house, and then from the houses of Congress and then, in His own churches I would substitute psychology for religion, and I would deify science because that way men would become smart enough to create super weapons but not wise enough to control them….

 

“If I were the devil, I would take from those who have and I would give to those who wanted, until I had killed the incentive of the ambitious…. Then, I could separate families…. In other words, if I were Satan, I’d just keep on doing what he’s doing.”

 

As followers of Jesus, we should not be at all surprised, shocked, or dismayed. In fact, the Scriptures repeatedly warn that is the way things will be. This is why Ephesians 6:10-13 helps us to understand what’s happening and how we should respond: 

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rules, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

 

We find this encouragement in 1 Corinthians 16:13, “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.”

 

There’s this assurance from Jesus Himself, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). We also have Christ’s promise that we are never alone or abandoned. His last recorded words were, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Be aware - but do not fear.

What If We All Could See 20:20 in 2020?

Whenever we have our eyes examined, 20:20 is the standard. Basically, 20:20 vision means we can see clearly at 20 feet what should normally be seen at that distance. If the second number is higher, such as 20:40, it means one’s eyes probably need corrective lenses for being able to see what the average person can see unaided from 20 feet away. 

Is seeing 20:20 in 2020 an impossible dream?

With this year being 2020, I’ve been thinking how nice if we all could see life with 20:20 vision rather than the skewed, even distorted, vision that seems to afflict so many. “Consensus” these days has become more the exception than the rule. Two people can look at exactly the same thing – or issue – and see something entirely different, not only physically but also politically, ethically, morally or spiritually.

This is why the term “worldview” has become so important in understanding the disparity of values that people hold. How we view the world shapes how we think, how we act, and how we interact. One person’s “20:20” seems like 20:200 to someone else.

What would it be like if we all could see 20:20 in 2020? 

To even ask such a question seems ludicrous. Basically it would mean that everyone should see things the way I do, or you do, or someone else does. It’s like comparing a person who can discern the full range of colors accurately with someone that’s colorblind. Even among those who are colorblind, there are some who see only black, white and shades of gray; others can recognize some colors, but within a much narrower range.

So the notion of everyone enjoying 20:20 vision in terms of beliefs, philosophy and values seems unlikely, maybe even a flat-out impossibility.

I would have to agree. After all, if we all thought exactly alike, wouldn’t that be boring? Many of us would be unnecessary. At the same time, I’d like to believe the chasm between convictions that we find so accentuated these days needn’t be so broad.

Even within the local church, we find significant differences: sacraments like baptism and communion, worship styles, types of music used during services, even which versions of the Bible to use. But as the Scriptures point out, there also should be common ground, areas where we all can see 20:20.

It was C.S. Lewis who wisely observed, “I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” I’ve referred to this statement before, and love it because it encapsulates how we as followers of Jesus Christ should approach whatever we encounter during the course of a day.

The apostle Paul, writing to believers in the ancient city of Corinth, expressed a similar view when he declared, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). Rather than “majoring in the minors,” debating non-essential aspects of doctrine and practice, Paul was telling his readers that Jesus had to be central – foundational to everything he said, everything he did.

Elsewhere the apostle Paul wrote, "As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross, my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died” (Galatians 6:14, New Living Translation). Recognizing the many distractions that surround us, the many temptations that can get us off track, Paul had determined to focus his 20:20 vision on what mattered most – Jesus Christ, who He was, what He did, and our need to respond to the precious, priceless gift He offered to everyone who would believe in Him.

So, can we all have “20:20 vision” on everything, seeing all things the same way? No. And we shouldn’t. But the Bible does assert, to paraphrase what Lewis wrote, that to be a Christian – a genuine disciple of Christ – we should constantly strive to see things through His eyes, from His divine, perfect perspective. 

Alas, even then, 20:20 vision spiritually will remain beyond our grasp. At least in this life. “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely" (1 Corinthians 13:12, NLT).

Can You See Clearly Now?

Where would some of us be without eyeglasses? I began wearing them regularly in my mid-20s. Since I’m near-sighted, my glasses are necessary for seeing more distant objects.

Unlike many people my age, I don’t need to extend my arms to read a newspaper or a book. But for things farther away, like a movie screen, road signs, or even recognizing people in a large room, my eyeglasses are indispensable.

Historians say vision aid devices date back to the Greeks and Romans. After all, didn’t Julius Caesar once tell Brutus, “I’m keeping an eye out for you”? (Didn’t work out too well.) But apparently the first real eyeglasses were invented in Northern Italy, near Pisa, around 1290. That might have been when the builder of the famous tower put on some glasses and realized, “Man, my tower’s leaning! Oh, well.”

Our pastor recently told a story about his father, who received his first pair of eyeglasses after immigrating to the United States. The dad didn't know how bad his uncorrected sight was until returning to Switzerland. For the first time, he could clearly see the spectacular vistas of the majestic Alps and the rolling hills that had been a part of his childhood.

Having poor sight physically isn’t the only visual limitation hampering some people. They also have a need for spiritual “eyeglasses,” for which there’s only one accurate prescription. As author, academician and one-time atheist C.S. Lewis wrote, "I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen — not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.”

Faith in Jesus Christ provided him with 20:20 eyesight into the spiritual realm. With that vision Lewis wrote such thoughtful classics as Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Problem of Pain, and the acclaimed Chronicles of Narnia fantasy series.

Just as we can’t simply choose to see more clearly with our physical eyes, but must use the “spectacles” prescribed for us, the Scriptures tell us the ability to perceive spiritual truth isn’t a matter of personal choice either. The apostle Paul wrote, “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God” (2 Corinthians 4:4).

Speaking of our spiritual enemy, Jesus said, "He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so they can neither see with their eyes, nor understand with their hearts, nor turn – and I would heal them" (John 12:40).

So how can we acquire spiritual “vision-correctors”? We find an example in the story of the blind man who received sight from Jesus. As people marveled as this once-sightless man suddenly staring at everything around him with opened eyes, he admitted that although he didn’t fully understand what had happened, “…One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!" (John 9:25).

It’s the same for each of us. At one time, we were blinded to spiritual understanding. But when God through His Spirit opens our eyes, we can’t help but see. As Steve Brown of Key Life Network likes to say, “Once you’ve seen the truth, you can’t un-see the truth.”

What are the benefits of receiving the spiritual vision only God can provide? For starters, we begin to see Him for who He truly is: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121:1-2).

We find ourselves able to better comprehend what He has revealed in the Scriptures: “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 199:18). Truth that once seemed so obscure becomes obvious.

And in the process, we discover we’ve also gained the ability to see things the way God sees them: As Jesus told His followers, “Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes and see that the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:35). We begin to perceive things – and people – around us from the Lord’s point of view.

A question I must ask myself daily is, how well are my spiritual eyeglasses working? Am I even bothering to use them?