Biblical Concept: Good and Evil
Good and Evil Summary: By Divine design,
humans must constantly choose between good and evil. The ultimate good a human can choose is to
believe in the Jesus Christ of the Triune God of the Bible for eternal
salvation. By Divine design, after the point of salvation, the Christian human lives
a life of constantly making choices between good and evil. Throughout human history, there will be
millions of Christian humans making billions of good versus evil choices—this
is the Christian human’s earthly mission.
Spiritual education (Bible Doctrine in soul) aids in more good and less
evil volitional choices. Neglected
education (little Bible Doctrine in soul) does not aid more good and less evil
volitional choices.
Good and evil Bible verses for your
consideration: (Explanatory parentheses are mine.)
Genesis 2:9 9 And out of the ground the LORD
God caused to grow every tree that is pleasing to the sight and good for food;
the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge
of good and evil. (From the beginning, God makes an issue of good and evil.)
Genesis 2:17 17 but from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from
it you shall surely die." (God makes a volitional issue regarding good and
evil. 3:3 notes a center of garden
location for the tree.)
Genesis 3:5 5 "For God knows that in the
day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing
good and evil."
Genesis 3:22 22 Then the LORD God said,
"Behold, the man has become like one of Us, knowing good and evil; and
now, lest he stretch out his hand, and take also from the tree of life, and
eat, and live forever "— (Volitional rebellion toward God is the mental
attitude sin behind the overt act.)
1 Kings 3:9 9 "So give Thy servant an
understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For
who is able to judge this great people of Thine?"
(Solomon’s request.)
Deuteronomy 1:39 39 'Moreover, your little ones who
you said would become a prey, and your sons, who this day have no knowledge of
good or evil, shall enter there, and I will give it to them, and they shall
possess it. (Age of Account Concept)
Psalm 34:14-17 14 Depart from evil, and do good;
Seek peace, and pursue it. 15
The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the LORD is against
evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth. 17 The righteous cry and the LORD hears, And delivers them out of all
their troubles.
Psalm 36:4 4 He plans wickedness
upon his bed; He sets himself on a path that is not good; He does not despise
evil. [Saul Alinsky, Rules for Radicals, forward: "From all our legends, mythology, and
history (and who is to know where mythology leaves off and history begins – or
which is which), the first radical known to man who rebelled against the
establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom –
Lucifer."]
Psalm 37:27-28 27 Depart from evil, and
do good, So you will abide forever. 28
For the LORD loves justice, And does not forsake His godly ones; They are
preserved forever; But the descendants of the wicked will be cut off.
Psalm 52:1-9 1 For the choir director. A Maskil of David,
when Doeg the Edomite came
and told Saul, and said to him, "David has come to the house of Ahimelech." Why do you boast in evil, O mighty
man? The lovingkindness of God endures all day long. 2
Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, O worker of deceit. 3 You love evil more than good,
Falsehood more than speaking what is right. Selah. 4 You love all words that devour,
O deceitful tongue. 5 But God
will break you down forever; He will snatch you up, and tear you away from your tent, And uproot you from the land
of the living. Selah. 6 And
the righteous will see and fear, And will laugh at him, saying, 7
"Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the
abundance of his riches, And was
strong in his evil desire." 8 But as for me, I am like a green
olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the lovingkindness
of God forever and ever. 9 I
will give Thee thanks forever, because Thou hast done it, And I will wait on Thy name, for it is good, in the presence of Thy godly ones.
Proverbs 11:27-31 27 He who diligently
seeks good seeks favor, But he who searches after evil, it will come to
him. 28 He who trusts in his
riches will fall, But the righteous will flourish like the green leaf. 29 He
who troubles his own house will inherit wind, And the foolish will be servant
to the wisehearted.
30 The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, And he who
is wise wins souls. 31 If the
righteous will be rewarded in the earth, How much more the wicked and the
sinner!
Proverbs 12:2 2 A good man will obtain favor
from the LORD, But He will condemn a man who devises evil.
Proverbs 14:19 19 The evil will bow down before
the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
Proverbs 14:22 22 Will they not go astray who
devise evil? But kindness and truth will
be to those who devise good.
Proverbs 15:3 3 The eyes of the LORD are in every
place, Watching the evil and the good. (Freewill or Torturer.)
Proverbs 17:13 13 He who returns evil for good,
Evil will not depart from his house.
Proverbs 17:20 20 He who has a crooked mind finds
no good, And he who is perverted in his language falls into evil. (SOT: A path
to evil.)
Proverbs 28:10 10 He who leads the upright astray
in an evil way Will himself fall into his own pit, But the blameless will
inherit good.
Proverbs 31:12 12 She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 13 The conclusion, when all has
been heard, is: fear God and keep His
commandments, because this applies to every
person. 14 For God will bring
every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.
Isaiah 5:20 20 Woe to those who call evil
good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness;
Who substitute bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Recall: Right and Wrong in a
Nation.)
Isaiah 7:15-16 15 "He will eat curds and
honey at the time He knows enough to
refuse evil and choose good. 16
"For before the boy will know enough
to refuse evil and choose good, the land whose two kings you dread will be
forsaken.
Jeremiah 4:22 22 "For My people are foolish,
They know Me not; They are stupid children, And they have no understanding.
They are shrewd to do evil, But to do good they do not know."
Jeremiah 13:23 23 "Can the Ethiopian change
his skin Or the leopard his spots? Then you
also can do good Who are accustomed to doing evil. (‘Those accustomed to evil’ do not frequently
change to doing good.)
Amos 5:12-15 12 For I know your transgressions
are many and your sins are great, You who
distress the righteous and accept
bribes, And turn aside the poor in the gate.
13 Therefore, at such a time the prudent person keeps silent,
for it is an evil time. 14
Seek good and not evil, that you may live; And thus may the LORD God of hosts
be with you, Just as you have said! 15
Hate evil, love good, And establish justice in the gate! Perhaps the LORD God
of hosts May be gracious to the remnant of Joseph. (Recall: Attacking the Right.)
Micah 3:1-5 1 And I said, "Hear
now, heads of Jacob And rulers of the house of Israel. Is it not for you to
know justice? 2 "You who
hate good and love evil, Who tear off their skin from them And their flesh from
their bones, 3 And who eat
the flesh of my people, Strip off their skin from them, Break their bones, And
chop them up as for the pot And as
meat in a kettle." 4
Then they will cry out to the LORD, But He will not answer them. Instead, He
will hide His face from them at that time, Because they have practiced evil
deeds. 5 Thus says the LORD
concerning the prophets Who lead my people astray; When they have something to bite with their teeth, They
cry, "Peace," But against him who puts nothing in their mouths, They
declare holy war. (Read the chapter!)
Zephaniah 1:12 12 "And it will come about at
that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men
Who are stagnant in spirit, Who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good
or evil!' (Recall: Lowering God.)
Malachi 2:17 17 You have wearied the LORD with
your words. Yet you say, "How have we wearied Him?" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil is good in
the sight of the LORD, and He delights in them," or, "Where is the
God of justice?"
Matthew 12:34 34 "You brood of vipers, how
can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which
fills the heart. (Jesus to Pharisees.)
Matthew 12:35 35 "The good man out of his good treasure brings forth what is good;
and the evil man out of his evil
treasure brings forth what is evil.
Matthew 13:38 38 and the field is the world; and
as for the good seed, these are the
sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one;
Luke 6:35 35 "But love your enemies,
and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be
great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to
ungrateful and evil men. (Sermon on
the level, Luke 6:17-49. Spiritual life
with a Messiah and Kingdom.)
Luke 6:45 45 "The good man out of the
good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that
which fills his heart.
John 5:28-29 28 "Do not marvel at this;
for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His
voice, 29 and shall come
forth; those who did the good deeds to
a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment. (Compare Believe in JC for
salvation.)
Romans 7:19-21 19 For the good that I wish, I do
not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish. 20 But if I am doing the very
thing I do not wish, I am no longer the one doing it, but sin which dwells in
me. 21 I find then the
principle that evil is present in me, the one who wishes to do good.
Romans 12:21 21 Do not be overcome by
evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 13:1-4 1 Let every person be in
subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from
God, and those which exist are established by God. 2 Therefore he who resists
authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will
receive condemnation upon themselves. 3
For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want
to have no fear of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from
the same; 4 for it is a
minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it
does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger
who brings wrath upon the one who practices evil. (Good government discerns
good from evil.)
Romans 16:19 19 For the report of your obedience
has reached to all; therefore I am rejoicing over you, but I want you to be
wise in what is good, and innocent in what is evil. (Education.)
Hebrews 5:14 14 But solid food is for
the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good
and evil. (Education.)
1 Peter 3:10-13 10 For, "Let him who means to
love life and see good days Refrain his tongue from evil and his lips from
speaking guile. 11 "And
let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. 12 "For the eyes of the Lord
are upon the righteous, And His ears attend to their prayer, But the face of
the Lord is against those who do evil."
13 And who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what
is good? (Good life = control of mental attitude sins and sins of the tongue.)
3 John 1:11 11 Beloved, do not imitate what is
evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil
has not seen God.