A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope,
encouragement and exhortation.
Daily
Encouragement on
Friday, February
22, 2019
"The
Demonization Of Virtue"
(Calling Good Evil)
Message
summary: Today
let us remain faithful
to the perspective that
God gives us through the
inspiration of Scripture
and demonstrate godly
virtues.
Listen to our
message on your audio
player.
"For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5). "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).
A
phrase popularized in
the last several years
is "virtue signaling", a
term that refers to the
conspicuous
communication of moral
values and good deeds,
especially using social
media. I read that to
some an act as trivial
as hitting a "like
button" can boost
self-esteem and a sense
of being virtuous!As followers of Christ we are not to just signal virtue but to genuinely demonstrate virtue. However in our culture Biblically-based virtue is increasing demonized.
I visited with a pastor friend who shared that he was working on a series of messages dealing with the current moral conditions of our land. With society's increasing permissiveness, acceptance, and even celebratory attitude toward sin, he's aware that he might face some backlash. He will likely be misunderstood by those who are being shaped by today's culture. Addressing subject matters that would have been universally condemned just 25 years ago will now get you labeled intolerant, ignorant or even hateful (three popular designations used by the forces of evil to silence truth).
We need to pray for leaders like this who stand up for righteousness and speak the truth, whether on a national level or in our local churches. A growing form of persecution are the recurring efforts by those with an ungodly worldview seeking to silence or even demonize those who hold to Biblical standards.
A number of times throughout this series we have written about "calling evil good", but today let us deal with the inevitable corollary "calling good evil".
Our
first daily text is from
a portion known as the
ladder of virtues which
we memorized many years
ago, but now as we've
aged we need to
rememorize. Virtue is
the second step
following the
foundational step of
faith. Other versions
translate it "moral
excellence", "goodness",
"excellence of
character" all
translating the Greek
word "arete".Like many of you we keep up with the current news regarding world conditions. This can be helpful in understanding the times, in knowing how to pray, and in keeping up our guard to resist and combat the enemy's tactics. There is no shortage of current illustrations regarding this act of "calling good evil". Biblically literate readers can find multiple illustrations in today's newspaper, on the internet, or any other form of media.
Among the signs of our culture's moral downfall is the failure to uphold the Creator's standards. Confusion is spreading like a raging forest fire even among those who at one time were not hesitant to recognize good from evil as taught in the Scriptures. As a result evil is called good and good is called evil.
Another major contributor to our present cultural outlook is that a growing majority are defining evil and good solely by the philosophies and academia of our current generation rather than time honored and proven truth as established over the centuries with its origins from the Bible. Dietrich Bonhoeffer's former student and close friend, Eberhard Bethge, gives further insight when he describes that which shaped Bonhoeffer's philosophies, convictions, and steadfast courage during World War 2:
"The rich
world of his ancestors
set the standards for
Dietrich Bonhoeffer's
own life. It gave him
a certainty of
judgment and manner
that cannot be
acquired in a single
generation. He grew up
in a family that
believed the essence
of learning lay not in
a formal education but
in the deeply rooted
obligation to be
guardians of a great
historical heritage
and intellectual
tradition." *
Isaiah's "woe" in our second text is timeless. "Woe" is a literal transliteration of the Hebrew. In other words it's an expression that sounds the same in Hebrew, English or any language (similar to the word, "hallelujah"). Woe is also an onomatopoeia, which is when the formation of a word imitates the natural sound associated with the object or action involved. Consider the sounds of deep, painful wailing.
Woe is an exclamation of pain and grief. As our culture drifts farther and farther from its Biblical moorings we see the truth of Isaiah's proclamation. Do we also feel his exclamation of woe?
What is the source of this woe? Three are listed in the Isaiah 5:20.
Those:
1) who call evil good and good evil,
2) who put darkness for light and light for darkness,
3) who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
Biblical morality is turned on its head, not only in Isaiah's cultural setting but also in our lifetime. Sometimes I am stunned by what is now so contrary to the right and wrong I was taught as a child and that which was commonly believed by believers and non-believers alike.
Today let us remain faithful to the perspective that God gives us through the inspiration of Scripture and demonstrate godly virtues. As unpopular, intolerant, socially insensitive, and politically incorrect as it may be let us continue to call evil "evil". As God's children let us hear the words of the apostle Paul and "hate what is evil; cling to what is good" (Romans 12:9).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer:
Father, as we
hate that
which is evil
and cling to
that which is
good we must
be clear in
our minds
about good and
evil. We don't
write our own
playbook based
upon
popularity
polls or by
that which
makes us "cool
to a
particular
segment of
society". We
look to the
ancient words
of Scripture,
honored by
godly men and
women, boys
and girls
throughout the
centuries who
believe in the
inspiration of
the
Scriptures,
who held to
its teachings
and lived by
the standards
as prescribed
within the
Word. May it
always be our
reference
point in
judging that
which is evil
and that which
is good. In
the name of
Jesus we pray.
Amen.For further insight: (I found this quote in my notes from a blog link that is no longer active!)
Without a firm
foundation we
find ourselves
confused.
Today, one
person's
opinion is
considered
equivalent to
another's. A
common
misconception
is epitomized
in this often
used
statement: 'We
will listen to
one side and
then to the
other and the
truth is
somewhere in
the middle'.
In fact, one opinion could be 100% correct and the other 100% wrong. If this is true, the middle is also wrong, likely even 100% wrong as well. As an example, if someone asks which city is the home of the Lakers professional basketball team and one answers "Chicago", they are completely wrong. So is Kansas City or Denver or other 'middle' answers. Compromise may be appropriate when it comes to issues lacking a moral absolute and which are merely simply a matter of personal preferences. Yet, to our shame, truth is often foolishly discarded in the name of tolerance. The truth? Whenever it is ignored or willingly discarded, it will come back to bite us.
In the great Greek and Roman civilizations, scholars and philosophers sought truth and understood the importance of achieving understanding. Christian critical thinking that formed our great nation gave us the Bible as the primary source of truth with reasoning to find truth in those things not expressly taught in the scriptures. Our current mindset has not only allowed but we have come to fully embrace concepts we know through reason as false. Why? We don't want to acknowledge the truth of the scriptures. We don't want God.
In fact, one opinion could be 100% correct and the other 100% wrong. If this is true, the middle is also wrong, likely even 100% wrong as well. As an example, if someone asks which city is the home of the Lakers professional basketball team and one answers "Chicago", they are completely wrong. So is Kansas City or Denver or other 'middle' answers. Compromise may be appropriate when it comes to issues lacking a moral absolute and which are merely simply a matter of personal preferences. Yet, to our shame, truth is often foolishly discarded in the name of tolerance. The truth? Whenever it is ignored or willingly discarded, it will come back to bite us.
In the great Greek and Roman civilizations, scholars and philosophers sought truth and understood the importance of achieving understanding. Christian critical thinking that formed our great nation gave us the Bible as the primary source of truth with reasoning to find truth in those things not expressly taught in the scriptures. Our current mindset has not only allowed but we have come to fully embrace concepts we know through reason as false. Why? We don't want to acknowledge the truth of the scriptures. We don't want God.
Yesterday
we made our
chaplain
visits in
eastern
Lancaster
County after
our snowy
Wednesday.
It
was still cold
early in the
morning when I
took this
photo from
Smucker Laser.
(Click
on photo to
enlarge)
Late
morning the
children were
enjoying
playing
outside as the
day warmed up at
this one
room Mennonite
schoolhouse.
(Click
on photo to
enlarge)
When
the children
aren't
throwing a
ball, running,
or otherwise
active they
engage with
passersby as
evidenced in
this photo.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
These
hardworking
Vietnamese
immigrants
were pleased
to have their
photo taken.
We
visited our
local Convene
group for a
few minutes
yesterday
morning. They
were meeting
at Blessings
of Hope, a
wholesale like
food
distribution
ministry that
has
distributed
over
$61,000,000 of
food to other
ministries
such as rescue
missions and
food banks. Convene
is an
association of
business
leaders who
seek to honor
God in the
manner they
run their
business. We
have been
associated
with them for
12 years now
and work with
several
business
owners who are
part of
Convene. Ron
Hoover is
the local
chairman.
(Click on photo to enlarge)
(Click on photo to enlarge)
Today's
Suggested
Music and Supplemental Resources
"Voice
of Truth" Video
Casting
Crowns
"Refine Me" Video Travis Cottrell
"I'd Rather Have Jesus" Video Sung by Buller, Balzer and Aichele
"Refine Me" Video Travis Cottrell
"I'd Rather Have Jesus" Video Sung by Buller, Balzer and Aichele
Regarding virtue
signaling count on the Babylon Bee
satire site for some insight! "Sad: This Guy
Just Tried To Virtue Signal On
The Internet But He Doesn't Have
Any Followers"
* "Bonhoeffer, Pastor, Martyr,
Prophet, Spy" by Eric Metaxas -
This quote is from this inspiring
biography on the first page of
chapter one.
Finally today:
Finally today:
So, now we know where all that corn goes!
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Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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