Good and Evil in Close Proximity

The author of Hebrews refers to mature believers “who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.” Little children may not know the difference between good and evil. Adults should. But it takes practice, and lack of the practice of discernment will allow one to slide back into immaturity and confusion. 

It would be much more simple if good and evil were not in such close proximity. It would be nice if they were always easily distinguished and had clear edges. But it is not so simple. Because someone can do something seemingly good, but the unintended consequences could be evil. Or, because someone can do something that is seemingly good, but have evil motives for doing the “good” that they do. 

Worse yet, we find in ourselves principles of both good and evil in close proximity, within our hearts or wills. Pauls says in Romans 7, that conflicted chapter: “For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.” (Romans 7:19 NAS95) We have a level of “want” or “will” that desires to do good, but we end up not doing it. Why? It seems that it must be because there is another, deeper “want” or “will” that desires something darker. And so we can we how closely both good and evil lie in our hearts.

James, in his practical epistle expresses the same truth, yet framed differently: “With (our tongues) we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the likeness of God; from the same mouth come both blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be this way.” (James 3:9–10 NAS95) Good and evil, in close proximity in our hearts, inhabits our mouths as well.

And so, we must hold fast our confession, and we must commit to application. To “hold fast our confession” means that we entrust our souls to our Savior, and ask that as He has justified, He will also sanctify, and re-create our hearts and minds and mouths to be the home of good and not evil. Also, we look with hopeful expectation for a future world in which there is only good, and all evil is eradicated. But by way of application, we must sharpen our “senses,” our moral antennae, so that we can sharply discern what some would regard as the foggy outlines of good and evil. Not legalistically. But theologically, for the glory of God, and the good, not evil, of our souls.