Reformation and This Present Evil Age
Halloween offers one day a year in which two concepts come to the forefront. One is the Protestant Reformation against the Roman Catholic Church for its evil, indulgence-for-cash economy in the early sixteenth century A.D. The second is the present evil age in which we live.
The Protestant Reformation continues 500+ years after Martin Luther pinned his 95 points of contention to the door of the church at Wittenberg. The “five solas” continue to guide the Reformation as its primary bullet points of dispute. The solas teach us that salvation comes by grace alone (1), through faith alone (2), in Christ alone (3), according to the Scriptures alone (4), to the glory of God alone (5). These remain as points of contention with Rome, today.
Man-centered theology steals glory from God, through its incorporation of errant traditions, holding equal authority with Scripture. These traditions distort biblical soteriology through a works-based salvation message. Arrogant men decide for themselves, apart from God’s grace and in their own power of faith, whether they will take or leave God’s salvation (contra Romans 9 and Ephesians 1-2).
The apostate Roman Catholic Church continues to lead people down an erroneous path, and it intensified its apostasy at the Council of Trent from A.D. 1543–1563. Subsequent inclusion of enhanced Mariolatry to the ongoing debate with Protestants has not helped, nor has the addition of the infallibility of the Pope. The Roman Catholic Church continues to invent new traditions to reign in its power, which clearly garner pecuniary rewards. These were exactly the evils our Protestant church fathers fought, beginning on that all-important Halloween in A.D. 1517. They exposed evil, employing and in obedience to Scripture (Eph 5:11).
Having passed the five-hundred-year anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, let us renew our call for the Romish church to repent of apostasy, and let us continue to seek out the regulative principle in service and worship. We must submit ourselves to the authority of Scripture, and obey its commandments. The truth will set Rome free, as it has done for its regenerated members, some of whom remain on in it as lights in the darkness. We must adhere to the fact that if we are not with Christ, we are against Him, and therefore, anti-Christ. We must be champions of biblical and theological orthodoxy and orthopraxy. For it is to the glory of God, revealed in the Scriptures, that salvation has come to us from Christ, who has saved us by His grace and through the gift of faith given to us (Rom 12:3; Eph 2:3; Phil 1:29).
This is only a part of the present evil age. The apostle Paul wrote to the Galatians, “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins so that He might rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father to whom be glory forevermore. Amen (Gal 1:3–5).” Evil remains with us, today. No reasonable soul can dispute this claim. Some would argue it has never been worse.
The Bible argues that there is no new thing under the sun (Eccl 1:9), but evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse (2 Tim 3:13a). Therefore, this present evil age has always been present, and always will be present, until Christ returns. The annual celebration of evil, darkness, and death culture requires a brief examination into the subject of evil. The Bible is the source of knowledge for our study. The “evil” motif is extensive in Scripture, much like its practice in the world. We must be wise in understanding evil (Prv 1:33), and yet, remaining infants as doers (1 Cor 14:20).
Sin produces evil and evildoers. Sinful man is evil because of his sin nature (Eph 2:3). He does what is in his heart (Gen 6:5; Jer 17:9). Man follows the evil course of this world (Eph 2:2), which is under the power of the evil one (1 Jn 5:19). Satan is called, “the evil one (2 Thess 3:3).” Cain was evil (1 Jn 3:12). Even the chosen sons of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord (Judges 3:12). Evil operates in the spirit, and yet, it is always in submission under the power of God (1 Sam 16:14; 2 Sam 12:11; Acts 19:15). It has scheming intentions (1 Sam 23:9). Evil manifests as an action done in disobedience to God’s Word (2 Sam 12:9). Sin is evil, and evil is sinful.
Evil resides in people’s hearts (1 Kgs 2:44; Mt 15:19; Mk 7:21), and in men’s minds (Ps 56:5; Mt 9:4). It comes forth from the tongue (Ps 34:13; Jas 3:8). In fact, God evaluates men and finds that every intention of their hearts is only evil all the time (Gen 6:5). A rebellious man seeks only evil (Prv 17:11). The heart is deceitful above all else and desperately sick (Jer 17:9; Rom 1:29). Men love darkness and hate the Light (Jn 3:19–20). Jesus told the world its deeds were evil (Jn 7:7), and even the apostle Paul struggled with his evil heart (Rom 7:19, 21). We must agree with the Synod of Dort (A.D. 1618–19) that man is totally depraved. It is only ignis fatuus for a man to deny his own depravity.
Evil has a boomerang effect. It returns to the one who sent it (Ps 34:21; Prv 11:27), for the Lord is against the evildoer (Ps 34:16). He will not go unpunished (Prv 11:21) but shall be cut off. Particularly wicked is the person who returns evil for good (Ps 35:12). Woe to him who gets evil gain for his house (Hab 2:9), for even storing up wealth is a grievous evil (Eccl 5:13; Lk 12). The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil (1 Tim 6:10). Adultery is evil (Jer 23:10). Selfish ambition is evil (Jam 3:16). Boasting in anything other than the Lord is evil (Jam 4:16). Death is evil (Eccl 9:3), and so are those who rush to shed innocent blood (Is 59:7).
Wicked men call good evil and evil good (Is 5:20). Evil has its place and purpose under God’s providence (Prov 16:4; Jer 24:9), but evil plans are an abomination to the Lord (Prov 15:26). We must never ascribe evil to the Lord (Jas 1:13). God will punish the world for its evil (Is 13:11; 2 Pet 3:10–12); but He will make a new heavens and a new earth free from evil (Is 65:25).
Repentant King David knew he needed a new heart (Ps 51), not just a “good person” makeover. The transformation of the heart makes one hate evil (Ps 97:10), and not fear evil tidings (Ps 112:7). The fear of the Lord is to hate evil (Prv 8:13), for God is the one who strengthens and protects His people from evil (2 Thess 3:2–3), even to the end of one’s life (2 Tim 4:18). It causes one to distance himself from evildoers (Ps 119:115), and pray for protection from them (Ps 121:7; 140:1; Mt 6:13). The heart must not incline toward evil (Ps 141:4), nor the feet run to it (Prv 1:16).
Born again Christians (1 Jn 5:18) should abhor what is evil (Rom 12:9), avoiding it (1 Jn 5:18; 1 Thess 5:22), especially with our words (Mt 5:37; 1 Pet 3:9–10). We must not resist the evil person (Mt 5:39); and we must never pay back evil for evil (Rom 12:17; 1 Thess 5:15) but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21). Israel was an example of evildoing so that Christians might avoid doing evil (1 Cor 10:6). We should not be disturbed when men speak evil of us (Mt 5:11; 2 Cor 6:8), for we know we live in the midst of evil days (Eph 5:16). We are in a spiritual war against evil (Eph 6:13, 16), having defected from our former way of life as evildoers (Col 1:21; 3:9).
Positively, God’s Word instructs us to imitate and seek and do what is good (1 Thess 5:15; 1 Pet 3:11; 3 Jn 1:11), like blessing others (1 Pet 3:9), and keeping our behavior excellent (1 Pet 2:12), from a sincere heart in full assurance of faith (Heb 10:22), especially with the brief time given to us (Eph 5:16). With new hearts bringing forth what is good (Lk 6:45), let us love God, love one another, love our neighbors, and even love our enemies (Lk 6:35).
In summary, we have considered Halloween, and we have seen that this day of evil is no different from other days. We have found evil in Satan, evil spirits, in the heart, mind and mouth of men. Simply put, rebellious men and angels are evil. We have seen how evil works itself into every work of men.
Reformation from evil requires a transplant of an evil heart, with a heart filled with the Spirit of Christ. We have seen how this new heart in the born again Christian produces a new life of avoiding evil and doing good. This is not to merit favor with God, but as a manifestation of God’s favor.
In conclusion, we must abhor the celebration of evil in any form. We must celebrate the Reformation and the reformation of the heart, which remains the heart of the Reformation.
David E. Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
January 25, 2021
