What is evil?

To the question, "What is sin?" many contradictory answers would probably be given. God's definition of it — which alone carries authority — is found in 1 John 3:4: "sin is lawlessness." This way of defining it cuts very deep. Every exercise of the human will in independence of God is by this divine statement declared to be sin. It does not matter what the act may be, whether it is something human courts would punish, or something that would pass without comment in the eyes of men; every action taken without reference to God is sin.

Transgression of the law is sin; but the reverse is not true, for sin has a far wider bearing: it is lawlessness, unrestrained self-will. Such breaches might be committed by a Jew through carelessness or provocation without his realising God's authority in it, whereas lawlessness has an awful character.

In its fruits, however varied, evil is, in its essential principle, absolutely one. The creature leaving the creature's place — setting itself up in independence of God — this is its character at bottom, always.

Sin is doing our own will, in whatever direction that will may travel, whatever form it may take. It may show itself as the grossest moral depravity, or it may dress itself in cultivated and refined taste, but it is self-will all the while, and self-will is sin. It may be only like the acorn, the mere seed, but the acorn contains the wide-spreading oak.

But evil never came from God — only from the creature, once innocent, now fallen, who did not keep his first position, but chose to do his own will and have his own way. An angel did this first. Man was misled by him who, straying and exalting himself, deceived others both in heaven and on earth.

Mankind is dominated by a triple alliance of evil — the world, the flesh, and the devil. The first is that organised system of things produced by human thought and activity, without God and against Him. The second is that corrupt nature, built into man as a fallen creature, which expresses itself in the world and is quite at home there. The last is the mighty person, the very source and originator of evil itself.

Our Lord's course in this world brought to a crisis and settled the whole question of good and evil. He was perfect goodness and grace, but the whole powers of evil — demons and men — were against Him. They succeeded in crucifying Him, and on the cross, when He was made sin for us, God even forsook Him. So sin was judged by God; the holiness, righteousness, wisdom and love of God were displayed and vindicated.

God, in His infinite wisdom, allowed Satan to tempt man and bring sin into the world; but in the very scene where it was brought in, God has dealt with it, with a view to removing it from the whole universe. Not only will the evidences and effects of sin be taken away, but sin as an active principle will be banished from God's universe.

Love and hatred of evil will always be found together. The Psalmist says, "O you who love the LORD, hate evil!" A false charity may ignore evil under the excuse of love, and even treat evil doctrine as of little importance.

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Here "evil" is looked at as a power from outside that threatens and could easily overcome us. "Good," on the other hand, is the atmosphere we are to live in, occupied with it, and in its power we can meet and overcome evil.