CALLING EVIL GOOD
“Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!” Isaiah 5:20
The prophet of God pronounced a strong warning against those who were confusing the distinctions between right and wrong. His message was certainly timely when it was delivered and would be equally appropriate in our day. These words clearly describe the result of generations of humanism, Biblical ignorance, and apostasy in a society. The lines of morality have been blurred. Biblical standards have been replaced by situational ethics. As unbelievable as it might seem, men who claim to be God’s servants are sometimes guilty of promoting this erosion of values. What the Bible calls evil, people are now calling good. Immorality is glamorized, slothfulness is rewarded, and dishonesty is respected.
At the same time, what was once accepted as good is now considered evil. Purity is scoffed at, godliness is unpopular, and true Christianity is seen by many as a menace to society. However, one thing we can be sure of—that which was once evil is still evil and that which the Bible calls good should still be considered good. Society does not set the standard of true morality. God does. We cannot be reminded of this too often. We are not to look to other sources for our standards. We are to look to the inspired Word of God. We are not to let popular trends determine our course. We are not to let the voices of the media influence our convictions. Popular church growth strategies minimize holiness and separation and encourage compromise and worldliness. Those who are calling for a return to the old paths are counted as being old-fashioned and out-of-step with reality.
Isaiah has a word for our lives: “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil.” We need more voices like the voices of the old prophets. We must condemn those things that God condemns and approve the things He approves. This is not only true in the world that we live in, but it is also true in our personal walk as well. We must be careful to honestly weigh the matters of our lives, using God’s truth as the guide. It is easy to justify compromise for the sake of convenience. It is easy to make excuses that allow for disobedience. When we do so, it is essentially the same as calling evil good and good evil.