Book 3 of Musings God Never Frets Over Evil
God never frets over evil, and neither must we.
God retains all authority and power, so why should the evil works in the earth rob Him of His peace? Have peace and trust in the all-powerful, all-wise God
We are going to see tremendous evil in the near future. There will be much moral depravity.
One of the more disturbing forms of evil is perversity. Perversity occurs when right is viewed as wrong and wrong is viewed as right. People who are accustomed to dealing with right and are upset by this.
Of course, the wicked will respond by asking who is able to judge right and wrong.
We have the Bible to tell us what is right and wrong. But in America in the present hour there are multitudes of people who despise the Bible.
However, we also have conscience. Conscience tells us what is right and wrong. In addition we have ordinary reasoning.
A good example of perversity is the argument that abortion is acceptable because the rights of the woman must be protected.
Yet, it is clear after some weeks the fetus is definitely a person in the making. It appears to me that the courts and the legislatures have studiously avoided defining when a fetus become a child. I think this avoidance is due to political pressure, not to any insurmountable problem in determining at what point a fetus becomes a citizen of the state and whose interests are protected by the obligation of the state to all citizens born in the state. Such avoidance of clear thinking is wickedness and our leaders will answer for this avoidance before the Judgment Seat of Christ.
So we ask, "What about the rights of the new person coming into the world? At what point is the fetus a human child?
The contemporary answer is: "The mother decides whether the child should be murdered at the point of birth." There is no investigation as to when the fetus is showing human characteristics, merely the emotional cry that the woman must have the freedom to decide if the child should be murdered.
Another perversity of our times is the unwillingness to stress moral behavior as a means of combating AIDS. The concept of intercourse being confined to legal marriage is not emphasized, only the necessity for additional research into the medical control of AIDS.
Another perversity is avoidance of the fact that a child without a home and caring parents is more apt to become a criminal than a family situation in which a loving mother and father play a significant role in the upbringing of the child.
I could go on and on, but this is not my point. The point of the present article is the harm done to Christians by fretting.
The word "fret" is derived from an Old English word meaning "devour."
To fret is to worry, to be agitated, to be uneasy. It is used in another context to mean to erode or wear away.
The righteous will read the newspapers of the future with increasing dismay. They will see wicked people triumphing and boasting themselves in their wickedness. Christian values will be despised. In fact, the values of ordinary people, Christian or not, will be ignored while perversity prevails.
The Bible commands us not to fret. The Bible tells us that the wicked will prosper greatly, but then will be removed by the Lord.
It is important for us to understand God does not fret over evil. God has the power at any time to prevent any evil act on the face of the earth.
So the question really is: Why does God permit evil to prevail in so many instances?
The answer is, God has the world under perfect control. The earth is the Lord and all of its parts; the whole world, and all who dwell in it belong to the Lord. The entire creation is bringing God's will to pass.
What is God doing? God is perfecting those who are called to be brothers of the Lord Jesus Christ; to be in His image. All that take place in the history of the world is for this supreme purpose.
When the brothers have been brought to maturity, then Christ and His brothers will descend through the sky and install the righteous Kingdom of God on the earth. It is as simple and straightforward as this.
Look how Satan worked until Christ was murdered on the cross. What was the result? Mankind was redeemed through the blood atonement. It looks like Satan shot himself in the foot, doesn't it?
Think about your own life. How many times has trouble come to you. Yet, when you prayed, the trouble worked for your good.
This is why we must never fret ourselves concerning evil. When we rage against those who are doing things to which we object, we are displaying our lack of faith in God's wisdom and power.
I am not saying we should not pray, or we should not do good and remove evil when we have the opportunity.
Rather I am speaking of raging about situations over which we have little or no control. The abortion and homosexual agendas in the United States are an example of situations over which most of us have little or no control. We should pray and take advantage of any opportunity we have to do good, but beyond that we are not to fret.
Our proper place is at the right hand of God in Christ. Fretting tears us down from our high place and binds us to the garbage of the earth. This precisely is what Satan desires. He may not be able to persuade us to break God's moral laws; but he can accomplish almost as much destruction by pointing out his antics in the earth until we are beside ourselves with anger.
Fretting will prove to be a major problem for Christians in the days to come. Remember, fretting means devouring, wearing away, corroding. There is nothing of value in it and much that is harmful.
The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed One. "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters." The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. (Psalms 2:2-4)
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret-it leads only to evil. For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land. (Psalms 37:8-9)