Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

        Isaiah 5:20

Everything that is good comes from God. And everything that is not of God is evil. These two simple truths should be what drives our definition of good and evil. But we live squarely in a time when the lines between good and evil are blurred, skewed, and distorted, leaving every man, woman, and child in charge of determining, for themselves, what these two, very opposite, terms actually mean. This is not surprising because this kind of self-governing philosophy comes from godlessness. When a society doesn’t know God, they cannot correctly disseminate between good and evil. In fact, recognizing good from evil comes from our knowledge of God and His Word and is only possible for those who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ and have received the Holy Spirit. Those outside of Christ, cannot understand the things of God because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14-15). This pronouncement of “woe” on the people reflected their lack of understanding of the truth and demonstrated just how rebellious their hearts had become. And today, we can observe the very same, godless, rebellious, and sinful behavior in our society. 

“Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil.” In today’s passage, we see that, just like those who substitute wine and song for a vibrant relationship with Christ, there are those who substitute what is good for that which is evil. In fact, they take the simple, clear, and concise Word of God and make it convoluted. This leads to philosophies, attitudes, and behaviors that are completely contrary to the will of God and that bring people into spiritual destruction. This is the logical conclusion to “calling good evil and calling evil good.” 

So, what are the observable traits of such distortions? Let’s begin with the attack on everything that promotes righteousness, goodness, and godliness. Anyone standing in today’s culture and proclaiming the gospel of Jesus, which is something every Christian should be participating in, is often rejected on the basis of being “intolerant,” “unloving,” and “unkind.” The reality is just the opposite. We serve no redeemable purpose in someone’s life if we simply accept the “anything goes” mentality. We aren’t being loving or kind if we have the truth of God’s Word living within us and say nothing to those around us. What is labeled as “uncaring” and “hateful” is actually the highest form of caring for another human being. We cannot do anything more significant, in the lives of others, than pointing them to the Savior, who has delivered us from our sin, and who offers them forgiveness, restoration, and the salvation of their souls as well. If someone rejects that offer, that would be on them. Our job, as believers, is to make the effort. We don’t want to see anyone leave this planet without knowing, in a saving way, Jesus Christ, and coming to saving faith in Him. Eternity is what’s at stake. The temporal will pass. The things that people chase after, in this world, will all fade and disappear. This isn’t our home and we will not be here forever. Eternity, however, is a place in which all of us will find ourselves, either with Christ or, tragically, apart from Him (John 3:18). So while the world rebels against the idea of objective, singular truth that leads people to saving faith in Christ, for us, as believers, sharing Jesus with someone is the most loving, caring, and kind thing that we can do. 

But there is also the opposite effect to this “clouding” of good and evil. Not only is there a rejection of the truth of the gospel but there is also an embracing of that which is sinful, perverted, and altogether worthless (Romans 3:12). In the name of inclusion, tolerance, and kindness; philosophies, attitudes, and lifestyles contrary to the Word of God are accepted, revered, and even celebrated. The eternal consequences for such behavior is, often, not even addressed or considered. And what about all of this inclusion, tolerance, and kindness? These three concepts vanish as quickly as they are mentioned when it comes to the reciprocal application to Christians. The “tolerant” and “kind,” often, with the gnashing of teeth and the clinching of fists, turn vicious and mean when the name of Jesus is proclaimed. So the origin of this pseudo-kindness and “loving” disposition is quickly exposed when faced with the truth of God’s Word. 

And what is the origin of such behavior? Woe to those “who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness.” Goodness can only come from God. Evil is rooted in the devil and his activity in this world (1 Peter 5:8, Luke 8:12, 2 Corinthians 4:4). While the rebellious world continues to confuse good and evil, they also substitute “darkness for light and light for darkness.” This means that the activity of the Spirit of God is labeled “evil” while the activity and deception of the enemy is accepted as “light.” This shouldn’t come as a surprise because the cross, the gospel, and the activity of the Spirit of God is considered “foolishness” to those who are perishing (1 Corinthians 1:18, 2:14-15). Jesus even tells us why we see this rejection of the Light, which is Christ, and everything associated with Him:

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.

  John 3:19 (NIV)  

People reject Christ and the gospel because these demonstrate to them their own depravity and their need for a Savior, something those who love sin and living on their own terms find offensive and intolerable. The devil has the unbelieving world exactly where he wants them. As long as he can keep people from receiving the gospel, they will not hear, believe, and be saved. As that is his strategy…confuse, distort, and pervert the ways of God to the point that people simply go their own way, not even considering the eternal consequences for such a decision. 

Calling good evil and evil good, trading living in the Light of Christ for living in spiritual darkness…this is not hyperbole. This is the very state of our world and its rejection of the gospel. But perhaps it is the final swap that brings home the consequences for such behavior. Woe to those “who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!” Why would anyone exchange God’s best, a vibrant relationship with Him, and eternal life for bitterness? Trading everything that makes life sweet, both now and in eternity, with that which is bitter by nature and wholly inadequate to ever satisfy, console, or save us, makes no sense whatsoever. But this is what so many people do today and it’s completely observable. This truth that we live in a distorted, perverted, and depraved world, in which the things of God and everything that is good, is confused with the activity of the devil and that which is evil, is delivered to us in the headlines everyday, and without even a mention of the name of Jesus. This is the world in which we live.

Do you know the difference between good and evil, light and darkness, sweet and bitter? Only when we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ and receive the Spirit of God will such distinctions be obvious and recognizable. 

Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 

      1 John 2:15