This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. ² For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, ⁴ Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

We are living in a broken world.  As the song says:

“And a broken world won’t give you any answers
Everything is upside down
Wrong is right and right is wrong”

Man has always been handy at confusing evil with good. That was Adam and Eve’s problem, and it is our problem today. If evil were not made to appear good, there would be no such thing as temptation. Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference and that is where the danger lies.

In today’s world right and wrong often differs from the righteousness of the Bible. Someone has said: “A wrong deed is right if the majority of people declare it not to be wrong.”

Unfortunately, that’s the way the majority of our society is living.

 By this principle we can see our standards shifting from year to year according to the popular vote! Divorce was once frowned upon by society, and laws against adultery were strictly enforced. But now divorce is accepted, and adultery is glorified in our books, magazines, movies and even on TV!

The Bible says: “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil.” God has not changed. His standards have not been lowered. God still calls immorality a sin, and the Bible says God is going to judge it.

When people do not carefully observe the distinction between right and wrong, good and evil, destruction soon follows.  It is easy for people to say, “No one can decide for anyone else what is really right and wrong.”

How did we get our values so mixed up? How did we fall into this trap of Satan? For one thing, we’re shortsighted. We look for shortcuts to happiness. Instant gratification!  Our lust for immediate pleasure prompts us to think of evil as good.

And how does this come about? 

False teachers!

2 Timothy 4:3-4

³ For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears ⁴ And they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables.

How do we get back from this broken world we live in?

Love for God and One Another

1 John 4:1-3

¹Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.

How can we get our values straightened out? How can our warped judgment be brought into line? How can we stop calling evil good?

God has the victory, God is in control! How do we remember this when the evil in our world seems so overwhelming?

 Matthew 11:28-30

 ²⁸ Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Jesus frees us from all these burdens. The rest Jesus promises is love, healing, and peace with God. A relationship with Jesus changes meaningless toil in spiritual productivity and purpose.

When Paul heard the voice of Jesus, he said: “Lord, what do You want me to do?”  Jesus Christ is calling you out of a world of delusion and deception in which evil is called good and good is called evil. Only if the scales fall from your eyes can you acknowledge Him as Lord. You must have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ to live the life He wants for us in this broken world.