Unimaginable Evil

Cain said to Abel his brother, “Let us go out to the field.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand...

-Gen 4:8-11

When we visit this account in Genesis 4, we look to the previous chapters to try and find a "law" against murder. We find no such law. Before we continue, let us dismiss the argument posited by some that the law was given, just not yet in writing. This argument should be dismissed with prejudice for many reasons, but we can simply point to two obvious reasons.  

• There was no Israel at this point as specifically denoted in the Law of Sinai
• Paul's argument for grace states unequivocally that the Law was given 430 years after Abraham

Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. And this I say, that the law, which was four hundred and thirty years later, cannot annul the covenant that was confirmed before by God in Christ, that it should make the promise of no effect. For if the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise; but God gave it to Abraham by promise.

-Galatians 3:16-18

We have covered the place of the Law in previous studies. We now return to Cain. It is clear from the passage in Genesis 4 that the taking of Abel's life was clearly wrong. It was clearly sin. Cain brought a curse upon himself. He knew in his conscience that he had done wickedly despite attempts to sear that conscience.

In the previous chapter, Adam and Eve violated the only Law they had at the time, "Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" The Lord had "commanded" them not to eat from a specific tree. Is this a "law" for this age? No. It makes no sense in this age. The economy is quite different today.

But let us not miss another aspect of God's words to Adam.

 

But the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of thee in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked?..."

At this point, being naked was natural and good. This was not so afterward. Of course, the only people at that time were Adam and Eve (husband and wife) and nakedness is no sin in that relationship. But we must note that the Lord clothed them before the birth of Cain ("And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them" Gen 3:21). This may have been in preparation for the birth of Cain, but regardless, conditions and expectations (economies, dispensations) and rules changed.

What did not change with the birth of Cain was the understanding that murder was wrong. Some things are inherently wrong. The act of the Serpent to deceive Eve was counted as wickedness despite no specific law being violated. Adam and Even were essentially Gentiles. Paul notes that even Gentiles without the law understand certain things are wrong and/or evil.

For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.

-Romans 2:12-16

What "law" do they have written in their hearts? Check virgins for purity? Do not wear clothes of mixed fabrics? Pay 50 shekels for a defiled daughter? The law have we all have written in our hearts tells us stealing is wrong. Murder is wrong. Lying is wrong. Cain needed no written law. The inward law is confirmed in the conscience.

The conscience can be seared, however. Refusing the witness of the conscience or simply caving to the desires of the flesh can quench any voice within (for both the believer and for the unbeliever). This will be especially true in the last days.

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron...

-1 Tim 4:1-2

It is for the seared in heart and mind to whom the law is concerned. The Gentile does not need the law to tell him murder or sexual depravity is wrong. Romans 1 lays out the decay of the Gentile mind from conscience to wickedness. It is only here that we might introduce the law, solely to, perhaps, revive the conscience. 

But we know that the law is good if one uses it according to the rules, knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers...

-1 Timothy 1:8-10

AC Gaebelein notes of 1 Timothy, "To use the law is for the believer a denial of grace." The believer may sear the conscience in his old nature, but he has a new nature (holy spirit) to which we can appeal. We do not need the law. In his Roman epistle Paul speaks of the believer being dead to the law. We will examine that further in our next entry.

The immediate context of the 1 Timothy 4 passage above is those who speak lies with no pang of conscience left in themselves. This passage goes on to state that while these have internally seared consciences, they will impose external laws and expectations on others (particularly in a religious context, but we can see a greater application). We have seen some of the greatest wickedness over the centuries from those within a religious context (as we are careful to note atrocities also arising out of atheistic philosophies). 

forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth

Imposing an external set of laws on others gives one a sense of righteousness not found in the darkened heart. This is why some of the most Draconian laws and the loudest voices against perceived and manmade evils come from those involved in true wickedness.

Crimes against children are heinous and clearly wicked. Yet, in our day, children suffer unimaginable horror at the hands of many who seek to impose manmade measures of "righteousness" upon the rest of us. They practice wicked ritual involving children and other vulnerable and they signal their self-defined virtue to the world about them. They hold up banners of heroism in themselves as they commit acts that we dare not eve mention the level of wickedness is so high. 

It is often the sexual deviant who screams the loudest about popular movements of the day. It is the supporter of torturing and murdering children in the womb who often carry the banner of "love" and "acceptance," pitting themselves against imagined windmills of perceived evil.

I believe this is partly because of the searing process for the conscience and a manifestation of the fallen nature which exalts itself above all that is of God. Do not be fooled when this external virtue comes in the cloak of religion. It is in this context that itcan the most deceptive and attractive. Paul warns us that this tactic will be the case. We must recognize that Satan presents himself as an Angel of Light and his ministers as the ministers of righteousness (2 Cor 11). This is a powerful warning.

It has often been unfathomable to me how anyone who comes in the name of the Lord can "celebrate" the torture and murder of babies in the womb (and now some are calling for legalizing this slaughter in the birth canal). Similarly, it seems unfathomable that millions would turn a blind eye to the exploitation and horrible abuse of children.

The pattern has been the same with many evils.

1. Deny the evil exists and that it is only a conspiracy theory
2. Exposure
3. Embrace the evil as good

We saw this with Planned Parenthood selling baby body parts. First, they claimed "doctored video," but after the unedited video was released revealing the truth, the use of baby body parts was deemed a net "good" for society.

This is why trying to convince certain people with facts is useless. They are deluded in self-righteousness. The move from "That is a Lie!" to "Of course it's true and it's good" pattern works in the mind convinced it is inherently good. Of course, this "goodness" is filtered through the eyes of men and not through the eyes of God.

In John's gospel he recounts the Lord's words for his greater flock:

They will put you out of the synagogues; indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father, nor me.

-John 16:2-3

These are people doing things in the name of God. They think they are the righteous ones.

In the religious world (even in the Evangelical world) even the holy and good Law can be misused by those determined to enslave others to a Law that could neither cleanse nor save. The only hope is walking in the New Nature granted by grace through faith. This is the "holy spirit" spoken of in scripture. There is a Holy Spirit which is God and a holy spirit which is the new nature in the believer.

But even in the believer the voice of the New Nature can be quenched if one chooses to walk according to the old nature. We must remember that ALL men have the old nature. Unbelievers have only the old nature with its faulty conscience while believers have both and old and a new nature. We are still in danger of walking in the latter. We have discussed the two natures in previous studies.

Let me close by saying that I think the unimaginable evil being practiced today will only get worse and that the imposition and use of religious terminology will accompany some of the wickedness as the self-declared "virtuous" ones will present themselves as Angels of Lights like their father does.

This sickness has even infected the company of believers as Paul warn us. And why is this? This is nothing new. Wickedness and sin from Adam to the worshippers of Moloch to the Pharisees to the Popes has come in the name of virtue and religion and righteousness. When wickedness is exposed, it often becomes virtuous and this transformation is often done in the cloak of religion.

How Do People Come to Support the Killing of Children for Convenience?

 My father used to wonder how the German people could be swayed by the speeches of Hitler. He thought if he understood German, he could better understand the man's ability to garner such support and admiration. What would be missing, even if my father could understand German, are the conditions in Germany post World War I. Those terrible economic conditions contributed greatly to the willingness of people to find hope in any clear voice. Their defenses would be down.

We can almost understand how a desperate people, suffering under the terms of an oppressive postwar treaty that emasculated a proud people with a proud history, could be disheartened enough in their daily lives to be easily moved a positive, promising, affirming message. We do not relieve them of the responsibility of turning a blind eye to the fate of their Jewish (etc.) friends and neighbors that came with that message, but we must be careful not to assume we would act differently under the same conditions. Most of us have never lived in such desperate conditions. We are careful to not speak in absolutes. And, remember, they were lied to. 

We cannot deny that in some ways life did improve in Germany under Hitler's policies. Again, that is no excuse for the acceptance of or cooperation with evil, but we can see, at least to some degree, how a desperate people, often concerned about the bleak future their children were facing, could refuse to acknowledge other things going on in their communities. This same reasoning (personal economic inconvenience) is still used as an excuse to accept evil even in our day.

Surely, some in Germany were predisposed to approving wickedness. There is no excuse or any degree of understanding for this group. There is no "trying to understand" the source of their selfishness and hate. The answer is found in the flesh (as it usually is). These walked according to the lusts of their flesh and the longer they walked in the flesh the deeper their wickedness grew and the greater their sense of self-righteousness. Evil often calls it self good as it calls good evil.

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

-Isaiah 5:20

My father wondered how so many could accept the wicked policies of Herr Hitler. As conditions improved (he had delivered on many of his promises) we can start to see their blindness even as we still question how it happened. 

We may still wonder at the average German citizen's decisions. What we do not spend time trying to understand is the open hatred a section of that population had for what they deemed "inferior" people who were deemed a "hindrance" to their success or the cause of their failures. There is a legitimate reason to separate the Germans who were trying to balance many different emotions in a difficult time from those who gleefully embraced evil for their selfish desires.

Some of the NAZI policies were so wicked that even a megalomaniac like Mussolini showed apprehension. Some of the Fascists in Italy could not go as far as the National Socialists in Germany. It was when Hitler invited Mussolini to review the German military that Mussolini knew Italy was in no position to question its northern neighbor. But even in alliance with Germany, many Italians did what they could to protect at least some of their Jewish neighbors.

As horrible as it is to think of innocent men and women being put into labor camps, the more terrible it is to think of children facing that fate. I could only watch the film "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" (2008) once. This brings me to my sense of wonder at how some could, often militantly, promote, encourage, and even celebrate the torture and slaughter of the unborn in abortion. 

Europe has historically had some of the most liberal abortion policies in the world (in terms of choice, outside of communist countries with forced abortions). Yet even European abortion policies acknowledge that there is a point at which slaughtering a baby is unfathomable and simply wrong. 

 The vast majority of European nations do not allow abortion after 12 weeks (30% into a pregnancy). The most liberal policy is in the UK which allows abortion up to 24 weeks (60% into a pregnancy). I am openly pro-Life and cannot imagine actively taking the life of my own child in the womb at any point (and we still mourn my wife's two early miscarriages), but I can almost understand how a single mother or young girl, scared of facing the future alone with a child to look after contemplating the act. I can almost understand how some could accept the ending of a life in the early stages in a culture that tells them these children are "not yet human." That sounds familiar. As with the German people just trying to survive, we are careful not to assume how we might act or what bad decisions our circumstances might engender if we found ourselves in the same straits. We can remember this level of empathy while simultaneously decrying the act as inherently wrong.

The loudest voices for abortion in our day, in our nation, have moved on from the "rare and safe" mantra and have moved on to "do it for your wallet and career." There is a celebration of abortion. Some women proudly brag of their many abortions. I cannot have any sympathy for these women or for their enablers. There is no room to understand a difficult decision they may have faced that led them to make a difficult decision if they are proud of that decision. Their consciences are seared and they glory in their deed.

We witnessed the abomination of Planned Parenthood selling the body parts of murdered babies. We watched them laugh with glee at the idea. When confronted with the evidence, they first denied it. They tried to blame "deceptive editing." But when the facts were clear, their true hearts were also made clear. They went from denial to the celebration of the "good" they were doing by selling baby body parts. As the German government sold the bones of murdered Jews, so too does Planned Parenthood sells the flesh and bones of the most defenseless among us.

And as we look back at the chart on European law, some American politicians are pushing for abortion up to the killing of babies in the birth canal! Horrible wickedness. Have these ever watched an abortion? The burning and dismembering of babies in earlier weeks is horrible enough to witness, but a fully developed child in the birth canal? Abominable wickedness. 

And if you can believe it, there are some who are pushing for post-birth murder. Some have suggested up to one month old! Starving a baby for convenience sake! Even more horrible when there are so many waiting to adopt. This is where compromise with evil leads. 

How have we come to this point, then?

As my father wondered how the German people could hand over their neighbors to the state police,  I used to wonder how those people in scripture could sacrifice their children to the fires of Moloch. But we're seeing what false gods can do to the unenlightened and/or unredeemed mind. God gives the the stubborn over to a depraved hearts. 

We might try to understand how a desperate people could accept certain laws, whether in Germany or in regard to abortion law, it would be impossible to understand those who gleefully embrace wicked laws. How could some "celebrate" the mass murder of "undesirables?" How could parents sacrifice  their children to Moloch?

We have the answer in scripture. We are all born with an old nature that seeks its own, but to reach the depths of wickedness and callous attitude towards the torture and murder of children, one has to feed the flesh and have such a high opinion of oneself that he sears any conscience God may have given him.

For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen (Romans 1)

The followers of Moloch were "religious." In fact, they were fervently religious. The children of Israel who worshipped in the high places against God's will were devoutly religious. Those who built the golden calf did it to honor the God who brought them out of Egyptian slavery. They danced and sang with all their might. The prophets of Baal cried out all night. Religious fervor is not what he Lord desires, he desires faithfulness, selflessness, and righteousness according to our calling. All of these lead to a worship of that which is seen. 

Whether atheists or occultists or scripture-denying professed Christians, we see this worship of the Creation laid out in Romans 1. We see the worship of the temporal. We see the exaltation of financial gain and security over the life of a child. Again, we have some sympathy for the young girl, scared, confused, impressionable, who may make a tragic decision to end a pregnancy for those reasons. We can never, however, have sympathy (apart from a general sympathy for the state of their minds and their eternal fates) for those who celebrate and glorify the torture and death of babies (especially the unfathomable celebration of the killing of babies in the birth canal or even after).

Some of these death worshipers eventually infiltrate the true faith. This was true from Cain through Israel through Judas through the abandonment of Paul through our day. All were counted among the faithful, yet they abandoned the true for a lie. They abandoned the spiritual for the carnal. They appeal to personal greed and the promise of someone else's wealth without the effort. Those in power play on their jealousies and hatreds, teaching them that such jealousies and hatreds are actually signs of personal virtue.

The principle is seen in Jude.

But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.

8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

12 These are spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.

How can we understand how professed "devout" Catholics like Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi support abortion, suggesting even up to birth? An abortion at any point in the pregnancy is considered a "grave sin" in Catholic theology. A grave sin, unconfessed and unforgiven, damns the Catholic soul to hell, no matter anything else.

And professed Catholics are not alone in their compromise with wickedness. We have professed Christian "reverends" and active members who teach that abortion is actually a good thing. 

Now, as readers of this blog know, I do not hold to the traditional doctrine of fiery torment nor to the idea of "sinning away" what Christ has put on our account by his perfect sacrifice. So, my answer for how so many active Catholic politicians (and even priests and nuns) can support the murder of a child is partly explained by the weakness of any "law-keeping." Even the holy and good Law of God given at Sinai is deficient. How much more deficient the laws of men?

What the Law can do is show us that what is we might acknowledge as wrong is exceedingly wicked. It is a mirror to show us our true selves. But one does not use the mirror to try and clean the dirt from his face.  

If one has deluded himself into thinking he can fully keep all (or even any) of the Law, he has deceived himself and finds a righteousness in himself and a virtue in his flesh that is not there. He has exchanged the truth for a lie. He has refused to see the function of the Law. And these are those deluded into thinking they are "good" in themsleves, how much more deceived are those who discard all knowledge of God?

We could do a whole study on examining how the Law becomes "the power of sin," but the simple answer is that while the Law of God is spiritual, it applies to the flesh. And men in the flesh will fail it. We must walk in the new nature. 

That being said, we come back to the main idea: how could some men and women celebrate the ending of the life of a child in her mother's womb? How did we possibly get to this point? Dismembering a baby in the birth canal? Unimaginable just a few years ago.

The woman who celebrates her 8 abortions almost certainly did not celebrate the first one. Her conscience has become seared over time with each new act of selfish murder, aided and abetted by politicians and preachers who saw power and money (and self virtue) in her acts of selfishness. 

We are reminded that the scripture teaches us to put no faith in the flesh. No Law can tame the flesh. The flesh is prone to evil while at the same time it sees itself as virtuous. Combine this exaltation of the carnal in this age with the spiritual war against all of us from principalities and power in heavenly places (Ephesians) and we start to understand levels of wickedness some of us thought we'd never see. And as the end times approach, even the little restraint some men have will be lifted to reveal the true depravity of the person outside of truth.

I leave with two thoughts:

• Believers need to walk in the new nature from above, recommit to the finished work of the Savior alone, abandoning all hope in the flesh.
• Recommit to speaking for the most vulnerable among us. 

Many Germans would not speak up for their Jewish and Gypsy and other "undesirable" (deplorable) neighbors as they were carted off to the death camps, let us not take the same silence as our government glorifies women as they cart their babies off to their horrible deaths.

Even if we cannot win the legal battle, we must still speak up for those who have no voice. 

For those interested in walking according to the new nature, I have a 6-part series on the topic starting here:

Walking in the Spirit - Part 1