Good and evil are not defined by culture or convenience or anything else. Good and evil are defined by the character of Christ.
From the beginning of creation to the teachings of Jesus, God makes it clear that moral truth is not something we invent. Good and evil are not moving targets shaped by popular opinion, political power, or personal preference. They are rooted in who God is. End. Of. Story.
Isaiah warns us of the danger of moral confusion; “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness” (Isaiah 5:20). When these lines blur, society doesn’t become more compassionate, it becomes more confused. Scripture consistently shows that when we redefine good and evil, we lose our bearings and drift further from life as God intended it.
Micah 6:8 gives us a simple but demanding picture of what God calls good: “to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” Good is not abstract; it shows up in how we treat people, how we give power, and how we submit our lives to God’s authority.
So why don’t we choose good? Well.
The Bible never pretends that choosing good is easy. The tension between good and evil is not only something we see in the world around us, but it is something we experience within ourselves. Paul describes this internal struggle clearly: “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17).
Because of this, Scripture calls us to intentional discernment. “Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:14). Notice the active language. We don’t drift into goodness by accident. We must recognize evil for what it is and deliberately choose a different way.
Romans 12:9 echoes this call to us; “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Biblical love is not passive or permissive. It does not ignore sin or pretend that harm doesn’t matter. True love hates what destroys and clings to what gives life.
So how do we do it?
To me, Jesus is our clearest picture of how to live this out. He never softened the reality of sin, yet He consistently chose love as His response. When religious leaders dragged an adulterous woman before Him, ready to condemn her, Jesus refused both cruelty and compromise. He exposed the hypocrisy of her accusers and extended mercy to the woman. Because of this choice, He was left in a place to minister to this woman so broken and battered telling her, “Go, and from now on sin no more” (John 8:11).
Jesus shows us that love does not excuse evil. Jesus’s love confronts, heals, restores, and transforms.
So, where does this leave us as a people living in a culture where hatred, racism, and evil seem to abound? I still have to believe Jesus shows us a better way.
Our culture often frames morality in terms of personal truth, feelings, or social acceptance. What seems funny or silly, must be ok in the name of “just kidding.” What feels loving is praised, even if it contradicts God’s design. What challenges us is labeled harmful, even if it leads to freedom. In this environment, the temptation is either to compromise truth in the name of love or to wield truth without love at all.
Again, I say, Jesus shows us a better way.
Ephesians 5:11 calls believers to “take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” Exposure does not mean humiliation or hostility. It means living so faithfully, so honestly, and so lovingly that darkness is revealed by contrast it has with the light. Whew.
Choosing love in our culture does not mean affirming everything or avoiding hard conversations. It means loving people enough to tell the truth, staying humble enough to examine our own hearts, and trusting God to do the work we cannot. Love, as Jesus lived it, is courageous and sacrificial but anchored in holiness.
Friends, as followers of Christ, we are called to be people of the light: rejecting evil, holding fast to what is good, and letting love lead the way in a confused, hateful world.
This reveals the heart of the Father.
Lord, let it be in me.
AAA
So Will I 