Acquiring The Knowledge Of Good & Evil (Part 3)

ACQUIRING THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL (Psalm 34:14; Isaiah 5:20) - Part 3

Yeow Chic Kiong

Knowing what is good to do and what is evil to avoid doing is merely the first step in systematically acquiring the "knowledge" of good and evil. That "knowledge" may be accessed by memorizing the elements of the Bible's many "Catalogues of Virtues and Vices." However, actually "knowing" good and evil must be put to practical and fruitful use so that we recognise good and evil in as many as in our daily life. Indeed, we must,- with age and maturity in the faith,- use scripture to identify good and evil resulting from all the things we do because, "... to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin." (James 4:17). Clearly, the Bible expects us to apply our basic knowledge of good and evil so that we can habitually do good works guided by scripture (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and stay away from evil.

The scriptures accept that we are not born with a working knowledge of good and evil. It acknowledges that there is a time since birth characterised as, "... before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good..." (Isaiah 7:16). Every culture and society knows that a babe,- an infant or young child,- is incapable of sound moral or ethical judgment. Until he or she reaches the age of moral accountability (which differs from individual to individuall), adults tolerate in the very young wrongdoing, slights or discourtesy which would be considered moral infringements if they were older.

Hebrews 5:12 to 6:12 has much to say about progressing in our knowledge of good and evil. The inspired writer chides "babes" who "...(partake) only of milk (being) unskilled in the word of righteousness" (Hebrews 5:13). He goes on to lay down what those young in faith ought to do to attain full age. If these "babes" desire to consume "solid food" instead of "milk" they now are limited to, they must gradually "use" the "solid food" to have " their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." (Hebrews 5:13-14).

The content of scriptures' many "Catalogues of Virtues and Vices" ought to be studied to enlighten us on what we are to cultivate an intuition of the good to pursue and the evil to avoid. We are then to ask ourselves, "What do I see happening around me (in my personal life, or in mass media) that may be charactised as a Biblical good or evil?" It may be on a personal level (such as the vice of covetuosness [1 Corinthians 6:9-10] leading to acts of greed harming others) or at a policy level (for example, the same vice of covetousness leading to the rise of the crime of scamming in many societies). A second question should necessarily follow, "What can I do about the good or evil if I am to follow God's will?"

Everything that happens around us has moral ramification and effects upon our lives and personal destiny and we should know what the Bible says about what goes on around us from the perspective of scriptural good and evil. We ought to cultivate the habit of using scriptural lenses to identify good and evil so that we can please God (Romans 2:5-10) and teach others to do the same to save our souls and theirs (1 Timothy 4:12-13,15-16).