08.11.14 

Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand all. - Proverbs 28:5 NKJV. 

For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to evil. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from the same. For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. - Romans 13:3-5 NKJV. 

Pure Evil is a term that I have been hearing more frequently these days with so much evil abounding in our world. What would be the definition of Pure Evil? I never really found an actual definition in the sense of how it is being used in recent days. Here is my definition for Pure Evil: A person, or group of persons who are completely absent of any good, without even a tiny sliver of anything of a good nature, with absolutely no redeeming qualities. All that a Pure Evil person or group of Pure Evil persons think and do is evil. 

There is actually a listing of the top Pure Evil people of all time. Of course, it is just an arbitrary list from an individual, but they all sound very evil to me. Here are a few of them: Adolf Hitler, Ivan the Terrible, Adolf Eichmann, Pol Pot, Mao Tse-tung, Idi Amin, Joseph Stalin, Genghis Khan, and Tallat Pasha. There are thousands of lesser well known people who would appear to qualify as also being Pure Evil. 

On the march in the world today is a group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The group is also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and of the Levant (ISIL). Whatever their name, they would appear to qualify for my definition of Pure Evil. They had slaughtered an estimated 170,000 people in Syria before they even began their rampage in Iraq. They have possibly as many as 40,000 men, women, and children trapped on a mountain top in Iraq without food or water. The specialty of ISIS appears to be the beheading of any Christian, Yizidis, Kurd, or even some Muslims that do not convert to their brand of Islam. However, it is known that some who claimed to convert were killed anyway. The group seems to take great pleasure in beheading even children. The rumors of their atrocities include things that even the top ten list of Pure Evil people did not think of doing.  

Should our government or any government try to stand up to ISIS and stop their rampage of evil? Why should we even ask that question? Doesn’t Jesus say this: “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also.” There is a difference between how God sees actions of the individual and of a nation. Are police officers or soldiers who are sometimes forced to kill committing murder? They do “not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil.” Of course, there is a difference between evil empires ruled by evil dictators and other nations. You could rightfully point to ISIS and think of them as an evil empire and that all nations opposing the evil as being on God’s side. Some would say that the Roman empire was an evil empire, and to some extent it was; however, God used the Romans to bring order, peace, and justice to much of the known world during the time that Jesus walked upon this earth. There is no justice in the atrocities ISIS is committing or in the atrocities committed by other evil empires. 

Doing or committing evil acts is sinful and perhaps one of the more shocking things found in the Bible is this: “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all (James 2:10).” We also know that the Bible says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” Yes, members of ISIS have sinned, but we have sinned too and this is why all of us are in need of a Savior. Do you know Jesus as your personal Savior? Have you opened up the door of your heart (Revelation 3:20) and invited Jesus to come in? Have you “believed” upon Jesus for forgiveness of your sins (John 3:16)?  

Let us all pray that the evil represented by ISIS will be pushed back into whatever hole it came out of and that all nations not supporting this evil will “not bear the sword in vain.” May the justice of God prevail and ISIS be destroyed. If you live in the United States please call today your Congressman or Congresswoman and Senator and ask for a more robust response to the evil empire of ISIS.