How Will I Know Good from Evil?

Knowing Good and Evil

Genesis 3:5 NKJV

For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

The cunning of the serpent was to persuade the woman to step out of her circle of obedience and to judge God.

We think this is a neutral position. Instead, it creates an uneducated judgment of God and the folly of thinking that the creature can assess the motives and morality of the Creator.

Genesis: A Commentary 4. The Story of the Fall. Ch. 3

“Wherever man attacks the concrete Word of God with the weapon of a principle or an idea of God, there he has become the lord of God” (Bonhoeffer, Creation and Fall, 68).

The serpent extended an invitation to humanity to decide for ourselves what will help or hinder us. It means to leave the protection of God that He had provided. God gave complete security to humanity by providing what is good for us, but Adam and Eve wanted to decide for themselves what is best for humanity.

Look how that turned out!!

Knowing I Need Help

Jeremiah 10:23 NKJV

O Lord, I know the way of man is not in himself; It is not in man who walks to direct his own steps.

Proverbs 20:24 NKJV

A man’s steps are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way?

Psalm 37:23 NKJV

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

Knowing Who To Ask

Psalm 119:33–40 NKJV

Teach me, O Lord, the way of Your statutes, And I shall keep it to the end. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Your law; Indeed, I shall observe it with my whole heart. Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it. Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness. Turn away my eyes from looking at worthless things, And revive me in Your way. Establish Your word to Your servant, Who is devoted to fearing You. Turn away my reproach which I dread, For Your judgments are good. Behold, I long for Your precepts; Revive me in Your righteousness.

The Mind, v.34

John Stott, the English theologian wrote a book, Your Mind Matter.

Our minds matter in worship.

Our minds matter in faith.

Our minds matter in holiness.

Our minds matter in moral decision making.

Our minds matter in evangelism.

Our minds matter in ministry.

Psalms, Volume 3: (Psalms 107–150): An Expositional Commentary Advancing in God’s School

Stott argues that anti-intellectualism is “part of the fashion of the world and therefore a form of worldliness. To denigrate the mind is to undermine foundational Christian doctrines.” He asks pointedly, “Has God created us rational beings, and shall we deny our humanity which he has given us? Has God spoken to us, and shall we not listen to his words? Has God renewed our mind through Christ, and shall we not think with it? Is God going to judge us by his Word, and shall we not be wise and build our house upon this rock?”

The Movement, v. 35

Psalms, Volume 3: (Psalms 107–150): An Expositional Commentary Advancing in God’s School

The Hebrew word translated “path” is from a root verb meaning “to tread” and therefore means “the trodden way,” not a new direction. In other words, it is a path because of the many who have gone before us.

Later, the Psalmist will describe God’s word as a lamp and a light for this trodden way, Psalm 119:105.

Jeremiah 6:16 NKJV

Thus says the Lord: “Stand in the ways and see, And ask for the old paths, where the good way is, And walk in it; Then you will find rest for your souls. But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’

We are to follow in the steps of Jesus, of the disciples, of our mentors in the faith.

The Motives, v. 36

The Word, John 8:32; 17:17.

The World, Matthew 6:24.

The Eye, v.37

The eyes are needed to study God’s Word.

They need to be turned away from the vanities of life.

Conclusion

There is no simple way to the maturity of which Hebrews 5:14 speaks. But, there is a way.

The struggle between good and evil has continued since Genesis and will continue until the Lord returns.

We can know the way forward only by listening to God and applying ourselves to growing our faith.