Ephesians 5:16 “Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.”

Let’s use the Internet to define evil for us. Well, three wasn’t much there. Evil – profoundly immoral and wicked. OK. Then let’s go to the Greek word and define it. Evil – 1) full of labours, annoyances, hardships 1a) pressed and harassed by labours 1b) bringing toils, annoyances, perils; of a time full of peril to Christian faith and steadfastness; causing pain and trouble 2) bad, of a bad nature or condition 2a) in a physical sense: diseased or blind 2b) in an ethical sense: evil wicked, bad.

So our Greek word can be lots of things. I am pretty sure Paul wanted to convey the wickedness of the world which is found in definination 2. Of a bad nature or condition.

Paul is instructing the people of Ephesis to beware how they live in this world. He is trying to get them to understand that we cannot “Go Along to Get Alone” with the evil world in which we live. Let’s do a small history of the world. First, the serpent beguild Eve. He lied, referring only to the physical world and did not mention the spiritual side of the world. Adam and Eve died spiritually, not physically. The knowledge of good and evil that came from the fruit of that tree ruined the entire world.

I have no real idea how many humans were on the world before the flood, but I do know that they were all corrupted by the knowledge of good and evil. I’ve got to think it as a little odd that Adam and Eve taught their children about good and evil in the first place. Adam lived 930 years. He could have used that time to teach only the good of good and evil, but the evil seemed more attractive to mankind.

Genesis 6:5 “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

From perfection to destruction, all because of evil brought into the world by the beguild Eve and the Sinful Adam. Evil was not eliminated by the flood. Oh, how I wish it were. The devil was still alive. The devil looked upon the remainder of humans and chose Noah to get drunk and Ham to commit sin. Then the world became another death spiral, headed for the depths of depravity.

Jesus came to give man the opportunity for eternal life, yet after His death and resurrection, evil continued to dominate the world. Over the years of the Apostle Paul’s life, he warned and warned people about the wickedness of the world, yet parent after parent lost their children to the evil of the world. They became and are still becoming evil sinful people. They are still passing on the corruption of sin to their children. I have witnessed men and women teaching their child to do wicked things, like saying swear words. They think it is somehow cute coming from the mouth of babes. It breaks my heart to see the rebellion and actual evil developing in children and young adults today, taught to them, I might add, by their parents through their lifestyle. Here are some of the warnings: Galatians 1:4 “Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:” The time we live in is referred to as “this present evil age” because the Devil is in control of much of what happens in today’s world. (1 John 5:19 “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness”). We only need to look around to see the evil that pervades this age: crime, disease, disaster, pain, and hardship, all brought about by the sinful nature of man. (copied) The sinful nature of man, a core concept in many religions, refers to an inherent tendency within humans to sin, or to act against God’s will. This inclination is often described as a corruption of human nature, stemming from the first sin of Adam and Eve. It’s understood as a force that motivates people towards selfish desires and away from what is righteous. (copied) Why aren’t men more conscience of sin, evil, or wickedness? It is fairly simple to understand if you believe the Apostle Paul’s words. 2Corinthians 4:4 “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them” Wickedness does not need to exist in your life or family. Come to Jesus and ask Him for forgiveness and eternal life. That is why He came. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”