The Line Separating Good and Evil

Part VII - Master the Beast

November 28, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes

Recap: Yesterday, we discussed the Way of Jesus and how He functions as the cure for our sin. Today, we conclude our series by reviewing what we’ve discussed.

Missed previous emails in the series? No worries, you can read all the emails we sent online by clicking here.

The Line Separating Good and Evil

Alexander Solzhenitsyn (1918-2008)

Would you call yourself a good person?

That’s a loaded question.

Because the truth is, we’re complex people. We have good days and bad days. It helps no one to view a person as wholly “bad” or revere them as completely “good.”

Reflections from the Gulag

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was a prisoner in the horrific Soviet Gulags, the forced labor camps the Communist government sent their enemies to. 

In reflecting on his experience there, Solzhenitsyn noted that…

“....the line separating good and evil passes… through all human hearts. This line shifts… And even within hearts overwhelmed by evil, one small [amount] of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts, there remains ... an unuprooted small corner of evil.”

Solzhenitsyn continues…

“I have come to understand the truth of all the religions of the world: They struggle with the evil inside [every] human being. It is impossible to expel evil from the world in its entirety, but it is possible to constrict it within each person.”

Closing the Door

We’re flawed and imperfect people but we’re not lost causes.

Though we make mistakes, God doesn’t give up on us.

Though sin lurks at our door, a greater, gracious, and loving power stands ready to fight on our behalf.

This is the gift that comes with Christ.

Cain’s story need not be ours. If we’re willing to open our lives to the teachings and person of Jesus, to truly seek Him, and to keep returning to Him through every mistake, sin’s influence will gradually shrink.

It’s a long road that won’t always be easy, but can we change? Can we become better, fuller, more loving people?

Absolutely. It’s all a matter of opening the right door to the right person.

It’s a road back to Him.

Application: Following the Way of Jesus means we must restructure areas of our life around Him. Spiritual practices are a great means of doing so. If this series has inspired you to go further in “mastering the beast” then we recommend you check out the resource Practicing the Way to aid you in this journey.

For now, be blessed.

Jon,

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