Evil People Corrupt Creation
An all-creatures Bible Message

Evil People Corrupt Creation
 
A Sermon Delivered to
The Compassion Internet Church
 
11 December 2016
 
Frank L. Hoffman, Pastor

Scripture References

Luke 1:46-55
Hebrews 10:32-39
James 5:1-6

Evil people corrupt creation, because they are not living in the heavenly will of God, and therefore they follow the corrupt and evil ways of this world with all its violence, suffering, and death, that take the lives of millions of humans and billions of animals every year.
 
The very definition of a person, who works at cross-purposes with God, is evil; God’s will is that we protect and care for His creation as it was in Eden, but the evil people continually corrupt the world through their daily lifestyles.
 
Look at all the warring madness that is going on in the world, including all forms of terrorism that deliberately target civilians; aren’t these things against the heavenly will of God, where there is no pain or mourning or death?
 
When people breed animals, confine them, and cause them to suffer and die for human food, aren’t they going against God’s heavenly will and creation intent of eating only plant foods as He created and commanded us to eat in Eden?
 
Thus, aren’t all those who eat or use products that come from animals aligning themselves with the evil people rather than with God?
 
Evil people corrupt creation!
 
Let’s take a look at James 5:1-6, and see how he addresses the evil people of this world.

1. Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you.

James is classifying all the rich people of this world who hoard their money and do little or nothing to help end the corruption of creation and stop the suffering of both humans and animals as being among the evil people who corrupt creation.

2. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten.

Why?
 
Because, God’s wrath has come upon them.

3. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure!
 
4. Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

A lot of rich people gain their money through ill-gotten gain, by withholding monies rightly due to the people and firms that they have engaged to do their work.

5. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.
 
6. You have condemned and put to death [or murdered] the righteous man; he does not resist you.
NASB

The word “man” in this translation does not appear in the Greek, which we believe was done to obscure the true meaning of this verse, which was referring to the animals.
 
Humans get a fat heart from eating the flesh and by-products of animals, and from murdering another human beings; humans get a fat heart from condemning and murdering an innocent animal and feasting upon his or her corpse.
 
Furthermore, a man would resist being murdered, where farmed animals rarely resist; this passage is definitely talking about animals.
 
Evil people corrupt creation!
 
Now let’s look at Luke 1:46-55, where Mary the mother of Jesus prays after she realizes that she is to become the Mother of our Messiah.

46. And Mary said:
"My soul exalts the Lord,
 
47. And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.

The evil people of this world don’t have these feelings or experiences, for they are working and living at cross-purposes with God’s heavenly will.
 
Righteous people are the only ones who fully experience this inner exaltation about having God’s Holy Spirit within them.
 
Mary is on the Christmastime journey we talked about last week.

48. "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
 
49. "For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.

God does great things for those of us who fully commit ourselves to Him from the depths of our heart and soul, for we have allowed Him to mold us into the people He wants us to be.
 
Mary is living in God’s heavenly will and not her own will.

50. "And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear [or reverence] Him.

51. "He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.

The people God scatters are those who live in the world and try to force their will upon other living beings, both human and non-human.

52. "He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.

Our elected and appointed leaders are quite often among the proudest of all people, and sooner or later God will bring them down, and along with them, the people who proudly follow them.
 
However, those who humble themselves before God, He will exalt them.
 
Evil people corrupt creation, but humble peacemaking children of God help free creation from its present corruption, including the humans and other animals that have been oppressed by the proud worldly people.

53. "He has filled the hungry with good things;
And sent away the rich empty-handed.

The Lord is a just God, and He will pass judgement on all, and will reward those who are worthy, and punish the evil, even if it is after our physical death.
 
There will be a day of reckoning.

54. "He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
 
55. As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his offspring forever." 
NASB

History has shown us that even Israel faces God’s wrath when she turns her back on God and follows the evil and corrupt ways of this world.
 
We are not above God or His heavenly will.
 
Let’s now take a look at Hebrews 10:32-39, and note the way the writer addresses the evil people who corrupt creation, and those who are living in God’s heavenly will and help free creation from its present corruption.

32. But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings,
 
33. partly, by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated.

When evil people corrupt creation, they are being warned by the Holy Spirit that what they are doing is wrong and that they shouldn’t be doing it (their conscience), and because they don’t want to give up their worldly ways, they get angry at those who don’t live the same way.
 
This is what we might call a guilty conscience, and those who have this or have hardened their hearts and souls to the extent that they don’t have any compassion or empathy left for other living beings; they fight against the witness of Godly people and persecute them as much as they believe they can get away with.
 
These are the persecuted people we are reading about in this passage, and these kinds of things are going on to this very day against both humans and other animals.
 
Then the writer tells of the actions of the peacemaking children of God.

34. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners, and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and an abiding one.
 
35. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
 
36. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.
 
37. For yet in a very little while,
He who is coming will come, and will not delay.

If Jesus was coming back soon all those years ago, think about how soon He will be coming now.
 
This is about the day of judgement; no longer will evil people corrupt creation.

38. But My righteous one shall live by faith;
And if he shrinks back, My soul has no pleasure in him.

This is a warning to all of us.
 
We are not to shrink back or away from our faith in Jesus’ return or from our responsibility to live in God’s heavenly will and help free creation from its present corruption.
 
It is our faith that helps stop the evil people who corrupt creation.

39. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.
NASB

If we stand firm, no longer will evil people corrupt creation.
 
We can do it.
 
We can.
 
Amen.

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