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believe, as is the truth, that all goodness
and truth originate from the Lord, and
all evil and falsity from hell, he would
not assign goodness to himself and
make it deserving of merit, nor would
he assign evil to himself and make
himself guilty of it.” (Divine Providence
320) What a telling statement that is!
The evil thoughts that come into our
mind are not of our choosing. They are
enticements from hell, and we should
not feel guilt because of them.
But if, in a sane state of mind,
we freely and rationally choose to
act on an evil thought, then that evil
does become our own. Strenuous
repentance is then necessary for the
Lord to render that evil quiescent, and
to make us worthy to receive the grace
of His forgiveness. Evils committed
from purpose, from deliberate will and action, are what are meant by the
Lord’s words, “what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a person.”
But here we should add a note of caution. There are occasions when,
under certain abnormal conditions, evil spirits can invade and overrun the
bounds of normal human sanity. They can enter into a disturbed mind with
such persuasive power that the protective faculties of freedom and rationality
are temporarily overridden, leaving the victim in a state of utter despondency
and unbearable depression.
This can occur from a variety of causes, concerning which we can only
speculate at best. There may be vitiated conditions in the body and brain, which
can distort normal rational thinking. These and other causes can open the
way for evil spirits to inflict upon their victim their persuasive and destructive
powers. Their influence has the effect of interposing the normal influx of life
flowing from the Lord through heaven.
Actions taken under these adverse circumstances may not be of the
person’s choosing, and therefore may not be imputed to them. The person
may well have been held temporarily captive under the spell of this unwanted
persuasion.
However, our best protection lies in turning to the Word for guidance. As
we come to learn from the Word what constitutes good and what constitutes
evil, that knowledge provides us with a shield of defense. For when evil
Actions taken
under these adverse
circumstances may
not be of the person’s
choosing, and therefore
may not be imputed to
them. The person may
well have been held
temporarily captive
under the spell of this
unwanted persuasion.
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