No Middle Ground
By Bud Hancock
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting” (Galatians 6:7-8 KJV)
Introduction
Since the earliest time of recorded history, after the creation of man, the human race has been involved in a war. Since most major wars are given names, this one should definitely be known as “The War Between Good and Evil”. After Satan, acting through the serpent, deceived Eve who then convinced Adam to follow suit, thereby causing Adam to submit his God-given authority to him, Adam quickly realized what God meant when He spoke of the “Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil” and demanded that the fruit thereof NOT be eaten. Before that fateful event, neither Adam nor Eve had any concept of a difference between good and evil, or even if there was such a thing as evil. They had known that their Father, God, the creator of everything that could be seen, was good and loving. This was evident not only in the beauty and majesty His creation, but also in the authority and dominion they had been given by Him over the earth. It was also evident in that God provided all their needs so that they could live, reproduce and replenish the earth without breaking a sweat. In short, life was perfect. They had a knowledge of the good that God had provided for them in His Love for them. They lacked nothing.
What a fall they took when they disobeyed God and became spiritually separated from Him. Suddenly they knew what it meant to be alone, only having each other and missing the fellowship they previously had with God. They became aware that they were naked and it frightened them so much that they hid from God when He came to visit them. The bottom line is that NOW, they knew evil and it was not a desirable knowledge, but it was too late. Every person who would ever be born on this earth would inherit that same fear, loneliness and knowledge of evil.
Life After The Fall
We are not told everything that occurred when God removed Adam and Eve from their idyllic Garden of Eden, but we know that man soon learned that he was now a part of a cursed earth that would only produce their needed food with a lot of hard work and sweat.
They began to produce children and it goes without saying that Eve learned what God meant when he sentenced her to a time of sorrow and labor in bringing children into a cursed world. As their children grew, there arose enmity between them, to the extent that the older son, Cain, killed his younger brother, Abel, in a fit of anger. From that moment, the war was on. In the centuries between their expulsion from the Garden to the arrival of the promised Saviour, countless millions of men, women and children were killed as wars raged between the offspring of God’s original created beings.
There is no middle ground in the war between Good and Evil. No one can choose to be ‘neutral’ in this fight. There are essentially two armies doing battle and each has its commander. The army of Good is under the leadership of Yeshua, Jesus of Nazareth, son of Yahweh, the Most High God, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and the army of evil is commanded by the dragon, Satan.
Playing the Game, Choosing Sides
As a child, my older brother, our friends and I played a lot of games, not only because we loved to play, but because Mama often told us: “Get outside and play, it’s good for you”. I think it might have been good for her nerves as well to have some peace and quiet in the house with us outside. One of the expectations from my Dad was to always play fair and well with other kids. It was understood that cheating was not tolerated in our home and to do so would bring serious repercussions.
Most of the games we played, especially baseball, involved picking two sides to compete against each other. Two players, usually the older, bigger or stronger among us would act as ‘team captains’ and would begin the ‘choosing’ process. Though it was often tempting to load up one side with the best players in order to ensure a win in the game, it would have been grossly unfair and would actually have made the game dull and boring, so we mostly tried to balance the sides with equally skilled players. Even though we all wanted to play our best and come out on top, we were rather fair about the process for a bunch of pre-teen and early teen kids. I believe that sense of fairness made it possible for most of us to grow up with a pretty good perspective on life. However, in my mid to late teen years, I started to encounter many people who had very different perspectives and would absolutely use any possible advantage to win, including cheating.
Real Life is Much Different
There are now many people who treat life like a child’s game, where the only thing that matters is winning, or coming out on top, and will do whatever they feel is needed to give them an advantage toward a win, a victory that will provide something they need, whether recognition, fame or power and money. They will stoop to unbelievable levels to make sure they always come out on top. Those who stand out beyond most others in this group are politicians. (*See the definition of ‘politics’ at the end of this article). The very endeavor of being a ‘politician’ causes many to accept as ‘normal’ the actions they adopt to ensure that they win, whether it is winning their positions through an election, or the passage of a ‘pet bill’ that may benefit them personally. As they grow in their ‘political lives’ their actions indicate they have chosen to use whatever means necessary to win, even if they are illegal, unethical, immoral or even downright devilish.
Others who stand out in this group are professional athletes, those who make their living entertaining us, playing the childish games most of us gave up when we became responsible adults. Most of them are gifted athletes, some of whom decide to use illegal drugs to enhance their performance. Though gifted, they seem to need a little ‘boost’ to make them better than their peers. Those who are outed as drug abusers lose their standing, sometimes their jobs as athletes and even their freedom if they are prosecuted and convicted of a crime, such as influencing the outcome of a game or other competition, as a result of their drug use.
Real Life is NOT a Game
Certainly, every person who has lived past their twenties knows that life is NOT a game. Life in this chaotic time is very difficult and it seems to get more so every year. Drifting through life, treating it as a game in which ultimate victory is the only goal, is a serious human error.
When they were growing up, I explained to my children my ‘perspective on life’ from the viewpoint of a Christian. From the moment we exit the womb and begin to breathe, until the day we stop breathing and are laid to rest, awaiting the resurrection, we are tested. God’s word provides all the tools/information needed to pass every test of life with a ‘well-done good and faithful servant’ from God. Being a successful parent, bringing children into a seriously flawed world, is a tough enough job even having those tools to use in their training. However, the Absolute Truth of God’s word says that, when a child is nurtured and trained in the word, success is not only possible, but should be assured.
All children not only need, but actually WANT, the guidance needed for a successful life. Good, responsible parents will make sure their offspring get that guidance. Part of that guidance is making sure they understand that we are all in a war, a very serious war between Good/Blessing/Life and Evil/Cursing/Death. These are the only two sides and they are diametrically opposed to each other. As opposed to the way kids games are played, in real life, each person will be expected to make their own choice of which side to be on. God said: “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19 (KJV).
Conclusion
In most kids games, the game is played, one team wins and the other loses, but all leave the field, go home and return another day to play the game all over again. There is little lasting, residual effect from that game on a child’s life. In real life, one side will also win and one will lose, but that is where the similarities end. If there is such a thing as a ‘middle ground’, a place somewhere between winning and losing, in a child’s game, the lack of any serious detrimental effect of the outcome of the game is that middle ground.
In real life though, there is no middle ground between winning and losing; however, there are serious residual effects for both the winners and the losers. Those choosing Good/Blessing/Life will experience the eternal blessings of being in the presence of Almighty God forever, in a perfect condition with bodies that have become immortal, not subject to pain or death. It will be a state of complete peace, utter joy and fulfillment, a purposeful life without end.
On the other hand, for those who choose Evil/Cursing/Death, a different fate awaits. They will be confined eternally in a ‘lake of fire’, “where the fire is not quenched and their worm (soul, consciousness) dieth not” (Mark 9:44 KJV). There will be no opportunity to leave this place, ever. The torment and suffering will be endless in a state separated from those who made the other choice, who will be in the better place. The worst part will be the complete separation from God, His Son and anything that resembles righteousness. It will be an existence confined with all the other dammed, tortured and lost souls from history who made the wrong choice and decided that a life chasing after and bowing down to evil was the right choice.
God in His righteousness, in His mercy, in His grace, provided the information and the means to escape such a fate. Because He is Good, just and righteous, God is right to pass judgment on evil and unrighteousness. What anyone who is still deciding which path to follow, good or evil, must consider is this: Based on the lasting residual effects of a poor choice, is it worth it to even consider evil as a right path to follow? Remember, THERE IS NO MIDDLE GROUND IN THE WAR BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL!
Blessings!
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* Politics Defined from www.Dictionary.com
Politics Defined
noun
• use of intrigue* or strategy** in obtaining any position of power^ or control^^, as in business, university, etc.
• the science or art of political government.
• the practice or profession of conducting political affairs.
• political affairs: The advocated reforms have become embroiled in politics.
• political methods or maneuvers: We could not approve of his politics in winning passage of the bill.
• political principles or opinions: We avoided discussion of religion and politics. His politics are his own affair.
*Intrigue Defined
noun
• the use of underhanded machinations or deceitful stratagems.
• such a ***machination or stratagem or a series of them; a plot or crafty dealing: political intrigues.
**Strategy Defined
noun
• a plan, method, or series of maneuvers or stratagems for obtaining a specific goal or result: a strategy for getting ahead in the world.
• Also strategics. the science or art of combining and employing the means of war in planning and directing large military movements and operations.
• the use or an instance of using this science or art.
• skillful use of a stratagem: The salesperson’s strategy was to seem always to agree with the customer.
***Machinations defined
Noun
• crafty schemes; plots; intrigues
^Power Defined
noun
• ability to do or act; capability of doing or accomplishing something.
• political or national strength: the balance of power in Europe.
^^Control Defined
noun
• the act or power of controlling; regulation; domination or command: Who’s in control here?
• the situation of being under the regulation, domination, or command of another: The car is out of control.
• check or restraint:
Based on these explanations/clarifications, politics should be defined as, and understood to be: “The use of underhanded crafty schemes, plots, intrigues and deceitful plans, methods, or series of maneuvers (machinations and intrigue) in obtaining any position enabling one to do or act (power), providing the capability of control, domination or command (control).
This will now be my definition of politics as long as I live.