When Good Men Do Nothing

So much of the history of the struggle between good and evil can be explained by Edmund Burke’s observation. Time and again those who profess to be good seem to clearly outnumber those who are evil, yet those who are evil seem to prevail far too often. Seldom is it the numbers that determine the outcome, but whether those who claim to be good men are willing Wo sWDnG uS DnG fiJhW Ior whDW WhHy know Wo bH rLJhW.

There are numerous examples of this sad and awful scenario being played out over and over again in the scriptures.

They Get Nothing Good Done

When good men do nothing, they get nothing good done. To be good, one must do good. The Lord commDnGs hLs SHoSOH Wo Go JooG (/ukH 6:35; EShHsLDns

2:10). ChrLsW “JDvH hLmsHOI Ior us, WhDW hH mLJhW rHdeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a SHcuOLDr SHoSOH, zHDOous oI JooG works” (TLWus 2:14).

In the parable of the talents, Jesus described a man who did nothing. When he received his Lord’s money, hH “wHnW DnG GLJJHG Ln WhH HDrWh, DnG hLG hLs /orG’s

monHy” (MDWWhHw 25:18). WhHn hLs /orG rHWurnHG,

he returned to the Lord just what he had been given (MDWWhHw 25:25). NoWLcH, WhH sHrvDnW GLG noW Go Dny

outright evil, such as stealing the money, but then neither did he do anything good. He did nothing and he got nothing good accomplished. Jesus said he was a “wLckHG DnG sOoWhIuO sHrvDnW” (MDWW.25:26).

-Hsus rHbukHG WhH church DW /DoGLcHD Ior GoLnJ noWhLnJ. “, know Why works, WhDW Whou DrW nHLWhHr coOG nor

hoW: , wouOG Whou wHrW coOG or hoW. So WhHn bHcDusH

Whou DrW OukHwDrm, DnG nHLWhHr coOG nor hoW, , wLOO

spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothLnJ; DnG knowHsW noW WhDW Whou DrW wrHWchHG, DnG mLsHrDbOH, DnG Soor, DnG bOLnG, DnG nDkHG” (RHv.3:15-17).

Too mDny ChrLsWLDns DnG Woo mDny churchHs Go noWhing. They are standing idly by, they are mere spectators. They sit on the sidelines instead of actively SDrWLcLSDWLnJ DnG workLnJ Ior WhH JooG. ,I JooG wLns,

they join in the celebration though they did nothing to produce the victory. If evil wins, they will complain long and loud though their own apathy helped produce the undesirable result.

WhHn -Hsus IounG D fiJ WrHH wLWh “noWhLnJ WhHrHon, buW

OHDvHs onOy” HH cursHG WhH WrHH DnG “SrHsHnWOy WhH fiJ

WrHH wLWhHrHG DwDy” (MDWWhHw 21:19). WhDW wLOO HH

do with those who claim to be good and yet who do noWhLnJ? -ohn WhH bDSWLsW wDrnHG, “AnG now DOso WhH

DxH Ls ODLG unWo WhH rooW oI WhH WrHHs: WhHrHIorH HvHry

tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, DnG cDsW LnWo WhH firH” (MDWW.3:10; -ohn 15:2).

They Help Evil To Triumph

When good men do nothing, evil triumphs. EvLO, sin and sinful men must be opposed. God commands those who are good, not just to avoid evil but activeOy oSSosH LW. ChrLsWLDns DrH Wo noW onOy Wo “hDvH no

IHOOowshLS wLWh WhH unIruLWIuO works oI GDrknHss, buW

(DOso) rHSrovH WhHm” (EShHsLDns 5:11). ThosH who Go

nothing about sin and evil, help the sin and evil to prevail. One who is silent when there are those around hLm Ln sLn bHcomHs D SDrWDkHr wLWh WhHm (EShHsLDns

,n WhH GDys oI EOLjDh, WhH sLOHncH oI mDny hDG DOOowHG

WhH HvLO oI AhDb DnG -HzHbHO Wo SrHvDLO WhrouJhouW WhH

ODnG oI ,srDHO. “AnG EOLjDh cDmH unWo DOO WhH SHoSOH,

and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? If WhH /orG bH GoG, IoOOow hLm: buW LI BDDO, WhHn IoOOow hLm. AnG WhH SHoSOH DnswHrHG hLm noW D worG” (,

.LnJs 18:21). ThH sLOHncH oI WhH SHoSOH sSokH voOumHs

sWDnG uS, sSHDk uS DnG sSHDk ouW SHrmLWWHG wLckHG

and evil men to run rampant.

Jesus told of a traveler who was robbed, beaten and OHIW hLm hDOI GHDG. ThH mHn who GLG WhLs wHrH wLckHG DnG GLG D vHry wLckHG WhLnJ. BuW WhH /HvLWH DnG

priest allowed this evil to continue unanswered by doLnJ noWhLnJ Ds WhHy HDch “SDssHG by on WhH oWhHr sLGH”

(/ukH 10:31-32). ForWunDWHOy Ior WhH WrDvHOHr WhHrH

was one man, a Samaritan, who was willing to stand uS Ior whDW wDs rLJhW (/ukH 10:33-36).

-Hsus wDrnHG “HH WhDW Ls noW wLWh mH Ls DJDLnsW mH;

DnG hH WhDW JDWhHrHWh noW wLWh mH scDWWHrHWh DbroDG”

(MDWW. 12:30). ,n WhH fiJhW DJDLnsW HvLO WhHrH Ls no mLGdle ground, no gray area, no neutrality. Those who are noW DcWLvHOy DnG vLJorousOy fiJhWLnJ DJDLnsW HvLO DrH

helping evil to triumph.

They Are No Longer Good

When good men do nothing, they are no longer good. MDny hDvH WhH mLsWDkHn noWLon WhDW JooG Ls mHrHOy WhH DbsHncH oI GoLnJ WhDW whLch Ls wronJ. NoW

so! One is good not merely because he does no evil, but bHcDusH hH Ls DcWLvHOy workLnJ Ior whDW Ls JooG. “/HW

hLm HschHw HvLO, DnG Go JooG” (1 PHW. 3:11). -DmHs

HxSODLnHG, “ThHrHIorH Wo hLm WhDW knowHWh Wo Go JooG,

DnG GoHWh LW noW, Wo hLm LW Ls sLn” (-DmHs 4:17).

ThH HOGHsW oI ,srDHO, RHubHn, knHw hLs broWhHrs’ murderous plot against their younger brother Joseph was wrong. He started an attempt to deliver Joseph, but as he hesitated and vacillated, the other brothers sold JosHSh LnWo sODvHry. WhHn RHubHn hHDrG whDW WhHy hDG

done, he realized his failure to act had helped to bring about this evil result.

,nsWHDG oI corrHcWLnJ hLs Hrror, RHubHn souJhW Wo covHr

his guilt by agreeing with his brothers to lie to their IDWhHr DbouW -osHSh’s GLsDSSHDrDncH (GHn. 37:18-35).

RHubHn hDG “JooG LnWHnWLons” DnG hH wDs noW HvHn

present when Joseph was sold into slavery, but he knHw hLs LnDcWLon DnG DbsHncH mDGH hLm jusW Ds JuLOWy

Ds WhH rHsW oI hLs wLckHG broWhHrs. ThLs JuLOW conWLnuHG

Wo hDunW hLm WhrouJh WhH yHDrs (GHn. 42:21-22).

The prophet Obadiah severely condemned the EGomLWHs Ior GoLnJ noWhLnJ whHn HvLO wDs bHIDOOLnJ

their brethren, the Jews. When Jerusalem was invadHG by hHr HnHmLHs, WhH EGomLWHs “sWooG on WhH oWhHr sLGH” GoLnJ noWhLnJ buW wDWchLnJ WhH sODuJhWHr Ds

spectators. God said by their failure to act and to help WhHLr brHWhrHn “HvHn Whou wDsW Ds onH oI WhHm” (ObDG.

11).

Today, there are religious people who teach and practice false doctrine. They often refuse to meet and have a civil discussion/debate on what they believe or teach. While the conduct of those so-called religious people is shameful, what about those supposedOy “JooG” mHn who Go noWhLnJ Wo HxSosH WhosH who

teach error? Those who stand on the other side and do nothing but watch as false teachers are allowed to go unchallenged. Their failure to defend truth and expose false teachers not only allows evil to triumph but it mDkHs WhHm jusW Ds JuLOWy Ds WhH IDOsH WHDchHrs WhHy

rHIusH Wo rHSrovH DnG rHbukH. ,n GoG’s worGs, “HvHn

Whou wDsW Ds onH oI WhHm” (ObDG. 11; 2 -ohn 1:9-11).

“BH noW GHcHLvHG; GoG Ls noW mockHG; Ior whDWsoHvHr D mDn sowHWh, WhDW shDOO hH DOso rHDS” (GDO. 6:7).

Those who fail or refuse to do good in the face of evil are sowing some dangerous seeds. They are doing noWhLnJ JooG Ds -Hsus commDnGHG WhHm Wo Go; WhHy

are helping evil to win and have ceased being good DnG hDvH bHcomH SDrWDkHrs oI WhH HvLO WhHy GLG noWhing to stop. Do not allow evil to triumph. Do not do sit by DnG Go noWhLnJ. SWDnG uS DnG bH counWHG, sSHDk uS

DJDLnsW HvLO DnG sSHDk ouW DJDLnsW HvLO mHn DnG WhHLr

sinful deeds.

Have You Obeyed The Gospel Of Jesus Christ?

It is our sincere desire and prayer that you obey the JosSHO WoGDy DnG bH sDvHG. RHmHmbHr WhH worGs oI

-Hsus, “NoW HvHry onH WhDW sDLWh unWo mH, /orG, /orG,

shDOO HnWHr LnWo WhH kLnJGom oI hHDvHn; buW hH WhDW

GoHWh WhH wLOO oI my FDWhHr whLch Ls Ln hHDvHn. MDny

will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out GHvLOs? DnG Ln Why nDmH GonH mDny wonGHrIuO works?

AnG WhHn wLOO , SroIHss unWo WhHm, , nHvHr knHw you:

GHSDrW Irom mH, yH WhDW work LnLTuLWy” (MDWWhHw

7:21-23).

The Gospel Of Jesus Christ Is His Power

Unto Salvation

,I you DrH noW D ChrLsWLDn you cDn bH by obHyLnJ WhH

JosSHO. -Hsus sDys, “HH WhDW bHOLHvHs DnG Ls bDSWLzHG

shDOO bH sDvHG” (MDrk 16:16). PDuO sDLG; “For , Dm noW

DshDmHG oI WhH JosSHO oI ChrLsW: Ior LW Ls WhH SowHr oI

GoG unWo sDOvDWLon Wo HvHry onH WhDW bHOLHvHWh; Wo WhH

-Hw firsW, DnG DOso Wo WhH GrHHk” (RomDns 1:16). ThH

worGs oI -Hsus WHDch us WhDW Wo bHcomH D ChrLsWLDn onH

musW:

• HHDr WhH JosSHO (-ohn 6:44-45)

• BHOLHvH Ln -Hsus Ds WhH ChrLsW (-ohn 8:24)

• RHSHnW oI DOO sLns (/ukH 13:3)

• ConIHss ChrLsW Ds /orG (MDWWhHw 10:32-33)

• AnG bH bDSWLzHG Wo bH sDvHG (MDrk 16:16)

• AIWHr bDSWLsm rHmDLn IDLWhIuO Wo GoG. (MDWWhHw

10:22)

Conclusion

,I wH Go jusW whDW our /orG commDnGHG wH know

that our salvation is certain and we will hear Him say “WHOO GonH, Whou JooG DnG IDLWhIuO sHrvDnW: Whou hDsW

bHHn IDLWhIuO ovHr D IHw WhLnJs, , wLOO mDkH WhHH ruOHr

ovHr mDny WhLnJs: HnWHr Whou LnWo WhH joy oI Why OorG”

(MDWWhHw 25:21). /HW us Jo bDck Wo WhH BLbOH, bDck Wo

ChrLsW DnG HLs church DnG Go HxDcWOy whDW HH commDnGHG. POHDsH OHW us hHOS you Ln your obHGLHncH Wo

the gospel before it is eternally too late.

[This material is presented by the members of the Northside church of Christ - 700 Jolly Road, NW Calhoun, Georgia 30701. If you would like to have a Bible Study or discuss this subject further please contact one of our elders; Kent Bailey at 706-6296111 - Ron Hall at 770-548-3167 - Eddie Jones at 706-264-2651]