Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” — Matthew 7

Jesus makes the point here that evil people can do good things. John Calvin alluded to this in his concept of Common Grace. God has given grace to all mankind to thwart the tendency towards evil, to create beautiful things, and to do good for fellow men.

Christ encourages doing good and kind things, but there is not only a carrot to encourage people be kind and giving, but there is a stick. It said that the way to hell is paved with good intentions; just think what bad intentions will earn you. The BBC recently reported that TikTok is keeping most of the money that is being raised for refugees in Syria. I suppose it shouldn’t surprise us, given who controls TikTok, but one thing to keep in mind whether it’s reading a story like this, or reacting to someone cutting you off in traffic: and then cursing at you; there is a Judge and there is a Judgment coming. There is a Hell, it is a real place, and it’s not very hard to get there.

Someone posted a meme that said there must be a reason why there’s a Stairway To Heaven but a Highway To Hell.

I don’t want to give the impression at the decision between heaven and hell is based on accrued good and bad deeds. It’s pretty clear that Hell was reserved for those who turn away from the salvation offered them by the Lord Jesus Christ. But Jesus talked a lot about hell, and to discount any retribution for evil actions is to ignore the moral nature of the whole universe.

For those of us who profess faith in Christ, we should not fall into the anger (and even rage) that is so much a part of our culture. Anger is appropriate, even necessary sometimes, but our anger should be founded in righteousness. “Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity.”