The history of mankind proves that appeasing evil always ends in disaster. Giving in to evil encourages all the more evil. Appeasing evil dictators or evil pagans or criminals only makes matters worse. Letting evil nations get off easy for their evil actions only encourages them to conduct more aggressive evil actions.
Sir Winston Churchill stated that WWII was a completely preventable war. It is believed that if the Allies, when they had the greater military forces, such as when Hitler invaded the Rhineland, should have resisted him he would have been removed by the German Generals. But they gave him a bloodless victory. They kept appeasing Hitler. After each appeasement Hitler became more aggressive. What does God think about being nice to evil rulers? The king of Israel spared the evil ruler Ben-Hadad after God gave Israel the victory.
1 Kings 20:41-42, “And he hastened to take the bandage away from his eyes; and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. 42 Then he said to him, ‘Thus says the LORD: “Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.”’”
Not only did the evil king not appreciate the kindness of the king of Israel, he soon planned to attack and stab Israel in the back again. The Bible indicates that evil must be cauterized and removed or it will metastasize and grow even more dangerous. God does not believe in appeasing or compromising with evil.
1 Kings 18:40, “And Elijah said to them, ‘Seize the prophets of Baal! Do not let one of them escape!’ So they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and executed them there.”
The priests of Baal were evil. They taught the sacrifice of children in fire to false pagan gods and child sex slavery in pagan temples as young temple prostitutes, both male and female. We can see in the Old Testament that God clearly believes in the death penalty. We cannot do now as God did in the Old Testament because we are not a theocracy run by God. We also do not have direct contact with God through a prophet.
So then why is it compassionate for God to administer the death penalty, often in great numbers? For one thing, God has the prerogative to decide life and death. But also, God will bring back the evil persons in a controlled atmosphere where evil (demonic influence) is locked away and God rules directly. Then evil people can be forgiven and taught the truth. They will, in that new age, have a chance to repent, mature, and be saved by God.
Ephesians 1:20-21, “Which He worked in Christ in raising Him from the dead, and He seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies, 21 far above all principality and authority and power and dominion, and every name being named, not only in this world, but also in the coming age.” (MKJV)
What will happen in this coming future age for all those not saved now?
Revelation 20:11-13, “And I saw a great white throne, and Him sitting on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And a place was not found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, the small and the great, stand before God. And the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.”
Graves will be opened to a physical resurrection for all those who never really had an actual chance for salvation in their first life. The bible will be fully opened to them and they will truly understand it for the first time. They will learn right from wrong, reflect on their old life and repent, and thereby be judged by their new works.
Verse 12, “And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead in it. And death and hell delivered up the dead in them. And each one of them was judged according to their works.”
Most will be saved because God is merciful. This life is not the only day of salvation, therefore the death penalty is not permanent. However, if in this world the true murderers, violent gangs and evil dictators were executed swiftly, we would have less violence and murder overall.
Appeasing Crime Doesn’t Pay
The feckless Neville Chamberlain, leader of the western Allies at the beginning of WWII, kept giving in to Hitler and Mussolini, again and again. He thought, “If only we give them what they want they will be satisfied.” The Allies gave them no resistance for taking Ethiopia, Albania, Rhineland, then Sudetenland, the rest of Czechoslovakia and then the sneaky taking of Austria. The leaders of the League of Nations did nothing. What did they receive for all their appeasement? The near conquest of England itself. Vast air armadas bombing Britain is what Chamberlain got for giving in to evil.
Can we not see a similar pattern regarding crime in our own liberal cities? Chamberlain thought that Hitler had some legitimate complaints about the way the last war ended, so just appease him and he will be satisfied and leave everyone alone. Liberals in American cities use the same reasoning. Pacifying a violent mob never works. Portland’s murder rate increased between 530% and 800% depending on whose numbers we use. Increases in other cities are also significant. The anarchists among us want violence and the thugs among them want to loot. America’s number one city is in a death spiral of crime at this very moment. Residents and businesses are fleeing New York City.
God expects local government to maintain law and order and to punish criminals.
Romans 13:3-4, “For the rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the bad. And do you desire to be not afraid of the authority? Do the good, and you shall have praise from it. 4 For it is a servant of God to you for good. For if you practice evil, be afraid, for it does not bear the sword in vain; for it is a servant of God, a revenger for wrath on him who does evil.”
Crime has skyrocketed in all cities that underfunded the police, coddled criminals and where anarchists were allowed to run wild. Undermining policing leads to people dying in greater numbers. Appeasement never pays.
How Should A Believer Handle Evil?
Obviously we should not vote for politicians that will enable crime and evil dictators. We are limited in what we can do in this, Satan’s age. Note Paul’s advice.
Romans 12:19-21, “Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. 20 Therefore ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head.’ 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (NKJV)
First, note that God will avenge evil. He will punish the evil person that may seem to be getting away with it now, but no one fools God. They will pay someday, in some way. But in the meantime, our goal is to overcome evil with good. Christ says to love your enemy. That attitude is the opposite of this world.
Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and tumult and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. 32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake has forgiven you.”
When we have a spirit of forgiveness, we have defeated the Devil. Satan loves to get various groups of people hating each other, even killing each other. He feeds the ever increasing cycle of grievances and hatred and murder. When we refuse to hate we are the spiritual winners. It is a spiritual battle that the world just does not understand at this time.
Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the world’s rulers, of the darkness of this age, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”
Pray for these worldly governments to allow us to do the work of God in peace.
2 Thessalonians 3:1, “Finally, my brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified, even as it is with you.”
Ultimately, God will not appease evil. The wicked will become ashes.
Malachi 4:3, “And you shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day which I am preparing, says the LORD of hosts.”
Revelation 21:8, “But the fearful, and the unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the Lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”
The defiantly evil will face the second death in the lake of fire and become ashes. Some are so evil that they will be resurrected just for closure and to face their ultimate fate. Others will be given a real chance of repentance and growth so they can avoid the second death. We need to be faithful to God now and assure ourselves of the salvation provided by Jesus.
