An excellent question which needs to be explored.
Yes, by nature we are all evil. That's an easy question followed by multiple scripture. It’s not difficult for the EVIL angels to represent both saints and sinners, we cannot be naive to this situation. Even Judas fooled the disciples, “Is it I?†Yet Jesus washed his feet, Oh, what unconditional love?
EVIL means more than the obvious, Bad people. Yet bad people can be deceiving in our outward evaluation. It can mean by extension (as a friend). Raah. It also means (associate selves and show SELF friendly). Aram in the Hebrew. Can you believe the word? One can show themselves to be friendly yet in actuality be an enemy!
In other words, SELF is evil, or the enemy of all evil.
When the snake was labeled by God as subtle, He said that the enemy, the snake was “smoothness†(aram). … The message of the cross is not always smooth, it may be difficult and rough. The cross is not always beautiful in one’s eyes, but “offensive†as the scripture states.
In conclusion, “Self†is evil. One author concluded:
Getting Rid of Self.—It is quite generally recognized that “self†is the great thing that stands in the way of Christian progress, and that it must be denied and put away. Accordingly we hear people express the determination to get rid of self, so that the Lord may have a complete possession. But too many forget that they themselves cannot put away self; for it is obvious that when self attempts to put self away, self will remain all the time. Self is sin, and only Christ can put away sin. He hath appeared to “put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.†Heb. 9:26. He “gave himself for our sins that he might deliver us from this present evil world.†Gal. 1:4. Only the power by which he “emptied himself,†can empty us of self. Let us rejoice that he is abundantly able to do it, and simply yield ourselves to him, that he may work his own will in us.†End Quote
“Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord†(Rom. 6:11).
“For a bishop must be blameless … not selfwilled … (Titus 1:7).
Even Christ lived by faith and by the will of the Father, getting rid of His own will or self. “… not to do My own will …†(John 6:38).
“But chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness … Presumptuous selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil …†(2 Peter 2:10). Parallelism is assumed in this verse.
It can be remembered in Romans 9 that the condition of Israel according to the flesh were those who were called Israel. They are “accursed from Christ.†They “followed after the law of righteousness,†but did not attain to righteousness, because they sought it not by faith, but by works. The Gentiles, therefore, gained the precedence over them, because they sought righteousness in the right way, by faith dear friends. Thus fulfilled the words of Christ to the self-righteous Jews: “The publicans and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you;†and again, “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.†Matt. 21:31, 43.
Blessings in Christ,
John
