“Why not do evil that good may come?”  Paul put this in a form of a question, though it was actually a slanderous accusation his enemies were attempting to make against him and his teaching (Romans 3:8).  Ironically, I have heard Christians make the argument that doing evil is sometimes okay as long as it leads to something good.  With Paul, I would shout, “by no means.”  Let me give you some examples that I have heard over the years.

Lying is okay if it leads to something good, or is in the best interest of the one to whom you are lying.  Rahab, who lied about the Israelite spies she had in her house (Joshua 2:1-5), is often given as an example to justify this conclusion.  The problem is, Rahab’s lie is never justified by the Word of God.  She was justified by her faith that the Lord was the God of heaven above and the earth beneath (Joshua 2:10-11), but she had to repent of her sins the same way every other sinner has to before having a relationship with God.  One could justify her prostitution as easily as her lies.  The truth is, she had to repent of them both, as well as any other sin in her life.  So far as lying is concerned, the Bible clearly teaches that it is a damnable sin (Revelation 21:8).

Here is another one I have heard.  “It is okay to go to sinful places like bars, clubs, and such, as long as we do not drink and dance, etc.  After all, I might have a good influence on someone while I am there.”  First of all, going to places where the primary purpose is to sin is a bad idea.  You are probably not going to influence anyone for good in an environment like that.  Paul said, “Do not be deceived: bad company ruins good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33).

When talking about bars and such, we are talking about something more than just eating with sinners (Mark 2:13-16).  Jesus did that, but He did so to teach them, and they came to Him, not the other way around.  It is a different matter altogether to go into a place where people are purposely practicing sin, and doing so openly and unabashedly.  To socialize with people in that environment would be a violation of Paul’s apostolic directive found in Ephesians 5.

Ephesians 5:11 (KJV)
¹¹  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Allow me to give you one more example.  This one is a little different because it does not deal with a moral issue, but rather something practiced by churches.  Keep in mind that “evil” encompasses, not only immoral things, but anything that is contrary to the will of God.  The practice that I am thinking about is the use of the Lord’s money for social issues.  I once preached a sermon dealing with the sinfulness of using the Lord’s money to build fellowship halls and gymnasiums.  I preached this sermon in an institutional church.  The next day, the preacher explained to me why they had a recreational facility where they could play games such as basketball.  He said their area was gang-infested.  Kids were put at risk when they went to the park to play basketball, so they built their recreational facility to protect the children.  He did not have any scripture, so he used the “the end justifies the means” card, which is another way of saying, “why not do evil that good may come?”

Any use of the Lord’s money that is just not authorized by God’s Word is sinful and can in no way be called good.  Good, at least from a religious standpoint, can never come by violating God’s will.

Whether it is moral, doctrinal, or something practiced religiously, evil should be avoided at all costs.  That which is legitimately good does not need evil to produce it.  Let us abhor what is evil, while we, at the same time, cleave to what is good (Romans 12:9).

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.