Accepting friends on facebook this morning I observed a question, "Can a saved and repeat saved person do evil and is there Scripture for it?". I was immediately transformed to a form of my flesh that enjoys conflict and arguments so that I could exercise my self and deny my Spirit. With that thought I slowed my self to allow my Spirit to take the lead. I searched the "net" and was awakened by various attempts to define what appears to have no definition but many philosophies of the word evil. From this site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evil I found an interpretation:
"Evil, in many cultures, is a broad term used to describe what are seen as subjectively harmful deeds that are labeled as such to steer moral support. Evil is usually contrasted with good, which describes acts that are subjectively beneficial to the observer. In some religions, evil is an active force, often personified as an entity such as Satan or Ahriman. Satan and Ahriman are considered bad by these religions, as well. Philosophical definitions
Western philosophy Spinoza
In Western philosophy, evil is usually limited to doing harm or damage to an object or creature. Socrates (in Plato's early work) argued that which we call evil is merely ignorance and that good is that which everyone desires. Benedict de Spinoza said that the difference between good and evil is merely one of personal inclinations: "So everyone, by the highest right of Nature, judges what is good and what is evil, considers his own advantage according to his own temperament... ." The duality of 'good versus evil' is expressed, in some form or another, by many cultures. Those who believe in the duality theory of evil believe that evil cannot exist without good, nor good without evil, as they are both objective states and opposite ends of the same scale.
Carl Jung in his book Answer to Job and elsewhere, depicted evil as the "dark side of God". People tend to believe evil is something external to them, because they project their shadow onto others. But from a psychological point of view to be evil is to refuse to acknowledge the weaknesses in one's own personality. Jung interpreted the story of Jesus as an account of God facing his own shadow."
I was shocked too. A further search from this site: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/evil produced these findings, "Evil was the word the Anglo-Saxons used where we would use bad, cruel, unskillful, defective (adj.), or harm, crime, misfortune, disease. The meaning "extreme moral wickedness" was in O.E., but did not become the main sense until 18c. Evil eye (L. oculus malus) was O.E. eage yfel."
Yet this site: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/05649a.htm had this to say, "Evil, in a large sense, may be described as the sum of the opposition, which experience shows to exist in the universe, to the desires and needs of individuals; whence arises, among humans beings at least, the sufferings in which life abounds. Thus evil, from the point of view of human welfare, is what ought not to exist. Nevertheless, there is no department of human life in which its presence is not felt; and the discrepancy between what is and what ought to be has always called for explanation in the account which mankind has sought to give of itself and its surroundings. For this purpose it is necessary (1) to define the precise nature of the principle that imparts the character of evil to so great a variety of circumstances, and (2) to ascertain, as far as may be possible, to source from which it arises.
With regard to the nature of evil, it should be observed that evil is of three kinds — physical, moral, and metaphysical. Physical evil includes all that causes harm to man, whether by bodily injury, by thwarting his natural desires, or by preventing the full development of his powers, either in the order of nature directly, or through the various social conditions under which mankind naturally exists. Physical evils directly due to nature are sickness, accident, death, etc. Poverty, oppression, and some forms of disease are instances of evil arising from imperfect social organization. Mental suffering, such as anxiety, disappointment, and remorse, and the limitation of intelligence which prevents humans beings from attaining to the full comprehension of their environment, are congenital forms of evil each vary in character and degree according to natural disposition and social circumstances.
By moral evil are understood the deviation of human volition from the prescriptions of the moral order and the action which results from that deviation. Such action, when it proceeds solely from ignorance, is not to be classed as moral evil, which is properly restricted to the motions of will towards ends of which the conscience disapproves. The extent of moral evil is not limited to the circumstances of life in the natural order, but includes also the sphere of religion, by which man's welfare is affected in the supernatural order, and the precepts of which, as depending ultimately upon the will of God, are of the strictest possible obligation (see SIN). The obligation to moral action in the natural order is, moreover, generally believed to depend on the motives supplied by religion; and it is at least doubtful whether it is possible for moral obligation to exist at all apart from a supernatural sanction."
Now as for the Scripture Isaiah chapters 44:01-45:07 THE ALMIGHTY GOD had warned Israel of idolatry, worshiping something you or someone like you creates is dangerous and stupid. To a Persian King whom GOD used to initiate HIS PLAN to restore The Temple in Jerusalem. "For Jacob MY Servant's sake, and Israel MY Elect, I HAVE even CALLED you by your name; I HAVE NAMED you, though you have not known ME, I AM THE LORD, and there is no other; There is no GOD besides ME I WILL GIRD you, though you have not known ME. That they may know from the rising of the sun to its setting That there is none besides ME. I AM THE LORD, and there is no other; I FORM THE LIGHT AND CREATE DARKNESS, I MAKE PEACE AND CREATE CALAMITY; I, THE LORD, DO all these things.(Isa. 45:04-07)'".
"For you have trusted in your wickedness; you have said, 'No one sees me'; Your wisdom and your knowledge have warped you; and you have said in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one else besides me.' Therefore evil shall come upon you; You shall not know from where it arises. And trouble shall fall upon you; You will not be able to put it off. And desolation shall come upon you suddenly, which you shall not know(Isa. 47:10, 11)."
We know that evil entered into mankind's existence when Adam and Eve rebelled against GOD and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil(Genesis 02:09). Prior to that being CREATED from the dust of the ground was the flesh that houses the Spirit GOD GAVE to each of us to experience life and observe situations and choices.
JESUS reminded us to Pray for deliverance from evil in Matthew chapter 06.
King David wrote "I will fear no evil" in the 23rd book of the Psalm.
The Scripture tells us in Genesis chapter 06:05, 06 that, "Then THE LORD SAW that wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And THE LORD was SORRY that HE HAD MADE MAN on the earth, and HE WAS GRIEVED in HIS HEART."
There you have it evil is in the heart of man that is why KING DAVID asked for a "clean heart" and a "steadfast Spirit" in Psalm 51:10. Scripture informs us that "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks" in Matthew 12:34.
Now JESUS HAS this to say in Matthew 15:16:-20 in response to the Pharisees regarding the disciples not washing their hands before they ate. " Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."
The Apostle Paul gave mention of the flesh being in control in the book of Romans 07:14-25. Specifically when he describes, "For I know that in my flesh nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. For the good that I will to to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.(verses 18-20)"
Now the question was, can a saved person do evil? yes, if they are not totally driven by THE SPIRIT OF GOD. We have much lip service and claim to be saved but deny the strength or power of THE HOLY SPIRIT by falling victim to our flesh and following our hearts if we have not transformed our minds and submitted our hearts to total usage by GOD(Acts 02:38).
In the 3rd Epistle Of The 3rd Book Of John verse 11 Scripture reads, "Do Not Imitate what is evil But What Is Good He Who Does Good Is Of GOD, but he who does evil has Not Seen GOD."
In the 1st Epistle The 3rd Book verses 10-12 read, "In this The Children OF GOD & the children of the devil Are Manifest. Whoever does Not Practice Righteousness Is Not Of GOD, nor is he who does Not Love his brother. For This Is The Message That You Heard From The Beginning, That We Should Love One Another, Not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother's Righteous."
The Apostle Paul in the 12the Book Of Romans verse 09 wrote, "Let Love Be Without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to What Is Good."
Further In verse 21 Paul continues, "Do Not Be overcome by evil, but Overcome evil With Good."
In the beginning of the 12th book Of Romans verses 01-03 Paul Instructs, "Present Your Bodies A Living Sacrifice, Holy, Acceptable TO GOD, Which Is Your Reasonable Service. And Do Not Be conformed to this World, but Be Transformed By The Renewing Of Your Mind, that You May Prove What Is That Good and Acceptable and Perfect Will Of GOD."
In The 5th Book Of Thessalonians verse 22 Paul tells Us, "Abstain from every form of evil."
Finally in The 3rd Book Of Hebrews verses 12 & 13 The Author wrote, "Beware, Brethren, lest there be in any of You an evil heart of unbelief in departing from THE LIVING GOD; but exhort One Another Daily, While It Is Called "Today", lest any of You be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin." And James 01:1 Says, "Let no one say when he is tempted, "I am tempted by GOD"; For GOD CANNOT BE tempted by evil, nor Does HE HIMSELF tempt anyone."
In Concluding the Answer to the question Re: saved & evil? No A Saved Repeat Saved Person does not commit evil.
