What is the root of all evil? Some quote the scriptures (incorrectly) and say money is the root of all evil, but First Timothy 6:10 actually says "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil". There are those who think guns are evil and should be outlawed. Tobacco serves no useful purpose whatsoever in my opinion but is it inherently evil? So what is the root of all evil?
In Matthew 15, some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus and asked, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" (They considered eating with unwashed hands to be "unclean".) After pointing out to them their hypocrisy because some of their traditions were contrary to God's commands, he gave them this answer: "What goes into a man's mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him unclean." When Peter later asked Jesus to explain his answer, Jesus said: "Don't you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man 'unclean.' For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man 'unclean'; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him 'unclean.'"
So is alcohol inherently evil? It can be used for good (to sterilize a wound) or evil (drinking a fifth of vodka every day and slowly killing yourself). Eating a double cheeseburger on occasion is no big deal but if you eat five of them every day for months you will destroy your health. Guns can be used for fun (target shooting) or to viciously and intentionally take a man's life for no reason. Inanimate objects or substances are neither good nor evil. So what is the root of all evil? The Lord's explanation of clean vs. unclean is the key: "out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander". Evil begins in the human heart and is manifested in the bad choices we make. In everything we do, we are free to choose between good and evil. Satan may tempt us with alcohol or drugs or any number of other things, but we always have a choice.
The Lord's brother James says the following: "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death" (James 1:13-15). Satan may tempt us but God does not; either way the choice is ours. Freedom of choice implies accountability to God for our actions. My advice: use the Bible as your guide and choose wisely!
