Who are 'The Wicked'?

We all sin and are wicked.

God's mercy and grace is Christ Jesus for all who may believe in Him.

Salvation through Christ Jesus is a gift, there is none deserving.

All are deserving of judgment and none are righteous.

Righteousness is credited to the believer through faith in Jesus Christ.

KaieraAi said:

I think we need to approach it like a timeline almost. So we are all wicked because we sin, but then we are forgiven through the blood of Christ. I have always been taught that we are never to forget that Jesus died for our sins, but we shouldn't leave Him on the cross by still considering ourselves wicked. We have been made clean, and we have already triumphed over death. What is the wicked? We shouldn't be rejoicing in the idea of those who may choose to deny God going to hell. The bible seems to want us to rejoice over the crushing of the wicked, though. So who, then are the wicked?

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We are made new once we believe.

The old man dies and the new man in Christ Jesus is born.

Once saved we are still in the body and the body is at war with the Spirit

Galatians 5:17

Romans 7:18-25

The wicked are the chaff of the harvest.

Matthew 13:30

And God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked.

Ezekiel 18:23

Neither should we.

KaieraAi said:

This clears it up pretty well for me. Thank you!

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anytime

KaieraAi said:

The bible references many times that God will triumph over the evil, that He is the final judge, that the wicked shall perish. But he also loves all of his children, even those who sin, and fail, and are wicked. So who are the real 'wicked'? And what exactly are we supposed to do? Why does the bible talk to often about how God will destroy his enemies, but then also reminds us that fellow humans, even those who are enemies to us, are also His?

For me, the obvious answer is that we love people no matter what. But then why does the old testament come across as so wrathful at times?

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people are born a creation of God. in that since they we are his.
but after a person become someone. than that person can become an enemy of God. so he/she will be destroyed.

KaieraAi said:

But if all people have the capacity to be saved and have been saved, and God's holy spirit is within us, how can that be damned? Like, Jesus defeated hell and death, and God's holy spirit is a part of us, how can that possibly lose and leave us to be damned?

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why do you think everyone where saved. God was very clear that only who will do some serious effort to do his will, will be saved.
Matthew 25:31-46

[Staff edit].

saying everyone is saved by jesus death. that is not only against basic logic.
but also unmoral. and againt god's earliear teachings. like the quote I gave before.
Matthew 25:31-46

KaieraAi said:

The bible references many times that God will triumph over the evil, that He is the final judge, that the wicked shall perish. But he also loves all of his children, even those who sin, and fail, and are wicked. So who are the real 'wicked'? And what exactly are we supposed to do? Why does the bible talk to often about how God will destroy his enemies, but then also reminds us that fellow humans, even those who are enemies to us, are also His?

For me, the obvious answer is that we love people no matter what. But then why does the old testament come across as so wrathful at times?

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I think this is a good definition:

The state of being wicked; a mental disregard for justice, righteousness, truth, honor, virtue; evil in thought and life; depravity; sinfulness; criminality.

In short the wicked are those who have forsaken God's Law:

Psalms 119:53 Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake your law.

On the cross, Jesus prayed to forgive those who crucified him because they knew not what they are doing, so prayer in intercession for the wicked is our model for how we are to act, and we have many other examples in the Bible of people modeling this behavior. For example, in Genesis 18:22-33, Abraham interceded with God to spare the wicked in Sodom and Gomorrah on the account of a few righteous people, and Abraham is the father of our faith. Other examples, such in Daniel 9:1-19, we he said we have sinned, we have not kept God's laws, have mercy on us, forgive us, etc., or even in the Lord's Prayer, Jesus taught us to ask for God to forgive our sins, so again he was teaching us to interceded on behalf of others. Those who are wicked have been blinded and do not what they are doing, so we must reflect God's light to them and be quick to forgive them and be love to them so that their wickedness is exposed and we can show how to turn to the truth of God's love. Be this person:

Ezekiel 22:30 And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none.

KaieraAi said:

Because of Romans 3:23-24
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
We were all saved and no works on earth can make us worthy.

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Note, however, that verse 22 points out these passages are talking about all *who believe*... that is the "all" that 23 & 24 are talking about - all *who believe*, not simply all people.

As to who the wicked are - it's those who just follow their own sinful ways and don't have any regard for God. Don't think, however, that God doesn't love them. God loves all people. That some have to face God's judgment & wrath does NOT mean that God doesn't love them. Love and punishment do not preclude one another.

When discussing the "wicked", I think one must understand the Book of Jonah.
At the very end He said that Ninevah had 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness plus all of the animals. He asks "should I not feel sorry for them" ? (I am paraphrasing) and in the end, did not send judgement.

Though God said He planned to destroy them, ultimately He did not. He felt compassion for them.
THAT is the key to understanding how God really looks at the wicked. And I am sure He adds in those who are just deceived, imprisoned, addicted, ect. Also think about how He mentions the animals.
This gives us a clear picture of God's character if we have eyes to see it.

Now of course, many would say that He only spared them because they repented.
That is true, but I think the bigger point of the book is how God actually viewed them.

I think it's very interesting.

Shempster said:

When discussing the "wicked", I think one must understand the Book of Jonah.
At the very end He said that Ninevah had 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness plus all of the animals. He asks "should I not feel sorry for them" ? (I am paraphrasing) and in the end, did not send judgement.

Though God said He planned to destroy them, ultimately He did not. He felt compassion for them.
THAT is the key to understanding how God really looks at the wicked. And I am sure He adds in those who are just deceived, imprisoned, addicted, ect. Also think about how He mentions the animals.
This gives us a clear picture of God's character if we have eyes to see it.

Now of course, many would say that He only spared them because they repented.
That is true, but I think the bigger point of the book is how God actually viewed them.

I think it's very interesting.

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Indeed, we should be quick to love the wicked because they do not know what they are doing and need someone to show them the light. God desires not to punish us, but to be merciful to us, and in His mercy He gives us time to repent, but we need to take that opportunity. God is not holding back His blessings until we jump through the right hoops, but rather He longs to bless us, but we need to be a people that God can bless, and His commands instruct us how to do that.

KaieraAi said:

The bible references many times that God will triumph over the evil, that He is the final judge, that the wicked shall perish. But he also loves all of his children, even those who sin, and fail, and are wicked. So who are the real 'wicked'? And what exactly are we supposed to do? Why does the bible talk to often about how God will destroy his enemies, but then also reminds us that fellow humans, even those who are enemies to us, are also His?

For me, the obvious answer is that we love people no matter what. But then why does the old testament come across as so wrathful at times?

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Wicked... People who love evil... People who hate the Love of the truth..

Wicked is not just being a sinner.. Wicked is being a sin lover and proud of it..

God will have the Wicked who have rejected Him loving truth and have loved evil cast into the eternal lake of fire..

QUOTE="KaieraAi, post: 71777785, member: 401821"]Another thought I've had while wrestling with this idea. Could it be that 'the wicked' isn't always a reference to a whole person? Maybe this isn't a good way to explain it, but often people say that when they realize their life in Christ, the old version of them dies and they are reborn. Could it be that a person is wicked, but that wicked person can be killed without killing the whole person. That the times it says God strikes down the wicked doesn't always mean physically destroys a person, but simply destroys the evil in their hearts?[/QUOTE
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Whenever God destroys the evil inside a person, like crucifying the self, the flesh, the old man, AS WRITTEN,
it is written in such a way to show this.

Whenever God strikes down the wicked/a wicked person/ in various places in the Bible, they are struck down.
This also is written in such a way to show this -
all as inspired (breathed) by God in the men He Chose to write HIS WORD. HE NEVER left it open to some individual's interpretation(in fact He forbids that). (much mis-understood today)

KaieraAi said:

You and I differ in the fact that I believe in the entire bible. And I cannot find it in my soul to say that not all people have the capacity to he saved. If God is a God of immeasurable love and unfathomable forgiveness, there is no possible way I could have more compassion for others than Him. If I am willing to forgive even unrepentant sinners, He must also, and better. God is love.

Everyone has a capacity to be saved and I will not deny chunks of the bible. The whole bible is God's word.

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Good to believe the Bible.

The Bible says clearly: WITHOUT REPENTANCE is no remission of sin. i.e. no one ever gets to see even a small part of heaven, nor ever to see God, if they do not repent.
(in fact, no one gets to see God unless they have a pure heart)