"Is Something Evil Only if It Harms Others?"

This is a pressing question for our day and time. More and more it is the cultural way of defining evil. However, if we think for a few moments, we realize that determining what harms others is itself complex. Does a divorce hurt others if both the man and woman say they want the divorce? Could it be that such a divorce hurts society in untraceable ways? In other words, how direct and obvious must the harm be before the action is considered evil? So, even without using the Bible, I would argue that this definition of evil is built on quicksand.

More than that, however, the issue is that Christians must define evil the way God does. A world that rejects God defines evil in shallow ways. The Christian worldview offers a deeper understanding of the nature of evil. A definition of evil must reckon with the existence of God as the owner, lawgiver, and judge of all creation. It must take into account God's glory and holiness.

The Ask Pastor John podcast has an excerpt from a John Piper sermon that will help you see through the culture's shallow definition of evil, and begin to think biblically. Here is how he summarizes evil:

The essence of evil, all evil — what makes evil really evil — is that it always involves finding more pleasure in something other than God. 

The whole eight minutes of the podcast is worth listening to. Obviously, it is not a full treatment of the topic, but I think it addresses the crux of the issue.