Matthew 22:37-39 Jesus replied, "'You must love the
Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'
This is the first and greatest commandment. Second is equally
important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' (NLT)
Matthew 7:24 "Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise,
like a person who builds a house on solid rock.
This
verse says we have a choice, to listen or not!
Malachi 3:18 Then you will again see the difference between the righteous and
the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not."
(NLT)
Here
we can see those who have chosen to serve God or not by their
actions!
Joshua 24:15 But if you are unwilling to serve the LORD, then choose
today whom you will serve. Would you prefer the gods your ancestors
served beyond the Euphrates? Or will it be the gods of the Amorites
in whose land you now live? But as for me and my family, we will
serve the LORD." (NLT)
Here
again we see it is a choice to do good or evil!
The
reprehensible acts of evil we see in our society are mind boggling,
confusing, baffling and most of all heart breaking… Frankly,
just like you, it makes me angry as hell to see things like
this happen!
You
ask then, what is the answer to stop the madness? I think
when Jesus replied, He said it best…..
Kurt
Akin
Co-Pastor
Rolling Hills Fellowship
We
learn from reading the first chapters of the book of Genesis that God
created a good world, a world where there was no evil or sin.
“Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was
very good!”(Genesis 1:31) However,
it's important to realize that the potential for evil and sinful
human behavior existed from the very beginning. Because God
created human beings with a free will, it was up to them, not God, as
to whether or not sin and moral evil would enter the world. God's
plan had the potential for moral evil when He bestowed on human
beings the gift of free will. Evil is inherent in God's risky gift of
free will. God made moral evil possible, but humans made it actual.
The origin of moral evil came after the first human parents being in
a state of innocence, not perfection, chose evil over good,
temptation over the Creator’s will. They turned away from God and
towards their own selfish desires. We call the rebellion of the first
man and woman (Adam and Eve) against God "The Fall." This
leads to the doctrine of "original sin." We have free will
because God wants us to choose to know, love, and serve Him. Real
love - our love of God and our love of each other - must involve a
free choice. Love is voluntary. It cannot be forced. True love
proceeds only from a free choice. A free choice, however, leaves the
possibility of a wrong choice. With God granting humans a free will
came the possibility that people might instead choose to hate, not
love, God and each other. Mankind’s initial and continuing
rebellion against God is the source of moral evil and sin in our
world. Think what a terrible thing evil and sin must be to God, since
God created those people who use the gift of freedom to hurt others
and even to hate God Himself. Someday, Jesus
will use force to put down all remnants of evil. However right now,
we live as aliens in a tainted and sinful world. Scriptures
make it plain that God did not create the world in the state in which
it is now, but evil came as a result of the selfishness of man. The
Bible says that God is a God of love and He desired to create a
person and eventually a race that would love Him. But genuine love
cannot exist unless freely given through free choice and will, so man
was given the choice to accept God’s love or to reject it.
If you’re a Christian you know
by faith that a better world is coming. You know by faith that a
better way of life is possible — but we also see in Jesus the
perplexing message that this better way is achieved only through a
time of evil and pain. We cannot understand it, but we trust God to
work it out because we see that he was willing to bear the pain
himself. He was willing to suffer from evil, too.
Hallelujah!!
He is my joy and crown!!
Pastor
Richard E Setzer Sr. - Associate Pastor Jacob’s Well Fellowship
In light of the
recent tragedy in Newtown, CT this is on many people's minds. For
thousands of years people have struggled with this very question. Why
didn't God, who claims to be good, stop this? “God, how could
you allow this to happen?”
The most important
point I want to make is this: God did not cause the tragedy in
Newtown. It was not God's will that those 26 children and adults
were murdered. God grieves at the tragic loss of so many lives and
this tragedy breaks his heart. But if God is really good, why didn't
he stop this from happening?
God is a God of
love. The Bible tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8). Love is
God's primary attribute and motivation for all of his actions.
Because of his love God gives each of us free will. We have each been
given the choice to love him (and others) or reject him. Without free
will; without the choice to love, there can be no love. Think of it:
if God had simply “programmed” everyone to automatically love him
would that be real love? No, because love must be freely given and
freely received to be love. Love cannot not exist in an atmosphere of
coercion.
We've all heard the
story of the king who falls in love with a peasant girl and disguises
himself as a lowly peasant in order to win her heart. Unless the girl
falls in love with him as a peasant, he could never be sure that she
loved him because he was king, or simply for himself. The king could
have forced the young girl to marry him; instead he wanted the girl
to choose to love him. In this same way God desires our love given to
him by our choice; by our free will.
Evil exists in the
world because God created us as creatures of free will. Each of us
has been given the choice to do good or to do evil; to love or to not
love.
Pastor Jim French
St. Luke's Cambridge
When we think about
the question, Why does God allow evil in the world?, we presuppose
that evil and good exist. Without evil and good existing, it would be
hard to understand each. The other issues involved when we ask
theological questions like this, are the issues of the sovereignty of
God and free moral agency. It is extremely important that we
understand that God is in control, not us. We, being finite beings,
cannot fully understand the infinite.
The
sovereignty of God, speaks to this issue, the infinite. God is
without beginning and without end. It is only as we the finite, place
ourselves within the jurisdiction of the infinite, that we truly
enter the spiritual realm. In doing this, we place ourselves and our
lives in the hands of something, someone, much greater than
ourselves. Although we cannot understand the infinite, we can know
that it is real. Evil and good are like this. We do not understand
them per se, we know they exist. In the Bible, we are told that God
placed the tree of the knowledge of good and evil within the garden.
Gen 2:9
9 And
out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is
pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in
the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
(KJV)
We
are also told, that man was clearly told, not to eat of that tree.
16 And
the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden
thou mayest freely eat:
17 But
of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of
it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
(KJV)
We
see good and evil played out in our own lives personally,
corporately, and within society everyday and we innately know that
good is desirable and evil is not. If a person is asked, would you
like to be slapped or given a hug, they will almost universally
choose the hug. In His sovereignty, God does those things that please
Him. In the Holy Scripture, we can know the very person of God. In
this knowing, we see that God desires righteousness and the Scripture
tells us that there is no evil in God.
15 But
as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of
conversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.
(KJV)
Free
moral agency is explained by the understanding that God allows us to
choose good or evil. In that choosing, we ourselves make the decision
for good or for evil. Within us, God has placed a conscience. It is
only in the subjugating of that conscience, that man can commit evil.
And yet, evil seems to be so rampant in the world. Apparently, many
choose evil over good. This is because the sinful nature of man after
the fall, allows him to make choices that are selfish choices, not
choices that place others above himself, and not choices that deny
self and serve God. Free moral agency is a gift from God. God could
have created man like a robot, without free choice and yet God
understood and desired that His creation should serve Him out of free
choice and not compulsion. When men deny God’s existence and his
Word, they make a god of themselves. Once man has done this, there is
no mitigating force that would deny him whatever his selfish desire
demands. The Bible tells us, that God’s desire, is that none should
perish but that all should come to everlasting life. This is done
through Jesus Christ and His atoning work at Calvary’s Cross.
Evil
therefore, has its origins, not in God, but in sinful man. This
answers the question, why does God allow evil in the world, by
telling us that in giving man free choice, God must allow evil. The
beautiful thing about God though, is that he will not always allow
evil to exist. There is coming a day of reckoning, a day of judgment
for all who believe that they can usurp the authority of God and
commit acts of evil with impunity. They cannot!
The
Bible tells us, in John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he
gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should
not perish, but have everlasting life.” (KJV)
We
must choose good over evil, as a people, and as a society if we hope
to see evil diminished within the world. We await the day when God
himself will judge this world, and evil will be forever banished.
Pastor Tim Bohley -
Jacob’s Well Fellowship
Several years ago
when my youngest son was about 8 years old he began talking about
running away from home. I told him that if he wanted to do that he
should pack his bag and I would help him run away. One Friday he
indicated he wanted to do just that. He packed his bag and I put him
in the car and we drove to Interstate 5. I gave him $20.00 and told
him that he could head North to Seattle or South to San Francisco.
(We were living in Eugene, Oregon at the time.) He began to cry and
said that he didn’t want to go that far he just wanted to stay with
his friend for the weekend. We had a good father-son talk. He got to
keep the $20.00 and he did spend the weekend with his friend.
Later
that day I had to go to the grocery store and my 12 year old son,
jumped in the car with me. Before I even started the car my son asked
in a very strong voice, “DAD!!! Did you really take David to the
interstate and tell him he could go to Seattle or San Francisco?” I
responded, “Yes, but I knew he wouldn’t do it.” He responded,
“Yes, but what if he HAD done it???” Again I assured him, “I
knew he wasn’t going to do it.”
Of
course, I would NOT have made that offer to my 12 year old because he
probably WOULD have done it and would have asked for more money!!!
The
point was, my oldest son COULD NOT UNDERSTAND how I could KNOW what
his younger brother would do – or in this case “not do.”
This
story helps frame my answer to our question: “Why Does God Allow
Evil?” My short answer is – “Only God truly knows.” If I had
asked my older son to give me some reasons why HE thought I might
have done what I had done with his younger brother; he probably could
have come up with some ideas; but I doubt that they would have
accounted simply for the fact that I am older, more experienced, and
I know both of my sons very well.
For
that reason let me give some insights into this very difficult
question by suggesting the following.
- If you read the 139th Psalm, you will find that it characterizes God in terms of three of His fundamental characteristics.
- He is OMISCIENT – He KNOWS EVERYTHING.
- He is OMNIPOTENT – He is ALL POWERFUL
- He is OMINPRESENT – He is PRESENT EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIMES
It
goes without saying that these three characteristics have two
immediate applications. First, it means that God is very different
from us; and second, it means that we have absolutely no frame of
reference from which to understand how a being with these
characteristics would think or act.
In
the book of Genesis (37-50) we read the account of Joseph, who was
sold into slavery in Egypt by his brothers. During this difficult
time, God is with Joseph and he eventually rises to a position of
great authority in Egypt. During a time of famine his brothers come
to Egypt to find grain for their families. In the process they end up
having to come face to face with their brother – whom they do not
recognize. After a series of events that fit the story, Joseph
reveals himself to his brothers. They, of course, are terrified
because of what they had done to him. But Joseph responds with the
well-known expression: “YOU MEANT IT FOR EVIL, BUT GOD MEANT IT FOR
GOOD.”
I
would suggest to you that Joseph’s response is completely
counterintuitive to any rational human being. ONLY GOD could have
given Joseph this insight. And ONLY GOD could have worked within the
heart of Joseph to enable him to continue to believe in a God who
would ALLOW HIM TO BE SOLD INTO SLAVERY AND THEN MISTREATED during
his enslavement.
- As Christians, we believe that the life we are living is a “vapor” when compared to the eternity that we will spend with God. Life on earth as we experience appears to us to be the most important reality in our lives. When a loved one dies, we find it difficult to understand why human life must end. I believe we experience this because as Solomon wrote in his Philosophy of Life – which is contained in the book of Ecclesiastes – “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men.” – Ecclesiastes 3:11 There is something in us that really does believe that we should be able to live forever!
The
scriptures teach that there is an Eternal Kingdom into which those
who have placed their faith in God’s saving Grace in Jesus Christ
will enter. There will be no trace of sin, sorrow, sickness or death.
And we will experience an unending joyful existence with God and with
one another. At THAT TIME, nothing we have experienced in this life
will keep us from a rich, full, and meaningful existence WITHOUT the
presence of evil.
- There is one final truth that I believe bears comment regarding this subject. And that is the fact that as human beings we are fundamentally different from all other living things. We are CREATED in the IMAGE OF GOD. This is not true of animals or plants. We are not GOD; but we are LIKE GOD; and this is what gives us dignity and significance – even in a world which often marginalizes and mistreats some of us.
It is THIS REALITY
that will overshadow any evil that has ever been perpetrated on
anyone. When we arrive in God’s Kingdom, we will be forever
grateful that we were given LIFE as HUMAN BEINGS. The fact that we
will FOREVER enjoy the presence of God, and the blessed fellowship
with all fellow believers, will completely overshadow anything that
has happened to us while on this earth.
The
Bible speaks of those who “grieve like the rest of men who have no
hope.” (1 Thessalonians 4:13)
Our
hope rests in the promise that our faith in the death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ assures us of a place in eternity; and
that reality will far outweigh any degree or length of suffering that
comes from “evil intentions” in this life.
Pastor Dick Brookes,
Coila Church
Over
the centuries people who believe in God have always faced the need to
reconcile a loving ("don't You care?") all-powerful ("You
could have stopped this!") God with the presence of
belief-shattering, faith-sucking evil. Some have argued that evil is
the absence of good; when God withdraws, evil abounds. Or that evil
is the result of destructive use of free will; our choice is not
God's fault. Still others see the suffering that evil causes as a
means of perfecting the human spirit; a teaching tool if you will. Or
that suffering is punishment for wickedness, the tool of a righteous,
angry God.
Frankly,
I have never found any of these approaches compelling. How would an
ever-present God withdraw? Didn't God create free will in us? A
teaching tool? Really? Punishment visited indiscriminately on 6 year
olds? I just don't buy it.
To
be honest, I don't have a good answer for 'why.' At least not a
rational, philosophically satisfying one. The arguments and
explanations of Job's so-called comforters just add to his suffering.
I think wise believers don't try to explain or defend God. God's Way
is beyond us (which is ultimately the answer God gives to Job.)
I
do believe that God's Way is to enter into human suffering.
Christians just completed the season in which we mark Jesus "moving
into the neighborhood." Emmanuel means God with us. In Jesus,
Christians see just how far God is willing to go to overcome evil -
all the way to the cross. Jesus' teachings offer us a glimpse into a
new way of doing life. Jesus' death provides the way to live that
life. Jesus victory over death gives us hope that God's Way wins out
over evil.
As
a pastor, I sit with people, and sometimes I join them in shaking our
fists at God. I ask the same questions, I struggle to understand and
to believe. And sometimes I get glimpses of God's Way; in the helping
hand of a caregiver, in the patient presence of a friend, in the
courageous calm of first responders, in the tested faith of an
octogenarian. In those moments my questions are tempered by
gratitude. "How could You let this happen?" and "How
can I be so blessed?" lie down together in my heart like the
lion and the lamb.
Kate
Kotfila – Cambridge United Presbyterian Church
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