The Problem, Origin, and the Purpose and Solution to Evil

by Pastor Memphis | Jul 18, 2021 | Uncategorized

Where does evil come from?

Does evil come from God?

Does God do evil and if so why?

How can we reconcile God’s love with the existence of evil?

If God is Love then why does He allow horrible tragedies and evil to take place?

If God is Good and All-powerful then why doesn’t He just eliminate all evil?

If God is Good and All-powerful then why doesn’t He just save everybody from evil?

If God is Love and All-powerful then why does He send people to an evil place such as Hell?

From where did Good and Evil come? Who created them? In the creation stories, at no point does the author say, “And on the third day, God created both Good and Evil.” Both Good and Evil simply exist, an understood part of the universe.

The Problem

The existence of evil and suffering in our world seems to pose a serious challenge to belief in the existence of a perfect God. If God were all-knowing, it seems that God would know about all of the horrible things that happen in our world. If God were all-powerful, God would be able to do something about all of the evil and suffering. Furthermore, if God were morally perfect, then surely God would want to do something about it. And yet we find that our world is filled with countless instances of evil and suffering.  These facts about evil and suffering seem to conflict with the Christian claim that there exists a perfectly good God. The challenges posed by this apparent conflict has come to be known as the problem of evil.

Definition of Evil – Dictionary and Biblical

Dictionary – Evil – 

         1. morally wrong or bad; immoral; wicked

         2. Harmful; detrimental

         3. Characterized or accompanied by misfortune or suffering; unfortunate

         4. The force of nature that governs and gives rise to wickedness and sin

Suffering – To undergo, be subjected to, or endure (pain, distress, injury, loss, or anything unpleasant.

Biblical – To depart from God, Anything that is not God’s will

Gen 2:9

Isa 45:7

John 8:44 

Math 15:19

Heb 3:12

The Result of Evil has been the sin and depravity of humanity, the corrupt, wickedness, and pervertedness of humanity AND The depravity of humanity is the most verifiable human experience.

Bible Hebrew word translated as Create

Hb 1254 – Bara – to create, to cut down

The Purpose of Evil – God Uses Evil to bring glory to Himself and to help us turn and direct our attention to Him

Prov 16:4

Lam 3:37, 38

Amos 3:6 – To use

Gen 50:15-20

Matt 26:38

Matt 16:21-23

Bible Hebrew word for “To Do” 

Hb 6213 – Asah -awsaw – To do or make, in the Most broadest sense and widest application.  To appoint, to have the charge of, to govern, to use.

Contrast w/ Bara to cut down

Isa 5:20

Isa 7:14,15

Bible Hebrew words translated as Evil 

Hb 7451 – Ra’rah – calamity, disasters, tragedy 

Hb 7563 – Rasha – morally wrong, ungodly, wicked

Never is Rasha applied or credited to God in the Bible

The Solution to Evil – Jesus

1 John 3:8

Jer 29:11

1 John 1:5

John 10:10

James 1:17 

Rom 8:28

Good and Evil (Moral righteousness and Moral wickedness) are both choices and the Choice of Good and Evil or one having this choice or option is a gift from God. This is what we call “Free Moral Agency”. So ultimately this gift of choice to prefer good or evil comes from and is bestowed upon us by God. Yet this gift of free moral agency (which is of God to bestow upon whomever He will) is something that is eternal and transcends time. In other words, the option to choose either Good or Evil has always, eternally been an option, in so much that God has granted it to Beings that have it. Genesis chapter 2 presents Good and Evil as knowledge that is packaged together.  Good and Evil has always existed together and you can not have one without the other. Good and Evil has always existed as long God has existed, therefore they are eternal because God is eternal. God is the highest form of Good and nothing but Good only can come from God. This is what we mean when we say “God is Good All the Time and All the Time God is Good”. Now, as much as the Good has always been there and is from God and Good is to Choose God, so the Evil has always been there and is to NOT choose God. This choice to not choose God, comes from God and is how we define Evil. 

Biblical Definition of Evil

Hebrews 3:12,13 – “Take heed 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 To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin”.

Gratitude and Thankfulness – The Solution to an Evil Heart of Unbelief

The practice of Gratefulness and Thankfulness helps us turn our attention to God and maintain a Good heart of belief in drawing closer to the Living God. 

Gratitude Vs Thankfulness

The expression of Gratitude is the continuous flow of being Thankful.

Gratitude is usually associated with appreciation for immaterial things. Thankfulness on the other hand is appreciation for material gifts. When someone gives you a gift on your birthday or for Christmas you say “Thank you”. That is being Thankful. When you think about how you had a tough day at work all the challenges of the day, being Grateful is appreciating the fact that you have a job.  

When you do this, the expressing of gratitude and thankfulness, you choose to put your belief in God by recognizing 3 things:

1. Who the Giver is – God
2. What the gift is – Whatever you are grateful and thankful for
3. Who receives the gift – You

We recognize ourselves as the recipient and offer our thanks and gratitude to the Giver who is God. 

This practice and expression of gratitude and thanksgiving helps us to maintain a good heart of belief and draws us closer to the Living God.

On the other hand, finding ourselves feeling like we deserve more or better tempts us to be ungrateful and unthankful causing an Evil heart of unbelief departing from the Living God.

So the root of an evil heart of unbelief 

Hell – God is against the abolishment of Souls. The Containment of Evil for all Eternity – Example – Ladies have you ever had a guy pursue you that you did not want pursuing you? But even though you did not want him pursuing you, he just kept on pursuing you. In fact, you have told him several times you only like him as a Friend and nothing more but yet he continued. What if he tried to force you to Love him would this be love? The truth is that if this guy really Loves you then he would not force himself upon you and try to make you Love him but just simply leave you alone as you wish. This is exactly what God does.  

Have Faith in God

by Pastor Memphis | Jul 18, 2021 | Uncategorized

Faith – Greek 4102 – Pistis – Persuasion, credence, moral conviction, reliance upon God, Consistency in your Faith Profession/confession, assurance, belief, trust, 

Mark 11:12-14 

Mark 11:20-26 Read in BBE “Have God’s Faith” Have the Faith of God or the God Kind of Faith”

Luke 17:5- 6 –  Increase our Faith

Math 14:22 – Jesus and Peter walk on the Water

Mark 4:35-40 – Jesus sleeps on the Boat

1. Two Kinds of Demonstrated Faith

1. Faith/Trust in God and what He says 
2. Faith/Trust in what YOU say that lines up with what God says (The Command of Faith)

“Having Faith in God” VS “Having the Faith of God or the God kind of Faith” or in other words “Using Faith or Trust the way God uses it” (the Command of Faith)

3. The key is to study how God and Jesus demonstrated Faith

 – Notice Jesus wasn’t speaking ABOUT the Fig Tree, he spoke TO the Fig Tree! He spoke what His desired end result was. He didn’t wait until the circumstances or outward situation changed and agreed with His words before He said anything. He boldly spoke what the end result would be BEFORE there was any sign. He knew the situation would line up with His words. 

How does God’s Faith Work?

Gen 1:3 God said, it was so, and He saw!

Rom 4:17 Even God which Calls those things which be not as though the were

John 5:19 – When Jesus spoke to the Fig Tree, He was doing what He had seen His Father do and saying what He had heard His Father say. He was speaking God’s word and trusting it to be fulfilled just as He wanted it to happen.

4. Speak to the Root VS Outward

He also spoke to the Fig Tree and it dried up from its roots! He didn’t call fire down to burn up or ice to freeze the Fig Tree from the outside, but he spoke to the Fig Tree’s roots. In Mark’s account it took 24 hours for what had begun instantly from the root to be seen on the outward of the Fig Tree. So likewise in our situation, whatever we have spoken to from the root, we got to believe the the root of the situation is being change and that part can not be seen but eventually because the situation is being change instantly from the root, it will effect and change the situation on the outward which can be seen and may take time. 

5. We have this same authority

Psl 107:2

2 Cor 4:13

Next Sunday Study

Where does Doubt come from? Guilt, not measuring up, Sin, how we see ourselves, self-confidence, identity in Christ?

Doubt – is to call into question the truth

Fear

Mistakes/Sins – Past, Present, and Future (Sin makes you a coward, brings feeling of guilt and inferiority

Other People

Logic

Self Perception

Others perception

Past Experiences

Not being practiced in walking by faith and what you can not see

We must see and understand Faith as a Servant

Matt 7:29

Matthew 8:5

Luke 17:5

Mark 9:19

Is there anything too hard for the Lord?

Jer 32:17,27

Zech 8:6

Gen 18:14

Be not weak in Faith but Strong in Faith and consider not the problem but Consider and dwell on the promise, speaking the promise and calling it in!!

Rom 4:16-21

With God nothing is impossible

Luke 1:37

Math 19:26

If there is any Doubt, God says He will give us all things

1 Tim 6:17

Rom 8:32

Matters of the Heart

by Pastor Memphis | Jul 18, 2021 | Uncategorized

Scriptures

Heb 3:12 (Evil Heart of Unbelief in departing from the Living God)

Mark 4:1-9

Mark 4:13-20

Matt 13:18-23 (Understandeth in not)

Luke 8: 11-15 (honest and good heart)

Four Different Types of Hearts of People Who Hear the Word of God

1. Wayside Ground – Fowls came and devoured/ate up the seed that was sown by the wayside

Explanation – The Wayside ground is a heart that does not understand the Word that was preached, taught, or read. In this case Satan, the wicked one, is able to take away from one that which they don’t understand in the manner that the fowls took away the seed. 

Solution – Seek to understand the Word of God, through developing a practice of studying the WOG. Labour to understand the Word of God through study of the WOG. Ask God to give you understanding of the Bible and things that He speaks to you. 

2. Stony Ground – Not much earth for the seed to take root. The Heat (Pressure) of the Sun scorches the growth of the seed and it dies and withers away. 

Explanation – They that hear the word and understand it at the surface, and because of this understanding they receive it with Joy initially, but after some time that they have endured for a while (through surface or a shallow understanding) because their was not a deeper understanding of the word that causes one to be rooted and grounded in order to grow (but just a surface level or shallow understanding of it) when hardships come because of the word that they heard they are offended and stop believing and fall off. (Note that the heat of the Sun that scorches is the affliction or persecution that arise for the word’s sake) 

Solution – seek to get a deeper understanding of the Word of God. Don’t think that you have it all figured out and already understand it completely. Seek to be rooted in the Word through your study of it and through your experiences with God. These are things the devil can not take from you. What do we need to be rooted and grounded in? Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 2:6,7; Gal 5:22; Luke 6:46-49

3. Thorny Ground – Seed sown on ground where thorns are and the thorns grow and choke the growth of the seed.

Explanation – The thorns are the deceitfulness of riches (covetousness and the love of money and possessions), cares of the world (relationships, family, work, school, business etc. life happens), and the lust of other things entering in ones heart, guilt, shame, pride, depression, anger, bitterness, hate, strife, envying, unforgiveness etc. (How do these negative things enter in? Through Words: By the world’s and the enemy’s words) and these words all choke the Word of God where it can not grow and will suffocate and wither/die.

Solution – Humble yourself before God, judge yourself, check yourself and your heart. Ask the Lord if this is you and turn from it and repent. Receive Jesus’ warning to us in Luke 12:15, “…Beware of covetousness: for a person’s life consists not in the abundance of the things which they possess.”. Guard your heart from listening to words that will choke God’s words. Any words or thoughts that contradict, discredit, or support ideas that are contrary to God’s words must be “cast down” and brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ as 2 Cor. 10:5 states. Develop the habit of “casting all your care upon God” as 1 Pet 5:7 says. Understand the Kingdom principle of “Seeking First the Kingdom of God” and trust that all these other things will be added.       

4. Good Ground – Seed fell on good ground and produced fruit

Explanation – They hear the Word of God and receive it in an Honest and Good heart. They understand it, they judge themselves, they seek deeper understanding of it and they keep it (protect it and guard it, meditating, praying, studying) and you know it because you see the Gal 5 the fruit of the Spirit in operation in their life. 

What is an Honest and Good heart? This is the heart that hears the word of God and does not think “ooh I wish so and so was hearing this, this is for them”. No, they take in the word and think “how does this word apply to me” and “how can I take this word and use it to draw closer to God?”. They take a “honest and good” look at their own life and they judge themselves according to the word that is being spoken and because of this they grow and produce fruit and become better as a result of hearing the Word that was spoken. The evidence is that you see the fruit of the Spirit being demonstrated in their life when they encounter temptations and all the rest of the stuff that all the other 3 grounds/hearts fell off from.