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:
- Who the Giver is – God
- What the gift is – Whatever you are grateful and thankful for
- 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.
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