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In the beginning- according to the bible in Genesis- God created all things good- perfect. He didn't create evil. Even Satan- to begin with was good. .an angel of light.
What happened?
The angel Lucifer had free will.. and wanted to have the power.. used free will to disobey God.. and became God's adversary.
People-- were given free will so they could love God out of that.. and not as robots.. but also chose to disobey God and went their own way.
Now.. were God to just eradicated evil everytime it turned up.. people would have no responsibility themselves to overcome it.
This is part of some of the answers to these questions.. there is a lot more to it also.
What happened?
The angel Lucifer had free will.. and wanted to have the power.. used free will to disobey God.. and became God's adversary.
People-- were given free will so they could love God out of that.. and not as robots.. but also chose to disobey God and went their own way.
Now.. were God to just eradicated evil everytime it turned up.. people would have no responsibility themselves to overcome it.
This is part of some of the answers to these questions.. there is a lot more to it also.
J
God is responsible for allowing evil to exist, obviously, though not responsible if you're attributing evil or being tempted by evil of Holy God. God also uses everything to the ends of His plan and pleasure, for instance a bad ruler to punish a wicked people which is, really, only giving them what they want, i.e., their own way, having turned their backs on God. So, the wicked, vain slob who's hanging around, anyway, can give the people a taste of the devil they actually serve, having refused God as their master.
Iniquity "was found" in Satan, once a perfect creature, one must conclude something evil of choice coming along. But, the fact is, if by evil you're referring to that the concept exists and there's some accounting for that, nobody knows this mystery, though God gave us free will to make choices, life not real of, for instance, a robot.
Would add that God's justice and righteous are yet to be fully manifest, this side of the kingdom of heaven, where balancing the books is concerned. He is absolutely righteous and just, only not on our timetable or by our ways, which often reflect errant thinking of flawed and vain creatures, not the mind of the Creator.
Iniquity "was found" in Satan, once a perfect creature, one must conclude something evil of choice coming along. But, the fact is, if by evil you're referring to that the concept exists and there's some accounting for that, nobody knows this mystery, though God gave us free will to make choices, life not real of, for instance, a robot.
Would add that God's justice and righteous are yet to be fully manifest, this side of the kingdom of heaven, where balancing the books is concerned. He is absolutely righteous and just, only not on our timetable or by our ways, which often reflect errant thinking of flawed and vain creatures, not the mind of the Creator.
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satan would like you to think so as it was God's character he has called into question. God created perfect beings with a free will He didn't force them to follow Him. satan got proud and wanted to be equal to or above God and we are now in the mess we are in as Eve and Adam failed the human race. It is not God's fault or plan that any of His perfect created beings would choose sin/evil, but that is a chance God was willing to take in order to have true love given to Him because we wanted to give it not because God would force us to love Him....
Look at all the pain and suffering God has had to witness throughout the ages, it makes me want to go and give Him a hug and tell Him how sorry I am to have caused some of His pain. Someday soon I will be able to do that. Perfection as God intended it will be restored and because Jesus died for me I desire to be there when this perfection is restored and give God that big hug.
Look at all the pain and suffering God has had to witness throughout the ages, it makes me want to go and give Him a hug and tell Him how sorry I am to have caused some of His pain. Someday soon I will be able to do that. Perfection as God intended it will be restored and because Jesus died for me I desire to be there when this perfection is restored and give God that big hug.
C
I found some interesting passages.
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Exodus 32:14
And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
Joshua 23:15
Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things.
Judges 9:23
Then God sent an evil spirit
1 Samuel 16:14
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
2 Samuel 12:11
Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house
1 Kings 9:9
...therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.
1 Kings 14:10
Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of
Jeroboam
2 Kings 6:33 ...Behold, this evil is of the LORD;
2 Kings 21:12 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon
Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.
2 Kings 22:16 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place
2 Chronicles 34:24 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants
thereof...
Nehemiah 13:18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city?
Jeremiah 4:6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
Jeremiah 6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people
Jeremiah 11:11 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them
Jeremiah 25:29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil
Jeremiah 35:17 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them:
Jeremiah 44:2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon
Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah
Jeremiah 45:5 ...behold, I will bring evil
upon all flesh, saith the LORD:
Jeremiah 49:37 ...I will bring evil upon
them, even my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
Micah 1:12 .... evil came down from the
LORD
Micah 2:3 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
Exodus 32:14
And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people.
Joshua 23:15
Therefore it shall come to pass, that as all good things are come upon you, which the LORD your God promised you; so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things.
Judges 9:23
Then God sent an evil spirit
1 Samuel 16:14
But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
2 Samuel 12:11
Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house
1 Kings 9:9
...therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.
1 Kings 14:10
Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of
Jeroboam
2 Kings 6:33 ...Behold, this evil is of the LORD;
2 Kings 21:12 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon
Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.
2 Kings 22:16 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place
2 Chronicles 34:24 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants
thereof...
Nehemiah 13:18 Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city?
Jeremiah 4:6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction.
Jeremiah 6:19 Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people
Jeremiah 11:11 Therefore thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon them
Jeremiah 25:29 For, lo, I begin to bring evil
Jeremiah 35:17 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them:
Jeremiah 44:2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon
Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah
Jeremiah 45:5 ...behold, I will bring evil
upon all flesh, saith the LORD:
Jeremiah 49:37 ...I will bring evil upon
them, even my fierce anger, saith the LORD; and I will send the sword after them, till I have consumed them:
Micah 1:12 .... evil came down from the
LORD
Micah 2:3 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, against this family do I devise an evil
T
It does not answer your question as to God's relationship to the existence of evil, but one thing I do know: without evil we would not know about God's grace, mercy, compassion, justice, righteous anger, forgiveness or many other attributes that are only fully revealed in response to evil. I wouldn't go so far as to say that we should be glad for the reality of evil so that we can better know God, but since evil does exist I am glad that I am able to better know God because of it.
Put a mouse in a glass box. The ONLY things that mouse has access to is what you allow. If you put an orange (good) and an apple (evil) in that glass box, the mouse can ONLY choose from what has been provided by you, the "god" of the glass box.
The earth is our glass box. Mankind is the mouse in it. Oranges is knowledge of good, and apples knowledge of evil, all provided by God (of our glass box).
He provides both in order to teach mankind through trial and error NOT to choose evil. How else would we learn otherwise?
The earth is our glass box. Mankind is the mouse in it. Oranges is knowledge of good, and apples knowledge of evil, all provided by God (of our glass box).
He provides both in order to teach mankind through trial and error NOT to choose evil. How else would we learn otherwise?
J
But there is a clear distinction between those things of sin, and those things of God,
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.
God is Holy, Holy, Holy,
Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
His wrath is against sin, and that wrath is justice required of holiness, and we can all thank our "lucky stars" (pardon the expression) He is holy and not capricious, that He is steady, righteous, trustworthy, that He is love, that He is worthy! This is a most important concept to try and grasp of God, His absolute, spotless holiness, as it also brings realization of the hideous nature of our sin and need for righteousness, makes all sin no laughing matter.
James 1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.
God is Holy, Holy, Holy,
Revelation 4:8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
His wrath is against sin, and that wrath is justice required of holiness, and we can all thank our "lucky stars" (pardon the expression) He is holy and not capricious, that He is steady, righteous, trustworthy, that He is love, that He is worthy! This is a most important concept to try and grasp of God, His absolute, spotless holiness, as it also brings realization of the hideous nature of our sin and need for righteousness, makes all sin no laughing matter.
B
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[TD="width: 593, align: left"][h=1]Why does God allow evil?[/h]
Question: "Why does God allow evil?"
Answer: The Bible describes God as holy (Isaiah 6:3), righteous (Psalm 7:11), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and sovereign (Daniel 4:17-25). These attributes tell us the following about God: (1) God is capable of preventing evil, and (2) God desires to rid the universe of evil. So, if both of these are true, why does God allow evil? If God has the power to prevent evil and desires to prevent evil, why does He still allow evil? Perhaps a practical way to look at this question would be to consider some alternative ways people might have God run the world:
1) God could change everyone’s personality so that they cannot sin. This would also mean that we would not have a free will. We would not be able to choose right or wrong because we would be “programmed” to only do right. Had God chosen to do this, there would be no meaningful relationships between Him and His creation.
Instead, God made Adam and Eve innocent but with the ability to choose good or evil. Because of this, they could respond to His love and trust Him or choose to disobey. They chose to disobey. Because we live in a real world where we can choose our actions but not their consequences, their sin affected those who came after them (us). Similarly, our decisions to sin have an impact on us and those around us and those who will come after us.
2) God could compensate for people’s evil actions through supernatural intervention 100 percent of the time. God would stop a drunk driver from causing an automobile accident. God would stop a lazy construction worker from doing a substandard job on a house that would later cause grief to the homeowners. God would stop a father who is addicted to drugs or alcohol from doing any harm to his wife, children, or extended family. God would stop gunmen from robbing convenience stores. God would stop high school bullies from tormenting the brainy kids. God would stop thieves from shoplifting. And, yes, God would stop terrorists from flying airplanes into buildings.
While this solution sounds attractive, it would lose its attractiveness as soon as God’s intervention infringed on something we wanted to do. We want God to prevent horribly evil actions, but we are willing to let “lesser-evil” actions slide—not realizing that those “lesser-evil” actions are what usually lead to the “greater-evil” actions. Should God only stop actual sexual affairs, or should He also block our access to pornography or end any inappropriate, but not yet sexual, relationships? Should God stop “true” thieves, or should He also stop us from cheating on our taxes? Should God only stop murder, or should He also stop the “lesser-evil” actions done to people that lead them to commit murder? Should God only stop acts of terrorism, or should He also stop the indoctrination that transformed a person into a terrorist?
3) Another choice would be for God to judge and remove those who choose to commit evil acts. The problem with this possibility is that there would be no one left, for God would have to remove us all. We all sin and commit evil acts (Romans 3:23; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). While some people are more evil than others, where would God draw the line? Ultimately, all evil causes harm to others.
Instead of these options, God has chosen to create a “real” world in which real choices have real consequences. In this real world of ours, our actions affect others. Because of Adam’s choice to sin, the world now lives under the curse, and we are all born with a sin nature (Romans 5:12). There will one day come a time when God will judge the sin in this world and make all things new, but He is purposely “delaying” in order to allow more time for people to repent so that He will not need to condemn them (2 Peter 3:9). Until then, He IS concerned about evil. When He created the Old Testament laws, the goal was to discourage and punish evil. He judges nations and rulers who disregard justice and pursue evil. Likewise, in the New Testament, God states that it is the government’s responsibility to provide justice in order to protect the innocent from evil (Romans 13). He also promises severe consequences for those who commit evil acts, especially against the "innocent" (Mark 9:36-42).
In summary, we live in a real world where our good and evil actions have direct consequences and indirect consequences upon us and those around us. God’s desire is that for all of our sakes we would obey Him that it might be well with us (Deuteronomy 5:29). Instead, what happens is that we choose our own way, and then we blame God for not doing anything about it. Such is the heart of sinful man. But Jesus came to change men’s hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit, and He does this for those who will turn from evil and call on Him to save them from their sin and its consequences (2 Corinthians 5:17). God does prevent and restrain some acts of evil. This world would beMUCH WORSE were not God restraining evil. At the same time, God has given us the ability to choose good and evil, and when we choose evil, He allows us, and those around us, to suffer the consequences of evil. Rather than blaming God and questioning God on why He does not prevent all evil, we should be about the business of proclaiming the cure for evil and its consequences—Jesus Christ!
Recommended Resources: If God, Why Evil?: A New Way to Think about the Question by Norman Geisler and Logos Bible Software.
Answer: The Bible describes God as holy (Isaiah 6:3), righteous (Psalm 7:11), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and sovereign (Daniel 4:17-25). These attributes tell us the following about God: (1) God is capable of preventing evil, and (2) God desires to rid the universe of evil. So, if both of these are true, why does God allow evil? If God has the power to prevent evil and desires to prevent evil, why does He still allow evil? Perhaps a practical way to look at this question would be to consider some alternative ways people might have God run the world:
1) God could change everyone’s personality so that they cannot sin. This would also mean that we would not have a free will. We would not be able to choose right or wrong because we would be “programmed” to only do right. Had God chosen to do this, there would be no meaningful relationships between Him and His creation.
Instead, God made Adam and Eve innocent but with the ability to choose good or evil. Because of this, they could respond to His love and trust Him or choose to disobey. They chose to disobey. Because we live in a real world where we can choose our actions but not their consequences, their sin affected those who came after them (us). Similarly, our decisions to sin have an impact on us and those around us and those who will come after us.
2) God could compensate for people’s evil actions through supernatural intervention 100 percent of the time. God would stop a drunk driver from causing an automobile accident. God would stop a lazy construction worker from doing a substandard job on a house that would later cause grief to the homeowners. God would stop a father who is addicted to drugs or alcohol from doing any harm to his wife, children, or extended family. God would stop gunmen from robbing convenience stores. God would stop high school bullies from tormenting the brainy kids. God would stop thieves from shoplifting. And, yes, God would stop terrorists from flying airplanes into buildings.
While this solution sounds attractive, it would lose its attractiveness as soon as God’s intervention infringed on something we wanted to do. We want God to prevent horribly evil actions, but we are willing to let “lesser-evil” actions slide—not realizing that those “lesser-evil” actions are what usually lead to the “greater-evil” actions. Should God only stop actual sexual affairs, or should He also block our access to pornography or end any inappropriate, but not yet sexual, relationships? Should God stop “true” thieves, or should He also stop us from cheating on our taxes? Should God only stop murder, or should He also stop the “lesser-evil” actions done to people that lead them to commit murder? Should God only stop acts of terrorism, or should He also stop the indoctrination that transformed a person into a terrorist?
3) Another choice would be for God to judge and remove those who choose to commit evil acts. The problem with this possibility is that there would be no one left, for God would have to remove us all. We all sin and commit evil acts (Romans 3:23; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8). While some people are more evil than others, where would God draw the line? Ultimately, all evil causes harm to others.
Instead of these options, God has chosen to create a “real” world in which real choices have real consequences. In this real world of ours, our actions affect others. Because of Adam’s choice to sin, the world now lives under the curse, and we are all born with a sin nature (Romans 5:12). There will one day come a time when God will judge the sin in this world and make all things new, but He is purposely “delaying” in order to allow more time for people to repent so that He will not need to condemn them (2 Peter 3:9). Until then, He IS concerned about evil. When He created the Old Testament laws, the goal was to discourage and punish evil. He judges nations and rulers who disregard justice and pursue evil. Likewise, in the New Testament, God states that it is the government’s responsibility to provide justice in order to protect the innocent from evil (Romans 13). He also promises severe consequences for those who commit evil acts, especially against the "innocent" (Mark 9:36-42).
In summary, we live in a real world where our good and evil actions have direct consequences and indirect consequences upon us and those around us. God’s desire is that for all of our sakes we would obey Him that it might be well with us (Deuteronomy 5:29). Instead, what happens is that we choose our own way, and then we blame God for not doing anything about it. Such is the heart of sinful man. But Jesus came to change men’s hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit, and He does this for those who will turn from evil and call on Him to save them from their sin and its consequences (2 Corinthians 5:17). God does prevent and restrain some acts of evil. This world would beMUCH WORSE were not God restraining evil. At the same time, God has given us the ability to choose good and evil, and when we choose evil, He allows us, and those around us, to suffer the consequences of evil. Rather than blaming God and questioning God on why He does not prevent all evil, we should be about the business of proclaiming the cure for evil and its consequences—Jesus Christ!
Recommended Resources: If God, Why Evil?: A New Way to Think about the Question by Norman Geisler and Logos Bible Software.
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Why does God allow evil?
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Verse of the Week
"Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is."
1 John 3:2
Preferred Bible Version:
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It's man's fault there is evil in the world. Will not man take responsibility? Will not man be ashamed of the evil he has done?
If man repents from his evil and does good the Lord will repent from the evil he will justifiably do to man. If man repents from good and does evil the Lord will repent from the good he will do to man.
If man repents from his evil and does good the Lord will repent from the evil he will justifiably do to man. If man repents from good and does evil the Lord will repent from the good he will do to man.
Evil is the absence of good.
Adam and Eve chose evil over good which is why there is evil on earth. God allows it because it is His plan for us to acknowledge that good will always be better than evil and for us as His children to be able to come to the realization ourselves. It's a part of being saved and having eternal security in the Lord's kingdom.
Adam and Eve chose evil over good which is why there is evil on earth. God allows it because it is His plan for us to acknowledge that good will always be better than evil and for us as His children to be able to come to the realization ourselves. It's a part of being saved and having eternal security in the Lord's kingdom.