1
[h=3]I had gotten this in a Newsletter that I've subscribed to you, but I really wanted to share it, and add my own thoughts to it.
The Obedient Heart
by John Paul Jackson
[/h] Did God create evil?
If God is thoroughly good and there is no “bad” in Him, why did He create the angel Lucifer, who later became Satan? Some people look at this equation of good versus evil and conclude Satan must not actually exist, because an all-perfect, completely good God could not have created evil. Have you ever considered this before? What was your conclusion?
My conclusion is that evil was not created. It is the darkest form of the absence of God. Just as darkness is the absence of light, sin (evil) is the absence of God.
If evil were a created substance, like a rock or a plant, then yes—I couldn’t imagine there being a devil because God could not create evil. But evil is not created; it is the absence of God.
If we refuse to do what God wants, evil begins to show its face in our lives. This is a case of simple cause and effect. The closer we are to God, the more we look like Him. The further we are from God, the less we look like Him and the more at home we are with darkness.
Then, during Sunday, I learned something that pretty much went along with this. What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is when we allow God to heal our hurt emotions, right? It also gets rid of this... want for revenge. If you are at perfect peace with someone, are you gonna want to punch their face in? Nope. I certainly wouldn't want to.
Forgiveness is that God's presence is magnified, or extended in your life. When he re-enters those dark places that he has been absent from for who knows how long. When God is there, you know he cares. <3
The Obedient Heart
by John Paul Jackson
[/h] Did God create evil?
If God is thoroughly good and there is no “bad” in Him, why did He create the angel Lucifer, who later became Satan? Some people look at this equation of good versus evil and conclude Satan must not actually exist, because an all-perfect, completely good God could not have created evil. Have you ever considered this before? What was your conclusion?
My conclusion is that evil was not created. It is the darkest form of the absence of God. Just as darkness is the absence of light, sin (evil) is the absence of God.
If evil were a created substance, like a rock or a plant, then yes—I couldn’t imagine there being a devil because God could not create evil. But evil is not created; it is the absence of God.
If we refuse to do what God wants, evil begins to show its face in our lives. This is a case of simple cause and effect. The closer we are to God, the more we look like Him. The further we are from God, the less we look like Him and the more at home we are with darkness.
Then, during Sunday, I learned something that pretty much went along with this. What is forgiveness? Forgiveness is when we allow God to heal our hurt emotions, right? It also gets rid of this... want for revenge. If you are at perfect peace with someone, are you gonna want to punch their face in? Nope. I certainly wouldn't want to.
Forgiveness is that God's presence is magnified, or extended in your life. When he re-enters those dark places that he has been absent from for who knows how long. When God is there, you know he cares. <3