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Why Does God Allow Evil?
3 Tough Questions
Why Does God Allow Evil?
Louie Marsh, 11-20-2022
Mao Zedung
Born: December 26, 1893
Died: September 9, 1976, Beijing,
Responsible for between 40 and 80 million deaths – most scholars settle around 65 million deaths.
Joseph Stalin
Born: December 18,1878
Died: March 5, 1953, Kuntsevo Dacha, Moscow
Responsible for between 6 and 23 million people dying.
Adolph Hitler
Born: April 20, 1889,
Died: April 30, 1945, Berlin, Nazi Germany
Responsible for at least 17 million deaths.
TOTAL – OVER 100 MILLION!
HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE IN A GOD WHO LET’S THIS HAPPEN?
Where Does Evil Come From?
1) Satan decided to REBEL against God.
“13You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” (Isaiah 14:13–14, ESV)
2) We have DECIDED to go our own way.
“4But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:4–6, ESV)
3) God decided to ALLOW us to experience the consequences.
“17And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;” (Genesis 3:17, ESV)
Why Doesn’t God End Evil?
1) The Argument Against God.
- If a good, eternal and all powerful God exists, He could annihilate evil at will, and thus end all pain and suffering.
- A Being who had the power to do this, is cruel and unjust not to exercise this power and thus end all evil and it’s consequences.
- Theism (the belief in one God – Christianity is Theistic) affirms the all powerful, loving God we have just described; Who never the less does not annihilate evil.
- Therefore: He is cruel and unjust, or He does not exist!
2) What’s Wrong with the Argument?
- It places a restriction on the nature of God, something you can NEVER do!
- It presupposes that our reasoning processes are equal or superior to God’s, and that our solution must be the right one!
- It doesn’t work when you try and apply it practically.
Have Someone MAKE THE DECREE!!
God Allows Evil Because…
1) He is GOD!
“8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8–9, ESV)
He knows far more than we do – and has chosen not to end evil by destroying everything, but to work it out – through what the Bible calls Redemption – bringing everything back to Him.
- Because He is God I must BELIEVE IN HIM.
2) He is GOOD!
“18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,” (Luke 4:18, ESV)
“17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17, ESV)
“1For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1, ESV)
He is GOOD – and values FREEDOM! Our freedom, it would be evil to make us obey – evil and of no value what so ever!
- Because He is good I must TRUST HIM.
3) He is LOVE!
“7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7–8, ESV)
Love cannot be forced, it must be a FREE choice! Proposing with a gun example!
God allows evil because He has to if He is to give us the moral freedom we all need to choose to either love Him or reject Him!
- Because He is Love I must LOVE HIM.
4) He wants to bring us BACK TO HIM.
“16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)
God isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change. 2 Peter 3:9 (Mes)
View all episodes
By Lewis Marsh3 Tough Questions
Why Does God Allow Evil?
Louie Marsh, 11-20-2022
Mao Zedung
Born: December 26, 1893
Died: September 9, 1976, Beijing,
Responsible for between 40 and 80 million deaths – most scholars settle around 65 million deaths.
Joseph Stalin
Born: December 18,1878
Died: March 5, 1953, Kuntsevo Dacha, Moscow
Responsible for between 6 and 23 million people dying.
Adolph Hitler
Born: April 20, 1889,
Died: April 30, 1945, Berlin, Nazi Germany
Responsible for at least 17 million deaths.
TOTAL – OVER 100 MILLION!
HOW CAN YOU BELIEVE IN A GOD WHO LET’S THIS HAPPEN?
Where Does Evil Come From?
1) Satan decided to REBEL against God.
“13You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 14I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’” (Isaiah 14:13–14, ESV)
2) We have DECIDED to go our own way.
“4But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.” (Genesis 3:4–6, ESV)
3) God decided to ALLOW us to experience the consequences.
“17And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;” (Genesis 3:17, ESV)
Why Doesn’t God End Evil?
1) The Argument Against God.
- If a good, eternal and all powerful God exists, He could annihilate evil at will, and thus end all pain and suffering.
- A Being who had the power to do this, is cruel and unjust not to exercise this power and thus end all evil and it’s consequences.
- Theism (the belief in one God – Christianity is Theistic) affirms the all powerful, loving God we have just described; Who never the less does not annihilate evil.
- Therefore: He is cruel and unjust, or He does not exist!
2) What’s Wrong with the Argument?
- It places a restriction on the nature of God, something you can NEVER do!
- It presupposes that our reasoning processes are equal or superior to God’s, and that our solution must be the right one!
- It doesn’t work when you try and apply it practically.
Have Someone MAKE THE DECREE!!
God Allows Evil Because…
1) He is GOD!
“8For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8–9, ESV)
He knows far more than we do – and has chosen not to end evil by destroying everything, but to work it out – through what the Bible calls Redemption – bringing everything back to Him.
- Because He is God I must BELIEVE IN HIM.
2) He is GOOD!
“18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed,” (Luke 4:18, ESV)
“17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.” (2 Corinthians 3:17, ESV)
“1For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1, ESV)
He is GOOD – and values FREEDOM! Our freedom, it would be evil to make us obey – evil and of no value what so ever!
- Because He is good I must TRUST HIM.
3) He is LOVE!
“7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7–8, ESV)
Love cannot be forced, it must be a FREE choice! Proposing with a gun example!
God allows evil because He has to if He is to give us the moral freedom we all need to choose to either love Him or reject Him!
- Because He is Love I must LOVE HIM.
4) He wants to bring us BACK TO HIM.
“16“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, ESV)
God isn't late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn't want anyone lost. He's giving everyone space and time to change. 2 Peter 3:9 (Mes)