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If
God is Good, Why Is There So Much Evil in the World?
1A)
Introduction
1B) When I was thinking about what topic to preach on I looked at the calendar.
It is the 4th anniversary of 9/11 Terrorists attacks. We are daily
hit with the images of the devastation and utter human need of the Gulf Coast
states. It also reminds us of the tsunami in Indonesia.
2B) Whenever there is a terrible tragedy or natural disaster the question always
comes up, “Why would God allow such a thing?”
1C) Sometimes this idea is posed by a person truly suffering whether
they have been directly affected by the loss of their possessions or of a loved
one.
1D) Ted Turner, from NY Times commenting on the loss of his
sister to a devastating brain disease; “I was taught that God was love and that
God was powerful. Yet I couldn’t understand how someone so innocent could be
made or allowed to suffer so.”
2D) Reference to Darwin’s loss of Annie, “Any vestige of
belief in God left Charles Darwin at that time.”
2C) Sometimes it is merely a philosophical argument used to deny the
existence of the God of the Bible. God is either a monster who is all powerful
and could stop the evil but chooses not to thus allowing people to suffer, or he
is too impotent to stop the evil.”
3B) Where does this type of question come from?
1C) I want to take a few moments this morning to discuss this
question and to answer it from a Biblical perspective; where it comes from and
how we should respond.
2C) Most of what I say will be directed towards those who are posing
the question argumentatively
3C) Anyone truly suffering will not be helped by arguments or
answers but by true loving compassion. For these people physical help, patient
understanding, and effectual fervent prayer is what they need and will
appreciate.
4C) Nothing I say today should be construed to minimize or belittle
the suffering that another person is going through. I am reminded of what Jesus
said in Mark 14:7
“For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them
good: but me ye have not always.”
They were not just empty words. This was really a mandate from the God of heaven
to meet the physical needs of whomever we can. “If we have the ability and the
opportunity to meet a need, then we have the responsibility to do so.” (1 John
3:16-18)
2A)
Comes from Misunderstanding of God’s Nature - Both Good and Just and All
Powerful
1B) Bible teaches that God is both all powerful (Isaiah 46:9-11) and loving (1
John 4:8) God is love
2B) But there is another aspect of the nature of God that is not mentioned in
this question, His Justice.
1C) Do not distort the true understanding about the nature of God.
He is love but He is also just. If you have one without the other you have a
wrong understanding of Who God is.
1D) We can have a view of God as a frowning angry judge
waiting to destroy anyone who would step out of line; A God of judgment with no
understanding of His love. But that rarely is the case.
2D) More typically we have a view of God of love who is the
spineless mass of quivering emotion, who does not and can not judge sin or do
anything that might avert our head long pursuit of empty happiness.
2C) We would not think that a government that willfully and
knowingly ignores the blatant violation of its laws to be very good government.
Romans 2:6-10
1D) So it is with God’s government of His universe. He sets
the standard, He makes the Laws and enforces them. (Romans 2:6-10)
2D) We do not like to think about that because we are the
guilty offending party. We are the ones dues God’s wrath.
3C) Moreover God’s love and His justice are in perfect harmony
Romans 3:26
“To
declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the
justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.”
3A)
Comes from Misunderstanding of Whose responsibility anyway
1B) First recognize that this question implies that If God exists then evil is
His fault. But that is not so.
2B) God made a perfect world, it was very good, meaning that everything was
exactly as God had intended it.
1C) There was no death or disease or suffering. The animals were in
perfect harmony. (This is one reason why you cannot believe the Bible and
believe in millions of years before Adam. Millions of years requires death.
There was no death before the fall (Romans 5:12) (What about plants?)
2C) God made Adam in His image. Part of that image is the ability to
make moral choices. And he was the representative head of the race.
3B) Adam willfully, knowingly chose to disobey the direct command of God. He in
effect said, God I don’t want your way I want my own way. This was high treason
against almighty God.
4B) Results of the fall Genesis 3:17-19 First Sin then God cursed the ground
1C) This world is broken, there are some remnants of beauty but
there is brokenness as well. The animals that were all once vegetarian and lived
in perfect harmony now rip each other apart.
2C) God imputes the unrighteousness of Adam’s sin to every one of
his progeny. (Romans 5:12) Adam obtained a sinful cursed nature which results in
death. We have inherited that sinful nature. Every time we sin as individuals we
give testimony to two things.
1D) We indeed have that sinful nature (We sin because we are
sinners; we do not become sinners when we sin.)
2D) We say that we would have made the same choice that Adam
did.
5B) Where is the God of Love When we deserve death He steps in and says I will
withhold my justice I will step into time and space and take your sins upon
myself and give you the opportunity to merely trust me to save you.
4A)
Comes from Misunderstanding of God’s Purpose If God Could Stop it Why Doesn’t
He?
1B) He will some day but in order to He must destroy sinners; which would
include all of us. 2 Peter 3:9
“The Lord is not slack
concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to
us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to
repentance.”
1C) Not something you would say to someone grieving but to answer
the old question why do bad things happen to good people? There is no such thing
from God’s perspective as a good person. Matthew 19:17
2C) God graciously withholds His justice which would be immediate
condemnation in hell and allows us to taste a little of what life without Him
and His perfect upholding of all things would be like.
2B) Asking the question, “Why did he/she/they die?” is the wrong question
anyway. Right question is why are we all going to die?
1C) Luke 13:1-5 What about those whom Herod killed are they worse
sinners? Or the 18 on whom the tower of Siloam fell?
1D) We are all going to die we are all equally sinners
2D) Christians who may be thinking that this happened to New
Orleans because it is a wicked city, be careful! You are repeating the same
attitude as those who felt themselves superior. Jesus says to you, Repent for
you will likewise perish.
1E) Christians above all people should be cognizant of
how sinful they are and how gracious God has been to them.
2E) If we are thinking we are superior to them, Jesus
has a word for you. Repent!
5A)
Comes from Misunderstanding
of the Big Picture
1B) First Big Picture – Why
did God do all this anyway? Why did He even allow sin?
Romans 11:22
Behold
therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but
toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also
shalt be cut off.
2B) Second Big Picture
– Eternity
2 Corinthians
4:17
For our
light affliction,
which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal
weight of glory;
3B) Third Big Picture – God has perfectly good reasons why He allows these
things to occur that we may not see.
1C) Think of Job He lost his family, lost his home & possessions,
lost his health, the support of his wife and the respect of his friends
2C) When Job thought to question God about why, God spoke to him
from chapter 38 to 41 God examined him concerning what he knew and he knew
nothing. Job’s response was
“Wherefore I abhor myself
and repent in dust and ashes.”
This takes a measure of faith, but whenever we do not know what God is doing, we
let God be God and trust that He is working all things out for our benefit and
His glory.
3C) God often uses trials to turn us to Him
1D) We piously wrap ourselves in the American flag and say
“God Bless America!” after we have thrown Him out of schools and promoted every
godless idea we can imagine, then wonder why He allows some suffering.
2D) The greatest blessing that God can give to this country is
revival. If it takes some trials to wake us up to our need for repentance then
the greatest blessings that God can give are whatever will cause us to repent
and seek His face 2 Chronicles 7:14
If my people, which are
called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn
from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their
sin, and will heal their land.
6A)
How do I respond? (Lessons for our Lives)
1B) Recognize Who God really is, whose responsibility it is, What God is doing
and focus on the big picture
2B) When faced with someone grieving, they are not interested in such a
discourse, just be there for them and comfort them with assurances that God is
real and is there to receive and comfort them.
3B) When faced with someone merely argumentative then find out their basic ideas
and show them God does exist and He is in control.
4B) Perhaps you are here today and have never come to the point where you can
say with certainty God has saved me, I know that when I die He will take me to
be with Himself for all eternity.
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