Section 26: Good vs. Evil
ORIGIN OF EVIL
In the Genesis account of creation it says, "God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. " (Gen. 1:31) Elsewhere it is written, "thou (God) didst create all things, and by thy will they existed and were created. " (Rev. 4:11, RSV) The Bible is quite clear that evil was not part of creation and present at the beginning, but it soon appeared on the scene, for it came with SIN.
WHAT IS SIN?
In John's first epistle he writes, "Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness." (1 John 3:4 NIV) The Greek word for lawlessness is "anomia". It indicates not merely a transgression of a given law, but involves also an attitude of rebellion. In other words, when one defies God either through thought, word, or deed, it is considered sin.
DOES GOD TEMPT ANYONE OR CAUSE THEM TO SIN?
"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: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." (James 1:13-15)
THE SOURCE OF SIN: Lust and Pride (I John 2:16)
"For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world."
Classic Example: Eve's sin in the Garden (Gen. 3:1-7)
Fruit was "good for food" - lust of the flesh
"pleasant to the eyes " - lust of the eyes
"ye shall be as gods" - pride of life
RESULT: Enmity Between Man & God
Flesh versus Spirit
IS MAN INHERENTLY GOOD or EVIL?
The Bible clearly shows, in each book of the Bible, that man is essentially "evil" by nature. The enmity between man and God has continued throughout the ages.
"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jer. 17:9)
"That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. " (Mark 7:20-23)
See also: Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Isaiah 59:1-8; Rom. 3:10 12,23
BOTTOM LINE: Man is evil and God is good. Evil may prevail for a season, but ultimately good will prevail according to God's timetable. Consider the wonderful promise found in Paul's epistle to the Romans:
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God." (Rom. 8:18-21, NIV)
Also, Revelation 21:3-4 says,
"I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
WHY IS THERE SUFFERING?
Sin and suffering are a part of the present state of things, not caused by the design or purpose of God, but by the folly of mankind in the very beginning of history and perpetuated, in many cases, by the foolish actions of an ignorant and disobedient world. Man's disobedience has introduced into the arena of God's work the cause of all the suffering, evil, bloodshed, disease, anger, impediments, and inequities that the long and sad history of the world ever since has witnessed. The problems that society faces today ¬- slums, murder, gambling, terrorism, etc. are the products of man's lusts and folly.
Man continues to be disinterested in heeding the Word of God, and the divine instructions contained therein, and at the same time, continues to wonder at the presence of evil and suffering. Much of the suffering in the world is a direct result of man's actions. Stress, heart failure, cancer, the increase in mental illness, respiratory ailments due to pollution, and such curses upon humanity as AIDS, bring trauma and distress even to innocent families and communities. Consider the words of"the Preacher" in Ecclesiastes, "...time and chance happeneth to them all" (Ecc. 9:11)
WHY DOESN'T GOD INTERVENE?
Some say God could remove all these dreadful circumstances. Certainly, He could. But if He did so without reason and purpose, providing sinful mankind with every blessing and benefit without restriction, He would never accomplish His ultimate purpose which is to produce a people "for His Name " (Acts 15:14), and to teach mankind the wisdom of His ways.
Without an understanding of God's Word, men do not acknowledge divine instruction, and are not prepared to accept God's teaching. They will not naturally follow the way of righteousness. The evil characteristics of man are the cause of much of humanity's suffering. A society that throws off the restraint of the Scriptures causes the glaring injustices against its fellows which are so evident today.
The Bible invites us to separate from such a society; to recognize the evil condition of life about us; to acknowledge that we are no longer "very good", but inherently "desperately wicked", and therefore to seek for the means to raise ourselves above the hopelessness of sin, and seek for righteousness.
The Bible is the key to such a positive attitude. It clearly shows the way in which men and women can find real satisfaction in life, and obtain answers to the perplexing questions that otherwise seem to have no solution.
IS SUFFERING NECESSARY? WHY DO THE RIGHTEOUS ALSO SUFFER?
The qualities that Almighty God seeks in His creatures, are summed up in Galatians 5:22-23, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." These characteristics are not natural to us; they only come by development. Instead, we are born with the selfish desires of flesh. These are uppermost in our consideration, and in most people remain the prime force of their lives.
But God wants to change that, and the means employed are often trial and suffering. Indeed, the Apostle Paul taught that it is "through much tribulation" that believers will "enter the Kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22). God does not exempt His servants from suffering and trials, for it is by such means that they are able to prove their courage and their conviction about the things they believe. Not only so, but it is through difficulties that a person is made stronger in character, more understanding and compassionate, and more faithful in disposition. These are the characteristics with which God is well-pleased.
And, there will be an end of suffering. Those who "by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality" will be granted "eternal life" (Romans 2: 7) - the promise of "divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4), and the privilege of reigning as "kings and priests" with Jesus Christ (Rev. 5:10) by the grace of God. No more will the weaknesses of human nature be felt; no longer the diseases, distresses and frustrations of life; no longer the realization of increasing age, with all its weaknesses and concerns. The joy of immortality is beautifully expressed in the words of the prophet Isaiah: "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint" (ch. 40:31).
In the midst of a time of trouble the Psalmist confidently asserted, "One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in His temple. For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion: in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock" (Psalm 27:4-5). David knew that whatever trials he was required to face, God would protect him, so that ultimately he might achieve his heart's desire. So he tells us, "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord" (verse 14).
One question i do have... By accepting Christ as our savior do we raise ourselves out of this sin that would otherwise send us to hell?
Or are we given the characteristics not our own?
What i am saying is, even though I have Jesus in my life and i have accepted him as my savior, do i still have this nature to be evil and wicked? or is that somehow shushed and forced out during acceptance. Because sometimes i feel as if what i am doing, i am doing because of the right reasons. but these passages make me feel that deep down inside there may be a wrong reason?
Posted by: jonah franklin | July 25, 2008 at 09:14 PM
Thanks for your question Jonah.
We take on the saving name of our Lord Jesus through full immersion Baptism. This is with understanding, and with the realization that we are sinners.
We will continue to sin, but we must try our best to not sin. And, when we fail, we need to repent and ask forgiveness for our sins.
Our nature does not change, but after baptism we have a covering for our sins, through our Lord Jesus.
Your comment about being sent to hell, is also something to consider. The Bible talks about Hell as a separation from God, and is really describing the grave where the dead no longer praise God.
See Section 10 (Bible Terminology) for more definition of Hell:
http://www.readthebible.com/2007/07/ltrbe-semina-20.html
Posted by: Geoff | July 27, 2008 at 03:51 PM