Saturday, December 22, 2012

Why Does God Allow Evil?


    This week, two of our most popular Evangelical preachers were interviewed on separate News Shows. Both were asked the same question: Was it God's Will that the children in Newtown were killed?

    Admittedly this is a difficult question to answer. However, those in public ministry need to be able to give a biblical answer.  People depend on them to know the mind of God. They are primarily teachers, explaining the basic tenants of the Christian Faith, as well as the more complex issues of life, from a biblical perspective.

    These men failed....miserably! Both answered by declaring what happened to be the result of mans' Free Will. This is biblically inaccurate, since Man has no Free Will! His will is captive to his heart, which is corrupt and morally evil according to The Bible. 

    He might choose a lessor sin, resist some temptations, do certain outwardly good acts, even seek God from an entirely selfish motive, but he cannot act completely contrary to his heart! Jesus said that it is 'out of the heart men sin.'  [Matt. 15:19].  Jeremiah declared mans' heart to be 'desperately wicked and deceitful above all things.'  [Jer 17:9]

    The Bible declares all human beings to be, by nature, slaves to sin [Rom. 6]. The Bible offers no hope that men would / could rehabilitate themselves [Rom. 7]. In our natural state / condition, we do the things our heart [nature] dictates. It is not that all men act as depraved as they could, but that all men are morally / spiritually corrupt, because of inherent sin, and are simply doing the deeds of their father, the devil [Jn 8:44]

    It is understandable that these pastors would get this part wrong, since most Christians believe in a Free Will. It's the second part that is both amazing and shocking. One of them declared: "God's will is rarely done on earth." 

    This, my friends, is biblical heresy! The Bible sees the world under the immediate control of Satan [I Jn. 5:19]. This does not mean God is simply watching, helplessly, from the sidelines! Our God is sovereign over the universe He created. Nothing happens without His knowledge, permission or direct intervention. Psalm 76:10 tells us that God restrains evil, so things are not as bad as they could be. It also tells us that certain evil is necessary, to further the purpose of God. It is that evil God allows. 

    The will of God includes a certain amount of good and evil. When God allowed sin into the world of men, He did so for a reason. He could have kept it out. Now, when God allows evil, it is for that same reason. He controls evil so it only furthers His ultimate purpose, otherwise no one would be safe! 

    These children did not deserve the violence that ended their young lives in the sense that they did some terrible thing. They are simply part of a world filled with evil hearts, determined to do evil. What happened on December 14 is that God didn't stop it.....this time.

    What kind of a God is that? The kind Who loves us enough to let us see both the good and the bad. If God were to do what most of us want [keep all evil away], we would never see sin for what it is. What happened in Newtown was that only 26 people died. 

    And Where Was God? He was the same place He was when His Son died! He was the same place He was when you were saved! He was the same place He was when countless folks narrowly escaped certain death! It is a testimony to our limited understanding that we want it both ways!

    But what's Joel Osteen and Rick Warren's excuse? They're 'experts' in Christianity. People depend on them knowing God's Truth. Is this more of God's permissive will? How many church-goers were shocked at these answers?