Contemplating The Matter Of Evil

 

Recently, I published a book entitled, “The Goodness of God and the Reality of Evil. Subtitled, “Why Do They Co-Exist?” In the book, I endeavor to answer that question. I just finished a book by Clay Jones dealing with the same subject. His book is entitled: “Why Does God Allow Evil?” Clay presents his treatise regarding evil as well. He takes the matter in a different way than me. If you really want to learn about this matter, click on the link above to purchase Clay’s book. You can purchase my book by visiting my website: www.delvinrarnold.com.

In studying this subject at length, and continuing to study it, I have discovered a couple of man’s fundamental problems: He focuses on why God allows evil instead of focusing on why men commit evil. The second problem in my opinion is worse than the first: Man does not understand that his sin is exceedingly sinful in the sight of God. Nor does he understand the beauty of God’s holiness. Summing up this equation, God understands man’s depraved nature completely. We, however, do not know (or really care) how wicked we really are.

We commit evil because we want to (John 3:19). It gives us pleasure. For some reason man thinks or hopes he can somehow avoid the consequences of his actions. You see, God does not punish us as soon as we commit sin. If He did we would walk on eggshells all day long looking over our shoulders in petrified fear. Praise God that He is merciful. He gives us space to repent of our sins so that His wrath does not come down on us. The problem with man is that once he gets a taste of evil and he stupidly thinks God is not looking, he takes it up a notch. And before he realizes it he’s piled up enough sins to reach heaven. Guess what? You’ve got God’s attention.

God has given us a wonderful gift – the gift of free will. Just like everything else God has given us to enjoy, we have abused it. Man has decided he wants to be like God – free will with full autonomy – no restraint. How has that worked out for us? If we could ask the dead – Sanger, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin (btw, never ever try to contact the dead, I mean really, don’t!), I’m sure their reply would be, “I’m burning in hell! How do you think it worked out?!”

If we are to make sense of evil, we MUST look at it theologically. We have to view it through a Biblical lense. If we don’t, we will chalk it up to bad luck in our lives, randomness – no rhyme or reason. That type of thought process denies personal and moral responsibility for your evil.

Genesis 6:5 we read that, “Then the Lord saw that wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually.”

“Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard its spots? Then may you also do good who are accustomed to doing evil” (Jeremiah 13:3)?

Man’s “answer” to evil is moralism – gun control, more prisons, deadly medications to control behavior, hypnotherapy, transgenderism – so many people are frustrated because they are convinced they were born the wrong gender. Changing their gender will make them happy. No! It turns someone into a Frankenstein monster!

Evil is a matter of the heart and soul. The problem is inward not outward. One can never solve evil with more evil. Man’s righteousness is filthy rags (Isa 64:6) so it requires what scholars call an alien righteousness to make us right in the eyes of God. The only way we can be cured of our evil is if someone took it judicially away.

That person is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Man’s sin condition is so severe, so grave that it required the Father to send the Son of God to be sacrifice and the sacrificer for our sins (Heb 9:26). No other way will do. Jesus said, “I am the Way the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Me” (John 14:6).

Man is not desperate enough. He’s lived so long with his evil; he is immune to sin. He believes deep down there is some virtue within himself to solve mankind’s problems because he believes he is good. If he can somehow do that, then God is not needed. That is what evil man prefers – that God did not exist at all. It is hard to admit when we are in total despair, but we are. Evil has brought us here. Fortunately God is here, and He is willing and ready to pardon our sins if we repent of them and place them at the feet of the cross where Jesus was punished for them on our behalf. Sin has to be paid for – for the wages of sin is death (Rom 6:23).

The statement I am about to make will be hard for many if not most of you to receive. God permits human evil because He loves us. He hates what we do, but He loves His creation. For now He has allowed evil. He desires that all men repent and not perish (2 Pet 3:9). If God decides to forgo His mercy and grace, and execute His justice now on evil, this world will be an empty place. You get it? If God got rid of evil now, we are all dead. The unsaved would be sent straight to hell. Newsflash! This is our fault not God’s. Remember, God has given us free will. We have abused that privilege and have lived in rebellion on purpose.  

It is time that evil people stop blaming God for the way things are in this world. But I know better than that; sinful mankind will never stop blaspheming the Almighty. Their evil is too deep seeded in their hearts for that to happen on their own. A transformed heart can only be changed by God. God has to perform spiritual heart surgery for man to change. Why? Because evil man is dead because of his sins (Eph 2:1; Col 2:13).

The prophet Ezekiel describes what God must do to compel the sinner to desire to do His will:

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take out the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statues, and you will keep My judgements and do them (Ezekiel 36;26-27)

 

God has the cure for our sin disease, a new heart; one that will give us the desire to serve God with joy and at the same time successfully battle our sin.