Good and Evil
There are perhaps no two words that are more highly abused than these two. With multitudes of people calling evil good and good evil. We had better know the difference:
Isa 5:20 Destruction is certain for those who call evil good and good evil...
1. What truly is Good? Here is a bedrock and unchanging truth: Only God is truly Good:
Luke 18:19 (Jesus) Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
God alone is good; there is no goodness apart from Him. Being good and unchangeable, He only ever does good; where His will is done it cannot help but be good. And whenever someone allows Him to impart His nature of goodness to them then they, but only to the extent of that nature and to the degree that they live in that nature, they too become good.
Mark 7:37 (Speaking about Jesus) "He has done all things well (or Good)...”
2. What then is Evil? Evil is the opposite of good, meaning everything and everyone that opposes Good. Since God alone is Good (unless you reject the words of Jesus Christ) then evil is everything and everyone that opposes God, and His will, and opposes God’s people when they’re living in His divine nature of good imparted to them. All God’s angels when originally created were good and perfect, including Lucifer. But they were given by God a free will to obey God and remain good or to disobey God and become evil. Lucifer, being lifted up with pride over his beauty, sought to be equal with God and so iniquity or evil was found in him. He was ejected from heaven and a third of the angels followed him.
Ezek 28:15-17 (Concerning Lucifer who became Satan) You were perfect (good) in your ways from the day you were created, until iniquity (evil) was found in you. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty...
Isa 14:13-14 For you have said in your heart...“I will be like the Most High”
3. Did God create Evil? Those who don’t believe in God, who think they are quite smart, will sometimes attack Christians with this argument: Did God create everything? (the implied answer is: Yes) Is there evil in the world (the implied answer is: Yes). Then the questioner gleefully concludes: Then God created evil, didn’t He? To which the truthful answer is: No He did not create Evil. There was no such thing as evil in His original creation. After each step of creation, Genesis 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25 all say “And God saw that it was Good”. Then God created man after His own image, which is, Good.
But He gave man a free will to choose either Good or Evil and instructed him not to choose
Evil. He said: “Do not eat, meaning believe and act on, the fruit, meaning the words, that come from the tree, or being, that has the knowledge of Good and Evil”. Satan, of course is that being, since he was created a good angel but chose evil, and hence has the knowledge of both good and evil. And what did the good man and good woman do? They choose to believe, to eat, the fruit of Satan’s words instead of God’s words and by them came to know evil. And that is how evil entered the world. God did not create it. It is also how the Devil became the “god” of this world and the dominant influence over its affairs:
2 Cor 4:4 Satan, who is the god of this evil world... TLB
1 Jo 5:19 ...The whole world is under the rule of the Evil One (Satan). TEV
Now, there is a scripture in the King James Version that has troubled some Christians:
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil... KJV
It says that God created evil. By extension all evil must somehow be indirectly under His control including wars, murder, rape, robbery and premature death. This is God who in love, goodness and mercy, sent Jesus to bleed and die for me on a cross at Calvary so that He could take away my sins and make me His son. This seems a total contradiction:
According to Strong's concordance the Hebrew word translated “create” in both instances is the word “bara”. This word “bara” is also translated “dispatch” and “cut down” in other parts of the Old Testament. If we substitute these meanings the verse would then read:
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and dispatch darkness: I make peace, and cut down evil…
Which of these two renderings is consistent with what other scriptures tell us about God?
I John 1:5 ...God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all (He dispatches it).
III John 1:11 ...He that does good is of God: but he that does evil has not seen God.
1 John 3:8 ...The Son of God came to destroy (cut down) the (evil) works of the devil.
4. Couldn’t God stop evil if He wanted to; if He doesn’t isn’t He indirectly responsible for it?
When Satan was created he was good, but by yielding to the pride of self, evil was formed in him. When man was created he was good, but having a free will he chose to believe the words of the now evil one, Satan, and man’s human nature became infected with Satan’s nature of evil. This evil nature, with its inclination to sin, has been passed down to every human being, including Christians. For while we have received a new and good heart, we still have evil in our flesh. If we say we don’t have this evil or sin nature, we lie:
Rom 7:18 I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good (only evil) dwells...
1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceived, and the truth is not in us.
In order for God to remove all evil from the world, He would have to destroy Satan, his angels, and every unsaved person since they belong to Satan and have his evil nature. Plus the millions of Christians who choose to live in their flesh or evil nature. As to the few Christians currently living in Christ, God would have to replace their sin corrupted bodies with new sinless, immortal bodies. In other words God would have to do all that the book of Revelation says He is in fact going to do - and it could start at any time. Until then He lovingly seeks sinners to be converted to Christ, and Christians who’ve gone astray to be restored to Christ, so both may be saved. Jesus identifies God’s problem over removing evil in the parable of the wheat (good people) and the tares (evil people). It was suggested that God simply remove the tares, to which He responded, No, because in removing the bad people you will also remove the good people; but the separation is going to take place.
Matt 13:24-30 (Jesus) The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but...his enemy (Satan) came and sowed tares (evil seed)... The servants said to him, 'Do you want us then to go and gather the tares up?' But he said, 'No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them...At the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "First gather together the tares and bind them in
bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'
5. Doesn’t God control everything – Christians say He’s Sovereign and therefore He does?
Was God in control in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve disobeyed His direst command? God’s will is for all man to be saved (1 Tim 2:4) but Jesus states that most of the human race are choosing to enter the broad gate and are on the wide road that leads to eternal destruction (Mat 7:13). God clearly is not in control. But He is God. No dispute about that, but we must understand God chose to limit His control over man’s affairs by giving man a free will to choose Good or Evil, life or death, and blessing or cursing: When we exercise that right of choice to disobey Him (the Good One) God is not permitting evil to happen, we are, for we are opposing His will. Because God has limited Himself by creating us as freewill beings, which He had to do in order for us to have the capability of freely loving Him, He cannot now prevent the evil that so many of us choose.
Deut 30:19 (God) ...I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse.
Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live, ESV
Ps 78:40-41 How often they rebelled against Him...and grieved His heart...and
limited the Holy One of Israel from giving them His blessings. TLB
6. Why do “bad things” happen to “Good” people?
A. First, who exactly is a “good” person? We use the term very loosely. Is it someone
who isn’t a criminal, isn’t a substance abuser, isn’t a people abuser and who gives to
charity? God (remember, it is He alone who is Good) is much more specific about it:
Psa 37:23 The steps of a good person are ordered by (directed by) the LORD...
Acts 11:24 For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith...
Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good...For
out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks (God’s words).
B. Secondly, what do we mean by “bad things”? Temporary difficulties, trials, setbacks, inconveniences, challenges, disappointed (perhaps exaggerated) expectations? No, every one of us Christians will face tribulations in a world that is ruled by evil spirits that oppose God and God’s people. But we have the potential, in Christ, to overcome all of these.
John 16:33 (Jesus) ...In Me you will have peace. In the world you will have
tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
1 Jo 5:4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world — our faith (in Christ and His word).
Or, do we mean by “bad things” permanent, irreversible harm or damage? Can God protect us, His children, from such things? Yes, if we choose to listen to Him and follow
His moment by moment leading. But No, if we deliberately or carelessly ignore the One
who is good, and so by default fall back under the evil influence of that one who is evil, Satan, who rules the world and who comes to us only to steal, kill and destroy:
Prov 1:33 Whoever listens to Me will dwell safely, And will be secure, without fear of evil.
John 10:10 The thief (Satan) comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy...
1 Pe 3:13 And who is he that will harm you, if you follow Him who is good?
Do we look at our own or a loved one’s afflictions in the light of these truths or do we give more weight to the person and the circumstance than to the truth and falsely judge God?
7. But What about Job? God says there were none like Job in all the earth (Satan lies to
many that they are just like Job). Job was perfect and upright in all his ways. He feared God and hated evil. Because Job obeyed God, God was able to build a hedge of protection around him that the devil couldn’t penetrate. Since there is no partiality with God (Rom 2:11) this shows what God would like to do for all His children if they would fear Him and hate evil. Concerning Job, Satan challenged God to remove the hedge of protection, boasting that this upright man would curse God if afflicted without a cause.
Under very specific conditions God allowed this one challenge. It lasted about 6 months. Satan was proved wrong and God was vindicated. God’s hedge of protection around Job was restored for the remaining 140 years of his life and whatever he lost was restored double. A similar challenge by Satan over a Christian can’t happen for three reasons:
(i) Most Christians don’t live in the Spirit under God’s protection (ii) Those Christians who do are untouchable under the New Covenant (iii) Job settled Satan’s question for all of us.
2 Thes 3:3 But the Lord is faithful; he will make you strong and guard you from
satanic attacks of every kind. TLB
1 Jo 5:18 No one who has been born again makes a practice of sinning, for Christ,
TLB God's Son, holds him securely, and the devil can’t get his hands on him.
Matt 8:13 (Jesus)...As you have believed (God’s words) so let it be done for you...
8. But What about Paul’s thorn?
2 Cor 12:7-9 …There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger from Satan
to buffet me, I sought the Lord...and He said to me; My grace is sufficient for you.
Who sent this thorn and what was its purpose? The verse answers both these questions; the thorn was a messenger, the word means Angel, from Satan, hence a demon. And it was sent to buffet, as in persecute (verse 10), Paul – just as Paul once persecuted the Church. There are no other examples of “thorns in the flesh” in the New Testament. In the Old Testament there are two similar examples (Num 33:55, Josh 23:13) in both the “thorns” refer to the evil occupants of the Promised Land who opposed God’s will and became thorns in Israel‘s side. They symbolize today demons who are thorns to Christians and oppose God’s will for us to occupy God’s spiritual Promised Land and live in Christ and walk on God’s promises. In scripture the word “thorns” is never used to refer to sickness.
Paul sought God to deliver him from this demon. And what was God’s answer? It wasn’t no, but that His Grace would be sufficient for him. Do we know what God’s grace is?
II Cor 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work.
Rom 5:17 …Those who receive abundance of grace…will reign in life…by Christ…
God’s grace is Jesus Christ. Was Jesus Christ sufficient for Paul to overcome the “thorn”?
2 Tim 3:11 (Paul) Persecutions, afflictions…out of them all the Lord delivered me.
Won’t we stop Judging the simple truth of God’s word with our “but what about that” and begin to believe, really believe, the promises that God would like to make to us personally?
Matt 9:29 (Jesus)...According to your faith (in God and His word) be it done to you.
9. Isn’t God the One who puts all Governments, even the bad ones, in place?
Who rules the world? So who puts most of the world’s governments in place? How does God get a good or righteous government in place? In a democracy, it happens when enough of His people discern, pray and then vote God’s will. Since most Christians don’t live in submission to God (to good) but to their human nature (to evil) which is then open to Satan’s evil influence through his thoughts, so, Christians often don’t vote God’s will.
Prov 29:2 When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; But when a
wicked man rules, the people groan.
10. What then distinguishes truly Good people and what distinguishes truly bad people?
A. Those who fully trust God - or - those who live in unbelief (even if they profess belief):
Ps 40:4 Blessed is that man who makes the LORD his trust...
Rom 10:10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness (good or Godlikeness)
Heb 3:12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief...
B. Those who walk in Love (God is love, so who live in God) - or - those who walk in fear:
1 Jo 2:5 But whoever keeps (believes, retains and acts on) His (God’s) word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him.
1 Jo 4:18 There is no fear in love; but perfect love (God’s word) casts out fear: For fear has torment. He that fears (who worries) is not made perfect in love.
C. Those who continue to obey God - or - those who yield to and still obey their sin nature:
Rom 6:16 ...You are the slaves of the master you obey, either of sin, which results in death (to God) or of obedience (to God) which results in righteousness.
D. Those who speak God’s words (good fruit) or who speak words opposing God’s words:
Matt 12:35-37 A good person out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good
things, and an evil person out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things, For
by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.
