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Evil

G

GMS

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How would one explain evil? What is it? What is it not? Did God create it? Does God use evil for His purposes? Is evil necessary as a backdrop to words like good, mercy and etc.?
GMS
 
GMS said:
How would one explain evil? What is it? What is it not? Did God create it? Does God use evil for His purposes? Is evil necessary as a backdrop to words like good, mercy and etc.?
GMS
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Hi GMS,

Simple questions but rather profound. I will attempt to answer this one:

Did God create evil?

No!
 
May be in the strict sense God does not create evil, yet in a indirect way Isaiah 45:7 seems to state that evil possibly in the form of calamities such as earthquakes, tsunami’s and etc. are His doings.
GMS
Ps. “Evil†used here is the same word used to describe the “tree of good and evil†in Genesis.
 
What is evil?
Webster says: morally bad or wrong; something that causes harm or distress.

The Bible says:
-Those who love the lord hate it. Psalm 97:10
-To fear the lord is to hate evil. Proverbs 8:13
-The "Evil one" is satan
-Leads to death- Proverbs 11:19
and lots more...

One could draw the conclusion that Evil is the opposite of God. Evil is of Satan, and probably results from man's missuse God's gift of free will.

Not really an answer, but more of a description. However, a person who teaches a class I'm in says its good to learn about these things, but not to dwell on them too much, as it does nothing but fill our minds with evil... even if thats not our intent. So... don't dwell on it too much.

-Jeff

Also (forgot to say) No! God does not use evil for his purposes. Psalm 5:4
 
In regards to Psalms 5:4, I would agree that God does not take pleasure in wickedness, nor does any evil dwell within Him. Yet, the Scripture seems to be full of examples of God using evil for His purpose (at least in my understanding), one such passage is Habakkuk chapter 1. Habakkuk is asking the Lord why He is allowing all this “plundering and violence†and “the wicked (to) surround the righteousâ€Â. The Lord tells Habakkuk he has raised up the Chaldeans in order to deliver this strife upon Israel. Habakkuk in the following verses (12-17) vocalizes his complaint that it is in opposition of God’s character to use people even more evil then Israel as judgment. Yet in chapter 2 verse 1, Habakkuk waits to be corrected, knowing that God obviously is using these wicked Chaldeans for His purposes.
GMS
 
Habakkuk is asking the Lord why He is allowing all this “plundering and violence†and “the wicked (to) surround the righteousâ€Â.
Click to expand...

God allows us to have free will... Man often chooses evil. God loves us so much that he still allows evil things to happen because he loved us enough to let us make some of the decions. If He took away our free will... then thier probably wouldn't be any evil.

Now, lot's of times it seems like in the Bible that God does bad things... destruction and such. This is also prevelent today. However the 'bad' things in the bible were indeed just, and they never came without warning after warning after warning.

Clear anything up?

I hope so,
Jeff
God Bless
 
Certainly, that when God uses evil people for His purposes, He is the second cause agent. The first cause is always man’s evil ways. The Chaldeans had no difficulty being the instrument of judgment upon Israel, because that was their nature. The "will" is not really free, in my opinion, when it comes to spiritual decisions (1Corinthians 2:14), because we are enslaved to Satan, until the Spirit of God comes and changes our heart (Ephesians 2:2:1-9).
GMS
 
It's a tough subject. In my heart i don't feel like God would use evil. Who is to say a just judgement is evil? It probably isn't something that we were really meant to understand. I promise you though that someday all things will be made clear. I cant wait. :wink:

Jeff
 
Yes, one day we will know as He knows, until that day I ponder a lot about our God and His ways.
GMS
 
God 'created' what has been 'created' through TRUE LOVE. That which REBELS against this IS evil.

Since God IS the Father of ALL, His POSITION is NOT able to BE compromised. Challenged, but NOT compromised.

That which ATTEMPTS to USURP what God IS; is EVIL.

NO, God did NOT 'create' EVIL. He 'certainly created' that which 'CREATED EVIL'. But EVIL came from 'another source' than God Himself.

A parent does what they CAN in order to avoid their children BECOMING 'drug addicts'. REGARDLESS of their BEST efforts, there are SOME that will ULTIMATELY choose to REBEL against their 'teaching' and travel the WRONG direction.

This is a 'simple' analogy, but one ABLE to be UNDERSTOOD in respect to EVIL. Rebelion against THAT WHICH IS RIGHTEOUS IS EVIL. That simple. And God did NOT 'create' EVIL. It was simply an inevitable choice that SOME would MAKE. Whether they be angels or flesh.

MEC
 
Out of curiousity, how does one interpret these Scriptures in regards to God and evil?
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. (Isaiah 45:7, KJV)
Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? (Amos 3:6, KJV)
Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? (Lamentations 3:38)
GMS
 
GMS said:
Out of curiousity, how does one interpret these Scriptures in regards to God and evil?
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. (Isaiah 45:7, KJV)
Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? (Amos 3:6, KJV)
Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? (Lamentations 3:38)
GMS
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Hi GMS,

My reference is the NASB, in each of the above verses the word 'evil' is not found. . .

Amos 3:6 . . . if a calamity occurs
Lam 3:38 . . . that both good and ill go forth
Isa 45:7 . . . creating calamity

The primary issue here appears to be one of translation. I would say that the primary cause of all things is God, expressed traditionally expressed as God's decretive or submissive will outside of which nothing happens. I don't make the assumption that if God is the primary cause of all things therefore God's work is evil or that He creates evil.
 
stranger said:
I don't make the assumption that if God is the primary cause of all things therefore God's work is evil or that He creates evil.
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Hi Stranger,
Yes, God's ways are not our ways and He seems to be not subject to the rules passed down to us. I am not making the assumption that God is evil, but if as stated in Ephesians 1:11; "... having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will," He may indeed create evil (calamities) events especially in the area of judgment.
GMS
 
Jeffrey1188 said:
It's a tough subject. In my heart i don't feel like God would use evil.
Jeff
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Hi Jeff,

When Joseph's brothers sold Joseph to slavery into Egypt - they intended to do 'evil' to him - much later Joseph says as much to his brothers and adds that God intended it for good. There was no question that the act of Josephs brother's was evil. So this example suggests that God can use even the evil acts of men for good.
 
stranger said:
Hi Jeff,

When Joseph's brothers sold Joseph to slavery into Egypt - they intended to do 'evil' to him - much later Joseph says as much to his brothers and adds that God intended it for good. There was no question that the act of Josephs brother's was evil. So this example suggests that God can use even the evil acts of men for good.
Click to expand...
Another good point!!
 
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