Is the church responsible for the growth of Evil

Opening

Last week we saw another school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas and another on the grounds of a school in Atlanta, Georgia. Evil and chaos surrounds us, all you have to do is look at the news and you will get the idea. The resounding idea of how to curb the violence is to ban certain guns.

Kelly Clarkston while MC’ing the Billboard Music Awards calls for a “moment of Action” instead of a “Moment of Silence”. Representatives are making similar claims, the media says prayers are not working it is time for action. So my questions is:

Is the Church responsible for the growth of Evil?

Does this violence prove that there is not God? Does it show that God does not care about what we are going through?

Let’s take a look at these 2 particular incidents. In Atlanta, two women were shoot after a graduation ceremony. The shooting was a result of an argument that the police has not released the subject of. In Santa Fe, a student walks into school and begins shooting “students he didn’t like” and passing other students the “he did like” (his words to police). He killed 10 and wounded 13 more.

Now the blame brigade has come out and the reasons are numerous and many are predictable. The gun is responsible, the availability of guns is the reason, not strict enough gun laws. Drugs that are prescribed to curb a persons behavior issues. Some blame the mental health of the shooters. Now I don’t blame the gun, you never hear of a gun just going off without some type of cause, whether it is a person, object falling on it or in some cases fire causing the effect of the gun to fire.

Mental health, well that can be a debated cause for the actions that we see. Who in their right mind (our what we would call a morally acceptable) would think it is ok to kill for the heck of it.

My thoughts go to how he was raised, what he was taught about handling disputes. Did his parents teach him or give him the tools to handle adversity. How was he treated at school, did the school openly fertilize a ground of discord? Bullies are rampant in school, but they always have been to some degree. But now we see the school teachers and administrators joining in on the bullying tactics. Parents have increasingly became their kids best friend or ignore what is going on. But since the bullies have been there what has changed?

Look to the protest mentality that has grown from year to year. You have kids that have grown up being taught by the teachers and participants of protest. Then some of them become teachers and the cycle continues and grows more bold. Each generation gets more and more violent. Look at the college campuses and how they react to a conservative speaker, or anyone who does not agree with them. Schools bully students, parents and some teachers to fall in line or move on. There is a school district that keeps suing a school and cheerleaders for using a Bible verse on a banner that the kids pay for all the material. The State supreme court has already ruled in the favor of the cheerleaders. Not to mention every court below it has ruled in favor of free speech. It is nothing but a bullying tactic to get the kids to submit to their way of thinking. We have violent video games and movies that desensitized viewers to violence or glorifies the violent act. But some themes are hidden and very obscure when you are not looking for it.

Case in point is a kids movie called “Show Dogs”. This movie is marketed towards kids specifically. It is about a canine officer and his human partner who are investigating the thief of a panda. Which leads them to the show circuit of animals. Now it sounds like a good show, except the canine officer has to allow the officials of the dog show to groped (have his privates inspected) other words he will be disqualified and will not find the kidnappers. So the dog goes through training on how to find a special place while the “inspection” is going on. Other words find a good place in your mind to allow this behavior. It is teaching kids grooming for sex is ok. The scene that most of the kids select as their favorite is this particular scene because of all the funny images and music.

The culture, media and society are teaching that certain behavior is ok, as long as it gets you what you want. But does the church hold any responsibility for the growth of evil?

YES!!!!!!

we see the increasing corruption on the earth. Yes God wipes it out with the flood. But man still exist, and with his flesh we see sin continue.

Galatians 5:17 ESV

For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.

Galatians

we see the fall of man in the garden, which led us to the previous verse, but before we got there we saw Cain murder Abel.

Romans 1:28 ESV

And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done.

And without restraint it will grow

Romans 1:29–31 ESV

They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Romans 1:29-

We have God’s own words and His warnings and yet, we don’t do what is necessary.

Play David McGee

That may be a joke but it really defines the issues. People do not engage in conversations, they don’t study the Bible and many do not know scripture or how to look it up. We are more interested in not offending someone, than introducing them to Jesus.

There is an inconstancy in teaching across the board. Interpretations runs wildly different depending on what denomination you belong to, if you hear any scripture in a Sunday service.

The church service today or many of them is more about politics, how to feel good or topical messages instead of the word of God. The church is not teaching and studying God’s word, nor are they sharing it.

I have had more visits from non-christian churches sharing what they believe than I have had of Christians brothers coming to my house. Forget about having a discussion out in public. Why is it so hard for us as Christian brothers and sisters to just go door to door and share what we believe and why? We don’t have to get into debates about scripture but we can share the Hope and love that is in Christ with our neighbors.

Free Will - depending on the denomination, theology leaning (progressive or conservative), the idea of free will has tremendously different views. From we have no free will, God is our puppet master; to God has no real power over us and we choose everything in our lives. People on each side of the debate has scripture of reason that they use to prove their belief.

Free will is only one theology point that Christians differ on. If people do not know scripture, how can they take a stance on any doctrinal point. When the body of Christ argues and attack each other, the world seizes on this and greater divides are created. So we have to come together as brothers and sisters to discuss our different beliefs.

So until we do this as the body of Christ, we will continue to see evil and violence increase.

What Do We need to understand about Evil

The world is under the power of Satan

He is prince of this world

John 14:30 ESV

I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me,

ESVI will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me,

Jesus was telling us that He would not be here much longer because Satan through the control over sinners, is coming for Him.

Jesus was telling us that He would not be here much longer because Satan through the control over sinners, is coming for Him. we also see mentions in ; , and Paul even tells us that we do not fight against man, but the ruler of darkness.

2 Corinthians 4:4 ESV

In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Satan rules through his sinners through chaos, and not through peace. What we are seeing in the world is playing out just as scripture says. We are warned to be in the world, but not of the world. Satan blinds people to the truth through lies upon lie. Not giving the time for many to see the light of Christ.

Look at the groups today, they create chaos and build lie upon lie about Donald Trump. They say he is a womanizer, a racist and anti-immigration. But they can’t allow facts to enlighten them. Donald has a woman that ran his campaign, He has a black woman that has ran one of his companies for years (if not decades), He is married to an immigrant. Facts do not support the lies, but these people are blinded to the truth. See also ; ;

He holds the world in his grasp

1 John 5:19 ESV

We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

​ ESVWe know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.

Lie - abide in/ resting on/ contained in.; Just as Christ saying, abide in me and I will abide in you; We seek to please God. Non-believers or people blind to the truth are in the grip of satan. The do his bidding.

The world is the territory and domain of satan. He has controlling power over it and all that are of it.

Truth of Control: God is in control. Whether God allows something to occur or give satan permission (with limitations) per se, God is always in control. Satan, the prince of the world is merely an allusion for and to satan. Truth: God’s children do not belong to the world. We have been redeemed by His grace and love. See also

Ephesians 2:

The world is opposed to God

It is evil

John 7:7 ESV

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.

​ ESVThe world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.

See also ; ;

See also And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

People hate things that pose a threat to what they know and love. If you present a potential issue for their way of life. For the things that make them happy. For the things they desire and lust after, you are a threat and must be eliminated. When you call someone out for anything that they deem as dangerous.

Don’t agree with BLM - racist

Men to marry women (men use use men restroom) - intolerant

Fix immigration - hate/ racist

Truth (real/ factual) - bully/ hate safe zones on schools so people can believe what they want.

Oppose gun control - dangerous/ murderer.

Oppose abortion - male chauvinism/ hate women

It (the World) is opposed to God’s wisdom

1 Corinthians 1:21 ESV

For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

​ ESV For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.

To the lost: Darkness seems to be preferred to those that are diseased in their eyesight. The light of the truth is not something a person takes hold of easily. It is the same with wisdom, especially the spiritual kind. Instead of taking hold of true wisdom, they would prefer to stay with the wisdom of man or of their own understanding.

Take for example, Bill Nye, when debating Ken Ham, he argued every point and never would make a concession. The only thing he offered was that science has always had the answers. In no way did he refute any of the archaeological facts that Ken used to prove scripture. But still in his mind, there is no God and science is our only truth (even though many of the answers are only what they are because of assumptions man puts into equations).

It is opposed to the life of faith

​ ESV “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

The world is opposed to Jesus Christ, it opposes the Bible, because the truth held within exposes the evil in their hearts. just look at

John 7:7 ESV

The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.

​English Standard Version Chapter 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil.

No one likes to have their secrets revealed. No one wants the curtained pulled back on their life and let others in. They oppose the truth because the light is not a fleeting light, but one that shines to the core. It is easier to hate something than to accept something and change (or grow).

​ ESVJesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”

See also Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”; even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.

See also ; You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.;

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

Believers’ responses to evil

Scripture outlines several ways in which believers should respond to evil.

Evil is to be avoided

(ESV) — 1 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

(ESV) — 14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.

(ESV) — 22 Abstain from every form of evil.

(ESV) — 28 And he said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’ ”

(ESV) — 115 Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God.

(ESV) — 27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your foot away from evil.

(ESV) — 16 One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless.

(ESV) — 11 Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.

(ESV) — 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.”

(ESV) — 9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

(ESV) — 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Evil likened to yeast:

(ESV) — 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

(ESV) — 9 A little leaven leavens the whole lump.

Chaos spreads and grows like the yeast does. Jesus gave a parable of the un-leaven bread because the Pharisees and the rules they create just keep growing making a burden that men cannot keep.

(ESV) — 14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”

(ESV) — 27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

(ESV) — 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.

(ESV) — 6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. 7 Therefore do not become partners with them;

The old adage of give an inch, take a mile.

(ESV) — 6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.

(ESV) — 11 let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.

(ESV) — 14 Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

Evil is to be hated

(ESV) — 13 The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

(ESV) — 10 O you who love the Lord, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; he delivers them from the hand of the wicked.

(ESV) — 15 Hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; it may be that the Lord, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

(ESV) — 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed.

(ESV) — 9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

Evil is to be rebuked

(ESV) — 23 But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

(ESV) — 2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.

Nathan rebukes David.

(ESV) — 29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’

(ESV) — 13 And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever.

(ESV) — 22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.

(ESV) — 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

Elijah rebukes Ahab

(ESV) — 18 And he answered, “I have not troubled Israel, but you have, and your father’s house, because you have abandoned the commandments of the Lord and followed the Baals.

(ESV) — 9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him. You have done foolishly in this, for from now on you will have wars.”

(ESV) — 20 Then the Spirit of God clothed Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, and he stood above the people, and said to them, “Thus says God, ‘Why do you break the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, he has forsaken you.’ ”

(ESV) — 18 and they withstood King Uzziah and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for you have done wrong, and it will bring you no honor from the Lord God.”

(ESV) — 10 And Ezra the priest stood up and said to them, “You have broken faith and married foreign women, and so increased the guilt of Israel.

(ESV) — 5 Let a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head; let my head not refuse it. Yet my prayer is continually against their evil deeds.

(ESV) — 27 Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.”

(ESV) — 22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,

John the Baptist rebukes Herod

(ESV) — 4 because John had been saying to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

(ESV) — 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?

Peter rebukes Ananias

(ESV) — 3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back for yourself part of the proceeds of the land? 4 While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, was it not at your disposal? Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God.”

Peter rebukes Sapphira

(ESV) — 9 But Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”

Other Teachers

(ESV) — 3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine,

(ESV) — 20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.

(ESV) — 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

(ESV) — 15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Evil is to be resisted

(ESV) — 10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent.

(ESV) — 11 But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.

(ESV) — 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.

(ESV) — 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

(ESV) — 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

(ESV) — 11 Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.

(ESV) — 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

(ESV) — 1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.

(ESV) — 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Evil is to be repaid with good

(ESV) — 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.

(ESV) — 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

See also ; ; ; ; ;

(ESV) — 21 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, 22 for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

(ESV) — 5 If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him.

(ESV) — 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.

(ESV) — 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

(ESV) — 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.

(ESV) — 9 Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing.

Believers should pray in response to evil

(ESV) — 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

(ESV) — 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

(ESV) — 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

(ESV) — 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

(ESV) — 36 And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word.

(ESV) — 19 So now, O Lord our God, save us, please, from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, O Lord, are God alone.”

(ESV) — 12 O our God, will you not execute judgment on them? For we are powerless against this great horde that is coming against us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.”

(ESV) — 23 So we fasted and implored our God for this, and he listened to our entreaty.

(ESV) — 4 As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.

(ESV) — 41 Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

(ESV) — 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

(ESV) — 13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.

Believers should trust God in the face of evil

(ESV) — 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

(ESV) — 39 And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”

(ESV) — 8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

(ESV) — 7 Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.

(ESV) — 1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

(ESV) — 2 “Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.”

(ESV) — 17 If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”

(ESV) — 17 Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation.

(ESV) — 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that day what has been entrusted to me.

(ESV) — 6 So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Satan’s power is already limited by God

Job 1:12 ESV

And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

ESVAnd the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

See also ; ; ;

Evil spirits are subject to God’s control

1 Samuel 16:14 ESV

Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him.

​ ESVNow the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and a harmful spirit from the Lord tormented him.

See also ; ; ; ; ;

Jesus Christ’s triumph over evil powers

1 John 3:8 ESV

Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

​ ESVWhoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

See also ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

God’s transforming power reverses the effects of evil in human lives

2 Corinthians 3:18 ESV

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthains 3:18

:2See also ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

1 John 3:2 ESV

Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.

; :2See also ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

See also ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

God brings good out of evil

; :28See also ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;

The removal of the curse on creation

Romans 8:20–21 ESV

For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

​ ESVFor the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

See also ; ; ; ;

Jesus Christ’s victory over evil is expressed in his thousand-year reign with believers, during which Satan is bound

​ ESVThen I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

See also Interpreters differ over whether the “thousand years” refers to a future period or to Jesus Christ’s present rule in the world.

The final defeat of all evil powers

; ; :10See also ; ; ; ; ; ;

Evil will be excluded from the new heaven and earth

​ ESVBut according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

See also ; ; ;