Good and Evil

BIBLE STUDY 05/27/2022 GOOD AND EVIL IGLESIA CRISTIANA HEREDEROS DEL REINO Why does God allow these mass killings to take place? ● Why not stop the perpetrator from even leaving the house. ● God is the alpha and the omega, he is omnipotent, omniscience and omnipresent. ● Yet these things continue to happen. ● First we must understand the source of these tragic events. ○ Evil ● We need to also understand that only good come from God ○ JAMES 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. ■ Everything that comes from God is good ■ God is the same yesterday, today and for all ages. ○ MARK 10:18 - “No one is good—except God alone. ■ Jesus says this. ○ PSALMS 25:8 - “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways.” ○ PSALMS 145:9 - “The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.” ○ 1 JOHN 4:8 - “God is love” ● So the source of evil is not from God but from the evil one. ○ JOHN 8:44 - You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. ■ Here Jesus gives a description of the devil. A murderer and a liar. 1 The Bible classifies Satan as the ruler of this world, is that correct? ● This world, which is led by sin and is full of corruption, is ruled by the deceiver, the prince of lies. ● JOHN 14:30 - “I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me” ○ Why does Jesus call Satan the prince of this world? ○ 2 CORINTHIANS 4:4 - “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.“ ■ The phrase “god of this world” (or “god of this age”) indicates that Satan is the major influence on the opinions, goals, hopes and views of the majority of people. His influence also encompasses the world’s philosophies, education, and laws. The thoughts, ideas, speculations and false religions of the world are under his control and have sprung from his lies and deceptions. ■ The reason he is able to influence is because the world is under his control…at least those who are not under God, are under the devil. ● But those who are not with God, are under Satan. ● 1 JOHN 5:19 - “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” ○ People without God are under Satans influence. ○ You are either under God or under Satan, there is no in between. ○ These people of the world (not of God) are the ones who live in darkness. They are blinded. They cannot see. So they are easily led astray. ○ They do not understand right from wrong in the way God wants them to understand. 2 Why does God allows Satan to live and rule the world? ● Why not destroy Him immediately to stop evil. God created all things, he can most certainly destroy satan. ● How do you recognize light? ○ Imagine going outside at midday, the sun is shining brightly, everything is illuminated, and there is no darkness except for any shadows. Then imagine someone comes and brings a flashlight, turns it on and points it at the ground. What happens? The flashlight will be unseen or extremely dim due to the light surrounding it. In order for the flashlight to be effective it must be luminated in areas where there is darkness. Otherwise it is unseen. ○ God works the same way. God’s glory shines brightest when his power is manifested in the lives of those who are in darkness. ■ People who are struggling with temptation, sickness, drugs/alcohol, death, etc, a life full of sin, will be able to fully see God’s glory be manifested into their lives if they come to him. ■ ROMANS 8:18 - “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” ■ JOHN 11:4 - “When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” ● Jesus is saying that the sickness and death of Lazarus was allowed to show God’s power and glory. ■ Only when there is trouble can there be victory. ● Allowing Satan to roam is what creates free will ○ Without Him, there would be no choice of right or wrong. There would be no sin in the world so there would be no desires for sinful pleasure that we now face. We would automatically be submitted to God’s rule. ○ But with Satan, we can either choose to be with God or not. ○ It is our gift from God to have free will 3 ○ It is our greatest curse since we as humans choose unwisely and allow ourselves to easily be deceived and manipulated by the devil. But as we know, there is purpose behind all that God does. Sometimes we understand, sometimes we don’t. Our job is not to understand but to trust and love. But when a neighbor is hurting due to an evil action caused by another, how as a follower of Christ do you respond in this situation? ● Is prayer enough? ● Is it a cop out to tell someone that your prayers are with them? ● It seems as if Christians or churchs will often just say, “sending prayers to those who were affected” How effective can prayer really be during a time like this? ● JAMES 5:13-18 ● 13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. 17 Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. ○ James tells us that if someone is in trouble…pray. If someone is sick…pray. Because prayer is powerful and effective. 4 ○Prayer was a staple for Jesus while on Earth. The communication process between man and God is essential to our spiritual connection with Him. The more connected you are, the clearer you will Hear Him. ○ That is why James says that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. A righteous person is someone who has Christ in Him. ● God literally told Solomon that if the nation of Israel will humble themselves and seek God in prayer, that he will heal their land. ○ 2 CHRONICLES 7:14 - “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” ○ Praying to God is already in itself a sign of submission. ○ Praying must be from the heart and cannot be recited nor a mere formality. ○ And some of the most sincere prayers are those made during times of great distress. It is almost instinctive for man to call on God in times of crisis. ● Pride is a powerful sin that keeps many people away from God. ● When a person is “successful” in life without ever seeking God, and there has been no real tragedy for that person, then there may be little reason for that person to change their ways. ● The Word of God is clear that God opposes the proud. ○ JAMES 4:6 - …”“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” ○ PROVERBS 16:5 - “The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.” ● But when tragedy strikes the proud and they are finally left without answers, it might be time to turn to a higher power who can provide those answers they Seek. 5 EXCERPT FROM ARTICLE FROM THE GUARDIAN FROM 2018: “For many non-believers, it is an instinctive response to a crisis: “Please, God.” So perhaps it should not be surprising that a new survey has found that one in five adults pray despite saying they are not religious. Among the non-religious, personal crisis or tragedy is the most common reason for praying, with one in four saying they pray to gain comfort or feel less lonely.” ● This shows that tragedies often lead people to God. ● Imagine a tragedy in which 21 innocent lives are lost, but lead 1000 people to Christ. ● When Christ died and resurrected, it did not take long for his following to grow to 5,000 in a matter of weeks. ● WIth many people, it takes something that shakes a person to their very core in order for them to finally turn to God. ○ It is unfortunate but is how people wake up from their zombie mode. ● We may not understand why things happen the way they do, but we can be confident that God is in control and that he loves you. ○ If you have repented of your sins and accepted Jesus into your heart, then your father is God and you are his child and your name is written in the book of life. ○ This is what matters most. 6