The Problem of Evil (Part 1)

When we begin to talk about the Problem of Evil, we have to put on our thinking caps. As Christians this is an issue that we will have to confront challenges to our faith, because it is a very real stumbling block for those who may have looked at Christianity and wonder what solution there is to the evil they see in the world. It is also a very real question that we have as Christians. How can there be a God and still be such evil in this world. So many titles have been written surrounding this issue, that for me to try and cover the topic in the time we have will only give you a peek into this idea.

I have to admit, when I began this series I had planned on touching on this subject and was planning on simply having one sermon to cover this topic. Well…not to say that your pastor is long winded (wink, wink), but as I’ve been studying the topic, it clearly is going to take more than one sermon to even begin to cover this topic. So what I’ve done is break it down in to two sermons (at least at this point).

Today, we will cover the Problem of Evil - and we will look at the source of evil.

Next week, we will look into the Problem of Evil and we will look at how we deal with evil in our world.

The first and perhaps most challenging issue for many is to answer the question:

Where does evil come from?

Perhaps you have never thought of this issue, and still it is a significant issue when we think about the God we describe in our faith and the evil that we see in the world. We believe in a good God, in whom there is no evil, and so that raises all kinds of questions. Norman Geisler broke them down this way:

If God created everything, didn’t He create evil?

IF God has a reason for everything what possible purpose could senseless evil serve?

If God is all-powerful, couldn’t he have created a world without evil?

So, first let’s take a clear look at God and God’s character. As we look at this we’re going to look at the triune God, so some of our references will be from the New Testament looking at Jesus, God’s Son, as well. Our Bibles open with these words:

Genesis 1:1 ESV

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

As Christians we believe that God created everything, we profess it in our statements of faith such as the Nicene Creed:

“I believe in God the Father Almighty; maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.”

And we jump to the New Testament to the Gospel of John, these verses we’ve seen before:

John 1:1–5 (ESV)

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

and another verse we looked at in Colossians:

Colossians 1:16 ESV

For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.

We also read:

Psalm 97:10 (ESV)

O you who love the Lord, hate evil!

and

Proverbs 8:13 ESV

The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate.

Let’s begin with the question of God’s creation of all things and the question:

If God created everything, didn’t He create evil?

This is going to take some thinking here. Because we need to think of what is and what isn’t. Language and physical reality are not the same thing. When we use language we at times will make statements that are describing something but not the reality. One of the saints of this church when he lived here on this earth, Darrell Eslinger said to me often, “Sunrise and sunset are the lies we tell as Christians daily.”

We know the sun doesn’t rise, nor does it set, but that is an earthly perspective of the rotation of the earth as it orbits about the central body of our solar system, our sun. Now, let’s consider darkness. Is darkness a thing? Or, is it the absence of some thing; that thing being light?

We could say the same of cold, we say that it’s cold out. Yet we do not have a way of measuring cold, only measuring heat.

If we consider that the character of God is goodness, and that our Scriptures record in the end of the creation narrative of the opening chapter of Genesis,

Genesis 1:31 ESV

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31 (ESV)

And God saw EVERYTHING that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

Genesis 1:31 (ESV)

And God saw EVERYTHING that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.

So this idea that something can be really the absence of something can be applied to evil as well, saying that evil is the complete lack of goodness; it cannot have any meaning without some goodness to put it into perspective.

What possible purpose could senseless evil serve?

This is an important idea for us to consider. The answer that is often given by well meaning Christians is the free will defense. Thus, the evil we find in our world is the necessary baggage that comes with the freedom of the possibility of evil. If we choose to rebel against God, we are in essence choosing that which is absent of God’s goodness - that which we call evil.

This is an answer, but it lacks completeness. A better answer involves the idea of a higher good. Many of us have endured the pain of a medical procedure — the resetting of a broken bone; an injection into an injured body part; and perhaps even surgery such as knee or hip replacement and the ensuing recovery process itself — in order to in the end be relieved of pain that we were before enduring. Could evil serve much the same purpose?

This leads us to the issue of perspectives, contrasting our human and temporal perspective and God’s divine and eternal perspective. C.S. Lewis wrote: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” We often wonder why God doesn’t punish the evil that we see so prevalent today. As Christians we must remember, He will in His time.

This brings us to our third consideration: Couldn’t God have created a world without evil?

The short answer is simple enough, yes.

In fact, one could say that God did create a world without evil - though God did not create a world without the potential for evil. Remember how we quoted from Genesis 1:31?

Genesis 1:31 (ESV)

And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.

And as Christians we know that God has created a place called heaven where there is no more death, no more pain, and no more tears.

Revelation 21:4 ESV

He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

So it is a simple answer to the question can God create a world without evil. Yes. And yet, we know that there is evil in this world. One has only to open a newspaper, turn on the radio or television, or sit on the street and watch. In reality, one does not have to do any of these things, all we need to do is look into our selves. We know that not every word that comes from our mouths is pure and wholesome, not every thought that crosses our minds would be said to be rooted in goodness; the reality is that one does not have to go far in search of evil, for we find it in our own hearts.

I have to admit, when I began this series I had planned on touching on this subject and was planning on simply having one sermon to cover this topic. Well…not to say that your pastor is long winded (wink, wink), as I’ve been studying the topic, it clearly is going to take more than one sermon to even begin to cover this topic.