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Disclaimer. The Problem of Evil. Presupposition #1. There is a God who has revealed Himself to humanity through the 66 canonical books of the Bible and more specifically through the P & W of Christ. Presupposition #2.

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  1. Disclaimer

  2. The Problem of Evil

  3. Presupposition #1 There is a God who has revealed Himself to humanity through the 66 canonical books of the Bible and more specifically through the P & W of Christ.

  4. Presupposition #2 All scripture in the 66 canonical books is verbally inspired and preserved by God without error.

  5. Presupposition #3 The gospel of Jesus Christ is the overarching truth that guides my understanding of God and the World He created.

  6. The Problem of Evil If God is all powerful (omnipotent), and if God is all loving (omnibenevolent), why is there evil?

  7. This is the question MARTIN BASHIR asked ROB BELL in the beginning of this interview.

  8. A Gospel-Centered Approach to the Problem of Evil Isaiah 45:1-7; Job 1, 2:7-10

  9. Christ in Isaiah & Job Luke 24:44 • And he [Jesus] said unto them, “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”

  10. Isaiah 45:1 • Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus,

  11. Isaiah 45:1 • Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut;

  12. Isaiah 45:2 • I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: • I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: Omnipotent & Sovereign

  13. Cyrus the Great

  14. Isaiah 45:3 • And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

  15. Isaiah 45:4 • For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. Hold Your Place in Isaiah & Turn to Ephesians 1:3-4

  16. Isaiah 45:5 • I am the LORD, and there is none else, • there is no God beside me: • I girded [equipped] thee, • though thou hast not known me:

  17. Isaiah 45:6 Why did you equip Cyrus? • That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. • I am the LORD, and there is none else.

  18. Isaiah 45:7 • I form the light, and create darkness: “Create” as in Genesis 1:1

  19. Isaiah 45:7 • I form the light, and create darkness: • I make peace, and create evil: • I the LORD do all these things.

  20. Ra found 663 times in OT • Evil (443x) • Wickedness • Wicked • Mischief • Hurt • Bad • Trouble • Grievous • Sore • Affliction • Ill • Adversity • Favored • Harm • Naught

  21. Evil • morally reprehensible • the fact of suffering, misfortune, and wrongdoing • a cosmic evil force • something that brings sorrow, distress, or calamity Merriam-Webster

  22. Calamity • a state of deep distress or misery caused by major misfortune or loss • an extraordinarily grave event marked by great loss and lasting distress and affliction Merriam-Webster

  23. God is the ONLY Uncaused Cause Evil does not operate outside of God’s umbrella.

  24. Evil does NOT operate outside of God’s Sovereign Will Let’s Look at Job 1

  25. Satan’s Objective Use evil to drive Job from loving, worshipping, and serving God.

  26. Concerning the Problem of Evil From Job 1, I learn: • That nothing comes into my life that God has not caused or permitted. • That which is seen as evil should cause me to worship God. • I am not to charge God foolishly for that would be sin.

  27. Question Why didn’t God crush evil before He created man?

  28. Ephesians 1:4 • According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Before the foundation of the world, God ordained that He would save a people unto Himself by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

  29. How do you save people from drowning without water? But you say, “they wouldn’t need to be saved.”

  30. Our Life Guard • Only when someone is rescued from drowning do we fully appreciate the life-saving attributes of a lifeguard.

  31. Question How do you demonstrate the power of the gospel to save people from sin without sin?

  32. Question: How can there be sin without the potential presence of evil?

  33. Genesis 2:16-17 • And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: • But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: • for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

  34. Every act of evil should cause me to think of the evil that was inflicted upon the Son of God as a demonstration of His love for the world. Every act of evil should cause me to think of God’s justice, mercy, grace and loving kindness toward me through the gospel.

  35. Acts 4:27-28 • For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. The Gospel was not an afterthought with God.

  36. The Problem Why does an all powerful God continue to allow evil to exist? Why does He create calamities and suffering?

  37. Two Scenarios-The Galileans who were murdered- The 18 who were crushed by a tower Look at Luke 13:1-5

  38. There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

  39. Calamities, disasters, wars, pestilence, tragedies, death, suffering, and abuse all exist or happen for the purpose of magnifying the person and work of Jesus Christ and for showing people the need to repent and believe the gospel.

  40. Genesis 50:20 God’s use of evil in the life of Joseph provides us much instruction about evil and the gospel.

  41. Evil in Joseph’s Life • Cast into a pit • Sold into slavery • Unjustly accused of rape • Unjustly cast into prison • Left for dead in prison

  42. Genesis 50:20 • But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, • to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. A picture of the gospel

  43. Ps116:15

  44. Funeral vs. Party Ecclesiastes 7:2 • It is better to go to the house of mourning, • than to go to the house of feasting: • for that is the end of all men;

  45. Conclusion Let me show you: Job 2:7-10

  46. So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes. • Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die. • But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. • What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

  47. Job 19:25 For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:

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