Is God really to blame for all the evil and suffering
in the world?
Would a loving God really create a beautiful and
perfect planet and then add germs, viruses, bacteria, destructive and
catacaclysmic upheavals, earhtquakes, suffering, and death just to torment His
creation? Some say yes. This is to test our faith. But does such inevitable tribulation
really come from God? Jesus taught us to pray, "Deliver us from the evil
one. . .Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." These evils do not
come from heaven, although they do perfect patience in us according to James
1:3.
In keeping with His character of perfect love and
holiness, God did NOT create Satan. He created Lucifer, a beautiful archangel
filled with music and called the star of the morning (Ezek. 28: 11-17).
When Lucifer rebelled, he took a third of the angels
with him (Rev. 12:9). Some people
believe that Satan lives in Hell. God did prepare hell for the devil and his angels, (not
people originally) Matt. 25: 41. However Satan and his mionions are not there
yet. Where are they?
Jesus saw Satan fall like lightning to the earth. So
now we have the appearance of evil on the earth.
Satan, the deceiver, immediately went to work to
destroy the perfection of God's creation. He caused Adam to lose dominion
through sin, and then he stole Adam's crown (Heb. 2:7) and became the prince of
this world (Jn 16: 11). Now we have two invisible kingdoms here on earth, the
kingdom of darkness and the kingdom of Light (Col. 1:13). There is a spiritual
war going on and it does affect this planet.
We know that was not God's will. Sin and death (death is
defined in John 5:25 and Gen. 2:17 as separation from God) was never God's will.
He wanted to walk with us and talk with us as He did with Adam and Eve in the
Garden It is not His will that any should perish but that all should come to
repentance (2 Pet. 3:9).
We also know God had a secret plan, even before the
foundation of the world, to redeem it (Rev. 13:8).
We know it was a secret plan because I Cor. 2:8 says
the rulers (Satan and his cohorts) of this world would not have crucified our
glorious Lord if they had understood God's amazing plan of redemption. Satan
could not guess that the last Adam (I Cor. 15:45) would reverse the curse. He
could not comprehend such great love the Father has for us.
Satan did not guess the power of the blood of the lamb,
which was God's own blood. God paid the penalty for Adam's sin and legally
fulfilled the law of righteousness. Then He invited all who would receive Jesus
to enjoy eternal life (John 3:16).
God also has a plan to restore earth to its original,
perfection (Rev. 21:1). Death and suffering are not His will. The last enemy to
be destroyed is death (I Cor. 15:26).
God gets the blame for so many horrible things that are
not His will. Think about this. If I permit my son to drive my car, I expect
him to obey the traffic laws and drive courteously and responsibly. It is not my will
if he chooses to drive recklessly, or drunkenly, and causes an accident that
takes lives. But ultimately, am I to blame because I permitted him to drive? It
could be argued so.
If the young man recovers, repents and asks forgivenss
for the accident he caused, should he be allowed to drive again? What would the
father say?
