A Solution to the Problem of Evil: God does not allow it

[Paidion]

The following is a quote from Richard Murray's Book, "God Versus Evil."
(Note: Richard Murray permits any sharing of his book or quoting from it.)

DOES GOD ALLOW EVIL?
No! Never! Most people don’t even ask the question in a blessed way. They normally ask, “Why does God allow evil?” This form of the question is objectionable because it presumes that God DOES allow evil. At the memorial services for the 9/11 victims, Billy Graham lamented that he had never received a satisfactory answer to the question, “Why does God allow evil?” The reason there’s no satisfactory answer is that it is not a satisfactory question. An unblessed and improper question will always yield an
unblessed and improper answer.

The open-hearted and fair way of asking this question is, “DOES God allow evil?” In a court of law, the lawyer is not allowed to ask his witness a leading question which already presumes an answer. A lawyer can’t ask his own witness a question that assumes facts not in evidence. Justice and fairness demand that an open inquiry must first establish whether the facts presumed in the question are true and established. If we can be so fair with human conduct, how much more just and open-hearted should we be with God’s nature?

For instance, what if God doesn’t allow evil? In fact, what if God only and always disallows evil in all its various forms? In fact, what if God has already disallowed every evil that ever has or ever will occur? Do Scriptures support such a view? Yes! They not only support it, they demand it.

POINT ONE: GOD DOES NOT ALLOW EVIL!
The term “theodicy” refers to a branch of theology which deals with the justification of God’s goodness in the presence of evil. All theodicy must begin and end with James 1:13-17. It is the most specific statement in the New Testament with regard to God’s relationship to evil.

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death. Do not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.”
Jas. 1:13-17.

The word “temptation” in the above passage is translated from the Greek “peirazo” and means, “to test, entice, discipline, prove, tempt or try.” God doesn’t test anybody with evil, entice anybody with evil, discipline anybody with evil, prove anything with evil, tempt anybody with evil or try anybody with evil. Thus, God has no relationship with evil. It is not in His nature. Evil cannot be traced back to God. Moreover, this passage clearly says that evil can be traced back to man. It is man who has an ongoing relationship with evil, not God. It is man’s “own lust” which draws his heart away from God to Satan’s spirit, which then conceives” and gives birth to “sin” and “death.” Remember, Satan is the one Scriptures call “the Tempter” (Matt. 4:3), not God.

Jesus taught us that when evil “tares” are sown among good “wheat,” that it is not God who does it but rather, “An enemy hath done this.” (Matt. 13:24-28). The Apostle John commented very clearly that God’s purpose was not with evil but against it. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1 Jn. 3:8. Jesus came to destroy the evil works of Satan by overcoming them with the Father’s goodness. “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Acts 10:38. Satan comes to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy” but Jesus came that we “might have life” and “have it more abundantly.” (Jn. 10:10).

Jesus’ major point to us was to show that His Heavenly Father was always and only good. No Old Testament saint knew God as “Abba,” an Aramaic term used by Jesus as a title for His Heavenly Father which essentially means “Daddy.” Jesus came to reflect the Father’s love which never gives His sons “serpents” or “stones” or “scorpions,” but instead freely gives His sons “bread” and “fishes” and “eggs” and most importantly “the Holy Spirit.” (Lk. 11:11-13). This passage says that if Earthly fathers “being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your Heavenly Father give . . .”(Verse 13). This is the same Father to whom James refers to in the following passage: “Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the Heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (Jas. 1:16-17).

James strongly warns us to, “LET NO ONE SAY . . .” God is related to evil in any way, and “DO NOT ERR, MY BELOVED BRETHREN . . .” by saying that anything other than good and perfection “ever” cometh down from the Father . . . (Jas. 1:13,16). This was
the message of the Gospel - - God hasn’t, doesn’t and won’t allow evil. “This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all”. 1 Jn 1:5.

In God’s eyes, evil has never been something to “allow,” but rather is a malignancy which must be “overcome.” “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good”. Rom. 12:21. What’s radically different about God is that He always overcomes evil with the power of perfect goodness. God the Father is this way (Matt. 5:44-45,48), God the Son is this way (Acts 10:38), and so must we be this way as the body of Christ (Rom. 12:21). “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect." Matt. 5:48.

POINT TWO: JESUS IS GOD’S TOTAL DISALLOWANCE OF EVIL
God’s only view toward evil is to disallow it through the life, death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ. This is the power of the Cross - - to conquer and nullify evil in all its forms - - sin, death, wrath, violence, hatred, jealousy, strife, pride, lust and envy. John The Baptist was the first to recognize and declare Jesus’ mission as the cure for all the world’s evil. “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Jn. 1:29. The term “taketh away” in the above passage really means “beareth away.” At the Cross, Jesus bore away all the power of evil in our lives - - past, present and future - - bar none - - no exceptions. There is no sin, or evil or demonic power that the Cross of Jesus did not overcome. Jesus said, “be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (Jn. 16:33).

Don’t lose this point. Sometimes, we can miss the most crucial point by neglecting to focus on it with our whole being. Jesus came to destroy evil, and He did destroy it. “He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” 1Jn. 3:8. Why evil still appears to exist and prosper is a question soon to be answered. But for now, know that the Scriptures declare that Jesus is God’s full provision to prevent, protect and purify us from evil. Jesus described His own purpose as follows:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.” Lk. 4:18-19.

Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted - - from evil, to preach deliverance to those held captive - - by evil, to restore the sight of those blinded - - by evil, and to set at liberty those that are bruised - - by evil. Jesus’ heart is always to bless and protect us. “Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Lk. 10:19.

Jesus never tolerated, used or allowed evil in any form. He defeated what is called “natural evil” when He rebuked a storm which threatened to sink the boat in which He was traveling. He defeated “demonic evil” hundreds, if not thousands, of times by casting out spirits of infirmity, insanity and deformity. He protected an adulteress from “social evil” by keeping her from being murdered by other men. He battled “religious evil” constantly as He rebuked the false religion of His day which blocked people from entering the gate of truth. He overcame the “material evil” of lack by multiplying loaves, transforming water into wine and finding needed finances in the mouth of a fish. Lastly, Jesus defeated the “ultimate evil” by raising others and Himself from the dead. HE CONQUERED DEATH!

Whenever Jesus was not allowed to deliver others from evil, He marveled at their unbelief which kept them from receiving deliverance. When He instructed the disciples to pray “this way,” the heart of Jesus’ prayer was His statement in the Greek imperative that His Heavenly Father does and will “deliver us from evil.”

I hope these verses will help lift Jesus up in all our eyes as God’s ultimate gift to vanquish all evil. God gave His all to us. Never ask again, “Why does God allow evil?” He doesn’t. To believe He does ignores, dishonors and maligns the blood, work,
sacrifice and wonderful name of Jesus.

Now, the question might be asked that if at this very moment I have an evil thought or commit an evil act, hasn’t God “allowed” me to think evil or do evil? Couldn’t He force me by controlling my thoughts or body to not commit evil? The answer is no. It is not in God’s nature to coerce, manipulate or force another. God does woo us, help us, convince us, and even rebuke us. But God never coerces and forces us. Just as it is impossible for God to lie, it is impossible for God to use coercion. I know this is a challenge to conventional thinking, but it is the only way God’s goodness as revealed in the previous Scriptures listed in this chapter can be true and consistent.

The prefix “omni” means “all.” God is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing),but God is not omni-causative. He doesn’t cause or even allow everything to happen 24/7. If He does, then He is responsible for evil. We seem to think that God in
some sense allows murder since He doesn’t strike the murderer down with lightning right before the murder is committed. Does God have the power to strike down murderers before they act? I say no. God certainly has the power to hide, protect and deliver the righteous from harm, but He won’t and can’t use violence to stop violence.

God will not and cannot act outside of His good and true nature. For instance, if God cannot lie (Tit. 1:2), can God claim to be all-powerful if there is something he is unable to do? Well, this depends on how you define all-powerful. If all-powerful means God can do anything at anytime, then God is not all-powerful because He can’t and won’t lie—ever. Yet, if all-powerful means that He has unlimited power within the context of His character and true nature, then God is certainly all-powerful in that regard. He only operates in all-powerful truth, never in all-powerful lies; in all-powerful love, never in all-powerful violence; in all-powerful tenderness, never in all-powerful cruelty; in all-powerful patience, never in all-powerful wrath.

This is easy to see in the context of lying, but what about other attributes which are not in His divine nature? What if killing is not in God’s nature? What if mental coercion is not in God’s nature? What if physical coercion is not in God’s nature? What if manipulation, revenge, pettiness, brutality, cruelty and frustration are all not in His nature? Then, it is just as “impossible” for Him to act out of these motives as it is for Him to lie. The point is that being all-powerful and all-good means that God’s power operates only within the context of His character. God never acts or operates “outside of” or “inconsistent with” His perfect goodness, which is His agape nature of love described in 1 Cor. 13. Thus, God won’t lie to us, kill us, coerce us, manipulate us, brutalize us, abuse us, threaten us or terrorize us. God will protect us, bless us, correct us, teach us, convince us, strengthen us, encourage us and deliver us. Why would God use tactics He commands us not to use?

Consider the following passage from Saint Anselm which hones this same point:

"How can you be omnipotent, O God, if you cannot do all things? How can you do all things if you cannot sin—if you cannot lie, if you cannot make false what is true? If you are unable to sin, you cannot claim to be able to do all things. Or is it that sin stems not
from power, but from powerlessness? For those who commit sin have so little power over their own natures that they actually harm themselves. They are at the mercy of forces which they cannot oppose . . . .The more people have power to commit sin, the more they are powerless. So, Lord God, you are in fact more truly omnipotent because you cannot act through powerlessness." Proslogion, Chapter 7.

Why would He tell us not to kill, hate, hurt or avenge ourselves on our enemies, while He treats His own enemies with wrath, vengeance, brutality and destruction? Or, put another way, why would God tell us to overcome all evil with good, unless He Himself did the exact same thing? Isn’t this clear from reading the following verses?

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in Heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect.” Matt. 5:38-48.

Since we are to be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect in overcoming evil with good, then this brings the need for the great missing element in this discussion—patience.” God is able to overcome all evil by patiently enduring and bearing all our evil until we repent. If God weren’t patient, then we would all be dead or writhing in Hell right now. If God weren’t patient, He would use force, violence, coercion and wrath to work His will. If God weren’t patient, then the Cross would not exist to deliver us from all evil. God’s agape love “thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” 1 Cor.13:5-7. This is God’s nature, always enabled by supernatural “patience,” which in the original Greek literally means “joyful endurance.” God’s “mercy [joyfully] endurethforever.” (Ezra 3:11). We are likewise called to patience: “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” Jas. 1:2-4. To know this type of patience is to know God and to share in His sufferings. “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings . . .” Phil. 3:10. We “joyfully endure” because we are walking in the resurrection power of God, but we also suffer as we mourn the world’s ongoing rejection of Jesus. Yet, we know that the world will one day be overcome with God’s goodness and reconciled to the love of God. Our faith and patience will help hasten the Day of the Lord while our sinful impatience and unrighteous wrath will delay it.

The point is that God does not allow evil. He disallows it through the “faith and patience” of Jesus Christ (Gal. 2:20; Heb. 6:12-20). Understanding how God overcomes evil now gives us the wisdom to know in what sense He hasn’t, doesn’t and won’t allow evil.

[Homer]

Does God have the power to strike down murderers before they act? I say no.

Why would He tell us not to kill, hate, hurt or avenge ourselves on our enemies, while He treats His own enemies with wrath, vengeance, brutality and destruction? Or, put another way, why would God tell us to overcome all evil with good, unless He Himself did the exact same thing?

So are we to put Paul in the same category as that liar Moses? Or is God just "passing the buck", or what?

Romans 13 (NASB)

13. Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. 2. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. 3. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; 4. for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.

[Paidion]

Homer, do you think Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin were also servants of God? Or did they not qualify since brought their wrath on people who were doers of good?

Also why do you refer to "that liar Moses"? Is that your personal assessment—or are you implying that Richard Murray or I, so regard him?

[Homer]

Hi Paidion,

You wrote:

Homer, do you think Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin were also servants of God? Or did they not qualify since brought their wrath on people who were doers of good?

I think they were potentially servants of God but disqualified themselves by failing to carry out the responsibilities of God-ordained government.

Also why do you refer to "that liar Moses"? Is that your personal assessment—or are you implying that Richard Murray or I, so regard him?

My apologies for using the word liar. I know you believe Moses thought he spoke truthfully. However, the sheer volume of statements Moses made that you consider to be false, being deceived by Satan into thinking God was speaking to him when it was Satan, would certainly put him in the category of a false prophet. You not only hold that Moses spoke falsely concerning historical matters (the flood, Joshua's conquests) but that Moses commanded things in the law that were false. Consider the case of Nathan when he misspoke:

2 Samuel 7 (NASB)

7. Now it came about when the king lived in his house, and the Lord had given him rest on every side from all his enemies, 2. that the king said to Nathan the prophet, “See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwells within tent curtains.” 3. Nathan said to the king, “Go, do all that is in your mind, for the Lord is with you.”

4. But in the same night the word of the Lord came to Nathan, saying, 5. “Go and say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord, “Are you the one who should build Me a house to dwell in? 6. For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day; but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle. 7. Wherever I have gone with all the sons of Israel, did I speak a word with one of the tribes of Israel, which I commanded to shepherd My people Israel, saying, ‘Why have you not built Me a house of cedar?’”’

8. “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel. 9. I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you; and I will make you a great name, like the names of the great men who are on the earth. 10. I will also appoint a place for My people Israel and will plant them, that they may live in their own place and not be disturbed again, nor will the wicked afflict them any more as formerly, 11. even from the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. The Lord also declares to you that the Lord will make a house for you. 12. When your days are complete and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your [c]descendant after you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. 13. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me; when he commits iniquity, I will correct him with the rod of men and the strokes of the sons of men, 15. but My lovingkindness shall not depart from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16. Your house and your kingdom shall endure before [e]Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.”’” 17. In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David.

Nathan mistakenly spoke his opinion to David where God had not spoken. Notice that God promptly corrected Nathan! How much more would God have acted to correct Moses concerning matters of such great importance! According to your view, and Murray's, millions upon millions have been deceived down through the ages concerning God and his character by what is plainly attributed to Him in the scriptures.

I hope you will reconsider.

[steve]

Also, Paidion, I would like to request that you refrain from posting large blocks of text from other people's books at this forum. Do you know how many pages of text I could post from books that I like and that I think everyone should read? If we all did that, the volume of reading material here would drive everyone away (as these large blocks, when posted, invariably drive me away).

This forum is available for you to express and argue your views. You may reference other people's works for us to look up on our own, if you wish. However, you have not yet even answered the questions and objections that we have put to you. Please do not bring other authors to the table to distract from the points we are discussing.

[Paidion]

All right. I'll comply with that request.

[Singalphile]

He (Murray) seems to define "allow" primarily as "approve of". I don't think any Christian thinks God approves of evil. Most people think of "allow" in this context as "not stop". Obviously, God does not always stop evil. Richard Murray says so himself there. So that's pretty confusing.

[Paidion]

Murray's actual position is that there are limitations to God's omnipotence. For example, God cannot lie as the Scripture affirms. Why not, if He is omnipotent? Because it is contrary to His character to do so. Murray thinks that it is also contrary to God's character to use force. For that reason, He cannot stop the tortures, killings, rapes, etc. To do so would be against God's character. So He believes that God does not allow evil in any sense of "allow." So the question, "Why does God allow evil?" should not be asked. For the question already implies that He does allow evil in some sense.

I am still contemplating this position. I have not yet adopted it.

If you would like to read Murray's book in its entirety, do a google search for "Richard Murray God-vs-evil pdf." The first item to appear is "Richard Murray God-vs-evil pdf." Just click on it to download the pdf.

[Homer]

Paidion,

When the Israelites escaped the Egyptian army through the parted Red Sea, and then God allowed the sea to come together and drown the Egyptian army, would you say that was just a happenstance or would you say God was involved? And if God's hand was not in it, what meaning are we to put on the idea of our Passover Lamb? Seems to me there is a great deal of continuity between the events of the OT and our New Covenant/New Testament.

Come to think of it, I do not think you answered the issue of the slaying of the firstborn at that first Passover (see "Why Did Jesus Stop Reading" thread, Feb. 7th, page 6).

[Singalphile]

Thanks for the response, Paidion. I am not offended by those ideas. I'm not sure that i see any harm in it necessarily, even it does seem to require what we'd call a low view of Scripture. I suppose that Murray and you might be offended by the traditional view, but I hope not.