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First, let's think about
Evil and the Sovereignty of God
I'd like you to answer the following questions "yes" or "no"
from God's perspective, then compare your answers with mine and discuss them
with someone.
When terrorists killed thousands of people on September 11, 2001, in America:
(1) Did anyone enter eternity (heaven or hell) early?
(2) Did God plan for the terrorists to destroy thousands of
people?
(3) Did God plan for the firefighters and the police to save
lots of people?
(4) Were those who died victims?
(5) Is God responsible for the deaths of thousands of people?
[My answers: 1-no, 2-yes, 3-yes, 4-no, 5-yes]
When we look at it from God's sovereignty, we must begin each question with,
"From God's perspective..." This often leads to disturbing answers,
and that's why the Bible is sometimes disturbing. It is written from God's
perspective. The position taken in the Bible is that
God is sovereign over everything
For example, in 2 Kings 19:25, God says, Have you not heard? Long ago I did
it; from ancient times I planned it. Now I have brought it to pass.
Isaiah 14:24 reads, The Lord of hosts has sworn saying, "Surely, just as
I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will
stand."
Daniel 4:35 says, And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as
nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the
inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, What hast
Thou done?
Revelation 17:17 explains the action of the godless forces preceding Christ's
Second Coming by saying, For God has put it in their hearts to execute His
purpose...until the words of God should be fulfilled.
So we can conclude, from God's perspective,
There is no such thing as a victim or an accident.
Everything is part of God's purpose, and all His purposes are carried out.
(See also Romans 8:28-30; Ephesians 1:4-11; and Daniel 2:20-22.)
From God's perspective, the terrorists did not cause the destruction of anyone
and the police did not rescue anyone. God did both according to His plan.
For example, consider this verse about the fourth horseman of the apocalypse. And
I looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death;
and Hades was following with him. And authority was given to them over a fourth
of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by the
wild beasts of the earth (Revelation 6:8). I suspect, if we were living at
the time this will occur, most would say, "This is not the act of a loving
God - He may have allowed it, but He did not cause it." But the Bible says,
authority was given to them, that is, from God. It says that three times
in Revelation 6.
God initiated the testing of Job by asking Satan, Have you considered My
servant Job? (Job 1:8).
Davidıs greatest sin (according to the consequences) was numbering the people.
As a result of his sin, God killed 70,000 men (2 Samuel 24:15). But
before it all began, we read back in verse 1, Now again the anger of the Lord
burned against Israel, and it incited David against them to say, "Go,
number Israel and Judah." So the whole thing was in Godıs plan and
under His control.
In Isaiah, God said He is the one...causing well being and creating calamity
(Isaiah 45:7).
Evil and the Responsibility of the Individual
Next, letıs consider how we,
as individuals, should respond to evil.
Again, Iıd like you to answer ³yes² or ³no.² Then check out my answers.
(1) Should we patiently endure those who sin against us, i.e.,
should we always turn the other cheek?
(2) Should we forgive unrepentant people who do us harm - like
terrorists, who believe they are serving God?
(3) Does forgiveness erase all the results of sin in this
life?
(4) Does forgiveness erase all the consequences of sin in the
next life?
(5) Should we judge people according to the established laws
of our country?
(6) Should we judge people according to an eye-for-an-eye,
say, for example, a life-for-a-life?
(7) Should we judge peopleıs intentions?
(8) Should we judge peopleıs actions?
(9) Should we avoid all judgment?
(10) Should we always love our enemies and do good to those
who despitefully use us?
(11) Should we punish (pay back) evildoers, i.e., give them
what they deserve?
(12) Should we discipline (bring back to the right path)
evildoers?
(13) Should we reason with evildoers?
(14) Should we negotiate with evildoers?
(15) Should we compromise with evildoers?
_____________________________
[My answers: 1-yes (Matthew 5:34-42, 1 Corinthians 13:7), 2-yes
(Matthew 6:12, 14, 15; Luke 23:34, Acts 7:60), 3-no (1 Samuel 27:1, 1
Timothy 3:2-7), 4-no (1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 2 Corinthians 5:10), 5-no
(Matthew 5:38-39, John 8:1-11), 6-no (same as #5), 7-no (Romans
2:16; 1 Corinthians 4:3-5), 8-yes (John 7:24, 1 Corinthians 5), 9-no
(same as #8, also compare Matthew 7:1, 6), 10-yes (Matthew 5:43-46), 11-no
(Romans 12:7), 12-believers yes, unbelievers no (1 Corinthians 5),
13-yes (Isaiah 1:18, Matthew 23), 14-no (Psalm 1), 15-no
(Proverbs 10:9-10)
_____________________________
Evil and the Responsibility of the Government
Now Iıd like you to go back and answer the same 15 questions from the
perspective of a government. Then come back and compare your answers with
mine.
___________________________________
My answers are all based on these passages:
Ecclesiastes 3:8; Ezekiel 35:6; Psalm 122:6; Genesis 9:6; Romans 13:1-5; Titus
3:1; and
1 Peter 2:13-17.
1-no, 2-no, 3-no, 4-n/a, 5-yes, 6-yes, 7-no, 8-yes, 9-no, 10-no, 11-yes, 12-no,
13-no, 14-no, 15-no.
___________________________________
Notice there is a big difference between the response of the individual and the
response of government. Jesus addressed this in Matthew 5:38-39. The Mosaic Law
(which Jesus did not reject - Matthew 5:17-19) taught an eye-for-an-eye. God
taught Noah a life-for-a-life (Genesis 9:6). But in Matthew 5, Jesus made a
distinction between the response of the Law (the government) and the individual.
Questions and Answers
Q: How should we look at evil and the sovereignty of God?
A: From God's eternal perspective, all acts are part of His plan. So
although all people are evil and commit evil acts (Romans 3:10-18), those are
part of the good sovereign plan of God. Therefore, the results will ultimately
bring about the good plan of God (Romans 8:28).
Q: How should we deal with evil as individuals?
A: Love our enemies, turn the other cheek, and forgive.
Q: How should a government deal with evil?
A: God set up a government as...a minister of God, an avenger who
brings wrath upon the one who practices evil (Romans 13:4). Unlike individuals,
governments are to bear the sword and seek justice.
Individuals should discipline and not punish.
Governments should punish and not discipline.
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