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Defend Your Faith Lesson 6 Is Evil A Problem For Christians? Presented by Chris Reeves * Park Road church of Christ * Gospel Meeting * April 17, 2013

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear” – 1 Peter 3:15

The Problem of Evil and Suffering Ready to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15) The importance of this question (Judges 6:13) Defining some key terms: evil, powerful, good Evil, pain, and suffering are best explained by Christianity

Presenting Your Case for Evil Evil, pain, and suffering did not exist at one time (Gen. 1:31) – God and natural law (Genesis 1:1) – God and the Devil (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) – God and a standard (Genesis 2:15-17) – God and free will (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:15-17) – God and punishment (Genesis 3:14-19) – God and pain (Genesis 3:15)

Presenting Your Case for Evil Evil, pain, and suffering are not incompatible with a loving God (Hebrews 12:5-10)

“and ye have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with sons, My son, regard not lightly the chastening of the Lord, Nor faint when thou art reproved of him; For whom the Lord loves he chastens, And scourges every son whom he receives. It is for chastening that ye endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father chastens not? But if ye are without chastening, whereof all have been made partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we had the fathers of our flesh to chasten us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness” – Hebrews 12:5-10 –

Presenting Your Case for Evil Evil, pain, and suffering are not incompatible with a loving God (Hebrews 12:5-10) Evil, pain, and suffering are not counter-productive (2 Corinthians 1:3-11)

“ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in all our affliction, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any affliction, through the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound unto us, even so our comfort also abounds through Christ. But whether we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or whether we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which works in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer” – 2 Corinthians 1:3-6

Presenting Your Case for Evil Evil, pain, and suffering are not incompatible with a loving God (Hebrews 12:5-10) Evil, pain, and suffering are not counter-productive (2 Corinthians 1:3-11) Evil, pain, and suffering will not exist one day (Revelation 21:4)

“And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven of God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of the throne saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he shall dwell with them, and they shall be his peoples, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God: and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away ” – Revelation 21:1-4

Answering Objections to Evil Objection #1: You cannot use the Bible to solve the problem of evil. Remind the critic that he was the one who used the Bible when he said that God was all-powerful and all- loving. You are simply using the same Bible to answer the question of God and evil.

Answering Objections to Evil Objection #2: If God exists, he would have made a better world – a world without evil, pain, and suffering. How does one really know what is a good, better, and best world? These words (good, better, best) imply and necessitate a standard. Is your “better” world a world without free-will? This would be a world of determinism. How is a world of determinism (robots, machines) better? Without free will we cease to be human. How would you like to be married to a pull-string doll who mechanically said, “I love you…” after you pull the string?

Answering Objections to Evil Objection #2: If God exists, he would have made a better world – a world without evil, pain, and suffering. Is your “better” world a world without natural law? This would be a world of random chaos. How is a world of random chaos a better world? Is your “better” world a world without hate? This would be a world without love also. Is your “better” world a world with free-will, but without sin? This is exactly the world God created (Genesis 1-2). But, can you have true free will and it also be impossible to sin at the same time? No.

Answering Objections to Evil Objection #3: If God exists, why does he allow mankind to pay such a high price for evil, pain, and suffering? Mankind’s high price that is paid has beneficial results. Remember, God has paid more than his share of the high price for the evil, pain, and suffering inflicted upon his only begotten Son (Isaiah 53:3; John 3:16; Hebrews 2:18).

Defend Your Faith The presence of evil, pain, and suffering is not evidence against the existence of God and it is not a problem for Christians (1 John 3:3; 4:4). Evil, pain, and suffering are not a theoretical problem, but a practical problem that is solved by the cross of Christ (Romans 1:16). How do I respond to evil, pain, and suffering (James 1:2)? Do you have the will to believe today (John 7:17)?

Defend Your Faith How do I respond to evil, pain, and suffering? Use it to build character (Psalm 119:67,71) Look beyond it to the reward (Hebrews 13:14) Joy in it (James 1:2) Persevere through it (James 5:11) Allow it to test us (1 Peter 1:6-7)

Defend Your Faith Do you have the will to believe today (John 7:17)?

“Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me. If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself” – John 7:16-17