God says, "I make peace, and create evil" (Is. 45:7 KJV; in NKJV it rightly becomes "calamity"). Don't argue with God.
I've told OP that of course Scripture says God performs no evil, but that this other testimony must also be accounted for and they are not contradictory. There seems to be a disconnect in the fact that we've been quoting this KJV wording and it has not communicated to OP, as if creating calamity (and evildoers) is the same as doing evil. The logical distinction is well-established.
No, you misunderstand. God does not create evil in a way that makes evil a thing. God created light and the absence of light is darkness. God defines what Good is and the absence of good is evil.
God did not create evil in the context of a thing or an act. He created evil in the context that He defined Good therefore everything that is not Good is evil.
Does cold exist? No, there is heat and then the absence of heat.
God has allowed us to choose good or choose the opposite. It is in our choice to not do Good that evil exists.
Yes, I understand that take as well, and it too is compatible with Isaiah. Yet Christianity still deals with suggestions that its system might somehow make God an author of evil, despite our attempts to explain and educate to the contrary. Possibly schooling and upbringing might someday assist in overcoming the recurrence of this dilemma in new generations and we can get on to deeper recognition of God as love than we possess now.
A lot of them are stuck in Calvinism, Pre-destination, cessationism, and other bad doctrine. God created Lucifer—he became corrupted and polluted Gods creation. God is Holy and Righteouss. God has allowed (lifted his hand of protection) over certain people in the Bible (Lot, Israelites), but he knows no evil and doesn’t send evil. God sent the law, the prophets, and ultimately Jesus (His final end-game plan from the beginning) to make his creation in right standing with him again. The battle is already over if you are In Christ. Satan knows he’s lost but if he can deceive mankind(even some Christians) into downplaying the victory of the cross and convince them that Jesus only died for our eternal salvation (and nothing more) they become weak sheep and utterly useless for God in this world. The Old Testament scares them, Revelation horrifies them, so they just read a “psalm of the day” and hide their heads in the sand. God has an appointed time for the destruction of the wicked that we are near approaching when Jesus return and locks Satan up.
To answer your question, it’s called the “God allowed” doctrine. Deuteronomy 28 still reigns clear as day: blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. Everyone born is already under the curse until they repent and receive Christ, the blessing is provoked and sent by God. The curses are also provoked but are NOT sent by God, since they are the default mode since Adam and Eve fell
I have been wondering lately, since Israel is almost fully vaxxed (poisoned), their military will be weakened and leave them open for that great invasion. Thoughts?
I believe this is also biblical prophecy, since the 2 Jewish witnesses and the 144,000 are all from Israeli descent— the devil is trying to either “expose” them, or wipe enough of them from the earth in attempt to postpone this prophecy from fulfilling at this time,
God didn't create Evil. Evil is one response to God's creation.
Think of it this way:
Light doesn't create Shadow. Shadow is the absence of Light.
Absence itself is a thing, and God created everything, so it is true that God created Absence, and therefore he created the Shadow.
But Evil is not Absence.
Many people think that Evil is simply the Absence of God; of his Will and of his Presence.
Not true.
Evil is the misuse of what is.
It is not Evil to hammer a nail.
It is Evil to hammer a nail into someone's head.
Evil is the use of a Good thing in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and for the wrong reasons.
God made all things for Good.
Evil corrupts the Good.
Evil cannot create, only destroy. It can only take what is and reduce it to nothing -- to Absence.
Evil is OF the Absence of God, but it is not the Absence of God.
There is and there is not. When is is where is not is supposed to be or is not is where is is supposed to be, that's when things aren't going according to God's plan.
It can only get that way through lies and deceit, but lies and deceit are not inherently Evil. If someone wishes to know the Truth to commit a great sin using it's knowledge, then it is appropriate to lie and deceive to prevent that great sin. God made lies and deceit, yes, but they are not Evil by their inherent nature.
The great sin of Lucifer was to reveal to Man that Good can be used in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and for the wrong reasons.
What is the difference between a tool an a weapon? Is a gun not a tool; something that produces an intended effect? A gun makes a hole in something. That's its purpose. A weapon kills. That's its purpose. A gun can be a weapon, just as everything can be a weapon. What matters is intent.
Weapons on their own are not Evil, as killing is necessary to sustain life. You must kill that which is alive and consume it to live.
Killing your fellow man, however, is an abuse of the nature of Killing. If, however, your fellow man is intent on killing you, then in your defense, killing is not Evil.
Are you getting me now? I'm trying my darndest to explain that Evil isn't the spooky, dark, bloody, naughty thing you think it is. It is a very cold, and calculated Slander of God's Word. It is a misuse. It is the very nature of MISUSE of a good thing.
God made things. They are tools, and he is their inventor.
Using a screwdriver to pound a nail in is not the intended use of the screwdriver, and is therefore Evil to the screwdriver's nature and the nature of things God created.
This is the Truth of the great deception. This is what Lucifer is the Author of. He didn't create this nature, this concept, he is the abuser of it.
Evil is to corrupt Good. Evil is to take that which is Good, and of God, and use it for ill.
Really good question. You wont get answers on it because no one really knows. Its a theological issue that can only be resolved with variations of existence of duality. Arguement against God on this exact issue is called "the problem of evil" the general duality "For" aguement is summed up as:To glorify God evil must exist. Personaly I am also confused by this issue but lean towards we must see bad to know what is good.
I know exactly how feel. Add to that my actions, I wish I could just do right all the time but it is impossible. If we could all be good all of the time non of this would happen. The proof we need Jesus and we are all sinners.
We are all sons of Adam. When he fell, all born of him are born without the Spirit of God.
Absolutes:
Rom 3:23 "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"
Heb 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."
Heb 9:22 "And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission."
God knows evil but He did not create it. God gave Lucifer a free will and Lucifer became prideful and jealous of God so God cast Lucifer and a third of the angels out of the third heaven and Lucifer became Satan. Then Satan and his angels battled Michael and his angels in outer space and lost and Satan got thrown to Earth. The next thing that will happen is Jesus will finally defeat Satan once and for all and cast him into the lake of fire to suffer eternal damnation and life without God because that's what he chose. Believers in Christ will be with God for eternity and God will protect us from evil. I do believe God will always allow us free will. God forgets our sins, I do believe our sins will be erased in our mind when we die and we will start new with God and will not understand the concept of good and evil.
These kinds of discussions hurt my head. God created it all and God allows Evil. That much is clear. I don’t know why and I wish it wasn’t so, but I trust in His plan and I believe he wishes to save and unite humanity in peace. So, the Evil must be being allowed by God as a means for that end.
In theory God created everything... Including the serpent that deceived Eve. Its not that evil is a creation as much as a behavior. So what you ask is quite literally a doubled edged sword.
God created Angels (1/3 of whom rebelled). God also created humans who became corrupted after the fall.
I tend to believe God knew this would happen as he is the beginning and the end. Since he is not restrained by time, he would have understood this would happen.
Also, as unfortunate as it may be, evil is necessary for there to be free will. God did not create robots.... Thank God for that.
God embued all of His creations with the capacity for free will. When free will is possible so too is the possibility of evil. Thus, by permitting us free will, God allows evil to exist.
I don't understand your argument, or you haven't articulated it clearly.
You disagree with the verses in which God is said to have created Lucifer and evil?
Or you disagree not that he CREATED evil, but that he STILL controls the evil in the world?
In either event rationalizing beliefs isn't hard.
First, you can think that God created everyone with free will including Lucifer, and he chose to go off and run the dark world if you will.
Or that if you believe God to be omnipotent, how could you NOT believe he had control over evil?
Then lastly, if you take Jesus dying and the new testament as a new covenant that was made between man and God through Jesus as the vessel, you can all but throw out everything from the old testament, or at least understand that by Jesus coming, a fundamental change in the way God deals with man occurred. Namely being Jesus taking responsibility for our sins as long as we .... Live Christlike lives, or accept Jesus into your soul .... Or whatever you believe it means to you and whatever boxes you need to check to visit st. Peter.
For reference. I am not religious, grew up catholic/christian, depending on where we lived went to public school or some Christian school.
That being said, I think "you christians" and I'm sure it's applicable to other religions as well, get too hung up on individual words and specific verses. The reason I point this out is, it's been translated who knows how many times, and likely most recently from a king James version. How accurate do you think every single word is going to be? Accurate enough to get the big picture? I would agree with that. Accurate enough to perfectly describe everything in English? Extremely doubtful.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
II Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV
God does not create evil. Don't argue with the ignorant.
God says, "I make peace, and create evil" (Is. 45:7 KJV; in NKJV it rightly becomes "calamity"). Don't argue with God.
I've told OP that of course Scripture says God performs no evil, but that this other testimony must also be accounted for and they are not contradictory. There seems to be a disconnect in the fact that we've been quoting this KJV wording and it has not communicated to OP, as if creating calamity (and evildoers) is the same as doing evil. The logical distinction is well-established.
No, you misunderstand. God does not create evil in a way that makes evil a thing. God created light and the absence of light is darkness. God defines what Good is and the absence of good is evil.
God did not create evil in the context of a thing or an act. He created evil in the context that He defined Good therefore everything that is not Good is evil.
Does cold exist? No, there is heat and then the absence of heat.
God has allowed us to choose good or choose the opposite. It is in our choice to not do Good that evil exists.
God bless you.
Yes, I understand that take as well, and it too is compatible with Isaiah. Yet Christianity still deals with suggestions that its system might somehow make God an author of evil, despite our attempts to explain and educate to the contrary. Possibly schooling and upbringing might someday assist in overcoming the recurrence of this dilemma in new generations and we can get on to deeper recognition of God as love than we possess now.
A lot of them are stuck in Calvinism, Pre-destination, cessationism, and other bad doctrine. God created Lucifer—he became corrupted and polluted Gods creation. God is Holy and Righteouss. God has allowed (lifted his hand of protection) over certain people in the Bible (Lot, Israelites), but he knows no evil and doesn’t send evil. God sent the law, the prophets, and ultimately Jesus (His final end-game plan from the beginning) to make his creation in right standing with him again. The battle is already over if you are In Christ. Satan knows he’s lost but if he can deceive mankind(even some Christians) into downplaying the victory of the cross and convince them that Jesus only died for our eternal salvation (and nothing more) they become weak sheep and utterly useless for God in this world. The Old Testament scares them, Revelation horrifies them, so they just read a “psalm of the day” and hide their heads in the sand. God has an appointed time for the destruction of the wicked that we are near approaching when Jesus return and locks Satan up.
To answer your question, it’s called the “God allowed” doctrine. Deuteronomy 28 still reigns clear as day: blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience. Everyone born is already under the curse until they repent and receive Christ, the blessing is provoked and sent by God. The curses are also provoked but are NOT sent by God, since they are the default mode since Adam and Eve fell
Excellent post my friend!
I have been wondering lately, since Israel is almost fully vaxxed (poisoned), their military will be weakened and leave them open for that great invasion. Thoughts?
I believe this is also biblical prophecy, since the 2 Jewish witnesses and the 144,000 are all from Israeli descent— the devil is trying to either “expose” them, or wipe enough of them from the earth in attempt to postpone this prophecy from fulfilling at this time,
Yes, he knows his time is short. Very short from the look of things.
Calvin was as right as Arminius was wrong.
God didn't create Evil. Evil is one response to God's creation.
Think of it this way:
Light doesn't create Shadow. Shadow is the absence of Light.
Absence itself is a thing, and God created everything, so it is true that God created Absence, and therefore he created the Shadow.
But Evil is not Absence.
Many people think that Evil is simply the Absence of God; of his Will and of his Presence.
Not true.
Evil is the misuse of what is.
It is not Evil to hammer a nail.
It is Evil to hammer a nail into someone's head.
Evil is the use of a Good thing in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and for the wrong reasons.
God made all things for Good.
Evil corrupts the Good.
Evil cannot create, only destroy. It can only take what is and reduce it to nothing -- to Absence.
Evil is OF the Absence of God, but it is not the Absence of God.
There is and there is not. When is is where is not is supposed to be or is not is where is is supposed to be, that's when things aren't going according to God's plan.
It can only get that way through lies and deceit, but lies and deceit are not inherently Evil. If someone wishes to know the Truth to commit a great sin using it's knowledge, then it is appropriate to lie and deceive to prevent that great sin. God made lies and deceit, yes, but they are not Evil by their inherent nature.
The great sin of Lucifer was to reveal to Man that Good can be used in the wrong place, at the wrong time, and for the wrong reasons.
What is the difference between a tool an a weapon? Is a gun not a tool; something that produces an intended effect? A gun makes a hole in something. That's its purpose. A weapon kills. That's its purpose. A gun can be a weapon, just as everything can be a weapon. What matters is intent.
Weapons on their own are not Evil, as killing is necessary to sustain life. You must kill that which is alive and consume it to live.
Killing your fellow man, however, is an abuse of the nature of Killing. If, however, your fellow man is intent on killing you, then in your defense, killing is not Evil.
Are you getting me now? I'm trying my darndest to explain that Evil isn't the spooky, dark, bloody, naughty thing you think it is. It is a very cold, and calculated Slander of God's Word. It is a misuse. It is the very nature of MISUSE of a good thing.
God made things. They are tools, and he is their inventor.
Using a screwdriver to pound a nail in is not the intended use of the screwdriver, and is therefore Evil to the screwdriver's nature and the nature of things God created.
This is the Truth of the great deception. This is what Lucifer is the Author of. He didn't create this nature, this concept, he is the abuser of it.
Evil is to corrupt Good. Evil is to take that which is Good, and of God, and use it for ill.
Really good question. You wont get answers on it because no one really knows. Its a theological issue that can only be resolved with variations of existence of duality. Arguement against God on this exact issue is called "the problem of evil" the general duality "For" aguement is summed up as:To glorify God evil must exist. Personaly I am also confused by this issue but lean towards we must see bad to know what is good.
I am looking forward to the day all the bad is wiped from my mind and existence. I need so much eye bleach now it is ridiculous.
I know exactly how feel. Add to that my actions, I wish I could just do right all the time but it is impossible. If we could all be good all of the time non of this would happen. The proof we need Jesus and we are all sinners.
We are all sons of Adam. When he fell, all born of him are born without the Spirit of God.
Absolutes:
Thank you, very solid answer
God knows evil but He did not create it. God gave Lucifer a free will and Lucifer became prideful and jealous of God so God cast Lucifer and a third of the angels out of the third heaven and Lucifer became Satan. Then Satan and his angels battled Michael and his angels in outer space and lost and Satan got thrown to Earth. The next thing that will happen is Jesus will finally defeat Satan once and for all and cast him into the lake of fire to suffer eternal damnation and life without God because that's what he chose. Believers in Christ will be with God for eternity and God will protect us from evil. I do believe God will always allow us free will. God forgets our sins, I do believe our sins will be erased in our mind when we die and we will start new with God and will not understand the concept of good and evil.
These kinds of discussions hurt my head. God created it all and God allows Evil. That much is clear. I don’t know why and I wish it wasn’t so, but I trust in His plan and I believe he wishes to save and unite humanity in peace. So, the Evil must be being allowed by God as a means for that end.
It is a choice...free will. God does not want robots. He wants to love and be loved. Each individual chooses who he or she serves.
In theory God created everything... Including the serpent that deceived Eve. Its not that evil is a creation as much as a behavior. So what you ask is quite literally a doubled edged sword.
God created Angels (1/3 of whom rebelled). God also created humans who became corrupted after the fall.
I tend to believe God knew this would happen as he is the beginning and the end. Since he is not restrained by time, he would have understood this would happen.
Also, as unfortunate as it may be, evil is necessary for there to be free will. God did not create robots.... Thank God for that.
Evil is the absence of God
God gave us free will. What we do with it creates either good or evil.
God embued all of His creations with the capacity for free will. When free will is possible so too is the possibility of evil. Thus, by permitting us free will, God allows evil to exist.
I don't understand your argument, or you haven't articulated it clearly.
You disagree with the verses in which God is said to have created Lucifer and evil?
Or you disagree not that he CREATED evil, but that he STILL controls the evil in the world?
In either event rationalizing beliefs isn't hard.
First, you can think that God created everyone with free will including Lucifer, and he chose to go off and run the dark world if you will.
Or that if you believe God to be omnipotent, how could you NOT believe he had control over evil?
Then lastly, if you take Jesus dying and the new testament as a new covenant that was made between man and God through Jesus as the vessel, you can all but throw out everything from the old testament, or at least understand that by Jesus coming, a fundamental change in the way God deals with man occurred. Namely being Jesus taking responsibility for our sins as long as we .... Live Christlike lives, or accept Jesus into your soul .... Or whatever you believe it means to you and whatever boxes you need to check to visit st. Peter.
For reference. I am not religious, grew up catholic/christian, depending on where we lived went to public school or some Christian school.
That being said, I think "you christians" and I'm sure it's applicable to other religions as well, get too hung up on individual words and specific verses. The reason I point this out is, it's been translated who knows how many times, and likely most recently from a king James version. How accurate do you think every single word is going to be? Accurate enough to get the big picture? I would agree with that. Accurate enough to perfectly describe everything in English? Extremely doubtful.
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. II Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV