Thursday: Love and Evil?
Daily Lesson for Thursday 13th of February 2025
God has granted creatures free will because it is necessary for love; misuse of this free will is the cause of evil. Again, many questions remain. God allows evil (for a time), while passionately despising it, because to exclude its possibility would exclude love, and to destroy it prematurely would damage the trust necessary for love.
“The earth was dark through misapprehension of God. That the gloomy shadows might be lightened, that the world might be brought back to God, Satan’s deceptive power was to be broken. This could not be done by force. The exercise of force is contrary to the principles of God’s government; He desires only the service of love; and love cannot be commanded; it cannot be won by force or authority. Only by love is love awakened. To know God is to love Him; His character must be manifested in contrast to the character of Satan.”—Ellen G. White, The Desire of Ages, p. 22.
Image © Justinen Creative from GoodSalt.com
Without free will, there could be no love, and if God is love, then it seems clear that it is not really an option for God to negate love or the freedom needed for love to exist. One could suppose, too, that if we knew the end from the beginning, as God does, we would not want Him to get rid of our freedom. After all, who would want to live in a loveless universe?
Read Romans 8:18 and Revelation 21:3-4. How can these texts give us confidence to trust in God’s goodness, despite all the evil in our world?
Even when we cannot see through the darkness, God can see the end from the beginning. He can see, too, the eternal bliss promised to all who place their faith in Jesus. According to Romans 8:18, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (NKJV). Do we have the faith and trust to believe this amazing promise?
Also, so sacred, so foundational, was love, and the freedom inherent in love, that rather than deny it to us, Jesus knew it would send Him to the cross, where He would suffer greatly. Yet, He granted this freedom to us anyway, knowing what it would cost Him. Why is this such a crucial thought to keep before us always?
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How does keeping in mind the fact that God grants us free will help protect us from thinking that everything that happens is God’s will? |
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There is an enigmatic theorem attributed to Ginsberg that helps describe thermodynamics.
Those of you with enough science to know about thermodynamics will recognise the laws in this statement. For the rest of us, it is a fairly apt description of life. Someone with an existential sense of humour has added a "zeroth" law to this:
And that about sums up where we would be without a loving God. I once proposed the idea that God was the law of reverse thermodynamics
There is a lot that we do not understand about thermodyamics and about the battle between good and evil, but, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus gives us the will and purpose to play our part.
The game was won a long time ago:
I had a hard time seeing a science theory in all that (Ginsberg theorem) but apparently it’s a play on a bunch of science theories that are WAY over my head.
So I’ll stick to things I can understand and rely on you and others to translate.
Blessings
Ah Gale, it wasn't the science theory that was important. The other stuff about Jesus setting it right is where it's at.
Yep, I got that and understand that Jesus is the best thing we have.
I just was trying to make sense of the "object lesson"
Sorry - my brain likes things to fit together. Not a scientist by a long shot, but it's more like solving a math problem - it has to fit together for me to put it in the right "box".
Thank you for all that you do - and most of the "lessons" you share - math, science, computers, nature - are things that I can make fit and give me a different and fuller view of the way to understand the Lord. This one just didn't make "scientific sense" - if that makes any sense. The Jesus part I got. But then I looked it up and realized that probably Alan Ginsberg is responsible for the theorem - no wonder I got a little confused thinking it was something from a scientist who only speaks science.
I'll quit now before we both get lost.
Blessings on your work.
Is free will absolute independence or the ability to make sensible/meaningful (good) choices within limits set by God? Does free will operate outside the sovereign power of a loving God? Do we need God’s guidance to exercise free will sensibly/meaningfully?
Like a loving parent who sets a good/sensible/meaningful set of limits, our Father in Heaven knowing what his children need has given us “guided freedom”. Free will does not operate outside the sovereign power and authority of a loving God. Free will operates within divine control. The Bible explains a complex relationship between free will and divine control. God allows free will, however, ultimately God’s divine purpose will prevail (Romans 14:10-12, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 20:11-12, Ecclesiastes 12:14, Matthew 12:36, Acts 17:30-3). Human choices will never surpass God’s divine plan. Therefore, humans need God’s grace to exercise free will sensibly and meaningfully. Free will is a gift from a loving God which ought to be exercised for the glory and honour of Him who is above all things (Isaiah 46:9-10, Daniel 4:35, Ephesians 1:11, Acts 17:24-26). Given God’s sovereign power over free will, the Bible gives us wise counsel to live in faith, humility, and obedience, knowing that His plans are perfect.
“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! 2 You can make this choice by loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him. This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the Lord, you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” – Deuteronomy 30: 19-20 (NLT).
Dear Brother Omwenga. Praise be to GOD for these clarifying spiritual insights.
Brother Omwenga Mwambi Thank you for the succinct clarity on something I was struggling with. I always though that free will wasn't really "free" if the choice you made came with consequence. But as you rightly stated Love has to set limits otherwise chaos ensues which is why God in His sovereignty set guided limits for us. Amen & Amen.
Recognizing free will helps prevent a fatalistic mindset where people assume that everything, including evil acts or personal failures, is part of God's plan. Instead, it encourages personal responsibility, moral discernment, and a deeper faith in God's guidance while acknowledging that human choices have real consequences. It also reassures us that while God allows free will, He can still work through circumstances to bring about His ultimate purpose for good (Romans 8:28).
There are times when bad things happen to good people with no apparent good outcome, as seen in the example of David and Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah. In this case, David’s sinful actions led to the unjust death of an innocent man without any immediate good for Uriah, his family, or anyone else involved. This was a situation where David, driven by selfishness, committed an act of grave injustice, and Uriah suffered as a result. However, this type of scenario highlights a few key points:
• Human Sin and Its Consequences:
The story of David and Uriah (2 Samuel 11) is an example of how human sin can cause severe harm and suffering to others. In this case, David’s sin of adultery and murder caused pain and death for innocent people. This shows that sometimes bad things happen simply because of the evil or selfishness of others, and there is no apparent immediate good for those who suffer as a result.
• The Reality of Injustice in a Fallen World:
The Bible acknowledges the reality of injustice in a world marred by sin. In Ecclesiastes 8:14, Solomon writes, "There is something else meaningless that occurs on earth: the righteous who get what the wicked deserve, and the wicked who get what the righteous deserve." This is a recognition that sometimes life is unfair, and the innocent can suffer without any obvious good coming from it, at least in the short term.
• A Mystery of Suffering:
There are times when we simply cannot see or understand the purpose behind certain suffering or injustice. Uriah’s death is one such example. From a human perspective, there was no discernible good for him. Yet, the Bible affirms that God sees and cares for the innocent and will one day make all things right. In Revelation 21:4, God promises that one day He will "wipe every tear from their eyes" and that death and suffering will be no more.
In conclusion, while bad things can happen to good people without any apparent good in this life, such as in Uriah’s case, the Bible assures us that God’s justice will ultimately be served. God can work through even the darkest situations, though this does not justify or minimize the pain caused by human sin and injustice. There are times when the good may not be visible, and we are left with the mystery of suffering, trusting in God’s character and ultimate plan for justice and redemption.
I very much appreciate the church placing this lesson on our agenda.This discussion is much needed in all Christian churches. I am leading the discussion in our class this week and I am relying heavily on two books by Gregory Boyd, God at War and Satan and the Problem of Evil. Most Christianity has subscribed to the Augustinian view of a "classical-philosophical Christian or theistic tradition where we and our God would be better served by a "warfare worldview". I highly recommend reading, even studying them to help us fight against the hordes that blame God for evil. How can God condone something that He hates, and in fact humbled Himself in humanity and suffered and died to totally eradicate? Blessings to all as we continue to fight to eradicate the lies about the character of God.
Dear Russell, Welcome back to our blog! It's a long time since we've "seen" you!
It's been 25 years since I've engaged with Gregory Boyd's writings, but I remember his teachings clearly enough. He reacts against two prominent teachings in Christianity - namely Calvinistic predestination and God's impassivity (not affected by emotions or human activity). At first glance, Boyd's teachings appear to be a refreshing take on the character of God, absolving God of the responsibility for evil that predestination appears to place on Him. And there is much on which we agree with his teachings.
But I would like to suggest some cautions regarding Boyd's teachings, which I first encountered 25 years ago. Boyd is the leading proponent of a teaching called Open Theism, which AI accurately summarizes thus:
Boyd's arguments appear to rest on the assumption that his teaching of "open theism" is the only answer to Calvinism, and it could be argued that, according to the Calvinistic view, God is responsible for evil. Boyd rightly opposes the teaching of predestination and impassivity - teachings which Seventh-day Adventists reject as well. But he goes much further in rejecting God's full knowledge of the future. His argument is that, since the future has not yet happened, it is unknowable - even by God. This is an attractive teaching, which agrees with human logic. But it does not agree with biblical teachings which include precise prophecy - even mentioning Cyrus by name 150 years before he was born. (Isa. 45:1) Open theists appear to argue that God directs and intervenes in human events to His desired outcome to fulfill prophecy. (Hey, even some Adventists appear to argue the same - even here on this blog.) But that means that God interferes with free choice and manipulates people - which is opposed to Open Theism's goal of allowing free human choice without God's "predestination." (I'm sure Boyd has an explanation for this, but I engaged with his arguments for several years and never did find his position satisfactory or biblical.)
Boyd teaches that, contrary to the teaching of God's impassivity, God is affected by human emotions and human activity, and He reacts to these emotions and activity. We believe that as well, but we do not believe that God "makes things up as He goes." He does knows the future precisely, not because He manipulates humanity to a predetermined outcome but because He "sees" the future accurately. He can see today, what I will do next week - not because He makes me do it, but because He exists outside of time and space which He created.
For me, Einstein's theory of relativity suggests a way for God to know the future precisely, just as the Bible says He does. Einstein's theory posits that time is relative - meaning that it passes at different rates, depending on a viewer's relative position and that space and time are interconnected. Although I'm sure the theory is imperfect, it allows me a glimpse of how God can exist outside of time and see the past and the future without manipulating it. (Incidentally, I found physicist Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time very helpful in this regard. That's not saying that all his views are biblical. Far from it.)
And, yes, God reacts to humanity and interacts with humanity. But it's not because He doesn't know the future. It's because of His character of love. Yes, He knew that His beautiful messenger, Lucifer, would rebel, but God created him anyway because freedom of choice is so important to him. It's important because love is impossible without such freedom. Yes, He know that Adam and Eve would join Lucifer/Satan in his rebellion, but He created them anyway, knowing He would come to this planet to live, suffer abuse and a cruel death, to purchase their freedom from slavery to Satan.
In my view, Open Theism does not exalt God or make Him appear more loving. As I see it, Open Theism diminishes God and His character. That is why I warn against embracing Gregory Boyd's teachings. You will find his arguments very persuasive if you do not approach them with some degree of skepticism. So please be prayerfully skeptical.
God has promised to give us wisdom if we ask. (James 1:5) I pray that you will ask and receive this wisdom.
Yes yes. We need God's presence and grace to guide us in choice making. So it's through prayers that we can claim the holy spirit to dominate our hearts and direct us in making right choices.
If everyone is free to choose, mistakes will be everywhere. Our comfort is that God can use our mistakes to make us grow. Nevertheless, since all actions have consequences, who likes to suffer in the case of wrong actions? May we mature in dependence on God, who knows the future and the development of our choices.
God has given us free of choice, it up to us to make us a choice. Jesus or Satan, Good or evil, Obedience or disobedience, to serve God or serve gods. Elijah asked Israelites to make choice coz they were stumbling btn two opinions 1kings18:21 mathew7:13 and Mathew 6:24.