Evil is the absence of God. And there also is a false good, and I may discuss that later as well.
So for evil to exist, it only needs to come from Free Will to choose to be absent from God. And where did that originate from?
As I have already shared God allows free choice. So the choice came from God. Some may ask or wonder, if God is really good, why would He want or even allow free choice? Let me ask you. Do you want friends and family who must love and like you? Or do you want someone to love you freely and willingly? You may have heard of this famous poem:
If you love something, set it free: if it comes back, it's yours. If it doesn't, it never was.
In this respect God is like us. He doesn't want a universe filled with robots to worship Him and serve Him. So He offered free choice. Even to the angels, though for them it was a one time opportunity.
We must remember doctrine and theology comes from the Bible and faith. It requires understanding and interpretation. I discuss this in my Tenets of Faith Page on point #15. Most denominations and scholars believe God gave angels this one time offer. We don't know all the answers but we have some. We know that on the 6th day there was no sin and God was happy with creation:
Gen 1:31: And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
God would not say such a thing if there was evil running around. Therefore satan fell after the 6th day and before he deceived Eve. But we can read about how he fell:
Ezekiel 28
2 ... Because your heart is lifted up, and you have said, I am a god, I sit in the seat of gods, in the heart of the seas; yet you are ... not God, though you give your heart as the heart of gods.
3 ... Every one of the secret things are not hidden to you.
5 By your great wisdom, by your trade you have multiplied your riches, and your heart is lifted up because of your riches.
13 You have been in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering; ... the workmanship of your tambourines and of your flutes in you. In the day you were created, they were prepared.
14 You were the anointed cherub that covers, and I had put you in the holy heights of God, where you were. You walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, until iniquity was found in you.
16 By the multitude of your trade, they filled your midst with violence, and you sinned. So I cast you defiled from the height of God, and I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from among the stones of fire.
17 Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor. I have cast you to the ground. I will put you before kings, that they may see you.
18 By the host of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trade, you have defiled your holy places. So I brought a fire from your midst and it shall devour you, and I will give you for ashes on the earth in the sight of all who see you.
So here we can read how satan fell. I could even go on about his make up, his heavenly responsibilities and even how he fell, but these are not important.
What's important here, is to understand how he got authority. So we must next learn where that came from. God gave authority to Adam:
Gen 1
26 ¶ And God said, let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over all the creepers creeping on the earth.
28 And God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the seas, and over birds of the heavens, and over all beasts creeping on the earth.
29 ¶ And God said, Behold, I have given you every plant seeding seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree seeding seed; it shall be food for you.
30 And to every beast of the earth, and to all birds of the heavens, and to every creeper on the earth which has in it a living soul, every green plant is for food. And it was so.
So the authority of the earth was given to Adam. And when Adam fell into sin, the earth fell into sin. In fact, the entire physical universe also fell into corruption. This is why even stars die.
Rom 8:19 The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
So sin rules the physical universe, and where did that sin come from? Did it come from God or satan?
John 10: MKJV
10 The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
That thief is satan! John 8:44 says satan is the father of lies. The FATHER, the originator, the source. In fact as I describe in my Why do we need God or Jesus page I describe how satan "made" the Tree of Knowledge that caused the downfall. Please click on that link to read it.
Through satan's trickery and deceit, he took the authority of the earth. Now it may be argued that it was taken unlawfully. Yet God is a good God and He holds to His promises and laws. He can't go around and change them, otherwise He wouldn't be good and the universe would fall apart. If He revoked one law, then the whole system may fall down. No more gravity perhaps! Once again I discuss these issues on the same link.
But God had a plan and foresaw all this before creation. A day will come when Jesus redeems the world and creation.
Rev 11:15 LITV: And the seventh angel trumpeted. And there were great voices in Heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world became our Lord's, even of His Christ; and He shall reign to the ages of the ages.
Until that day comes, satan is considered the god of this world.
2 Cor 4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
John 12:31 LITV: Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world shall be cast out.
1 John 5:19 NIV: We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.
He even tried to tempt Jesus and share this authority:
Luke 4 LITV
1 ... Jesus returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
2 forty days, being tried by the Devil. And He ate nothing in those days, and they being ended, He afterwards hungered.
3 And the Devil said to Him, If You are Son of God, speak to this stone that it become a loaf.
4 And Jesus answered to him, saying, It has been written: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every Word of God."
5 And leading Him up into a high mountain, the Devil showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
6 And the Devil said to Him, I will give all this authority and their glory to You, because it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whomever I wish.
7 Then if You worship before me, all will be Yours.
So when someone dies, should we be angry at God? Do we blame God for death?
John 10: MKJV
10 The thief does not come except to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
No, the thief is satan, God brings life.
So are we doomed? Can the devil run around and kill who ever he wants?
1 Pet 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour
Peter says we should be sober and vigilant, so why say that if there is no protection. There is protection!
The devil's rule is through sin. Death comes from sin.
Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death...
Avoid sin, and then death and accidents will be lessened. That doesn't mean satan won't try. The tradition of how the apostle John died is very interesting. It is told they tried to boil him, but he didn't die. I have heard of an account of a Christian Chinese woman who was sent to a firing squad just a few years ago, and she didn't die. Yet we also hear of stories of innocent being hurt. We must remember satan is the god of this world. For believers we operate by grace. Grace is a gift that supersedes what normally transpires, it is not the rule of the land.
Yet God told satan that he couldn't hurt Job. Job had a hedge of protection:
Job 1: MKJV
10 Have You not made a hedge around him, and around his house, and around all that he has on every side?...
This shows that God's people have a wall of protection.
Eccl 10: MKJV
8 He who digs a pit shall fall into it; and whoever breaks a hedge, a snake shall bite him.
This shows if you stick your hand through that wall, a demon will hurt you.
The more we live for God, the more protection we have, like Job. The best example we have of this protection is shared in Psalm 91:
Psalms 91 MKJV
1 He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall rest under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the LORD, my refuge and my fortress; my God; in Him I will trust
3 Surely He will deliver you from the fowler's trap and from the destroying plague.
4 He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall trust. His truth shall be your shield, and buckler.
5 You shall not fear the terror by night; nor because of the arrow that flies by day;
6 nor for the plague that walks in darkness, of the destruction laying waste at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; it shall not come near you.
8 Only with your eyes you shall look and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because You, O LORD, are My refuge; if you have made the Most High Your dwelling-place,
10 no evil shall befall You, nor shall any plague come near Your dwelling.
11 For He shall give His angels charge over You, to keep You in all Your ways.
12 They shall bear You up in their hands, lest You dash your foot against a stone
13 You shall tread on the lion and adder; the young lion and the jackal You shall trample underfoot.
14 Because He has set His love on Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set Him on high, because He has known My name.
15 He shall call on Me, and I will answer Him; I will be with Him in trouble; I will deliver Him, and honor Him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation.
In Romans it talks about what is sin and what isn't. Basically it's the faith of the individual. To protect yourself and loved ones, don't take part in anything you don't have faith for.
Rom 14: NKJV
23 But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.
Just remember when bad things happen, it is from satan, not God. I don't care what minister or book says otherwise; the Bible says satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus (God) brings life. God made a way for protection, but man is rebellious and won't submit to God. Our rebellion opens the door to bad things. Sin produces death.
Some may ask, why didn't God redeem creation sooner? Why make us wait? If God would have done that we wouldn't be here. God allowed sin and mankind to continue, because He wants people to go to heaven and be with Him forever. If He would have stepped in sooner, then the Earth would have had much less people.
Another question or problem people have, is the death of children.
God has little He can do to protect the innocent children. Even the children are born in sin.
Psalm 51: MKJV
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Psalm 58: MKJV
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray from the womb...
But He may have a better place for them. Remember this came about from the laws of procreation God made and from Adam's sin. And God cannot change His laws, or else He will no longer be good.
Heb 13:8: Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
The fact He doesn't change is good. Despite what people may think. We can count on Him. We can know that gravity won't disappear and we float into space. True goodness is rock solid and doesn't change. Can you imagine having a father that says you shouldn't throw rocks at cars one day and then the next he changes his mind?
Jesus made a way to save any and all who will accept the way, the truth, and the life. Many theologians believe that children under the age of accountability go to heaven when they die. This is a great hope for the innocent children who suffer and die. I believe this, and if so, they then go to a better place.
There is one scripture I know of where the death of a child is discussed and where it eludes to them NOT going to hell.
2 Sam 12: MKJV
19 But David saw that his servants whispered. And David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, Is the boy dead? And they said, He is dead.
23 But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
David knew that he would meet his son in paradise. The Jewish people believed and went to paradise, which is where Jesus went for 3 days when He died, and then took them to heaven. This can be discussed elsewhere. As for the unbelievers children, all I have is this:
Rom 2: MKJV
14 For when the nations, who do not have the Law, do by nature the things of the Law, these, not having the Law, are a law unto themselves;
15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and the thoughts between one another accusing or even excusing one another,
16 in a day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.
This shows that there are some people whom have not heard the law, but their conscience leads them to goodness and to eternal life. While others harden their hearts and conscience, and they sin, regardless of not hearing God's law. So I believe that all people are born with a conscience that leads toward God, and are given grace to salvation until they come of age, harden their hearts, or hear the gospel (once they hear the gospel, salvation must come by accepting it, if they are of age and understand it). Although I cannot speak with any certainty on this matter.
Lastly I wish to briefly discuss the false goodness I spoke of earlier. As I shared above and in more detail here: Why do we need God or Jesus, satan "made" a Tree of Knowledge, more accurately and more fully called: The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. That tree has good and evil and it came from satan. He can come as an angel of light, pretending to be something he is not.
2 Corinthians 11:14: And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
I discuss this elsewhere like my Catholic page or my page How can you be sure what method is correct in finding God? and this fake goodness is more like the Yin Yang we have heard about. Please read there for more info.
If you may have noticed I refuse to capitalize satan's name, throughout this page and on my website. I do it purposefully to disrespect him. I once actually found one other person who does this as well.
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Links of Interest:
Frequently Asked Questions - my FAQ's page
Statements of Faith - my Tenets page
Why do we need God or Jesus?
For the Catholic - my page discussing catholic doctrines
How can you be sure what method is correct in finding God?
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