Volume 30 Issue 2
A publication of Focus Evangelistic Ministries, Inc
Summer 2020
THE COMMUNICATOR
Focus Evangelistic Ministries, Inc. PO Box 498 Danielsville, GA 30633
Why is There so Much Evil in the World?
We’re disappointed recently to see the stories of “Christians” who have denied the faith. Joshua Harris, Aaron Rodgers, Jonathan Steingard, and others have soaked up lots of attention in their denials of God. Sadly, some have even used the platform of their Christian fame to declare their new atheism. These denials have had their powerful, negative effects, especially among our youth.
Less than 4% of people claim to be atheist, but their voices seem amplified in these troubling times. An argument that we need to expose is the opinion that since evil is present in the world, God does not exist. Let’s break it down and be ready with answers.
The syllogism looks like this:
Premise 1: If a holy God is real, he should not have any evil in his world.
Premise 2: If an all-powerful God is real, he is strong enough to stop evil.
Therefore: Since evil is present in the world, a holy, all-powerful God is not real.
A syllogism is a great tool for reaching truthful conclusions, unless its argument is flawed. This one is faulty at all three levels
1. The first premise is an assumption that since God is holy, he will force the world to be holy also. This is a denial of free will. God gave Man a choice to obey or not. God did not create people who were programmed to only act uprightly. He wanted humans who could choose. Man’s choice to sin brought evil. God knew it, warned Man against it, and allowed Man to live in the evil that Man chose.
2. The second premise is also flawed. It assumes that just because God is able to stop evil, he will. God is all-knowing. He may have reason to not stop evil.
3. Faulty premises lead to faulty conclusions. The presence of evil does not destroy the existence of God. History is the factual record of the interaction of God and evil. The fact that Man exercised his free will to bring in evil does not negate the facts about God.
Man’s Sin Choice Continues to Bring Evil into the World:
The Curse
God gave man a sweet setup in the Garden of Eden. Life was good until Adam and Eve picked sin and traded away blessings to get curses. We’ve been under the curse ever since. Often, people expect God to be The Fixer of Bad Things. God is supposed to make everyone happy by taking away sickness, stopping storms, and making it easy to have babies. But God is not going to fix curse problems. He is allowing Man to stew in his own choices.
The Flood
In Noah’s day, only eight people got on the boat of salvation offered to them. The rest scorned God. The results were disastrous. Creation was altered as barriers were shattered and water came flooding from above and below. The whole ecosystem was altered. Now the earth shakes, the storms douse us, and the hurricanes blow. All of us are subject to suffering. It rains on the just and the unjust (Matthew 5:45). And the whole creation groans together (Romans 8:22).
Man’s Heart Condition
A recent *survey shows that 69% of people think that Man’s heart is basically good. Among churchgoers in the survey, the number was even higher! Over 70% of churchgoers surveyed believe that Man is basically good. Do they not watch the news?
The Bible says differently:
“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” – Jeremiah 13:9
“For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.” – Ecclesiastes 7:20
“As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one…” – Romans 3:10
We all have contributed to the darkness we live in each day. We found the enemy. It is not God.
*<https://christiannews.net/2020/06/26/survey-showsmost-americans-believe-humans-are-basically-good-butdont-think-life-is-sacred/>
God will Fix It, in His Time
God is going to have a kingdom without evil, but it will not come before its rightful time. The future is written for us in the Bible. We have at least 1007 years until the Lord brings saved people into the eternal state of glory and righteousness. For now, the very evil that we have brought through sin is being used by God to bring us to look to God for salvation. The evil we live in is often reason enough for people to wise up and look to Him to be saved.
Jesus Saves
If God seems cold or impersonal in allowing evil in the world, think of this. To a child, every parent sometimes seems cold and impersonal. A parent’s correction and discipline may be unpleasant, but it is aimed at a higher purpose. In the same way, we are living in a broken world to show us how awesome it would be to be reconciled to God. He wants this so much for us. He is patient with Man’s disobedience. His coming is delayed so that more people can change their minds and get on the boat before the storm of wrath makes landfall.
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” – II Peter 3:9, 10
Before Destruction, God Offers Salvation
Jesus paid a death payment for our sin. God will give you full forgiveness of sin and a place in His eternal kingdom if you will do one thing. Believe in Jesus.
You could never lose the gift of eternal life. You would be in a place with God so free of evil that there is no night, no pain, no more tears. Anyone who really wants to be free of evil should be thrilled with what Jesus has done to save us from the evil we deserve.
“For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
On the Road with Freddie…
We were playing a little basketball in an affluent neighborhood when I noticed some kids playing nearby. Shortly, the tallest of two young girls came just close enough to us that I could speak to her in a natural way. Gospel conversations start with questions. So, I went for it.
“Is there a water fountain around here?“
“No,” she said. “There’s one inside the school.”
A few questions later, they gave permission for me to tell them the best news in the world, the gospel. They learned about Jesus and I learned about them. It was a fun conversation, but it was stunning how little they knew about the Bible.
Neither girl had ever been inside a church building. They did not own a Bible, nor was there a Bible in the home. They knew that Jesus was “the baby born in Bethlehem,” but they didn’t know He was God, nor did they know how Jesus died.
Our kids are living through a pandemic, with bloody riots and a cultural war all around them. Their sports teams are not playing and their schools are closed. Yet, so many of them are living without the comfort of a Savior. They have the best in education, but no Bible in the home. Church is not a happy place to go for them. They have been failed.
We can’t reach them all, but don’t you want to reach some more? There’s nothing like sharing the gospel with kids! They need it like never before.
Grace For Life Institute
We are praying and seeking the Lord’s wisdom and provision for the start of our Grace For Life Institute at Grace Farm. If you would like to spend a year learning and being prepared for effective living and ministry, this may be where the Lord wants you.
This is a “Gap Year” program full of Bible teaching and training in life skills to equip graduates to really live a life of serving the Lord wherever He leads.
If you are interested in the institute, drop us a line and we would like to pray for you and send more information.
Grace Farm is our Youth Camp and Training Center. We have several important Fall projects that are ready for group-style work days. If you have a group looking for a missions project, we would love to talk with you about your group coming to Dewy Rose, Georgia and serving the Lord: Contact Us Today!
