How God Relates to Evil from a Biblical Prospective

The question of how the Christian God relates to Satan and evil without God being evil himself is often a hard question that needs adequate answers. Many things that the Christian scripture says that God has done are often considered morally apprehensible today by most people, and the commands of God in scripture are unfortunately found to be morally apprehensible by today's views of morality. My purpose thus is to explain how God is good despite the evil that people associate with him.

Many that argue the case that the Christian God is evil do so because of contemporary conceptions of evil that are much different than prior conceptions of evil. Today many describe evil in relation to harm or destruction as if every harm done or destruction rendered is an expression of evil, but I will show how evil is actually the absence of God. I will thus demonstrate that goodness is expressed through intelligent construction that brings about reconciliation with God, and I will attempt to demonstrate how God transforms evil into good.

Most Christians today argue that evil never enters into God's will, but at the very height of evil being expressed we find that Christ was crucified despite his prayers to have the Father take the cup away from him if the Father was willing to spare Christ from crucifixion. Christ as a result of the crucifixion spent three days in hell according to the scripture, and some I find have argued the case wrongly that God the Father rendered evil on Christ because he did not spare his own Son despite the prayers of Christ to be spared. My explanation of evil will demonstrate how God can use evil in his will to produce what is good, and thus the crucifixion of Christ for example would use the evil rendered onto Christ and the evil of the disciples denouncing Christ in order to produce the good results of eternal salvation.

According to most Christian doctrine, the resurrection of Jesus Christ conquered evil and is conquering evil (the Bible has various ways of demonstrating this). The way that I will explain the relationship between God and evil is to use the allegory that God first identifies evil in the world like in the case of God realizing the Adam and Eve had eaten the fruit, God second finds a solution to the problem of evil like in the case of God making garments of skin for Adam and Eve and driving them from the garden, and third the solution that God uses takes what is evil and transforms it into something that is good or removes even removes the evil. Overall, the three phases of God's work that I will demonstrate according to my allegory I will call the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ respectively, and I will show how this model can explain even the hardest scripture.

Relations Between God and Moral Agents of Evil

Most people believe that Satan started the conversation about God handing Job over to Satan in the book of Job, but the scripture says the following about the issue. "The LORD said to Satan, 'Where have you come from?' Satan answered the LORD, 'From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it.' Then the LORD said to Satan, 'Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil.'" Job 1:7-8 (NIV) The point is that God directed the attention of Satan onto Job when Satan was not even thinking about Job at all, and this shows us that God had a plan that involved both Satan and Job as this is why God brought up the issue of Job with Satan. In other words God identified some problems of evil with Satan (this was like Christ being born into the situation), and the solution to the problem was for God to hand Job over to Satan in order to teach Satan a lesson (this was like the death of Christ). Overall, the work of God to hand Job over to Satan resulted in Satan being transformed or taught a lesson about how his efforts to corrupt the righteous through torture would be futile (this was like the resurrection of Christ).

Scripture actually demonstrates how sometimes Satan asks God to hand someone over for torture and such. Consider what Jesus says, "Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers." Luke 22:31-32 (NIV) As soon as Satan asked God to sift Simon, Christ was born into the situation, the prayer of Christ for Simon was the sacrifice of Christ (death of Christ); moreover, the result of the work of Satan to do his thing with Peter was like the resurrection of Christ because as a result Peter would have gained strength to apply to his brothers in order to strengthen them (also Peter would be more developed because of the experience).

The Christian scripture actually gives an example of how God commands evil spirits to do his will. Consider the following scripture, "...hear the word of the LORD : I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?' One suggested this, and another that. Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' 'By what means?' the LORD asked. 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.' So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you." 1 Kings 22:19-23 (NIV) In this example Christ was born into the situation in that Ahab was evil and the demons had been evil as well and God thus identified these problems, and Christ was crucified in the situation in that God suffered by pitting evil against evil with his chosen people as God was making judgments between evil parties. The story of Ahab ends in the death of Ahab as this was like the resurrection of Christ in that Ahab needed to be eliminated for good to result and for God's kingdom to advance.

In the Christian scripture Joseph was mistreated by all eleven of his brothers that all twelve latter became the patriarchs, and this happened because his brothers threw him into a well and latter he entered Egypt as a slave and was put into prison because he would not commit adultery with the wife of his master. Joseph latter became second in command to Pharaoh as a result of a turn of events, and Joseph as a result of this was able to save his entire family and the entire nation of Egypt from starvation. Consider what the scripture says about Joseph, "His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. 'We are your slaves,' they said. But Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.'" Genesis 50:18-20 (NIV) The example that I give with Joseph is very complex because I find that Christ would be born into the situation, died into the situation, and rose from the dead in the situation about three times. Putting Joseph into the well, Joseph going into prison, and Joseph having his brothers throw themselves down before him had all been like Christ being crucified, and what resulted from all three actions was like the resurrection of Christ.

The most profound interaction of God and Satan is perhaps found in the temptation of Jesus Christ. Consider the following scripture, "Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the desert to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. The tempter came to him and said, 'If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.' Jesus answered, 'It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.'' Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 'If you are the Son of God,' he said, 'throw yourself down. For it is written: ''He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.'' Jesus answered him, 'It is also written: 'Do not put the Lord your God to the test.'' Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 'All this I will give you,' he said, 'if you will bow down and worship me.' Jesus said to him, 'Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'' Then the devil left him, and angels came and attended him." Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV)

In the temptation of Jesus Christ three examples are given for Christ to be born into the situation, to be put to death in the situation, and to be risen from the dead in the situation and we call these examples the temptations of Christ. The reason why Christ was crucified three times so to speak is because he had to make three decisions that would cause him to not obtain something that Satan indicated that he could have obtained. Like the example of Christ having to drink from the cup that brought his crucifixion he had to continue on in communion with the other two persons of the Trinity and he had to continue in his divinity regardless of his suffering or loss of suggested benefits. The turning of stones into bread would break communion of Christ with his Father's words, Jumping off of the highest point of the temple would break communion with the Holy Ghost as Christ would be compelled to prove himself to Satan through sin even when the Holy Ghost is considered the Sprit of Truth that reveals all mystery, and lastly if Christ worshipped Satan then Christ would have to give up his divinity. Overall, Christ in a since had to be crucified through suffering in all three temptations in order for the Trinity to remain, and the result of the suffering is like the resurrection of Christ in that we are stronger as a result of what Christ has done.

The Christian scripture even shows an example of how Christ commanded Judas to do what it is that Judas was going to do. Consider the following scripture in regard to Jesus demonstrating who would betray him, "One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him. Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said, 'Ask him which one he means.' Leaning back against Jesus, he asked him, 'Lord, who is it?' Jesus answered, 'It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.' Then, dipping the piece of bread, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon. As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him." John 13:23-27 (NIV) Overall, in this particular example we actually see the time prior to Christ being Crucified, and in this example Judas is evil and Satan entered into him when he takes communion.

In the example of Judas partaking of communion God judges between Judas and all of the rest as this is like the direct foreshadowing of the crucifixion of Christ, and we see eleven disciples being saved through communion while Judas is the only one that Satan enters as he then hands Jesus over to be Crucified. Christ is called the lamb of God like in the example of the Passover lamb that was killed in order that death would pass over the Israelites in Egypt through the blood of the lamb being applied to the door posts, and Passover is the celebration that Christ was celebrating with his disciples when they all drank from the cup. Overall, in order for the blood of the lamb to be applied for death to pass over, someone had to kill the lamb, and this is why Judas was told to do what it is that he was going to do.

The point to be made is that God relates to moral agents of evil through a process that resembles the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In summery when God wants to interact with a moral agent of evil then he enters into the situation with a plan like in the case of the birth of Christ, that plan involves a process of implementation that often involves suffering, transformation of moral agents, and judgment like in the case of the crucifixion of Christ, and finely the results of God's work is like the resurrection of Christ in that moral agents that survive have been transformed through God's judgment that results in the good.

Things That God Did and Does That Make People Question if God is Truly Good

People really question God being good based upon what scripture says, and this is especially true as follows, "'Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who is close to me!' declares the LORD Almighty. 'Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered, and I will turn my hand against the little ones.'" Zechariah 13:7 (NIV) The point to be made is that Zechariah is describing the crucifixion of Christ, and in this example God the Father actually calls on the sword to strike the shepherd (Christ) and then to go after the little ones (the Christians). The point to be made is that based upon what God the Father has done he has actually brought about both the crucifixion of Christ and the death of the martyrs; moreover, if not for the resurrection of Christ and of the Christians, then God would be evil.

Consider what Jesus says about this same scripture prior to his death, "Then Jesus told them, 'This very night you will all fall away on account of me, for it is written: ''I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.' But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.' Peter replied, 'Even if all fall away on account of you, I never will.' 'I tell you the truth,' Jesus answered, 'this very night, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.' But Peter declared, 'Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.' And all the other disciples said the same." Matthew 26:31-35 (NIV) If Christ had never risen from the dead, then all of the disciples would have been in utter loss as they had committed their lives to Christ and even had been willing to be put to death for him (eventually they did become martyred). Overall, as we can see the point of Christ crucifixion was the resurrection that resulted in the good of Christ going on ahead of the disciples; moreover, this transformed what would be otherwise evil moral agents into workers of righteousness.

Many people find the story of the destruction of the earth to be a hard story to commit to because many see the work of God to destroy the earth as morally apprehensible. Consider the following scripture, "When men began to increase in number on the earth and daughters were born to them, the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful, and they married any of them they chose. Then the LORD said, 'My Spirit will not contend with man forever, for he is mortal; his days will be a hundred and twenty years.' The Nephilim were on the earth in those days-and also afterward-when the sons of God went to the daughters of men and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown. The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, 'I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth-men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air-for I am grieved that I have made them.'" Genesis 6:1-7 (NIV)

Many would say that God destroying the earth was evil for him to do because many people see good as never being destructive. The reason why what God did was good is that the entire earth had become so corrupt and evil that God had to destroy the entire earth in order to make something good come out of it. In the example of the flood we see an elusion to the crucifixion of Christ in the fact that God suffered and even grieved that he had ever created man because the hearts of man had been evil all of the time. Overall, the resurrection of Jesus Christ is eluded to in that Noah and his family entered into a new world like as an elusion to the kingdom of heaven, and in this example Christ himself is like the ship that Noah and his family go inside in order to be saved.

Some people unfortunately see God as being morally apprehensible and even against people of certain races because he had all of the first born males in Egypt killed. Consider the following scripture, "So Moses said, 'This is what the LORD says: 'About midnight I will go throughout Egypt. Every firstborn son in Egypt will die, from the firstborn son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the firstborn son of the slave girl, who is at her hand mill, and all the firstborn of the cattle as well. There will be loud wailing throughout Egypt-worse than there has ever been or ever will be again. But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal.' Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel." Exodus 11:4-7 (NIV) The fact is that the Egyptians had been benefiting from the salve labor of the Israelites, and God needed to judge between the two people.

The way that God judged between Egypt and Israel such that the firstborn of Israel lived while the firstborn of Egypt died is that the Israelites applied the blood of the lamb according to directions given by God while the Egyptians did not do so. The lamb that was killed demonstrates the suffering of Christ on the cross while the Egyptians killed are like those that died in the flood. The result of the Israelites eventually leaving Egypt to live in the promised land makes elusion to the resurrection of Christ in that the Israelites eventually went to the promised land of Israel like the Christians go to heaven.

During the time that the Babylonian empire took captives from Jerusalem to Babylon, some that still lived in Jerusalem decided to go to Egypt for safety because the Babylonian capture of Jerusalem had compromised the remaining defenses of Jerusalem. Consider what Jeremiah the prophet has to say, "But hear the word of the LORD, all Jews living in Egypt: 'I swear by my great name,' says the LORD, 'that no one from Judah living anywhere in Egypt will ever again invoke my name or swear, 'As surely as the Sovereign LORD lives.' For I am watching over them for harm, not for good; the Jews in Egypt will perish by sword and famine until they are all destroyed." Jeremiah 44:26-27 (NIV) The Jews returning to Egypt was like the Jews denouncing the work that God did to save the Jews from Egypt (this is like those in heaven falling from heaven because of lack of faith). The Jews returning to Egypt was like Christ being crucified all over again, and as a result of the evil of the Jews to return to Egypt God watched over them for harm and not for good.

Some people think that God is morally apprehensible because he had seventy thousand people killed as a result of King David having given an order to count all the fighting men. Consider the following scripture, "David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, 'I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.' Before David got up the next morning, the word of the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David's seer: 'Go and tell David, 'This is what the LORD says: I am giving you three options. Choose one of them for me to carry out against you.'' So Gad went to David and said to him, 'Shall there come upon you three years of famine in your land? Or three months of fleeing from your enemies while they pursue you? Or three days of plague in your land? Now then, think it over and decide how I should answer the one who sent me.' David said to Gad, 'I am in deep distress. Let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great; but do not let me fall into the hands of men.' So the LORD sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the end of the time designated, and seventy thousand of the people from Dan to Beersheba died." 2 Samuel 24:10-15 (NIV)

The point is that the reason why David was conscience-stricken is because he knew that counting the fighting men was evil, but yet he did it anyway. What David did was like trampling Christ under foot after David had been saved from all his enemies in battle and even saved from King Saul. This would be like continuing to sin after Christ had been crucified on our behalf. Just like churches that have an openly homosexual pastor that promotes homosexuality all the members of the kingdom of David had been judged for what the head of the government had done, and this by the way is why openly homosexual pastors are dangers to people being saved.

Some people think that God is morally apprehensible because he would strike children dead because of the sins that the mother commits. Consider the following scripture, "I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling. So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds." Revelation 2:21-23 (NIV) The truth is that the children are just as evil as the mother, so striking the children dead is really no problem for God at all. Scripture even makes the case that Christ killed the children in order to make the point to others or to communicate a message, and in this example this again is like someone continuing to sin after Christ has saved them. The way that this example with God killing the children is different than that of King David is that King David humbled himself before God when he knew that he had sinned.

Some people believe that God is morally apprehensible because he is planning to destroy the entire earth. Consider the following scripture, "...they deliberately forget that long ago by God's word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men." 2 Peter 3:5-7 (NIV) This particular scripture is talking about the future destruction of the earth in terms of the destruction of the earth by the flood in the story of Noah. The scripture is saying that God created the heavens, earth, and water, and thus God has every right to destroy the earth by what he has created. Overall, the more that people crucify Christ all over again the more that God will react harshly.

The reason why many people find God to act morally apprehensible in their views of him is because most people are evil and they do not believe in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Most people think of the birth, death, and resurrection as a one time event that does not have any corresponding reality associated with it that points to it from the past scripture or from future occurrence. If the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ was used to summarize all of history past, present, and future, then every event would be summarized by the good news about Jesus Christ and thus no one could make the case that God acts morally apprehensible because the reality of the gospel would be the only reality knowable.

Things God Commands that Are Challenging to Most People

Most people today find Jewish animal sacrifice to be morally apprehensible for people of anytime period because animal sacrifice involves using animal blood for making atonement for sins, and this often involves lots of cutting, burning, and worship that does not enter into most churches today. The fact is that Jews had been commanded by God to perform animal sacrifice, and the people that performed the animal sacrifice had been chosen by family. In other words some people did not have much choice in the matter to perform animal sacrifice or not. Overall, the fact that Christ according to New Testament theology takes the place of the animals being killed brings many moral questions into consideration.

For example all churches that offer communion have to get the blood and flesh of Jesus Christ somehow. The question of who will be the one to crucify the lord often enters into the basic differences between denominations. Many people are thus satisfied with saying that the Jews or Romans Crucified Christ once and for all, and as a result they are to blame. Hopefully at this point I have made the case clear that evil is what crucified Christ through moral agents of evil, and thus our sins have crucified Christ.

Some people would say that if God commanded them to offer their own son that they could never do such a thing. Consider the following scripture, "Then God said, 'Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love, and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about.'" Genesis 22:2 (NIV) The problem is that if Abraham was not willing to sacrifice his only son, then why should God sacrifice his only Son for Abraham? In other words why would God care about those that would never care about him? On the other hand if God cares about someone, then would not that love transform them to care about him?

Some people find doing God's work to be morally apprehensible because the scripture commands that certain people be handed over to Satan by other people. Note scripture as follows, "When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord." 1 Corinthians 5:4-5 (NIV) In this particular example perversion was so incredible in the church that a man married his mother and was proud of the fact, so why would God be put to death on the cross to put such people in heaven with him as a result of the resurrection of Jesus Christ? The answer is that Christ would never do such a thing unless he planned to deliver that person from their evil, but just as Satan was cast out of heaven so too should such people be cast out too

The scripture gives other examples of handing people over to Satan, "Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight, holding on to faith and a good conscience. Some have rejected these and so have shipwrecked their faith. Among them are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan to be taught not to blaspheme." 1 Timothy 1:18-20 (NIV) Overall, handing people over to Satan is often needed in order to protect those in the kingdom of heaven from defilement, and this protects the work of the resurrection of Jesus Christ to be fruitful.

If a person believes in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ to originate commandments of the Christian faith, then those commandments would not be morally apprehensible because they are the good news about Jesus Christ. The harder tasks that people are required to do as commandments from God the more those tasks would require genuine belief in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in order to be accomplished. Overall, all of our actions should point back to the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ as like a depiction of one of the three events, and all our actions collectively should personally depict all three events.

Conclusion

The Christian God is good, but if a person is opposed to the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, then they will find the Christian God to be evil. Not believing in the birth, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and then judging God's actions in the Hebrew scripture as evil shows disbelief in the gospel because Christ fulfilled the Hebrew scripture through the gospel. Overall, how a person views the gospel will be the deciding factor in how they will view God as being good or evil.