WHEN GOD USES EVIL FOR GOOD

Dear visitor,
Have you landed here with a heavy heart?

If something sad, painful or isolating has happened to you then please don’t despair. God is good and you can trust Him.

Before beginning, here are three important things.

1. If you’re angry at God or perhaps even angrier at the idea that God might use evil for supposedly good purposes – then please be willing to reconsider both the goodness and wisdom of God.

2. Although this page discusses evil in an objective way we know there’s nothing objective about the pain you may be feeling right now. We’re praying that you get through it.

3. We’re going to dip into the Bible. For some people this is a red flag. How can an ancient book speak to the present? Surely it’s loaded with outdated cultural ideas? Once again, we ask you to look with fresh eyes.

The greatest evil?

What is the greatest, most terrible evil of all? What is that thing that in your inner being you find most despicable, most difficult to comprehend? Further down this page, we’ll argue that the greatest act of evil in human history was a single event.

The conundrum

Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, describes Stephen Pinker’s book, The Better Angels of Our Nature as “The most inspiring book I’ve ever read”. The book argues that, ever since historical records of any kind began, violence has been declining with the passing of each century. Pinker says that now is the safest point ever to live in history.

But does that mean evil has declined? No. You might be safer from violence, but people still lie, steal, cheat, betray, boast, slander and much more. Inequality, depression and suicide are prevalent. Wars and rivalries persist amongst and within every human community. Natural disasters continue to threaten. Despite advances in medical technology, death is still the certain prospect for people. And many deaths will be painful and unpleasant.

So…

Is God in control of evil?

If not… then what good is he?

Yet, if God is in control of evil, then surely he himself is evil – even perhaps the devil? For how can God stand by and permit the kind of terrible suffering experienced daily in this world? Surely a good god would act instantly to end it? Surely a truly powerful and kind god would never have created the world to be the way that it is.

Arthur Schopenhauer said…

“This world could not have been the work of an all-loving being, but that of a devil, who had brought creatures into existence in order to delight in the sight of their sufferings.”

So, it seems that either God is powerful and evil or weak and useless. But the God of the Bible declares himself to be both good and powerful.

How do we solve this problem?

In recent centuries, this conundrum has been described with a single word… ‘theodicy’. It’s a word made up of two Greek words; ‘God’ (theo) and ‘Justice’ (diké) A theodicy is a vindication of the justice and goodness of God despite the suffering experienced by those creatures living in His world.

In 1710 Gottfried Leibniz coined the term ‘Theodicy’ in his work Théodicée, a book written to respond to the problem of evil.

You can find theodicies wherever there is belief in the goodness of God. For example, the following is a popular theodicy, “I don’t believe that God brings evil. People do that! Or else the Devil”

But such a statement doesn’t solve the problem above. After all, God created a world with natural disasters and people who act terribly. Did he not know this would happen? Is he not able to constrain the elements or the behaviour of people?

So, is God…

Strong and Bad?

Weak and Good?

The Bible says that he’s both…

Strong and Good?

A popular response is to say that when God created humans with the potential to act badly that this wasn’t the same as creating the evil they commit. So, surely our ability to, “choose between right and wrong” absolves God of blame?

Regarding natural disasters… some look to the universe and effectively make the same argument with its potential. So… “Natural disasters are the result of a universe where random events happen. God created the universe with this potential. But he’s not the one ordaining particular evil events”.

Some then attribute human cruelty and selfishness to randomness. “After all, isn’t such behaviour often rewarded or passed on genetically or triggered by an imbalance in brain chemistry?” But once again, if God were truly powerful, then why doesn’t he intervene to avert the ‘natural disaster’ of imbalances in brain chemistry or genetic inheritance so that only good outcomes were produced.

But mention of ‘good outcomes’ means that now we must consider the definition of ‘good’ as well as evil. You see, if we’re going to understand evil then we need to know, what, ‘the good?’ is. This is vital since both good and evil are two sides of the one coin. Many draw the quick conclusion that the highest possible ‘good’ would be all people experiencing uninterrupted happiness all the time.

Certainly…

How we think about, ‘the good’ will affect how we think about evil.

If we believe people should experience constant happiness then we’ll struggle to see purpose in evil. But if ‘the good’ has to do with growing in wisdom and understanding then we may be prepared to consider that God is wise to use evil to test and refine people.

Perhaps the most difficult thing of all to accept is that, in God’s world, God is entitled to determine, what, ‘the good’ is. It turns out that ‘the good’ God wants is firstly for all people to love and honour him as their maker. Secondly, that we love others as though they were our very selves. It is a continuing evil that we don’t do both these things.

A bitter pill

Many people, including many Christians, find the idea that God might use evil to bring about good, repugnant, distressing and ultimately a pill too bitter to swallow. The following kinds of things are said… “The god I worship would never cause pain or hardship. He is always and only a god of love and kindness.” Or, “I can’t trust him if he brings evil”.

Certainly, the Bible speaks often of God’s love as well as his abhorrence of evil and his detachment from those who practice it. But the Bible’s teaching on evil is complex. It has many things to say. Including the repeated theme that God uses evil to bring about his good purpose.

In summary…

The Bible teaches that God uses evil to bring about good. The Bible really doesn’t make much of the distinction between natural disasters and moral evil. They’re all caught up in God’s purposes. (more below about those purposes).

The book of Isaiah in the Old Testament says:

I form light and create darkness;

I make well-being and create calamity;

I am the LORD, who does all these things.

The Bible (Isaiah 45:7)

Although this may seem blasphemous to even consider, it’s worth pondering your everyday experience of evil.

The nature of evil

Consider people who win lotteries. One couple in the UK won $178 (AUD) million. But they ended up divorcing after arguing about how to spend the money. Another UK couple won even more ($213 million) but separated for the same reason.

Surely we couldn’t say that winning the lottery is an evil thing? But the question highlights a problem. Namely, what exactly is evil? Is wealth a curse and poverty a blessing? No, that doesn’t make sense. It turns out that evil is hard to define.

In strange contrast to those lottery winners are countless people who suffer some form of loss or tragedy and yet seem strangely better for it. Sometimes there’s an experience that brings real distress at the time – like being fired from a job, or having possessions stolen. Yet the new job turns out to be far less stressful than the old job and, because those possessions were stolen, you’re forced to rethink priorities – which, in hindsight, was a good thing.

But not all events are temporary setbacks. Some you just can’t move past. Most people can find a new job or replace stolen goods. But a relationship breakup or the death of a loved one can be a sadness that sits in the soul for the rest of our lives.

Yet, even in this sadness, there are good things to be found. For example when tragedy comes we’re forced to recognize that we’re not in control of our lives. We creatures, made to serve God, have a tendency to forget him and be proud. Then, when tragedy and loss arrive, we’re forced to acknowledge his sovereignty. Paradoxically, evil brings wisdom and appreciation for the good that we still have in the midst of what is bad. The experience of evil reminds us that, whilst God gives good things, we are not entitled to demand or expect them.

Suffering will either make you bitter or better

How often do we hear someone say that a terrible experience changed them for the better? Even taught them wisdom? Sometimes people go so far as to say they’re glad an evil happened. That, if that car accident hadn’t of occurred they wouldn’t have met their wife or else would have continued on in a self-destructive path.

Part of wisdom’s journey is seeing that, at the end of a lifetime, most of the clearest moments of insight and self-discovery don’t come when times are good but when they’re bad – because adversity truly is the strongest teacher. There are so many truths associated with this. For example, this applies whether you love the God who made you or not. And have you noticed that when we lose something precious we learn how much we really value it? If God allows us to regain what was lost then wisdom teaches us greater appreciation for that which is precious.

Those who sow in tears

shall reap with shouts of joy!

The Bible (Psalm. 126:5)

Great evil

Yet undeniably, some evils are so great that it’s hard to see any purpose in them. The slaughter of war; oppression of the many by the few, the ravages of famine or disease; all these things are wretched and ruinous.

It’s often been said that the world wars of the Twentieth Century were a significant cause for many in the West losing their faith in the goodness or even the existence of God. Yet, with the very best of historical analysis, we humans are unable to appreciate the myriad purposes God achieves at any given time in history. Whilst war rages, God is able to bring all manner of good outcomes to pass that we may take for granted or may not have noticed.

In the Bible, that spectral figure of calamity, Job, never blames God or gives up on him. Despite suddenly losing his entire family and wealth, Job refuses to curse God. His faith in the goodness of God, although tested ferociously, stands. Why? Because he understands that he is just ‘clay’ and that God has the right to give and to take away. God’s purposes are not to be questioned. Even when suffering in this world is unequally distributed.

Is God punishing me?

It’s tempting to think that when I’m suffering, it’s because of something wrong I’ve done. Surely, God is punishing me! But the book of Job in the Bible argues forcefully against this idea. Job was a righteous and upright man God declares. Yet, in God’s wisdom, he rules that Job be tested. So, if you’ve been wondering why your lot seems harder than most then please don’t assume it’s because God doesn’t love you. He really does. Our next section on ‘The Greatest Evil’ will show you just how much.

In the New Testament of the Bible, written after the coming of Jesus, Christians are promised suffering from God. But not as punishment. Instead, in his wisdom God has determined that his Kingdom will be built through suffering. So, for example, persecution will test the genuineness of faith. There is no shortcut to the strengthening of faith. And the example of endurance in the face of persecution (even unto death) helps others to trust in God as they see Christian faith and commitment that’s not shallow but tested and firm. The Bible argues that such endurance is a badge of honour. Finally, the New Testament book of Romans says

… we rejoice in our sufferings,

knowing that suffering produces

endurance, and endurance produces

character, and character produces

hope, and hope does not put us to shame

The Bible (Romans. 5:3-5)

Throughout the Bible the experience of evil is a teacher used by God. But for some its lessons are never learned. When disaster arrives, instead of being reminded that God is in control, they refuse to change their behaviour. Certainly, God is patient. But when people presume on this patience he acts. In the Old Testament of the Bible, God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah to the nation of Israel warning them he would increase their suffering and punishment because they had refused to listen to him and turn from false gods.

Hear, O earth; behold, I am bringing

disaster upon this people,the fruit

of their devices,because they have

not paid attention

to my words; and as for my law,

they have rejected it.

The Bible (Jeremiah. 6:19)

The greatest evil

So, what is the greatest evil of all? World War II? Greed? Hatred? Murder? Ignoring the plight of millions of poor people around the world? Or ignoring God? These things are tremendously evil. The last item, particularly so.

Historically, the Bible describes the first great act of human evil as being a point in history when humans rebelled from God. The consequence of this event was a cascade of evil that continues to this day.

But the greatest evil of all was another particular event in human history – the crucifixion of Jesus nearly 2000 years ago.

You may have heard God called a murderer because he executed an innocent third party, at the cross. But God’s son, Jesus, was not a third party – he is God. The Bible reveals that God is three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Finding out that God is Trinity (three personned) is a little like discovering sea horses or bacteria that are able to live in the stomach. It’s unexpected and mysterious. Yet, this is the real God who created the universe. He is one God – three persons.

And both the Father and the son agreed that Jesus’s earthly mission must climax with the sacrificial death of Jesus at the cross. So, when you read the Bible it turns out that Jesus, far from being murdered unawares in Palestine 2000 years ago, was actually determined to offer his life to rescue humankind.

But why is the greatest evil the murder of Jesus?

Crucifixion III. Aaron Moore. Acrylic and charcoal on canvas

When God sent his son to earth, instead of welcoming him with the respect due to our sovereign lord creator, we hung him naked on a cross.

We, not God, are the murderers! Human creatures made of clay, executed their maker. It’s one thing to murder each other. But to murder God? That’s a new level of evil.

But Jesus knew this was going to happen. It didn’t catch him unawares. Many times he predicted his death, explaining that it had a particular and significant purpose.

Here’s what Jesus said about the purpose of his death:

“… the Son of Man

came not to be served

but to serve, and to

give his life as a

ransom for many.”

The Bible (Matthew. 20:28)

“… the Son of Man

came to seek and

to save the lost.”

The Bible (Luke 19:10)

“… the Son of Man must

suffer many things and

be rejected by the elders,

chief priests and teachers

of the law, and that he

must be killed and after

three days rise again.”

The Bible (Mark 8:31)

“For God so loved the world

that he gave his one and only

Son, that whoever believes in

him shall not perish but have

eternal life.”

The Bible (John 3:16)

The greatest good

Crucifixion X. Aaron Moore. Charcoal & acrylic on paper

Jesus was the only sinless person ever to live. Yet, he was executed. It’s further evidence of why

The climax of evil is the cross of Christ

Yet paradoxically, that moment was used by God to bring about the greatest good for the human race. At the cross Jesus freed humanity from our bondage and slavery to rebellion (sin). He endured the anger of God so that we might avoid it.

So, the crucifixion of Jesus is that point in history where evil and goodness most of all collide.

Here’s how the Bible explains the mechanics of the transaction taking place at the cross. Jesus effectively did a swap with us.

… God made him who had no sin to

be sin for us, so that in him we might

become the righteousness of God.

The Bible (2Corinthians. 5:21 NIV)

In Acts 2:22-24 one of Jesus’s disciples, called Peter, said this…

Crucifixion V. Aaron Moore. Acrylic & Charcoal

“Men of Israel, listen to this:

Jesus of Nazareth was a man

accredited by God to you by

miracles, wonders and signs,

which God did among you through

him, as you yourselves know.

This man was handed over to you

by God’s set purpose and

foreknowledge; and you, with the

help of wicked men, put him to

death by nailing him to the cross.

But God raised him from the dead,

freeing him from the agony of

death, because it was impossible

for death to keep its hold on him.

The Bible (Acts 2:22-24, NIV).)

Notice that God is organising the events and yet the people involved are still described as ‘wicked’. It’s true! God wants a wicked thing to happen – the execution of his son. But when it happens, those who do the deed are said to be culpable and wicked. Later, in chapter 4 we see the same idea again:

Crucifixion I. Aaron Moore. Acrylic on canvas

“Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate

met together with the Gentiles

and the people of Israel in this

city to conspire against your

holy servant Jesus, whom you

anointed.They did what your power

and will had decided beforehand

should happen.

The Bible (Acts 4:27-28, NIV)

An unreasonable contradiction?

So, is God a kind of puppet master manipulating his creatures to nefarious ends? The Bible unashamedly presents two truths side by side that seem to conflict. It argues that God is a good King. And as such, he is in complete control of every part of his creation including us. He’s able to track every molecule in space and time and determine its purpose with exact precision. He’s also able to exert his will over our human will. Yet… God as judge holds us accountable for our moral decisions. In the Bible both truths are seen to be compatible.

The Canadian scholar, Don Carson in How Long O Lord? (Baker, 1990, p 201), explains this ‘Compatibilism’ in the following way.

The Bible as a whole,

and sometimes in specific

texts, presupposes or

teaches that both of

the following propositions

are true:

1. God is absolutely sovereign,

but his sovereignty never

functions in such a way that

human responsibility is curtailed,

minimized, or mitigated.

2. Human beings are morally

responsible creatures – they

significantly choose, rebel,

obey, believe, defy, make

decisions, and so forth, and

they are rightly held accountable

for such actions; but this

characteristic never functions

so as to make God absolutely

contingent.

The story of Joseph

One of the most beautiful stories in the Bible that shows God’s wisdom in using evil to bring about good is the story of the young boy Joseph and his older brothers from Genesis, the first book of the Bible (starting from chapter 37). Because Joseph’s brothers were jealous that their father Jacob had a special affection for Joseph they sold him to Egyptian slave traders where Joseph found himself a slave in Egypt for years.

At age thirty, because God was with him and gave him the ability to interpret a dream given to Pharaoh, Joseph was set over the entire kingdom of Egypt. In the dream God showed Joseph that there would be seven years of plenty then seven years of famine. As ruler of Egypt, Joseph made sure to store grain for the seven years of famine. When famine came, his brothers travelled to Egypt to buy grain. When Joseph revealed himself to them there was great joy. Joseph made it clear that he loved his brothers. But years later, after their father died, the brothers feared reprisals. But Joseph said this

… “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.”

The Bible (Genesis 50:19-20, NIV)

There are numerous instances in this story where God works good from human evil. As God constrains this evil he teaches proud people lessons in humility and teaches them to trust in Him.

Trusting God

There is only one safe place in this universe for a soul yearning for peace and meaning. It is in the arms, the warm embrace, of the eternal, living God. Yet that God is so strong and powerful. Can he be trusted? Yes!

The reason you can trust God is Jesus. Jesus gave his life to rescue us from the consequences of the evil that we do… judgment. Here’s how one of Jesus’s disciples, Peter, explains why we can trust Jesus.

… For Christ also suffered once for sins,

the righteous for the unrighteous,

that he might bring us to God,

being put to death in the flesh but

made alive in the spirit,

The Bible (1Peter 3:18, ESV)

Jesus experienced life in this world with all the evils it contains. He knows how hard it is to struggle against doing wrong and he knows what it’s like to have others sin commit evil against him. Despite this, he gave his life for you and me at the cross so that we might live forever with God.

He is the one you can turn to for solace and comfort. He is the one you can trust. Here are some of his most comforting words

“… Come to me, all who labor and are

heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me,

for I am gentle and lowly in heart,

and you will find rest for your souls.

For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

The Bible (Matthew 11:28-30, ESV)

Evil has a destination

When you let your soul rest in Jesus, Jesus in turn promises that you will find eternal rest with God. Not the ‘rest’ of sleep. But the ‘rest’ that comes when your soul no longer contends daily with evil. The Bible holds out a promise of a final destination for people who love and trust God. That destination is heaven. And heaven is with God. In this life, on this earth, we’re disconnected from our maker. But the future is all about closeness with God. The last book of the Bible, Revelation, offers a glimpse of that final destination.

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth,

for the first heaven and the first earth

had passed away, and the sea was no more.

And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem,

coming down out of heaven from God, prepared

as a bride adorned for her husband. And I

heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with

man. He will dwell with them, and they

will be his people, and God himself will be

with them as their God. He will wipe away

every tear from their eyes, and death shall

be no more, neither shall there be mourning,

nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former

things have passed away.”

The Bible (Revelation 21:1 4 ESV)

Praying to God

If you’d like to start trusting Jesus then here is a prayer you can pray

Dear God ,

Please forgive me for the evil I’ve

thought, said and done.

Please forgive me for ignoring you.

Please give me strength to live

with Jesus as Lord of my life.

Special thanks to Aaron Moore for use of his ‘Crucifixion’ series of paintings both on this site and in the 2018 March / April Poster.

You can find Aaron’s work at www.aaronmoore.com.au

If you’d like to be in touch with us you can email at contact@outreachmedia.org.au