- The problem of evil is
possibly the biggest question
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behind every
philosophical pursuit.
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How can God possibly be good,
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But the world we live
in happens to be evil?
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That's the question
we're going to visit today.
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[upbeat ambient music]
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Recently, we were talking about
the problem of evil and how
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philosophers have
been wrestling with that
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for a really, really long time.
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And in particular,
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we kind of zeroed in
on Gottfried Leibniz,
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the German philosopher
who coined the word, theodicy.
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And theodicy is a
word we use to describe
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an answer to the
question of evil.
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Well, to be more exact, theodicy
refers to an explanation
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of how God can be pure and good,
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and the creator of all things,
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and still not be responsible
for evil and suffering.
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To put the question simply,
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how is it
possible to have a good God
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and a bad world
at the same time?
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Leibniz suggested the reason
we have trouble explaining this
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is because we
simply don't know enough.
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It's kind of like the
dark mirror that Paul describes
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in first Corinthians chapter 13,
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which interestingly enough
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happens to be known
as the love chapter.
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And to me, that
seems appropriate because,
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well, love just
might be the concept
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that solves the problem of evil.
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[tranquil ambient
music] The really big question
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back in the 18th century was
how to account for a good God
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and natural disasters.
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I mean, it was easy enough
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to lay the blame
for bad moral choices
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at the feet of
human free will because,
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well, when
somebody commits murder,
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it's pretty clear that the
murderer caused the suffering.
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But what about
natural disasters?
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How in the world do
you account for those?
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People like the skeptic
Voltaire said, that you can't,
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in fact, in one of
his most famous books,
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a novel named "Candide",
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he creates this story
where a lot of really bad things
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happen to one man, but
this character keeps saying,
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oh, it's all part of God's will.
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Now, if I
remember this correctly,
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and it's been a long
time since I read this,
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the lead character
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was supposed to
represent Gottfried Leibniz
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and all the people
who thought like him.
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From Voltaire's perspective,
suggesting that bad things
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might somehow be a
part of God's bigger plan
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isn't so much an act of faith,
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like in the story
of Jobe in the Bible,
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but to Voltaire, it
was an act so stupidity.
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He was arguing
that only a dimwit
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could possibly accept
the notion of a good God
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who intervenes in the
affairs of human beings,
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especially after
living in this world,
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a place that is
clearly full of problems.
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Leibniz said, it is
possible to see that God is good
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if only we had
more understanding.
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Voltaire said,
huh-uh, I don't believe that.
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Voltaire said
it's much more likely
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that if God created this
planet in the first place,
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he left a really long time ago
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and now it's up to us to
mitigate the evil in this world.
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Now, a modern atheist
might agree with that,
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except that a modern atheist
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would probably add the idea
that God doesn't exist at all.
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Back in Voltaire's day,
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a lot of the debates
surrounding the goodness of God
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was really
anchored in the destruction
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of Lisbon earthquake,
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which devastated the capital
of Portugal back in 1755.
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Voltaire used
that disaster to ask,
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how could God allow
something that bad to happen.
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Today a similar debate
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seems to be raging
over the COVID-19 pandemic,
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at least in some
corners of the internet,
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people are asking,
where is God in all this?
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For example, I recently came
across an individual on Twitter
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who was asking for prayer
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because he was on
his way to the hospital
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with a severely damaged lung.
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Another individual responded
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and he took the time
to type out the words
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of a prayer for healing,
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and that prompted this
rather sarcastic response
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from somebody else who tweeted,
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"Sure, because this'll
work, wake up, God have,"
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he probably
should have said has,
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"God have probably much
more interesting things to do
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than care about some bacteria,
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because if he is
truly that powerful,
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we are no more than
small something for him."
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[chuckles] Now, of course,
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COVID isn't a bacteria,
but you kind of get the point.
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This is another rehashed version
of the same old argument.
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Where is God when
bad things happen?
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But in this case,
this guy's suggesting
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that God is simply busy
doing more important things
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than to care about us.
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And again, an atheist
might be prone to suggest
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it's far more likely
that God isn't even real.
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So I guess the question we
need to wrestle with is this,
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what does the Bible say?
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The way some skeptics
talk about the problem of evil,
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you'd think the
Bible ignores the question,
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but I'm telling you,
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nothing could be
further from the truth.
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The Bible does
underline Leibniz's assertion
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that our human
knowledge is too incomplete
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to be able to fully
grasp the mind of God,
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which we looked at a little bit
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last time we talked about this.
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But here's where the Bible
does not harmonize with Leibniz.
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He believed that scientific
discovery in human logic
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we're going to progress enough
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to make it
possible for you and I
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to understand the
problem of suffering
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from a scientific point of view.
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And then we would finally see
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how the ledger of the
universe tilts toward the good,
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what Leibniz argued
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is that God is a
pure and perfect creator,
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just the way that most
of us have been taught.
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God created matter in the
first place, Leibniz said,
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but then he was somehow
restricted by the laws of
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existence when that
matter was put together
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in order to create
forms or various objects.
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So Leibniz argued
that God did create
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the best possible world
based on that restriction.
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And it simply wasn't possible
to make the world any better.
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Of course, that seems
like a really simple solution
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to the problem of suffering,
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he was arguing that
life has to be like this
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because there's no
better way to do it,
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but that kind of leaves us
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with something less
than an all powerful God.
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I mean, what kind of God is
always, always, always bound
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by the physical laws of
the universe that he created?
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So the critics were really quick
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to pounce on
Leibniz for saying that,
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and I'll admit, it's
got all kinds of problems.
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I mean, why in the world
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would God be smaller
than his own universe?
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[tranquil
ambient music] But then,
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how should we
understand the fact
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that we have a good
God and a bad world?
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How do we account
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for the existence of
natural disasters or pandemics?
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How do we explain suffering?
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What about something
like a terrible earthquake,
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or even the black plague?
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How do you
account for that stuff?
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Now, I really doubt I'm
gonna be able to answer this
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to anybody's satisfaction
with just half an hour,
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but let me take a
stab at this anyway.
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And I think today
I'm going to move away
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from the musings
of human philosophers
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and just have a quick look
at what the Bible actually says,
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because after all,
according to Christians,
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this book is the
revealed will of God.
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And if God is real,
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then he should be
able to explain himself.
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The first thing I
think I wanna point out
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is how Leibniz was
right by suggesting
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that our human capacity for
understanding is rather limited.
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Even though he believed
that we would eventually develop
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a sort of science of
the mind that would give us
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the philosophical language
we need to solve the problem,
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as if it was a math equation.
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After all, he was
coming from a time
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when we were exploring the idea
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that the universe could
be measured or quantified
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and ultimately understood.
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And it eventually,
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maybe we could just use
numbers to understand everything
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and not just the hard sciences.
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Now, when Leibniz said that,
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you and I don't
really have the ability
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to understand God
completely, but that's true.
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Although we do find a
bit of a double edged sword
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when it comes to
understanding the mind of God.
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But now it's time
to take a quick break.
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So hang tough,
because in a moment,
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I'll come back and show you
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what I mean by
this double edge sword.
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[intense ambient
music] - Dragons, beasts,
00:08:52.09\00:08:54.40
cryptic statues,
00:08:54.40\00:08:56.83
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:08:56.83\00:09:01.40
If you've ever read
Daniel or Revelation
00:09:01.40\00:09:03.57
and come away scratching
your head, you are not alone.
00:09:03.57\00:09:06.64
Our free focus
on prophecy guides
00:09:06.64\00:09:09.04
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:09:09.04\00:09:11.48
and deepen your
understanding of God's plan
00:09:11.48\00:09:14.25
for you and our world.
00:09:14.25\00:09:15.88
Study online or
request them by mail
00:09:15.88\00:09:18.35
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:09:18.35\00:09:21.26
- The English
poet, Alexander Pope
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believed that we
would eventually discover
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that the universe
really is a good place
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and that our faith in God
has never, ever been misplaced.
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I mean, sure, the
world might seem evil,
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but that's because we don't
have the right perspective.
00:09:36.71\00:09:39.91
Not yet.
00:09:39.91\00:09:41.41
But in time Pope argued, our
discoveries are going to prove
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that everything really is good
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and that God has
always had a plan.
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Here's the way he put it
in his famous "Essay on Man".
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he writes, "All nature
is bud art, unknown to thee,
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all chance, direction,
which thou canst not see;
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All discord,
harmony not understood;
00:10:00.00\00:10:03.00
All partial
evil, universal good;
00:10:03.00\00:10:06.63
And spite of pride in
erring reason's spite,
00:10:06.63\00:10:09.37
one truth is clear,
'Whatever is, is right'."
00:10:09.37\00:10:13.07
It was another way of saying
00:10:14.11\00:10:15.41
that whatever
seems wrong this world
00:10:15.41\00:10:16.91
is just really a
product of our inability
00:10:16.91\00:10:19.38
to comprehend the universe.
00:10:19.38\00:10:21.38
But eventually he said,
00:10:21.38\00:10:22.92
we're going to discover
that everything is in fact
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very, very good,
00:10:25.19\00:10:26.69
because it all started
with God in the first place.
00:10:26.69\00:10:30.13
Now just before the break,
00:10:30.13\00:10:31.29
I mentioned the idea
00:10:31.29\00:10:32.49
of really
understanding the mind of God.
00:10:32.49\00:10:35.30
Well, it's a bit of
a double edged sword.
00:10:35.30\00:10:38.37
On the one hand,
the Bible tells us
00:10:38.37\00:10:40.00
that we can't
understand the mind of God like,
00:10:40.00\00:10:42.60
well, in this chapter,
from Isaiah chapter 55,
00:10:42.60\00:10:47.21
where the Bible says,
00:10:47.21\00:10:48.71
"For as the heavens are higher
than the earth", God says,
00:10:48.71\00:10:51.71
"So my ways are
higher than your ways
00:10:51.71\00:10:54.58
and my thoughts
than your thoughts."
00:10:54.58\00:10:57.19
What it's really telling us
00:10:58.09\00:10:59.92
is that God's
perspective on the universe
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and our
perspective are miles apart.
00:11:02.22\00:11:05.19
And we are never going to have
00:11:05.19\00:11:06.73
the same level of
understanding that God has.
00:11:06.73\00:11:09.23
To put it another way,
00:11:10.17\00:11:12.00
we are always going
to have to live by faith
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because we will never be God.
00:11:14.40\00:11:17.91
But then at the same time,
00:11:17.91\00:11:19.37
the Bible suggests
that we can know God,
00:11:19.37\00:11:22.48
and we can know him in
a really meaningful way.
00:11:22.48\00:11:25.08
Here's what it says over
in Jeremiah chapter nine,
00:11:25.08\00:11:28.88
which happens to be one of
my favorite parts of the Bible.
00:11:28.88\00:11:31.59
This passage begins in
verse 23, where it says,
00:11:31.59\00:11:35.26
"Thus says the Lord, let
not the wise man in his wisdom,
00:11:35.26\00:11:39.59
let not the mighty
man glory in his might,
00:11:39.59\00:11:41.63
nor let the rich
man glory in his riches,
00:11:41.63\00:11:44.33
but let him who
glory's glory in this
00:11:44.33\00:11:46.87
that he
understands and knows me,
00:11:46.87\00:11:49.30
that I am the Lord
exercising loving kindness,
00:11:49.30\00:11:51.87
judgment, and
righteousness in the earth
00:11:51.87\00:11:54.64
for in these things I
delight." says the Lord.
00:11:54.64\00:11:57.41
So on the one
hand, the Bible tells us
00:11:58.61\00:12:00.82
that God is incomprehensible
to the human mind,
00:12:00.82\00:12:04.39
but then on the other, it
invites us to understand him.
00:12:04.39\00:12:07.79
The book of Psalms tells us
00:12:07.79\00:12:09.19
that God has made
darkness his secret place.
00:12:09.19\00:12:12.49
First King's eight verse 12,
00:12:12.49\00:12:13.93
it says, "The Lord said he
would dwell in the dark cloud."
00:12:13.93\00:12:18.00
It's just another way of saying
00:12:18.00\00:12:19.77
that the nature of God
is too big of a mystery
00:12:19.77\00:12:22.57
for our human
brains to fully grasp.
00:12:22.57\00:12:25.77
You and I are like
ants exploring a house,
00:12:25.77\00:12:29.04
trying to understand what
human experience is all about.
00:12:29.04\00:12:32.95
There are things
about God the Bible says
00:12:32.95\00:12:35.18
that we will never understand,
00:12:35.18\00:12:38.15
but then on the other hand,
00:12:38.15\00:12:39.42
God invites us to
know him, at least in part.
00:12:39.42\00:12:41.89
And he says that
we're going to discover
00:12:41.89\00:12:43.93
that he
exercises loving kindness,
00:12:43.93\00:12:46.63
judgment, and righteousness.
00:12:46.63\00:12:48.56
His key character traits
00:12:48.56\00:12:51.00
and the very things
that most skeptics doubt.
00:12:51.00\00:12:54.37
So according to the Bible,
00:12:55.34\00:12:56.84
it is possible to
see that God is good
00:12:56.84\00:12:59.01
and to understand the world
is bad at the very same time.
00:12:59.01\00:13:03.58
And I suspect that part of
the problem for our generation
00:13:03.58\00:13:07.45
is that we want an easy answer.
00:13:07.45\00:13:09.88
We want a preacher to
explain this in 10 words or less
00:13:09.88\00:13:12.92
so we can just get on our day.
00:13:12.92\00:13:15.29
But the process of
knowing an eternal God
00:13:15.29\00:13:17.86
is the work of a lifetime.
00:13:17.86\00:13:19.69
And it means that you're gonna
have to read this whole book,
00:13:19.69\00:13:24.03
and not just once.
00:13:24.03\00:13:26.10
So, I really doubt I'm gonna
satisfy anybody's curiosity
00:13:26.10\00:13:30.21
with a few short minutes,
and if I'm really honest,
00:13:30.21\00:13:33.14
I'd have to admit,
00:13:33.14\00:13:34.34
I'm still working on
the problem for myself,
00:13:34.34\00:13:37.35
but let me show you just a
few things I've discovered,
00:13:37.35\00:13:39.81
and maybe it can start you
00:13:39.81\00:13:41.18
on a path to
meaningful discovery.
00:13:41.18\00:13:44.69
First of all,
00:13:44.69\00:13:45.92
the Bible really does
insist that God is good
00:13:45.92\00:13:48.89
and that is
creation was perfect,
00:13:48.89\00:13:50.89
at least in the beginning.
00:13:50.89\00:13:52.79
On the sixth day of creation,
after God made the human race,
00:13:52.79\00:13:56.43
he stepped back and
said, this is very good.
00:13:56.43\00:14:00.74
So the problem of evil did
not exist in the very beginning.
00:14:00.74\00:14:04.71
But then the Bible suggests
that somehow our actions,
00:14:04.71\00:14:08.31
our choices compromised
that original goodness
00:14:08.31\00:14:11.65
and plunged the
world into chaos.
00:14:11.65\00:14:13.98
And it wasn't just our moral
choices that were compromised,
00:14:13.98\00:14:17.92
the entire creation was
somehow affected by what we did.
00:14:17.92\00:14:22.39
That would mean that
philosophers like Leibniz
00:14:23.76\00:14:26.16
were quite correct.
00:14:26.16\00:14:27.76
There is some kind of
correlation between our moral
00:14:27.76\00:14:31.63
choices and the natural evils
that take place in this world
00:14:31.63\00:14:34.77
independent of our actions.
00:14:34.77\00:14:36.91
You'll notice that
after Adam fell from grace,
00:14:36.91\00:14:39.07
God told him the
world was gonna become,
00:14:39.07\00:14:41.44
well, a much tougher place.
00:14:41.44\00:14:43.35
This is what God says to
Adam in Genesis 3:17, he says,
00:14:43.35\00:14:48.35
"Cursed is the
ground for your sake;
00:14:49.42\00:14:51.79
in toil you shall eat of
it all the days of your life.
00:14:51.79\00:14:55.02
Both thorns and thistles
that shall bring forth for you,
00:14:55.02\00:14:57.76
and you shall eat
the herb of the field.
00:14:57.76\00:15:00.56
In the sweat of your face,
00:15:00.56\00:15:02.03
you shall eat bread till
you return to the ground,
00:15:02.03\00:15:04.53
for out of it, you were
taken, for dust you are,
00:15:04.53\00:15:07.74
and to dust, you shall return."
00:15:07.74\00:15:10.14
Somehow the
original act of disobedience
00:15:11.34\00:15:13.91
changed the nature
of the whole planet,
00:15:13.91\00:15:16.48
which was originally designed
00:15:16.48\00:15:18.01
as a home for
perfect human beings
00:15:18.01\00:15:20.05
who reflected the
glory and purity of God.
00:15:20.05\00:15:23.52
In fact, the Bible says,
00:15:23.52\00:15:24.69
we were given
dominion over the earth,
00:15:24.69\00:15:27.26
but then we sold that dominion
00:15:27.26\00:15:28.92
to a fallen angel for a
bunch of empty promises,
00:15:28.92\00:15:32.19
which means the world
is now radically different
00:15:32.19\00:15:34.83
than it used to be
00:15:34.83\00:15:36.16
because we
compromised the original design,
00:15:36.16\00:15:39.60
that design where human
beings served as managers
00:15:39.60\00:15:42.64
or stewards of God's creation.
00:15:42.64\00:15:45.97
And that's the question
00:15:45.97\00:15:47.41
that some of the
enlightenment philosophers
00:15:47.41\00:15:49.31
were struggling with,
00:15:49.31\00:15:51.11
is there a
connection between moral evil,
00:15:51.11\00:15:54.05
which happens because of
our choices and natural evil,
00:15:54.05\00:15:57.92
or the way the planet treats us?
00:15:57.92\00:16:00.59
The biblical answer is yes.
00:16:00.59\00:16:03.73
In fact, in the
book of Colossians
00:16:03.73\00:16:05.53
where Paul is describing Jesus
as the creator of this world,
00:16:05.53\00:16:09.63
he makes an
interesting statement
00:16:09.63\00:16:11.07
that we really
shouldn't overlook, he says,
00:16:11.07\00:16:14.60
"For it pleased the
father that in him",
00:16:14.60\00:16:17.14
that's Christ, "all
the fullness should dwell,
00:16:17.14\00:16:20.71
and by Him to reconcile
all things to himself, by Him,
00:16:20.71\00:16:24.78
whether things on
earth or things in heaven,
00:16:24.78\00:16:28.52
having made peace
through the blood of His cross."
00:16:28.52\00:16:32.59
Now what you need to
notice in this passage
00:16:32.59\00:16:34.92
is that Christ was
redeeming the human race,
00:16:34.92\00:16:37.06
a concept that most
people can grasp because,
00:16:37.06\00:16:40.63
well, human beings have
deep seated moral issues.
00:16:40.63\00:16:43.53
And we know that we
cause a lot of pain,
00:16:43.53\00:16:47.14
but then it also says
00:16:47.14\00:16:49.30
that he was reconciling
the things in heaven too.
00:16:49.30\00:16:52.77
In other other words,
00:16:52.77\00:16:53.98
the effect of our
rebellion against God
00:16:53.98\00:16:55.48
has had very far
reaching consequences
00:16:55.48\00:16:58.91
and God's entire
universe has been effected.
00:16:58.91\00:17:03.32
We saw the same thing
00:17:03.32\00:17:04.82
in a passage we looked at
the last time, we talked about,
00:17:04.82\00:17:07.19
this from Romans chapter eight,
00:17:07.19\00:17:09.09
where it tells us
that the entire creation
00:17:09.09\00:17:11.53
is groaning as we
wait on God's solution.
00:17:11.53\00:17:14.73
And when he
implements that solution,
00:17:14.73\00:17:16.43
when he reestablishes
the kingdom of God,
00:17:16.43\00:17:18.80
then all the
problems get solved for good.
00:17:18.80\00:17:21.97
So the connection
between moral evil
00:17:21.97\00:17:24.71
and natural evil is
absolutely there in the Bible.
00:17:24.71\00:17:28.28
But the big question is,
why would God allow that?
00:17:28.28\00:17:32.11
And here's why we have to
be really, really careful.
00:17:32.11\00:17:35.25
Last time we talked about this,
00:17:35.25\00:17:36.58
I shared a quote
from a 19th century writer
00:17:36.58\00:17:38.85
I thought made a
really important point,
00:17:38.85\00:17:41.62
and I think we
should look at it again,
00:17:41.62\00:17:43.16
just to set the table
for the rest of today's show.
00:17:43.16\00:17:46.73
This comes from
the Christian classic,
00:17:46.73\00:17:48.66
"The Great
Controversy" where it says,
00:17:48.66\00:17:51.40
"It is impossible to so
explain the origin of sin
00:17:51.40\00:17:54.90
as to give a
reason for its existence.
00:17:54.90\00:17:57.94
Yet enough may be understood
concerning both the origin
00:17:57.94\00:18:00.88
and the final
disposition of sin,
00:18:00.88\00:18:03.18
to fully make manifest the
justice and benevolence of God
00:18:03.18\00:18:06.68
in all his dealings with evil.
00:18:06.68\00:18:08.98
Nothing is more
plainly taught in scripture
00:18:08.98\00:18:11.72
than that God was
in no wise responsible
00:18:11.72\00:18:14.76
for the entrance of sin;
00:18:14.76\00:18:16.62
that there was no arbitrary
withdrawal of divine grace,
00:18:16.62\00:18:20.16
no deficiency in
the divine government,
00:18:20.16\00:18:22.43
that gave occasion for
the uprising of rebellion.
00:18:22.43\00:18:25.93
Sin is an intruder,
00:18:25.93\00:18:27.30
for whose presence
no reason can be given.
00:18:27.30\00:18:30.37
It is mysterious, unaccountable;
00:18:30.37\00:18:32.81
to excuse it is to defend it.
00:18:32.81\00:18:35.04
Could excuse for it be found
00:18:35.04\00:18:37.01
or cause be shown
for its existence,
00:18:37.01\00:18:39.11
it would cease to be sin."
00:18:39.11\00:18:42.08
So let me just
underline that for a minute,
00:18:42.08\00:18:43.99
because that
makes really good sense.
00:18:43.99\00:18:46.45
The Bible defines sin
00:18:46.45\00:18:47.82
as a transgression
against God's moral law,
00:18:47.82\00:18:51.86
but if you can find a
good excuse for doing that,
00:18:51.86\00:18:54.50
then sin might not be wrong
00:18:54.50\00:18:56.36
because, well, you
found a good reason.
00:18:56.36\00:18:58.70
So with that limitation in mind,
00:18:58.70\00:19:01.14
let's take another quick break
00:19:01.14\00:19:02.64
and then come back to ask
one last important question,
00:19:02.64\00:19:05.74
how can a loving God
permit the existence of evil
00:19:05.74\00:19:10.01
in the first place?
00:19:10.01\00:19:11.21
[upbeat ambient music] - Here
00:19:14.05\00:19:14.98
at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:19:14.98\00:19:16.45
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:19:16.45\00:19:18.22
for the whole family,
00:19:18.22\00:19:19.69
like our audio adventure
series, Discovery Mountain.
00:19:19.69\00:19:22.89
Discovery Mountain
is a Bible based program
00:19:22.89\00:19:25.36
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:19:25.36\00:19:27.66
Your family will enjoy
the faith building stories
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from this small
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With 24 seasonal
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and fresh content every week,
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there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:19:37.94\00:19:41.11
- Right before the break,
we asked this big question,
00:19:44.58\00:19:46.75
how can a God whose very
character is defined as love
00:19:46.75\00:19:50.69
permit the existence
of evil in this world?
00:19:50.69\00:19:54.19
And the answer to the question
00:19:54.19\00:19:55.69
might be found in
the concept of love.
00:19:55.69\00:19:59.03
[upbeat ambient
music] Love is another
00:19:59.03\00:20:00.56
one of those things that
we really struggle to explain.
00:20:00.56\00:20:03.47
In fact, I think we struggle
with the question of love
00:20:03.47\00:20:06.67
just as much as we struggle
with the question of evil,
00:20:06.67\00:20:09.04
because it's really hard
to create a good definition
00:20:09.04\00:20:12.87
of what love actually is.
00:20:12.87\00:20:15.64
And judging by the
number of heartbreak songs
00:20:15.64\00:20:17.91
there on Spotify, the
problem of pain and suffering
00:20:17.91\00:20:21.05
also appears to be
tied in very intimately
00:20:21.05\00:20:24.12
to the question of love.
00:20:24.12\00:20:26.02
I mean, just try to
define what love is simply.
00:20:26.02\00:20:29.69
We know it's
something more than affection,
00:20:29.69\00:20:32.23
we know it more
than the warm fuzzies.
00:20:32.23\00:20:35.63
The very best writers in history
00:20:35.63\00:20:37.67
have struggled to adequately
describe what love is,
00:20:37.67\00:20:41.00
and yet the Bible describes this
00:20:41.00\00:20:43.47
as God's most
essential characteristic.
00:20:43.47\00:20:46.44
First John four
verse eight says, "
00:20:46.44\00:20:48.31
He who does not love does
not know God, for God is love."
00:20:48.31\00:20:53.28
Now just because we struggle
to understand what love is,
00:20:54.78\00:20:57.32
that doesn't mean that
we don't know love is real.
00:20:57.32\00:21:00.52
It's just complicated.
00:21:00.52\00:21:02.96
And some small
part of us understands
00:21:02.96\00:21:04.86
that love couldn't possibly
00:21:04.86\00:21:06.56
just be an
accident of the universe,
00:21:06.56\00:21:08.90
an accident of physics,
00:21:08.90\00:21:10.37
something that
happened when cosmic particles
00:21:10.37\00:21:12.70
smashed into each other
in the primordial universe.
00:21:12.70\00:21:16.87
There is absolutely no
reason for the existence of love
00:21:16.87\00:21:21.41
if the universe was an
accident, and yet there it is.
00:21:21.41\00:21:25.25
And it's
obviously a very real thing.
00:21:25.25\00:21:27.78
So now we've gotta ask
ourselves, what does love
00:21:29.38\00:21:32.59
require? Well, it requires
freedom, it requires choice.
00:21:32.59\00:21:36.99
If I can't love you
of my own free will,
00:21:36.99\00:21:39.29
then it's not really love.
00:21:39.29\00:21:41.76
And if I don't have
the choice to not love you,
00:21:41.76\00:21:44.40
then love doesn't
really mean anything.
00:21:44.40\00:21:47.64
And that's the
crux of the problem.
00:21:47.64\00:21:50.81
The human race was
created to reflect the glory
00:21:50.81\00:21:53.71
and the
character of a loving God.
00:21:53.71\00:21:56.68
That means we had
to be able to love
00:21:56.68\00:21:58.91
because that's what God is.
00:21:58.91\00:22:02.08
We were created
for relationships,
00:22:02.08\00:22:04.72
which is obvious to anybody
00:22:04.72\00:22:06.62
who observes people
just doing what people do.
00:22:06.62\00:22:10.26
So unless the human race
was going to be something
00:22:10.26\00:22:13.66
other than a reflection of God,
00:22:13.66\00:22:15.76
something that
wasn't made in his image,
00:22:15.76\00:22:18.93
there had to be such a
thing as a meaningful choice.
00:22:18.93\00:22:22.87
The story of the Garden
of Eden describes a choice.
00:22:22.87\00:22:26.57
The way some
people tell the story,
00:22:26.57\00:22:28.11
that tree of knowledge
in the garden was poisonous,
00:22:28.11\00:22:30.88
that's why it kills.
00:22:30.88\00:22:32.45
But that's not at
all what the Bible says.
00:22:32.45\00:22:35.32
That tree represented choice
00:22:35.32\00:22:39.02
and the ability to love God
freely because we wanted to.
00:22:39.02\00:22:44.03
But of course, that
does create a new conundrum
00:22:45.19\00:22:46.96
because you've got to wonder
00:22:46.96\00:22:48.66
why would ever take the
risk of giving us choice,
00:22:48.66\00:22:52.60
yet again though, this
is not that hard to solve,
00:22:52.60\00:22:55.67
ask any parent, or for
that matter, any pet owner,
00:22:55.67\00:22:58.94
why they take that risk.
00:22:58.94\00:23:01.11
And then you start to see it.
00:23:01.11\00:23:03.28
Go ask a five year old
00:23:03.28\00:23:04.48
if you'd rather
have a wind up puppy
00:23:04.48\00:23:06.25
or a battery operated
puppy than a real one,
00:23:06.25\00:23:09.18
you know what the
answer's gonna be.
00:23:09.18\00:23:11.29
They want the real puppy,
00:23:11.29\00:23:13.12
yet that real puppy
might pee on the carpet
00:23:13.12\00:23:15.49
or scratch the door
or annoy the neighbors
00:23:15.49\00:23:18.33
by barking at two
o'clock in the morning,
00:23:18.33\00:23:20.73
but people still
think that's worth the risk
00:23:20.73\00:23:23.57
because there's a
reciprocal relationship.
00:23:23.57\00:23:26.17
A real dog can love you back.
00:23:26.17\00:23:29.27
A real baby is going to grow up
00:23:29.27\00:23:31.77
and a real baby is
gonna refuse to do his chores,
00:23:31.77\00:23:34.94
or they're gonna argue with you
00:23:34.94\00:23:36.64
or crack up the
family car or worse.
00:23:36.64\00:23:39.28
And you know that in advance
00:23:39.28\00:23:41.28
because you were
once a child yourself,
00:23:41.28\00:23:43.72
but yet you still want a baby
because a baby can love you.
00:23:43.72\00:23:48.32
And we all know that
love is worth the risk.
00:23:48.32\00:23:53.09
Okay, it is time
for one last break,
00:23:53.09\00:23:55.00
and then one last
question, why in the world
00:23:55.00\00:23:57.67
didn't God just
stomp evil out of existence
00:23:57.67\00:24:00.97
the moment it began?
00:24:00.97\00:24:02.54
I'll be right back after this.
00:24:02.54\00:24:04.47
[tranquil ambient music] -
Life can throw a lot at us.
00:24:08.01\00:24:10.18
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:24:10.18\00:24:13.21
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:24:13.21\00:24:16.02
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:24:16.02\00:24:18.59
Here at the Voice of Prophecy,
00:24:18.59\00:24:20.66
we've created the
discover Bible guides
00:24:20.66\00:24:22.79
to be your guide to the Bible,
00:24:22.79\00:24:24.39
they're designed to
be simple, easy to use
00:24:24.39\00:24:26.90
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions.
00:24:26.90\00:24:29.86
And they're absolutely free.
00:24:29.86\00:24:31.90
So jump online now,
00:24:31.90\00:24:33.40
or give us a call and
start your journey of discovery.
00:24:33.40\00:24:36.71
- Let's say I'm
still a little kid.
00:24:37.84\00:24:39.37
One day, my brother
approaches me and says, listen,
00:24:39.37\00:24:41.41
I think there's
something really wrong with dad
00:24:41.41\00:24:43.38
and I don't
think we can trust him.
00:24:43.38\00:24:46.05
In essence that's
what the Bible describes
00:24:46.05\00:24:48.48
when it talks about
what happened with Lucifer,
00:24:48.48\00:24:50.79
he was trying to
convince the universe
00:24:50.79\00:24:52.42
that something
was wrong with God
00:24:52.42\00:24:54.12
and that he should
be running the show.
00:24:54.12\00:24:56.39
The Bible says in Isaiah 14,
00:24:56.39\00:24:58.19
"For you have said in
your heart, I will ascended to
00:24:58.19\00:25:01.50
heaven, I will exalt my
throne above the stars of God;
00:25:01.50\00:25:04.33
I will also sit on the
Mount of the congregation
00:25:04.33\00:25:06.60
on the farthest
sides of the north;
00:25:06.60\00:25:08.40
I will ascend above
the heights of the clouds,
00:25:08.40\00:25:10.87
I will be like the most high."
00:25:10.87\00:25:13.74
It was a breakdown of trust.
00:25:13.74\00:25:15.81
So let's suppose my brother
does the same thing with dad,
00:25:15.81\00:25:18.38
and he says, look,
something's wrong with dad?
00:25:18.38\00:25:20.55
I don't think we can trust him.
00:25:20.55\00:25:22.25
And the next thing you
know, my brother goes missing
00:25:22.25\00:25:24.62
because dad has taken
him out back, shot him,
00:25:24.62\00:25:27.29
buried him in the garden
to get rid of the problem.
00:25:27.29\00:25:29.86
Now the evil influence is gone,
00:25:29.86\00:25:31.96
but what does that method of
dealing with it suggest to me,
00:25:31.96\00:25:35.06
the one who was
listening to my brother's lies?
00:25:35.06\00:25:37.47
It's going to suggest
maybe my brother was right,
00:25:37.47\00:25:39.87
maybe there is
something wrong with that
00:25:39.87\00:25:41.64
and maybe I can't trust him.
00:25:41.64\00:25:43.81
Now from that point
forward, I will obey my father,
00:25:43.81\00:25:46.41
but I'm probably not
gonna love him, in fact,
00:25:46.41\00:25:48.78
I'm probably gonna
look to get out of there.
00:25:48.78\00:25:51.11
So here's the
situation with God,
00:25:51.11\00:25:53.38
according to the scriptures,
00:25:53.38\00:25:54.55
you and I are not
alone in this universe.
00:25:54.55\00:25:56.75
And there were
other beings suggesting
00:25:56.75\00:25:58.42
that God is some kind of tyrant,
00:25:58.42\00:26:00.12
a creator who can't be trusted.
00:26:00.12\00:26:02.76
And what's fascinating to me is
00:26:02.76\00:26:04.43
when I hear that
same kind of reasoning
00:26:04.43\00:26:06.86
emerge in the
arguments of skeptics, because,
00:26:06.86\00:26:10.03
well, it's just another
version of a very old story.
00:26:10.03\00:26:12.87
If God had simply
decimated the beings
00:26:12.87\00:26:15.17
who were
questioning his character,
00:26:15.17\00:26:17.17
what would it say
about their claims?
00:26:17.17\00:26:19.14
It would probably
make the problem worse.
00:26:19.14\00:26:21.28
So what God has chosen to do
is allow evil to run its course
00:26:21.28\00:26:24.98
so that everybody can see
the result for themselves.
00:26:24.98\00:26:28.32
And when we have
finally had enough,
00:26:28.32\00:26:30.99
when we finally
recognize evil for what it is,
00:26:30.99\00:26:34.46
God will blow the whistle
and reset the entire planet.
00:26:34.46\00:26:38.43
That way we will
finally understand,
00:26:38.43\00:26:40.80
and we will never
choose this life again.
00:26:40.80\00:26:44.37
And we can go on loving God
00:26:44.37\00:26:46.37
without God ever having to
take away our freedom of choice.
00:26:46.37\00:26:50.51
I guess it's kind of like
learning not to touch a hot
00:26:50.51\00:26:53.81
stove. You could tie a child up
so they never experience harm,
00:26:53.81\00:26:57.55
but that would deny
them the ability to grow up
00:26:57.55\00:27:00.18
and fend for themselves.
00:27:00.18\00:27:01.45
They would never become
autonomous human beings.
00:27:01.45\00:27:04.79
So sometimes the only
way to prevent long term harm
00:27:04.79\00:27:08.42
is to actually touch the stove
00:27:08.42\00:27:10.39
and learn that
stoves are dangerous.
00:27:10.39\00:27:12.86
So right now,
according to the Bible,
00:27:12.86\00:27:15.03
we are experiencing
exactly what we chose
00:27:15.03\00:27:18.77
and it's affected absolutely
00:27:18.77\00:27:20.44
every facet of
our existence for now.
00:27:20.44\00:27:24.27
This tragically is how we
learn to love and to trust
00:27:24.27\00:27:28.78
and to maintain our
freedom to choose forever.
00:27:28.78\00:27:33.18
And at some point in the
near future, the Bible says,
00:27:33.18\00:27:35.98
God will stop the experiment
00:27:35.98\00:27:38.29
and allow us back
into his presence.
00:27:38.29\00:27:40.66
The Bible ends by saying,
00:27:40.66\00:27:41.86
"I saw a new
heaven and a new earth,
00:27:41.86\00:27:43.83
for the first heaven
00:27:43.83\00:27:45.03
and the first
earth had passed away
00:27:45.03\00:27:46.80
and God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes,
00:27:46.80\00:27:49.46
there shall be no more
death, nor sorrow, nor crying,
00:27:49.46\00:27:52.63
there shall be no more pain,
00:27:52.63\00:27:54.27
for the former
things have passed away."
00:27:54.27\00:27:57.81
Here's the deal, the Bible
does offer solid explanations,
00:27:57.81\00:28:02.31
but you're gonna have to read
the whole book to find them.
00:28:02.31\00:28:05.98
Thanks for joining
me, I'm Shawn Boonstra.
00:28:05.98\00:28:07.88
This has been Authentic.
00:28:07.88\00:28:10.52
[upbeat ambient music]
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