Why the bad things in this world? From where it came? Many times, you might have wondered why this world is bad. Why people suffer from diseases like cancer, hepatitis, to list a few. Some people have to suffer crippling injuries or birth defects. We hear about reports of storms, wars, and crimes taking lives every day. Our earth and its climate is on a downward spiral, getting worse year by year. If God is so good, why the world is so bad. Does He not care about human beings? Some people even abandon their faith failing to understand these issues. But, don’t be deceived by the worldly explanations. There is a real culprit behind it. Bible only can give a compelling context to understand these difficult issues. Before looking at the world today, let us see, what the original condition of this world was, when it came out from God’s hands. After every creation it is written that “God saw…it was good” (Gen 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, and 31). Before the entrance of sin world was perfect, beautiful and untainted by death, disease or pain. A perfect couple, in perfect love, in perfect environment, in the company of a perfect God! Now if we describe the world we live today, “good” may not be at the top of the list, although we may see some good things or people occasionally. Pain, suffering and disease are the rule, and not the exceptions. So what really happened? Everything changed when Eve heeded to the voice of the serpent. Here Eve had a choice - trust God and obey Him or take a chance with the snake. She chose to eat the fruit, and Adam followed, both disobeying God. This is when everything started changing. The earth and all the living beings in it started changing. Adam and Eve began to age and die. The ground started producing “thorns and thistles” (Gen. 3:18). Now let us go all the way from Genesis to Matthew. Here Jesus is telling them a parable – a simple story to illustrate a larger spiritual truth. A man planted a field - “The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field” (Matt. 13:24). You see that word “good” here like in Genesis 1. So from where the bad seeds came - “enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat” (v 25). So who is this enemy? “The enemy that sowed them is the devil” (v 39). So now we know from where the bad things came – Satan or devil. Here we have to note something: Jesus, the Son of God, accepts no personal responsibility for the presence of weeds or bad things. Now in Luke 13 we see Jesus teaching in a synagogue on a Sabbath day. In that place there was a woman who had a disease for 18 years, which bend here body, so that she cannot stand straight. When Jesus touched and healed her, the leader of the Synagogue was angry because He healed on the Sabbath. Here, listen carefully Jesus’ words about this woman “a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound” (v 16). Here Jesus affirms that this woman’s affliction was a work of Satan. As many people think God has not role in causing suffering in this world. An interesting statement from Jesus “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). Jesus did not tell that He pushed Satan down. Many like to believe that there is no such thing as the devil. But you can be sure that he would the last to let you know it! The question is, who is responsible for Lucifer’s fall? To understand this, we should go to Ezekiel 18. Some people may say that this is not about Satan, but about evil king of Tyre. But here God uses Ezekiel to speak about the angelic rebellious power, Satan, behind that king. Here the word “perfection” is used 3 times. “Full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty...you were in Eden...you are the anointed cherub ...you were upon the holy mountain of God; ...you were perfect in your ways from the day that you were created, till iniquity was found in you” (v 12-15). One thing is sure, when Lucifer was created, he was perfect. Then from where this flaw came? One aspect of this perfection is that God invested him with genuine free will – the ability to make his own choices. True love in order to be true, the other party must have the right to say no also. What makes love so special is that, it is voluntary. If love is forced, we have a very ugly word for it, rape. God is real God who loves real relationship with real beings. God don’t want man to be like robots nor created so. God has given us a dangerous but precious thing, a freedom to choose, which is absolutely essential for expressing true love. Suppose you create a program, which will make your computer say “I love you”, whenever you boot it up, is it genuine love. In Isaiah 14, we have an entry into Lucifer’s mind - what is happening there. Verse 12 starts with “how”; how can a perfect being in the presence of a perfect God in a perfect environment commit sin? Even Isaiah is surprised. “How are you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning (which means light bearer?” You see same word “fallen”, just like Jesus used. “For you have said in your heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation…I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.” You notice, how many times “I” come in these verses. This is the same letter “I”, which is in the middle of the word “sin”. Lucifer desired to be something, which is not lawful for the created beings. Thus Satan made a choice of his own. God has to permit it, because love is the foundation of His government. Here you may ask, why did God not destroy the rebellious Lucifer? If He did so, it only create fear among the other created beings. We have to remember, two thirds of the unfallen angels are watching. If created beings obey God out of fear, what is the meaning of free will? Notice in Rev. 3:20, Jesus says “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock”. Do you think Jesus will make a forced entry into our lives, against our will? God did not create Satan, but Lucifer, who was perfect in all things. Lucifer using his own free will became Satan. Suppose you see a drunkard, fallen in the gutter, immersed in his own vomit, would you ask “What kind of woman gave birth to that?” That woman gave birth to a beautiful, innocent boy. Although environment may play a role, on the final analysis he became like that by his own free choices he made in the past. In the book of Job, we read about Job a very rich and a faithful follower of God. God permits Job to be tested with suffering, in the face of Satan’s accusation that God is protecting Job. In spite of all the suffering, Job did not curse God. Here we get a glimpse of the source of some sufferings in the life of man. Sometimes we have to undergo suffering as a part of being tested in our allegiance to God. So what is Bible’s answer to human suffering? It is very simple. The original culprit is Lucifer, who became Satan. Some people, like Lucifer, using their freedom of choice, commits sin creating and aggravating the problem of suffering. On the final analysis, entrance of sin is the cause of all bad things, we see in this world and the root of all human suffering. But a day will come when “God will wipe away every tear from” our “eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4), if we have faith in Jesus and live according to His commandments. Let us wait for the “new heaven and a new earth” (v 1)! May God strengthen us in our faith, and empower us in our deeds! Welcome to this page for more messages https://facebook/SomeTruthsThatYouShouldNotMiss
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 09:07:03 +0000
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