These forces are in conflict
in three different realms: in nature, in the natural world, and in our hearts
(soul).
An Apple has two kinds of
worms. When eggs are laid on the tree’s branches they produce worms that attack
the Apple from the outside into the inside. When eggs are laid inside the apple
they produce worms that attack the Apple from the inside out. Because they are
out of view it is more difficult to see how much damage is being done. Just as
there are two types of worms there are two types of evil.
Evil from the Outside in -
Nature
The good in nature came about
at the time of creation when God pronounced each step “good.” When Adam and Eve
disobeyed God, God cursed the earth. Thus we have both good and bad. The same
plot of ground has both beautiful flowers and noxious weeds. Some days are
sunny and peaceful but the next day may bring earthquakes, tornadoes, floods
and drought. These events are indiscriminate in that they affect some people
but not others. This randomness of peace and chaos seems unfair. “He causes his
sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends the rain on the righteous
and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:45. God does not always protect us from these
things but he does give us the courage, hope, and ingenuity to deal with them.
Evil from the Outside in the
Natural World
The evil in the world affects
us from the outside. Hitler in Nazi Germany had his gas chambers, Stalin had
his gulag, Mao had his re-education program, Kim ll-sung had his work camps,
Sadam Hussein had is torture cells. Together they killed tens of millions of
innocent people. Today we have murderers, rapists, kidnappers, drug addicts,
drug dealers and Islamic terrorists who occupy our neighborhoods and invade our
homes. We have 27 million people held in slavery. We have millions of people
living refugee camps under hopeless conditions. We have 2 billion people trapped in poverty
living on less than $2.00 per day. The world is an evil place that affects lots
of innocent people.
God is a God of peace, but war
was declared when Lucifer and his angels rebelled against God. The war is both
celestial and earthly. Celestial war is described in Ephesians 6:12 “For our
struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the
authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against spiritual forces
of evil in the heavenly realms.” Earthly wars can be just or unjust. Just wars
can be used if they are to crush evil and establish good. God uses war to
accomplish his will. Unjust wars are evil wars where an aggressive nation wants
control over another nation.
During World War II, General
Eisenhower and General MacArthur ordered that cities of the enemy bombed and
invaded. They were honorable men and knew that thousands of innocent people
would die. But they calculated by ending the war sooner they could save many
more lives and go on to promote goodness. Thus the evil of war was used to
serve God’s purposes and to make peace.
These things are like worms
the go from the outside to the inside.
Good from The Outside
There is lots of good in this
world. Every day billions of people produce goods and services for themselves
and others. The hungry are fed, sick are healed, the homeless are given
shelter, and people hear the good news of the gospel for the first time. People
gather to have fun and be entertained. People care for each other. The world can
be a good place.
Thus, the world is both a
good place and bad place and there is conflict between them.
Evil from the Inside Out
God made man in his own image
and everything went fine until Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan. Not only were
their souls corrupted, every human being inherited a corrupt soul.
While the dictators listed
above had evil in their minds they also had evil in their heart. Each one of us
has the potential of not controlling our minds and committing the same kind of
evil acts. The human heart is desperately wicked but because of the grace of God (Common Grace) we
are still capable of good.
We have a worm inside of us.
When we invite Christ into
our heart he gives us power over evil but there is still a tension between good
and evil. “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do,
but what I hate I do.” Romans 7:15
* * *
Why do we need to understand
good? Because we need to practice it every day in our personal lives, in our
culture, and in our world. Why do we need to understand evil? Because we
encounter it every day and we need to know how to deal with it. During World
War II in
While we can win the battles
we cannot win the war. Only when Christ returns and he casts the devil, his
angels and his spirits into the abyss can we declare victory in the war with
evil.
