Every so often I hear the claim that the evil that mankind does is God acting through them.
The verse Ephesians 1:5 says we are adopted as children of God through Jesus "according to the good pleasure of His will."
Does the Bible say evil is according to His will?
The verse which is used to claim God does evil is Isaiah 45:7 - the traditional King James Version says it like this - I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
{In context - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+45&version=NKJV
But the New King James says it like this - I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things. - which is a much better translation of the word used, #H7451 ra' - adversity, calamity.
When we read the Old Testament it's plain to see that our heavenly Father does indeed bring calamity upon the heads of the wayward. (Especially if they are sacrificing live babies in fire to 'the gods'?) I'd also dare to say that there is natural law which He built right into everything which, spiritually, is the seed of fruit is always in its own likeness. Even the judgments of God are results and consequences. He may indeed, speed them along or multiply them upon miscreants and criminals' heads whenever He sees fit!
But this (surely?) is a far cry from saying the evil that evil men do, is actually God doing it and it is according to His will.
Why? Is there evil in the world?? Let's seriously ponder that question and consider every thing the Bible says about it. (Every verse, not in this brief post, but in our heart and mind.)
Luke 17:1 says, - He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!"
Which, to me, seems to be openly implying "responsibility" for actions and choices, upon the one acting and choosing. Thank goodness our choices are so highly limited! 'Offences are sure to come'.. What does that mean? Does it mean we are all robots destined to do what things we do? Isn't that another belief system? An old one, where 'the gods' moved humans like so many chess pieces..?
If it were God acting through Stalin (etc) why should Stalin ever "repent"?
(Seriously, where do people get these ideas?!)
1 Peter 5:8 says, Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Note: the earliest church fathers did not metaphor everything! It's true all of life is a parable and a metaphor! But that doesn't mean it's not literal. To metaphor everything is to put our own take upon everything as "private interpretation".
Our minds are to be renewed by the washing of His Word. Not by my own (so-called) 'lofty' thoughts as truth. But by His Word.
But don't forget.. The original intent, the Hebrew and the Greek. "The Church" is (can be) great for united worship, study, prayer, learning and service, but it is not perfection, nor is it yet "the kingdom"! No church is perfection, but is made up of people. And we should always let the Word itself speak to us, and not only what other persons say about His Word. "Sheol" for instance, "where there is neither thought nor doing" is a far cry from 'eternal burning hell for ever and ever'.
There's a BIG push on (spiritually) to devalue God's Word. But! fellow believers, that is our sWord! It cuts through every untruth. If we let it. "Give us, this day, Lord, our daily Bread.."
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/1.htm
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/1-1.htm
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/1_timothy/4-10.htm
The verse Ephesians 1:5 says we are adopted as children of God through Jesus "according to the good pleasure of His will."
Does the Bible say evil is according to His will?
The verse which is used to claim God does evil is Isaiah 45:7 - the traditional King James Version says it like this - I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things.
{In context - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+45&version=NKJV
But the New King James says it like this - I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things. - which is a much better translation of the word used, #H7451 ra' - adversity, calamity.
When we read the Old Testament it's plain to see that our heavenly Father does indeed bring calamity upon the heads of the wayward. (Especially if they are sacrificing live babies in fire to 'the gods'?) I'd also dare to say that there is natural law which He built right into everything which, spiritually, is the seed of fruit is always in its own likeness. Even the judgments of God are results and consequences. He may indeed, speed them along or multiply them upon miscreants and criminals' heads whenever He sees fit!
But this (surely?) is a far cry from saying the evil that evil men do, is actually God doing it and it is according to His will.
Why? Is there evil in the world?? Let's seriously ponder that question and consider every thing the Bible says about it. (Every verse, not in this brief post, but in our heart and mind.)
Luke 17:1 says, - He said to the disciples, “It is impossible that no offenses should come, but woe to him through whom they do come!"
Which, to me, seems to be openly implying "responsibility" for actions and choices, upon the one acting and choosing. Thank goodness our choices are so highly limited! 'Offences are sure to come'.. What does that mean? Does it mean we are all robots destined to do what things we do? Isn't that another belief system? An old one, where 'the gods' moved humans like so many chess pieces..?
If it were God acting through Stalin (etc) why should Stalin ever "repent"?
(Seriously, where do people get these ideas?!)
1 Peter 5:8 says, Be alert, be on watch! Your enemy, the Devil, roams around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Note: the earliest church fathers did not metaphor everything! It's true all of life is a parable and a metaphor! But that doesn't mean it's not literal. To metaphor everything is to put our own take upon everything as "private interpretation".
Our minds are to be renewed by the washing of His Word. Not by my own (so-called) 'lofty' thoughts as truth. But by His Word.
But don't forget.. The original intent, the Hebrew and the Greek. "The Church" is (can be) great for united worship, study, prayer, learning and service, but it is not perfection, nor is it yet "the kingdom"! No church is perfection, but is made up of people. And we should always let the Word itself speak to us, and not only what other persons say about His Word. "Sheol" for instance, "where there is neither thought nor doing" is a far cry from 'eternal burning hell for ever and ever'.
There's a BIG push on (spiritually) to devalue God's Word. But! fellow believers, that is our sWord! It cuts through every untruth. If we let it. "Give us, this day, Lord, our daily Bread.."
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/genesis/1.htm
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/matthew/1-1.htm
http://biblehub.com/interlinear/1_timothy/4-10.htm
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