The Rebellion Of Humanity

Chapter 7 – Humanities Evil and the Suffering It Has Caused

In my previous post, we saw that Satan was the first to sin against God. Moreover, he convinced 1/3 of the angels to rebel along with him. Today in our continuing study of the book If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn, we will look at the rebellion of humanity.

You can find links to the previous chapters under the heading Bible Studies in the menu above.

The Rebellion: Rinse and Repeat Cycle

The author begins this chapter with a recap of the book of Judges. The book of Judges overflows with terrible stories of evil and violence. Repeatedly, we see the same cycle of events occur. I myself have recently finished reading the book of Judges. The book records 12 different occasions where the “people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals… and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger.” – Judges 1:11-13

The cycle is as follows:

1. People sin against God.
2. God judges them by sending appropriate consequences.
3. In desperation, the Israelites cry out for deliverance.
4. God in His mercy delivers them by sending a rescuer.
5. When their lives become peaceful, they soon forget God and pursue evil again.

This rinse and repeat cycle (see Judges 2:16-20) goes on and on until the reader despairs over the abject poverty of the human condition.

The book’s final sentence offers a penetrating diagnosis of the problem:

“In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Judges 21:25

This passage in scripture is profoundly pertinent to us. What’s right in our eyes is not synonymous with what’s right. The King of the universe determines what’s right. Therefore,

• If we don’t recognize Him as king
• or, If we refuse to bow to His moral authority

like Israel, in the time of the judges, we experience chaos because we trust ourselves to redefine good and evil.

The history of humanity in every culture and time demonstrates the dire consequences of living life as we prefer rather than as God commands.

Evils Emergence In Humanity

Evil violates the standards that express God’s divine character. Sin attacks the spotless character of the almighty God. At its root, evil violates God’s nature and insults His supremacy. It rejects God and rebels against His authority. Therefore, we cannot understand evil without understanding the nature of the one true God.

Ungodliness means the failure to conform to God’s nature. God’s character provides the basis for moral standards.

“…You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” Leviticus 19:2

The Old Testament sacrificial system sent the unmistakable message that a holy God cannot overlook sin which exacts a terrible price. This pointed to the one John the Baptist called “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).

Hebrews 10:4 states: “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.”

Therefore, we see in Hebrews 2:17:

“Therefore, it was essential that He {Jesus Christ] had to be made like His brothers (mankind) in every respect, so that He might [by experience] become a merciful and faithful High Priest in things related to God, to make atonement (propitiation) for the people’s sins [thereby wiping away the sin, satisfying divine justice, and providing a way of reconciliation between God and mankind].”

Hebrews 2:17 AMP

The primary Hebrew and Greek word for sin means missing the mark or falling short.

“for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 3:23

Common synonyms for evil such as rebellion, transgression, and trespass all involve overstepping the limits imposed upon creatures by their Creator. Those limits are grounded in God’s character which is expressed in His commandments.

To sin is to exalt self and to depreciate the God who created us to live in a loving relationship with Him.

Sinless Humans Chose to Rebel

The first humans, although created sinless, also chose to rebel against God. God declared His creation very good. However, Adam and Eve rebelled choosing to violate God’s explicit command.

They trusted a fallen creature’s logic, rather than their Creator’s goodness when he’d given them no reason to doubt Him. Because of their choice to disobey and eat from the tree…

• The curse fell on them,
• Their pain greatly increased,
• The earth became a world of hurt,
• And they forfeited paradise.

Disobedience Did Not Surprise God

Adam and eve’s disobedience did not surprise God or cause Him to wring His hands. A just and merciful God chose a measured punishment for the first human sin: suffering. Had God meted out the full and immediate punishment, the first humans would have died on the spot.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 6:23

The Fall, the first human tragedy, became the mother of all subsequent ones. Yet, the Fall did not end God’s plan for humanity. God would ultimately use evil to accomplish the greater end of redemption in Christ.

God could hate evil and yet permit it to carry out an astounding far-reaching redemptive plan in Christ. A redemptive plan that would forever overshadow the evil and sufferings of this present world.

Because the fall really happened in history God’s Son had to enter history (incarnation), suffer and die in history (redemption), and rise from the grave in history {resurrection).

The Rebellion Caused Three Curses After Humanities Fall

• God’s curse upon Satan predicted Christ’s redemption work. (Genesis 3:15)
• God’s judgment upon Eve increased the intensity of physical, emotional, and relational pain. (Genesis 3:16)
• God’s judgment upon Adam addressed the corruption of Earth and the burden of human labor. (Genesis 3:17

A Worldview That Sees Evil For What It Is

The Christian worldview’s account of evil and suffering is uniquely and profoundly God-centered. The Christian worldview concerns far more than the spiritual salvation of individuals. It touches on every aspect of human existence and extends beyond humanity to the very nature of God.

Everyone has a worldview, inconsistent and superficial though it may be. Worldviews invite contemplation and comparison. The author states:

“As I have compared the Christian worldview to others, I have found it both comprehensive and satisfying. I believe the greatest test of any worldview is how it deals with the problem of evil and suffering. And scriptures redemptive story passes that test with remarkable depth and substance.”

Randy Alcorn

The Bible starts with God:

“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” Genesis 1:1.

It presents good and evil as determined by God alone, not by human nature or nurture, culture or preferences.

We don’t decide good, and evil based on what we want and don’t want, or by what we understand or don’t understand.

We can choose to do either good or evil, but we have no vote in establishing whether something is good or evil.

Unfortunately, when evaluating the problem of evil and suffering, many Christians retreat into a man-centered worldview. Once they do this, the subsequent discussion becomes almost pointless.

The Christian worldview is God-centered, not man-centered; and while scripture shows concern for human happiness, especially eternal happiness, even this bows to God’s character revealed, forever exalted, and fully enjoyed in the ages to come.

“so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” – Ephesians 2:7

While God assures us that He will one day remove all suffering and sorrow, He will do so as a by-product of His highest purpose for us.

“The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the Lord will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory.” – Isaiah 60:19

Closing Comments

The author closes with the following statement:

If we come to see the purpose of the universe as God’s long-term glory rather than our short-term happiness then we will undergo a critical paradigm shift in tackling the problem of evil and suffering.

Randy Alcorn

I understand that as humans we naturally gravitate to viewing our lives in the here and now and not on our eternal lives. Many believe this is all there is, That is a major deception from the master deceiver.

In truth, we need to live our every moment with our focus on how it affects our eternal lives. The truth is that we all will live eternally either in the kingdom of Jesus Christ or in the lake of fire with Satan and his demonic minions.

For those who make the choice to follow Jesus Christ, this life is the only hell you will ever experience.

For those who reject Jesus Christ and His free gift of eternal life with Him, this life is the only heaven you will experience.

Time is running out, the 7-year tribulation is at hand.