Maybe this will be helpful to someone
The following was written to an individual that made the statement, "God knew people would be evil, and yet He still created them. Doesn't that mean He has a purpose for the eivl person?
Here was my answer:
I believe that God in His Sovereignty designed how things would work on the earth. By that I mean that God predetermined both spiritual laws, and natural laws. A few examples of natural laws would be the law of electricity, the law of gravity, and the law of procreation.
I also believe God in His Sovereignty gave the earth to mankind. So what am saying is that I believe He predetermined the laws, but He gave us the freedom of choice. In order for something to be a law, it has to work the same way for every person every time. One example of that would be that anyone can produce electricity as long as they follow the laws God put in place for electricity to occur. The same is true for procreation. God set the law for how procreation occurs, but we have freedom of choice as to whether or not we reproduce.
Having said that, I don’t believe God predetermined when each person would be born. But don’t get me wrong. I also believe God is outside of time, and to Him it’s as if everything has already happened. So He knows each person that will ever be born, and He planned a purpose for all of us. I believe God’s purpose for each person is always good, but I don’t believe everyone always fulfills what God planned for their life.
For example, in 2 Timothy 2:20-21 Paul tells us, “In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. (21) If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.”
I take this to mean that we have a choice in whether or not we will fulfill our God given destiny or not. Paul said we have a choice in what kind of utensil we are, and how God will use us. It also says in Romans 9 that God will use some people for destruction. In that passage, Paul uses Pharaoh as an example of a person that was appointed for destruction. But I don’t believe God predetermined or created Pharaoh for that purpose. (I wrote 5 pages on this topic in the predestination series.) So I will just briefly go over that here.
I believe Pharaoh was tested, and he failed the test. (You can read this story in Exodus 5). Pharaoh cursed the Israelite people when Moses came to him and asked for the Israelite people to be able to go into the wilderness for 3 days to offer sacrifices to God. Pharaoh not only refused to let them go, but he also increased their work load, and had them whipped without mercy when they didn’t meet their quotas. I believe God’s decision to use Pharaoh for destruction was God’s curse on him. Part of the Israelite covenant was that God would curse anyone that cursed His people, and Pharaoh cursed His people.
Anyway, my point in writing this is to say, that yes, God had foreknowledge of each person, and who would be evil, and who would be righteous. But I don’t believe God controls how each person will act, or that He won’t allow them to be born if He knew they wouldn’t comply with His plan. I don’t believe God controls us like puppets or robots. He wanted people that would serve Him out of their own free will. Of course He knew mankind would rebel against Him, that’s why He predetermined that Jesus would be the Savior for those that would accept Him as the payment for sin. God knew we would need a redeemer, and He planned our redemption before He created us.
But we can see in 2 Peter 3:9 that God wants all people to accept Jesus and be saved. I would encourage you to read the whole chapter to get the proper context, but verse 9 says, “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise [that Jesus will return] as some people think. He doesn’t want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent.” (Brackets mine) I believe this verse/passage is saying that God is taking His time before the end of the earth comes, because His will is for as many to repent and turn to Jesus as possible before He destroys the earth, and Judgement day will come.
Anyway, I don’t believe God ordained/put His stamp of approval on anyone being evil.
Replies
This was...very insightful! It made me think.
Thanks for posting.
Thanks Mary!
So very insightful. But don't you think that God could control the evil? It has always been a question on my mind.
Hugs.
God is called our Father, and we are called His children. A father gives his children consequences for evil, but he doesn't control them like puppets. I believe God is the same way. He certainly does gives consequences for evil. In the Old Testament of the Bible, you can read about people being killed or destroyed for being evil. God rained down fire and brimstone on the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and wiped out every person in those cities, because they were evil. God also sent the Great Flood and wiped out the entire human race with the exception of Noah and his family. Those are just two examples, but prior to the cross God killed the evil people. It was like cutting a cancer out of the human race, so the evil didn't spread to everyone. That was before Jesus came, before the cross, before humans could be redeemed, and have a new heart or a new nature created within them.
I believe God deals with mankind differently now, after the cross. But the Bible is clear in the book of Revelation, that there will still be a Judgement Day for those that do not accept Christ. For those that don't, they will be cast into the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:15) However, if God controlled people like puppets, then what pleasure would He get out of anyone worshipping Him? If we were made to do it, or if we were made to be righteous, it wouldn't mean anything to Him. God gave Adam and Eve a choice in the Garden of Eden. They could choose to eat from any tree in the entire Garden except one. God told them not to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. God told them if they did eat from that tree, then they would surely die. To me this is proof that we have free will. There had to be a test to see if they would obey, because if there is no opportunity for disobedience, then we don't really have a choice. Anyway, Satan convinced them be disobedient. They chose to listen to Satan and believe him, instead of listening to God. They demonstrated that they trusted Satan's words, and not Gods.
They had consequences for that. Adam and Eve were kicked out the Garden, Adam was told that ground would now produce thorns, and he would have to toil with the sweat of his brow in order to produce food from the ground. And Eve was told woman would now have pain in childbirth. That's also when death and sickness became a part of the human race. There are always consequences for evil. And Adam and Eve unleashed all sorts of consequences with their disobedience.
Humans have always had the choice of who they wanted to serve. We can serve Satan, or can serve God. Adam and Eve made the wrong choice. All the stories I mentioned above can be found in the first few chapters of Genesis, if you would like to read them for yourself. Thanks for reading Carly, blessings to you.
Yes, God could control evil. But He doesn't. We have that choice.
My example in the testing of Jesus in the wilderness.
Jesus was without sin. And yet Satan (Lucifer) tested Him.
Satan (Lucifer) the embody of evil, has been allowed to exist from the beginning. He will be here in the end.
God is...Satan is...
These are opposites and yet...exists.
Sorry about the confusion if there is any. Please lets talk more if its needed.
Great example Mary! Thanks for your input.
Those are my stand-by examples. People seem to forget that both these have been in existence from the begging. And will be here 8s the end.