...The Problem Of Evil continued

On June 15, 2013, Ethan Couch lost control of his family’s pickup truck after he and his friends had played beer pong and drank beer stolen from a Walmart. He veered into a crowd of people helping the driver of a disabled vehicle on the side of the road. The crash fatally injured the stranded motorist, a youth minister who stopped to help her, and a mother and daughter who came out of their nearby home to also help. Couch, 16 at the time of the crash, was found to have a blood alcohol level three times the legal limit for adult drivers after the crash. Investigators estimated his speed was around 70 mph in a 40 mph zone.
A psychologist who evaluated Couch in 2013 introduced the “affluenza” term at trial in reference to Couch being coddled by his wealthy parents. He testified that Couch learned nothing from his first incidents, court records show. The teen didn’t think he had done anything serious, Dr. G. Dick Miller said, and his mother lied to his father about it.

In the last post, in my discussion on the problem of evil, I talked about the difference it would make if this world never experienced the devastating effects of evil. I remembered this story from years ago which made me think of it as an example of the contrast between the teen Ethan Couch, and the death and destruction he caused. He would have no remorse, since he had no experience of consequences for any actions he took; and how anyone even reading this story would feel having known the experience of cause and effect; good and evil; right and wrong; actions and consequences. The example of "knowing" by experience.

I mentioned that I believe that it is vitally important to understand the plan and purpose God had for His creation to begin with. Where I depart with most others is when they say that God gave man free will to choose to obey or not as proof of Adam's love for God; and that I believe the first man Adam was not who God had in mind when He said "Let us make man in our image and likeness." I believe that JESUS who is the LAST ADAM and the SECOND MAN, make US the NEW CREATION MAN, as heirs and joint heirs with Jesus! Otherwise, then Jesus just becomes PLAN B, to God's purpose of creation, which we know that He is not! Jesus has ALWAYS been the plan and purpose of God's good creation!

Since Jesus was the last Adam, He put to death ALL of the Adamic race on the cross, and paid for the sin of the world for ALL time and forever, and was raised up to become the beginning of a whole new Christ man, with Jesus as the head! God was never mad at mankind! In fact if you understand this plan of God then it makes sense what it says in Genesis 6:3 "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years." I used to think that was a threat. Like God was saying: "That's it, I am not going to put up with this for long before I finally lose my temper and you are going to get it". But now I see that verse as a promise of redemption!! As if God was saying: "Don't worry, the plan is in motion, YOU are not going to always be at strife with me, it has an ending, even a 120 years, and then the final outcome will be accomplished, and this enmity will come to an end!" Somewhat like a parent who reassures their child before surgery that when they wake up all their pain will come to an end. Psalm 17:15 "As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness."

I will agree that even understanding this explanation for evil does not make it easier to go through the torment of suffering, especially when it seems so random and without reason. "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Hebrews 12:11 But be assured nothing escapes the loving care and compassionate Heavenly Father! We see that played out in the person of Jesus, who is the full representation of God in the earth!

We also have a long history of countless examples of people who have turned their suffering from evil of many kinds into a testimony of the Grace of God in the midst of their pain, and demonstrate by a living example that indeed Love triumphs over hate; good triumphs over evil; grace and mercy triumphs over unforgiveness! There are many examples throughout history of people like Corrie Ten Boom, who was prisoner in a Nazi prison camp. Or how about Nelson Mandela who spent decades in prison for successfully leading the resistance to South Africa's policy of apartheid in the 20th century. I just recently read an autobiography of a lady named Theresa Gilliam, who wrote a book called Bring My Soul Out Of Prison who suffered much evil at the hands of many people including her husband, and still knew God was with her in the midst of her struggle.

Even suffering that is not the result of evil is also a major complaint from many who are mad at God for their pain and sorrow. Job is about the most well known example of suffering being replaced by restoration. Or Joni Erickson Tada who broke her neck as a teen in a diving accident, and is paralyzed. She was able to display the love and grace of God in her life beyond what anyone can imagine out of her tragic circumstance.

And we can go on to talk about the many who were born or later suffered deformities from accidents. How about war the result of man's inhumanity to man! No matter how long the list of evil and tragedy is, the list of the goodness of God is abundantly greater! "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us." Rom.8:18

All of these people are in stark contrast to Ethan Couch! The difference between someone who is kept from any bad experiences and whose lawyer argued that, as a reason of his destructive and deadly behavior, and those who like the people in the Faith chapter of Hebrews 11:13 "These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth."

As I said at the start of the previous post, I have no expectations of providing an adequate answer to solve this question to anyone's satisfaction in full in such a sort blog post as this, however I think I can provide some thoughts to provoke more thought in that direction for someone who reads this post. Perhaps, maybe, having read these writings, you have more understanding to give you peace when considering ...The Problem Of Evil