Problem of Evil | Why Do People Blame God?

1. Satan is and always has been man’s adversary. The word “Satan” means adversary.

2. Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44 “He was a murderer from the beginning, and standeth not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father thereof.”

3. We must resist him because he is on the prowl for us. 1 Peter 5:8,9 “Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world.”

4. Satan is ultimately responsible for all of the evil that is in this world, not God.

1. Abortion, Divorce, Euthanasia, Murder, and Theft all have one thing in common. They are ways in which people try to escape the responsibility they have for their own situation.

2. The truth is that we are each responsible for the quality of our own life.

3. Galatians 6:7,8 “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth unto his own flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth unto the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap eternal life.”

4. We can take responsibility for our own problems and recognize that we often get ourselves into hurtful situations or we can deny it and blame God.

1. Seems that when we find ourselves in difficulties we always want to blame the one who’s in charge.

2. God is in charge of everything, so ultimately, we reason, He’s to blame.

3. Moreover, God won’t argue with us, at least, not immediately.

4. Those who think in this manner forget God’s longsuffering.

5. 2 Peter 3:9-12 “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing that these things are thus all to be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”

6. Yes, God won’t answer us immediately, but one day He will answer.

7. Acts 17:30,31 “The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked; but now he commandeth men that they should all everywhere repent: inasmuch as he hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world in righteousness by the man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.”

1. Died in the wool Calvinists believe that God has specifically determined everything.

2. For them, God is responsible for all men’s choices.

3. The truth is that men have the freedom to choose between right and wrong.

4. Deuteronomy 30:19 “I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before thee life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that thou mayest live, thou and thy seed.”

5. Joshua 24:15, “Choose you this day whom you will serve.”

6. Matthew 7:13,14 “Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.”

1. They reason that since God hasn’t fixed my problems, He must not want to and so they blame God.

2. This is based upon a false understanding of the promise Jesus gave to the apostles in John 16:23 and similar passages: “And in that day ye shall ask me no question. Verily, verily, I say unto you, if ye shall ask anything of the Father, he will give it you in my name.”

3. But these fail to realize that God hasn’t given us a blank check.

4. James 4:3 “Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may spend it in your pleasures.”

5. John clarifies in 1 John 5:14 “And this is the boldness which we have toward him, that, if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us.”

6. God never promised to give us anything and everything that our heart desired.

7. God never even promised to deliver us from all troublesome situations.

8. Paul asked three times to have his thorn in the flesh removed, but God said His grace was sufficient. 2 Corinthians 12:7-9.

1. God did create everything that is in existence (Genesis 1:1).

2. But someone else modified some of those things for evil purposes – Satan.

3. Everything that God created was good. See Genesis 1:1-25.

4. Even man was created good and sinless, but man sinned and ruined that which God created.

5. God is responsible for all good that is in the world (James 1:17, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom can be no variation, neither shadow that is cast by turning”).

6. But he is not responsible for evil.

7. Man is responsible for his own behavior; Romans 2:6-11 “who will render to every man according to his works: to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life: but unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Greek; but glory and honor and peace to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek: for there is no respect of persons with God.”

1. When bad things happen to us, we automatically consider it “punishment.”

2. But the fact of the matter is that not all “bad things” are inherently bad.

3. Consider certain medical procedures to eliminate disease in the body.

4. Consider the athlete that undergoes tremendous physical stress to improve his performance.

5. Jesus told his disciples to rejoice when they are persecuted. Matthew 5:11,12 “Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.”

6. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:9,10 “And he hath said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my power is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Wherefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

1. When people forget to praise God, then they criticize Him.

2. God is never worthy of criticism. He is only worthy of praise.

3. In Job 35:9-15 Elihu says that no one praises God when they ought.

4. Psalm 18:3 “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.”

5. Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”