--- Note ---
Why wickedness!

If the God of Creation is loving and kind, why are we surrounded by so much suffering and pain?

The answer is simple really. God has (temporarily) tolerated disobedience to give you (and me, of course) the chance for life. [Rom 9:22-24] About 6000 years ago, our first parents joined Satan in rebelling against God. Their action brought death to them and to all the rest of us. It was not an instant death, but they all started to die on that day. God is the source of life so once they unplugged themselves from his spirit, they started dying. That all happened before any of us were even born. That's how Adam and Eve killed all the rest of us. [1 Cor 15:22; Rom 5:12] We were all born dying. Like our sinful parents, we just have a few years before we fall over.

That was not, of course, God's purpose for his wonderful creation. [Gen 1:26-28] After sin entered the world, God needed to undo the problem Adam and Eve followed Satan to cause; but how? Should he kill them all, and start over? If all his works are truly perfect, should he really need to start over by repeating his good and perfect work? Of course not. He knew that even though some members of his creation proved unfit for life, it did not mean his creation itself was bad. God's creation is very good! [Gen 1:31] (It turns out a gift to all of us God didn't kill them and start over. We are sons and daughters of Adam and Eve.)

What really is the issue that needed to be settled? Satan was probably as smart as a wicked individual can be. He was smart enough not to challenge God's power, as God could have easily settle that issue by killing him. What Satan said was God wasn't good or fit to rule. He said God was bad because he was holding something back from Adam and Eve: The tree of knowledge of good and bad. [Gen 3:1-6] We don't know exactly what that tree was, but we don't need to. From the choice they made, it is clear the tree represented their desire to have the right to govern themselves and to choose for themselves what is right and wrong. They selfishly disobeyed God and stole fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and bad. Sovereignty was the issue that needed to be settled: God's goodness and his right to rule had been questioned.

Satan was thus clever enough to raise an issue that needed to be settled, and, that would keep him from being destroyed immediately. If God just killed him, it might have left some of creation wondering if Satan had been right. Satan might even have imagined his wicked act would keep God from ever acting against him. After all, it was the man and woman who disobeyed. And, mankind was made imperfect before they used their wondrous gift of procreation to have children. Their children, then, all of us, would be born imperfect and separated from God. Maybe Satan thought God would abandon the now imperfect human family to him. What he wanted was to be  boss  worshiped. [Mat 4:9] With the history of the Bible, we can now see how very silly Satan was from God's perspective!

Immediately following their sin, God pronounced sentence; as well as announcing his solution to the problem their rebellion caused. [Gen 3:14-15] God said he would raise up a seed from the woman who would destroy Satan. That enmity God said would exist between Satan and the children of Adam and Eve inferred hope for the children of Adam. About 2000 years later, God picked out one of Eve's descendants named Abraham and expanded or clarified his Edenic promise. He told Abraham all the nations of the earth would be blessed by means of his seed. [Gen 22:15-18] Then, about 2000 years after Abraham, Jesus was born as that promised descendant of Abraham, and as the "seed of the woman." Jesus was also the only begotten son of God. [John 1:14-18] The son of God was then killed by Satan, no doubt unknowingly and unwillingly serving God's purpose to take away the sins of ignorance for all their children who did not sin like Adam. [Rom 5:14] God resurrected Christ to heaven where he has been seated at the right hand of God for the 2000 years since. [Mark 14:61-62; Heb 1:1-6] Now, in our day, Christ is riding forth to destroy Satan and his influence over mankind using the sword of his mouth. [Rev 19:11-16] That sword of truth is what is now ringing in your ears.

We are now about 6000 years from Creation, (around 1975 CE marked 6000 years from the creation of Adam), and every person who puts faith in the teachings of Christ Jesus can enter the paradise Christ is restoring. [Isa 11:1-12; Psalm 37:10-11] What has happened here during that time serves as an eternal touchstone so the issue can never be raised again. After seeing all the pain and suffering that has resulted, and would result again, from going against the perfect will of God, anyone who would ever again challenge his directives will be killed with the approval of all creation. [1 Cor 15:20-28] Attach your voice to those of all faithful creation!!! Praise   יהוה   you people! [Psalm 104:35] Amen, come Lord Jesus. [Rev 22:20-21]

Use browser "Back Arrow" or Alt+Left_Arrow keys to previous page.   |   Home Page