How Close Does Evil Come?

pastor’s heart article from ggwo.org

How Close Does Evil Come? by Pastor Thomas Schaller February 20, 2007 edited

Jesus Christ said that the kingdom of heaven can be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while the man slept, someone came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. "An enemy hath done this," said the man. Notice two phenomena: The growth of wheat and then the invasion of "lying-wheat" next to them. The parable further reveals that the man who owned the field says, "Let them grow together until the harvest" (see Matthew 13:24-30). Truth is planted and the lie takes its own preferred place next to it. They continue growing together, one very close to the other. Lucifer, in heaven, challenged the living God and started his allowed trafficking. Lucifer traveled through heaven among the angels propagating his lie. How could God allow the devil to work in heaven right next to the truth? One third of the angels fell as a result of the lie. There are many illustrations of this phenomenon. This is awesome because it is first a reflection on God's nature, and secondly it reveals something of His plan. First, God is very secure. If God allows for the lie to express itself right under the nose of truth without flinching, then it speaks of God's uncontrolling nature. Only authoritative, controlling, insecure people will eliminate all opposition immediately. But God allowed Satan in the Garden of Eden after He planted it. God allows the lie because He shows us that the strength of truth in the heart is REAL STRENGTH. When we see it, we fall in love with it. Why would Jesus Christ allow Judas Iscariot to handle the moneybag knowing he was a thief? Does God allow the lie, the work of evil to come very close to Him and to us? Does He use evil as a tool to reveal His nature of love and truth? When Christ stood before Pilate, the lies had been sown in Jerusalem and were working here and there throughout the country. The phenomenon continues today. It is a wonder that the Almighty God of the universe allows such trafficking across the planet. It is actually a chief criticism by unbelievers against the existence of God: Why is there such evil in the world? When Christ silently stands before Pilate, He is also speaking. As He is

pastor’s heart article from ggwo.org manifesting security in the presence of a lie, our hearts are drawn to the virtues of His patience, kindness, longsuffering, and strength of wisdom. Ecclesiastes 9:16 says that wisdom is better than strength. If God allowed Balaam to teach idolatry and fornication in the camp while Moses is in the tabernacle worshipping, if God allowed Israel to have a king that will do them great harm, and if God allowed Solomon to be influenced by foreigners taking the nation away, then we see not only God's security but we also realize that His plan has depth. If we were in charge of this world, we'd get rid of all the poisoning elements, wring our hands and say, "That's that," sit down, and have a glass of iced tea. After we dealt with all our enemies and looked at everything we created we would say, "Anybody have any questions?" Would free will be free will if evil could not come as close as our own hearts? If we could not hear the lie whispered in the garden - "you shall not surely die" - then would we have a test in our hearts? Would we have a meaningful choice? Would the free will in our hearts be exercised? Would we have meaningful relatedness? God allowing evil to come close to us is the evidence of His security and, secondly, the evidence of the depth of His plan. He wants a unique people. He wants a people born in the crucible of choice. He has designed the world so that it is possible to lose our way. It is possible to be misled, deceived, and tricked - not in a short game with simple temporary effects- but, fearfully, in real life where there is the risk of everlasting consequences. Why would God run such a risk of great loss? He made the world this way with the interest of making a people, a unique people. If it was not so, how would we have meaningful relationship with Him and with the world? By our new birth, we are equipped and promised all we need to live in the truth. The Holy Spirit's ministry is to reveal to us the value of our choices. We live as a constant object of God's love and care with unwavering guarantees of our ultimate destiny by the boundless grace of God through His Son Jesus Christ. We should be well taught and very much grounded in our new state of uncontestable favor with God. From this position, we can approach the awesome privilege of living in a dark and evil world. In this world, we recognize that God is not simply eliminating all opposition with the wave of His hand. Rather, He is showing us His nature and revealing the privilege we have of embracing Him in the presence of our enemies. The truth is rolled around on our tongue while the lie is breathing down our neck. The result of our privilege is

pastor’s heart article from ggwo.org the sense that God trusts us. Trust is at the heart of all relationship. If God whispers in our hearts "well done," then we know it has meaning. We have had a thousand initiations of lies that contested everything - but we decided, embraced, walked, and deeply rejoiced in God who reveals truth to us. At the end, all believers will not be judged as to how close evil came to them, but rather as to how they embraced the truth in their hearts and walked in it. Believers will not be judged regarding how things appeared - but rather on what they in their hearts believed and embraced. There is great rejoicing among those believers who experience God's nature now. How great it will be when we realize that God has had great pleasure in us while we chose Him in the contest. Amen.