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Stop the Phony Dance: Paul’s Rebuke to the Galatians and Today’s Christians

This is a continuation of my previous article titled The Christian Phony Dance Between Law and Grace. Let’s turn to the apostle Paul and hear how he addressed this very issue nearly 2,000 years ago:

“O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was graphically portrayed as crucified. I want to know just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?”
— Galatians 3:1–3 (paraphrased)

Let’s pause here.

Why did Paul remind the Galatians of Christ’s crucifixion? My view is this: Paul wanted to shake them awake. Anyone who had truly grasped the horror and beauty of Christ’s death should understand what that death achieved—it wasn’t merely a symbolic gesture. It was the very means by which we receive the Spirit of God.

Grace Begins—and Ends—with Christ

Paul isn’t vague. He draws a stark contrast: you receive the Spirit by faith, not by keeping the law. In Romans 3:20, he already laid the foundation—no one will be justified by works of the law. That message doesn’t change here.

When we receive God’s Spirit, it’s not so we can now try harder to earn what Christ already died to give. It’s so we can understand and enjoy what has already been freely granted. As Paul wrote elsewhere, “We received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit from God, so that we may know the things graciously given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12).

The Galatians had believed this truth. Then something tragic happened. They reverted—back to rules, back to striving, back to human effort. Paul’s words aren’t gentle here. He calls this foolishness. Because it is.

Starting in the Spirit, Ending in the Flesh?

Paul’s question cuts through time: “Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being completed in the flesh?”

What’s he saying? Simply this: If salvation began with Christ’s work, why would you think it needs your work to finish it?

That same warning applies today. Many Christians confidently claim, “Christ saved me,” but then add, “Now I must fight sin with God’s help.” Sounds spiritual, right? But it’s dangerously misleading.

Let’s break it down. If Christ made it possible for you to be saved, and now you must cooperate, strive, and prove yourself—then who, ultimately, finishes the work? You.

But that contradicts the Gospel. It is not Christ plus your victory over sin. It is Christ alone. Full stop.

When someone says, “You just have to overcome your sin—with God’s help,” what they’re really saying is: “You still need to complete your salvation in the flesh.” That is a denial of the cross, even if wrapped in spiritual-sounding language.

You Don’t “Fight” for a Gift You Already Have

Jesus didn’t come to be your “co-pilot.” He didn’t come to assist you in overcoming sin. He overcame it. On the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.” He meant it.

Let’s make this practical. It’s humanly impossible to be truly motivated by grace while still believing you need to earn or prove your salvation. If you think the prize is still up for grabs, your behavior will always be driven by fear or performance—not by love and gratitude.

Imagine this: A Christian says, “Christ saved me,” but believes they must now overcome sin to prove they’re truly saved. Their focus inevitably shifts away from Christ’s finished work and toward their personal struggle. Their salvation becomes something to verify through moral performance, rather than something to celebrate as already won.

True grace changes that. It removes the burden of earning. It removes the fear of failure. Only when you know that you already have the prize can your motivation flow from genuine love and thankfulness—not obligation.

The Spirit Versus the Flesh

Paul teaches that God gives us the Spirit as a gift, grounded in Christ’s work—not ours. The Spirit is not a reward for effort. It is a seal of what Christ has already done.

And so, the Christian life isn’t about finishing what Christ started. It’s about resting in what He finished, and living in response to that reality. That’s what the Spirit empowers us to do: not to “complete” our salvation, but to walk in awareness of it.

Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection are not merely tools to help you improve your life. They are your life. They are the source, the means, and the guarantee of your salvation.

Any attempt to “maintain” or “perfect” your salvation by your effort—even “with God’s help”—is flesh. It denies the sufficiency of the cross. It places confidence back in man instead of God. It may sound holy, but it’s hollow.

In Conclusion: Stop the Phony Dance

Let me say it plainly:
Any teaching that says, “You must overcome sin with Christ’s help,” is a denial of what Christ has already done. It turns grace into wages. It makes the cross insufficient. And it robs you of the joy of salvation.

Salvation is not Christ plus effort. It’s Christ, period.
We live in light of that—not to earn it, not to prove it—but because it is ours.

That’s real grace.
That’s the Spirit.
And that’s the end of the phony dance.

Does Human Disobedience Prove ‘Free Will’?

Many people claim that Adam and Eve made a “free will” choice in the Garden of Eden. But let’s pause for a moment: Where exactly does Scripture say that God gave humanity this so-called “free will” to begin with? Nowhere. So why do people assume it?

The usual answer is this:

“Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the tree. They had a choice, and they chose wrongly. This proves free will.”

Okay, fair enough. They disobeyed. But does that truly prove human free will?

Think about what’s being claimed: the fact that God’s creatures can oppose His stated will somehow proves that humans are free in their decision-making. But what if I could show you from Scripture that God sometimes intends for humans to do the exact opposite of what He commands? What if I could show you multiple examples where God plans human disobedience to fulfill His purpose? What would that prove?

It would prove that human disobedience does not prove human free will at all. In fact, it proves the opposite.

The Greatest Act of Disobedience—Planned by God

Take the crucifixion of Jesus, for example. Acts 4:27–28 (CLV) states:

“For of a truth, in this city were gathered against Thy holy Boy Jesus, Whom Thou dost anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the nations and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Thy hand and Thy counsel designates beforehand to occur.”

Let’s break this down:

• Herod, Pilate, the Roman soldiers, and the people of Israel all conspired to murder God’s Son.
• This was the ultimate act of disobedience, violating God’s commandments and expressing complete hatred toward Him.

Clearly, they were exercising their “free will,” right?

Not so fast. Verse 28 says that all of these people did what God’s counsel had determined beforehand would happen. If God decided in advance that this would occur, then Pilate, Herod, the Jews, and the Gentiles were not free to do otherwise. Their “choice” was the necessary means God used to bring Jesus to the cross to save humanity.

Without this act of disobedience, there would have been no cross, and without the cross, there would be no salvation. This sin—this disobedience—was not random, but essential in God’s plan.

It wasn’t human free will at work. It was God’s will being accomplished through human disobedience.

And here’s the kicker: by definition, “free will” would require the ability to make choices free from all outside influence. Yet how can an act be “free” when God determined it beforehand?

Joseph’s Brothers: A Sin That Saved a Nation

Now let’s look at Joseph and his brothers.

In Genesis 50:20, Joseph tells them:

“You devised evil against me, yet Elohim, He devised it for good in order to accomplish, as at this day, to preserve many people alive.”

Joseph’s brothers plotted to kill him, sold him into slavery, and lied to their father—Israel himself. It’s a heartbreaking betrayal, and if you haven’t read the full account in Genesis, you should. It’s a wild story.

Here’s the short version:

• Joseph’s brothers, burning with jealousy, planned to murder him but instead sold him to slave traders.
• Joseph was taken to Egypt, where he eventually rose to become the second most powerful man under Pharaoh, managing the food supply during a devastating famine.
• The famine hit Israel’s family, forcing them to come to Egypt to buy food.
• Joseph, the brother they betrayed, ended up saving them and the entire nation of Israel—the very family line through which the Savior would come.

Now, ask yourself: Was it God’s plan to raise Joseph to power to save Israel during the famine? Absolutely.

But here’s the money question:
Would Joseph have risen to power in Egypt if his brothers hadn’t sinned by selling him into slavery?

Of course not.

God could have chosen a different way, but He chose to fulfill His purpose through their sin. The brothers’ disobedience was part of God’s plan, just as Joseph later told them: “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.”

Their act was evil, but it was not an act of “free will” in the sense of being independent from God’s influence. God orchestrated their disobedience to preserve Israel, ensuring the arrival of the promised Savior.

The Conclusion: Only One True Free Will

These examples reveal a profound truth:

Disobedience does not prove human free will. Instead, it proves that God alone possesses true free will.

Humans sin, and they will be judged and corrected. Yet even in their rebellion, they fulfill God’s perfect plan, revealing His sovereignty over every detail—even disobedience.

So the next time someone claims, “Adam and Eve’s disobedience proves free will,” you can confidently ask:

“Or does it prove that even human disobedience serves the unstoppable will of God, who alone holds true freedom over all His creation?”

Christianity is a religion, but the cross of Christ is not. In fact, the cross is where religion—and everything else—comes to die. The cross marks the end of all religion, all striving, all human attempts to reach God on our own terms.

Think about it: the cross ends all the foolish stories people cling to, the political bets of emperors like Constantine, the imagined competition between God and Satan, the wars between religions, and the petty divisions between humans. The cross is the end of the old humanity, bringing everyone into the new creation in Christ.

Many people tragically limit the accomplishment of Christ on the cross by saying, “Christ made it possible for us to be saved if we believe or live right.” What blatant disrespect for what Christ truly achieved! To claim that His victory is only potential until a “mighty human” adds their faith, free-will choice, or good deeds reduces the cross to a conditional offer, rather than a finished triumph.

But the truth is, Christ ended sin on the cross (John 19:30). He ended the old humanity, and it is done—finished, just as He said. There is no human action that can undo the salvation Christ has accomplished. No effort, no law-keeping, no striving can add to what Christ completed through His death for sin, His burial, and His resurrection.

Picture it: the Christian religionist looks at the brutal torture and death of Christ and self-righteously asks, “What must I do to be saved?” Meanwhile, the believer looks at the cross and says, “Look at what has been done to save me.” Christ dealt with sin once and for all, and no sin will keep any of God’s creatures separated from Him forever. Christ saves us—not our righteous living, not our avoidance of sin, not our faith or actions. Christ alone saves.

As Romans 5:18-19 clearly states, the same “all” who were condemned and died in Adam are the “all” who are justified and given life in Christ. All humanity is justified and saved by the obedience of the One—Jesus Christ—not by the obedience of any other man or woman as religion claims. The work of salvation has been fully accomplished by Christ for all creation.

God gives faith to those He saves first—the firstfruits—and then, through judgment, the rest will come to the realization of what Christ has completed on the cross. In the end, all are saved by Christ’s finished work. This is the true, scandalous, and glorious message of the cross.

How God Uses Evil to Bring Salvation

As mentioned before, in order to truly become children of God, we must come to know both good and evil. That’s why God created the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. In Hebrew, the word for “evil” is ra, and its root, according to Strong’s Concordance (#7489), is ra’a, which means “to ruin by breaking into pieces.”

The Purpose of Evil: To Break Us for Good

This word origin reveals something profound: God created and uses evil for a divine purpose—to break us. Not to destroy us, but to remake us. Through this “breaking,” we are emptied of self so we can fully depend on God. It is in the end of self that true knowledge of God through Christ Jesus begins.

Salvation, for all creation, comes through Christ’s death for sin, His burial, and His resurrection. As 1 Timothy 4:10 says, “God is the Savior of all mankind, especially of believers.” Let’s explore how God uses evil as a means to bring about salvation for both believers and unbelievers.

1. Evil Leads to the Believer’s Salvation

Believers receive a special salvation—as firstfruits (Romans 8:23). They are given faith by God to trust in the finished work of Christ. But that faith only comes after a breaking down of self. Believers must come to the painful realization that they cannot save themselves and are completely dependent on Christ for justification and righteousness.

God often brings His people through seasons of failure, loss, and hardship—not out of cruelty, but to strip away pride and self-reliance. It’s the “King Nebuchadnezzar experience”: a humbling that leads to the acknowledgment that all is of God.

The Example of Nebuchadnezzar

King Nebuchadnezzar once took credit for building Babylon. In response, God stripped him of everything, reduced him to eating grass like cattle, and left him there until he understood a vital truth:

“The Most High is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to anyone He wishes.” – Daniel 4:17

Likewise, every believer must face a personal Nebuchadnezzar moment—a complete collapse of self-sufficiency—before recognizing that salvation is entirely God’s work, not ours.

2. Evil Leads to the Unbeliever’s Salvation

While believers are saved early by faith, unbelievers will be saved later through judgment. Many either reject God altogether or cling to some form of self-righteousness. Since they don’t yet recognize Christ’s completed work, God brings them through judgment—not to condemn them eternally, but to correct and transform them.

The Purpose of Judgment

Religion often teaches that judgment is eternal torment. But Scripture tells a different story. Judgment is correction, not vengeance:

“When Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.” – Isaiah 26:9

God’s judgments are redemptive. He reveals to the unbeliever the evil of their rebellion, as well as the evil done to them, leading them to humility and ultimately salvation. Just as with believers, God uses evil experiences to bring unbelievers to an end of self, preparing them to receive the gift of Christ’s salvation.

3. Evil as Preparation for Glory

It’s important to remember that we are not saved because we overcome evil. We are saved solely by Christ’s finished work. But our evil experiences shape us. They prepare our hearts to appreciate the riches of grace. They help us understand what it means to be truly free, not by our efforts, but by God’s intervention.

We experience defeat so we can celebrate Christ’s victory.
We encounter sin and death so we can rejoice in their defeat.
We endure evil so we can marvel at God’s ultimate goodness.

4. Religion vs. True Faith

Religion often teaches that we must conquer evil and improve ourselves to be worthy of God. But that is self-effort masquerading as faith. True faith recognizes that our trials are not tests to prove ourselves—but tools God uses to reveal Himself. God doesn’t expect us to fix ourselves—He intends to rescue us.

As Philippians 2:13 reminds us:

“It is God who is working in you, both to will and to do according to His good pleasure.”

Even our will is God’s work, not our own.

Final Thought: The Endgame Is God’s Glory

Ultimately, salvation is about God becoming “All in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28). And every experience—good or evil—is leading us toward that glorious reality. God is shaping each one of us, through Christ, to fully reflect His glory.

Grace and peace to you all!

Understanding the origin and purpose of evil is essential in knowing the one true God. Not understanding that God created evil for a specific, good purpose allows for people to create false doctrines to justify their ignorance.

God created evil (Isaiah 45:7) plain and simple. Evil, in the hands of God, works to complete and perfect God’s universe and everyone in it. After all is perfected, God abolishes evil and therefore, it no longer exists anywhere in all of creation.

On the other hand, those that attribute evil as a creation of Satan have a problem. Evil has no ultimate purpose in God’s creation and is not suppose to be there. As a result, there must be a place to hold this evil for all eternity since it is not God’s creation and has no purpose. This is the reason religion has created the false doctrine of eternal hell. The word hell never appears in the original scriptures and the concept of a place of eternal torment is found nowhere in the bible. In fact, the opposite, God saving all mankind in proven true.

As a result, since God can’t be responsible for torturing His own creation in fire for all eternity because that is sick and sadistic, Christianity says that the human being has a free-will choice to choose either good or evil. Therefore, not only does God not create everything, but He also is no longer in control of any of His creature’s denstinies. Relgion, through not understanding God’s creation and use of evil, takes God off His throne and makes Satan and the human free-will the gods of the universe. Horrific!

1 Corinthians 15: 42-58 is a HUGE KEY

In these verses, we see that evil in the form of corruption, dishonor, and death are not something to be separated from the creation of God. How do we know this? Because evil, corruption, dishonor, and death are ALL necessary for Resurrection. Does God have a hand in the resurrection? Is He responsible for it? Of course He is! Therefore, He is also responsible for everything needed to make the resurrection possible.

How can we separate what is needed for the resurrection from the resurrection itself?

How can we say that God is responsible for resurrection, but not responsible for the things that create the NEED for resurrection?

42 Thus also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is roused in incorruption. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is roused in glory. It is sown in infirmity; it is roused in power. 44 It is sown a soulish body; it is roused a spiritual body. 45 If there is a soulish body, there is a spiritual also. Thus it is written also, The first man, Adam, “became a living soul:” the last Adam a vivifying Spirit. -1 Corinthians 15: 42-45

You cannot reap something that you did not sow. We reap resurrection through Christ and this is of God. Again, there is no reaping without sowing. Dishonor, infirmity, and corruption are the seeds to resurrection and are a part of the creative process of resurrection. All of God.

Well, if God is responsible for the resurrection, then He is responsible for the details that make resurrection possible. These details are evil, corruption, dishonor, and death. You can’t put a roof on a house until you build the foundation. Likewise, God cannot complete resurrection without the foundation of evil and death.

The Christian, according to the view of evil, would have the seeds and the foundation of evil separated from the resurrection. But, you can’t build the resurrection without these things. So, we must concede the true nature of evil which can only serve God’s ultimate purpose.

Evil and its results are the building blocks to justification and immortality. They are the necessary process to create perfect children of God. Not understanding Evil causes one to make evil an end in itself and must corner it somewhere in the universe. The only purpose of evil’s existence to be part of the creation process not an end in itself.

This is not a dance between heaven and hell but the necessary creation process of mortality to immortality.

Christ not only saves us from death, but through death. This means that we have to experience death and the sin that comes from it. This experience of evil is not permanent but necessary in order to be made perfect.

In God’s hands, evil is a process used to create His children perfect, not a permanent condition that separates His creation from His hands.

That evil exists in the world is fair to say, I think.

So, when addressing the problem of evil, we have to ask one question:

Was evil a creation intended by God or did evil enter the universe without God’s intention, created by someone or something else?

First, it would be beneficial to define the word ‘sin’ as related to scripture.

23 for all sinned and are wanting of the glory of God. -Romans 3:23

We all sin and fall short of the glory of God. The Greek word for ‘sin’ used in the above verse is Strongs’s word 264 (hamartano) in the verb form and it is 265 (hamartema) in the noun form. The original definition of sin is to ‘miss the mark, make a mistake.’

So, we can ask, “Did God sin or make a mistake with His creation?” Let’s talk in terms of Satan because most belief systems attribute Satan with evil. Therefore, did God intend Satan to be evil or good? If God intended Satan to be evil then the problem is solved. However, if God intended Satan to be good but he turned evil, then how did this happen? Did Satan create evil on his own or did God put the capacity to sin within Satan?

The bottom line is that if God created Satan and intended him to be good but turned out to be evil, then God made a mistake and He sinned. Contrary, if God intended Satan to be evil and for sin to exist for a purpose, then God did not make a mistake, or sin, because it is part of His plan.

Many people think that when we credit God with the creation of evil, we are saying that He is evil or that He is a sinner. However, if God created evil and sin for an ultimate good purpose, then God is not evil nor is He a sinner. Conversly, if God did not intend evil to invade His creation, then He did indeed miss the mark and He did indeed sin. Scripture answers this question for us.

1 Peter 1:20 and Revelation 13:8 says that the lamb of God (Jesus Christ) was FOREKNOWN and SLAIN before the disruption of the world.

Question: What came first? The disruption of the world or Adam’s sin?

Obviously, the disruption of the world occured before Adam was created. Therefore, God already took care of the sin that had yet to invade His creation. God provided the remedy for sin before He even created the creature that brought sin to humanity.

Yet, it is common belief in Christianity, that God didn’t plan for Adam to sin or worse yet that Adam’s sin took God by surprise. How can this be when God already provided the eradication of sin before Adam ever made his choice? The fact of the matter is that God provided the lamb before sin entered the world because He knew and planned for sin to make an entrance.

One of the reasons I know God loves me is because He sent His Son to die for me. Well, how could I, you or anyone else know the love of God’s Son if sin never entered the world? Sin was necessary in order to reveal God’s love through His Son. Without sin, there was no need for a savior. As a result, we can say that sin is the necessary forerunner for which Christ appeared.

Anyone can love a lovely person, right? Well, the apostle Paul describes that its a deeper love when you can love the unloveable. Romans chapter five states that Christ shows a deeper love by dying for the irreverent, while they are still sinners.

Take your own children or loved ones for example, its easy to love them when they do good things and are on top of the world. However, loving them during the hard times when no one else does…that shows a deeper love.

How would Christ show this love for the irreverent, sinners, enemies if sin and evil didn’t exist. The fact that sin and evil exists doesn’t just require Christ to appear but shows just how deep His love actually is. Without this sin, irreverence, and dissention, we would not know the deep love of God.

Sin is the foil on which God shows His love:

6 For Christ, while we are still infirm, still in accord with the era, for the sake of the irreverent, died. 7 For hardly for the sake of a just man will anyone be dying: for, for the sake of a good man, perhaps someone may even be daring to die, 8 yet God is commending this love of His to us, seeing that, while we are still sinners, Christ died for our sakes. -Romans 5: 6-8

What About Satan?

Did God create Satan good or evil in the beginning?

First, we know that God created all things (Colossians 1: 15-17, Romans 11:36, 2 Corinthians 5:18). So, God did indeed create Satan. With respect to the adversary, there is a popular belief that Satan was a good, glorious creature that chose to rebel against God. However, this position fails to explain how evil originated in Satan when he is not the Creator.

In essence, where did Satan’s rebellion come from? He could not create this evil on his own because ALL is of God, even principalites, powers, authorities, and sovereignties of which Satan is…Remember, Satan is the chief authority of the air.

So, if Satan rebelled, then God must have put that rebellion in him. Again, this position still shows God as the originator of this evil. However, scripture explains that God created Satan to be exactly what he is and to do exactly what he does.

44 You are of your father, the Adversary, and the desires of your father you are wanting to do. He was a man-killer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, for truth is not in him. Whenever he may be speaking a lie, he is speaking of his own, for he is a liar, and the father of it. -John 8:44

The above verse in John shows that the Adversary was a man-killer from the beginning. There is no mention of Satan transforming himself from good to evil. But, some may object and say that the ‘beginning’ here is in the garden and subsequent to Satan’s fall. Okay, let’s look at a verse where God speaks of Satan’s creation and purpose:

And I Myself created the ruiner to harm. -Isaiah 54:16

The above verse in Isaiah does not say that God created the Adversary good and then he became bad, niether by God’s nor Satan’s decision. This verse says that God created Satan as he is…as the ruiner. This verse says that God created the Adversary to do exactly what he does…harm.

King James Bible
By his spirit he hath garnished the heavens; His hand hath formed the crooked serpent. -Job 26:13

In Job 26:13, I used the King James Bible interpretation because the word ‘formed’ is used. This verse says that God formed the crooked serpent, not that God formed the glorious angel and then he turned bad.

The Hebrew word used in this verse is Strong’s word 2490 ‘chalal.’ Here is this word’s definition and meaning:

Original Word: חָלַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: chalal
Pronunciation: khaw-LAL
Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-lal’)
Definition: To profane, defile, pollute, desecrate, begin
Meaning: to bore, to wound, to dissolve, to profane, to break, to begin, to play

So, any way you look at this verse, it was God that began, defiled, and polluted Satan. Satan created nothing and makes no free will choice to rebel, but is what he is by His hand…the Hand of the Almighty God.

Scripture is replete with evidence that God created evil to fulfill His purpose and that God created Satan and other malevolent creatures to exact evil on His creation. Please pay special attention to the rest of this book that will detail how God uses evil to fulfill His purpose and plan. God is not evil because all evil will eventually lead to perfected creatures in the end. Evil is not separate from God as He is the Creator of all.

Evil is used by God to teach, shape, and form His creatures into His children. Evil is in existence throughout history and today in order for God to show His goodness, love, and power in overcoming it. Once God finishes creating everything perfect through Christ Jesus, evil will be abolished forever.

Evil Introduction

We have been told a lie about evil. For so long, religion and society have taught us that evil was created by Satan and has invaded God’s creation against the Almighty’s will. From the very beginning, we have credited Satan with being a creator of something that changes God’s own creation for all eternity. But, is that really true?

What if evil was created by God for a specific purpose? Well, I am going to prove through scripture, that God indeed created evil to shape us, teach us, and ultimately give Him and us greater glory than we could’ve ever had if evil never existed. God will turn every evil into good and justify every diabolical act ever performed in His creation. Then, once evil has fulfilled its purpose and all creation is perfected, evil itself will be abolished and gone forever.

Evil is a Source of Motivation

Throughout my life, I have heard so many stories of rags to riches as I’m sure you have as well. A person grew up with nothing, but worked so hard that they made something of themselves. Most people would consider the hardships and poverty experienced as a form of ‘evil.’ Rightly so.

However, the poor, difficult life of poverty often produces an intensity and motivation in this person to overcome this poverty, no? So, if the evil of difficulty and poverty produced a needed mentality and desire to achieve success, then would the evil have been beneficial?

My point is that the evil we experience shapes us, forms us, molds us into what we are. So, are we going to credit Satan or God with the creation of something that is so vital to our experience and development?

God is the Creator (Placer and Subjector) of all

God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them. Scripture makes it clear that nothing, not one thing, came into existence apart from the Almighty God (John 1:3).

In fact, God is the Placer and Subjector of all things. God created everything that is visible and invisible, including every human, every spiritual entitity, and every power, authority, and sovereignty (Col 1:16).

God is the source of all things

We can give nothing to God that He has not first given to us because ALL comes out of Him (Rom 11:36). Scripture says that God gives life, breath, and all to every single creature (Acts 17:25). In fact, our very existence, every single move we make, and every detail of our lives is in God (Acts 17:28).

God’s goal and purpose

God’s purpose of creation and the end goal for every one if His creatures is stated in scipture. God created the heavens and the earth and all in them and His goal is to reconcile all in the heavens and the earth to Himself through the blood of the cross (Colossians 1:20).

The end game of God is stated no clearer than in 1 Corinthians 15:28 where God will be all in every creature He created. God will justify and give immortality to all creation because of Christ’s death for sin, His entombment, and His resurrection. God is creating a family and all creation is included. Christ is the Firstborn of this creation.

Everything is working together to bring every creature through the old humanity and into the new creation by way of Christ Jesus. This is the end game. Jesus is the first of what we all will one day be.

Christian Evil threatens God as Creator of all, Source of all, and goal and purpose.

God is the Creator, Source, and Completer of all creation. So, what about evil? The misunderstanding of the creation, source, and completion of evil is, I believe, the number one factor causing mankind to reject the true God of scripture.

The religious view of evil is flawed to say the least. The ignorance of the true creation and purpose of evil threatens plain statements of scripture that God created all, is the source of all, and is the completer of all.

Christian Evil creates a 2nd Creator/God

Scripture says that all is of God (2 Cor 5:18), yet Christianity teaches that evil is not. How can God be the Creator of all and yet not be the creator of something that is as influencial as evil throughout human history? Being the Creator and the Source is what makes God, God. Then, whoever is the creator and source of evil would be a god. That is exactly what we make Satan when we say he created evil.

If evil was not a part of God’s plan and it entered His universe apart from His creation, plan, and purpose, then God is not fully God. The creator of evil becomes an equal god because evil now effects the outcome and purpose of God. Evil touches everything in God’s creation, so to say that evil is not from God concedes that every part of God’s creation is infected with something He did not create nor intend.

So, God is no longer the God of anything, but instead He is engaged in cosmic battle with another god, Satan.

Christian Evil must invent a place to hold evil: eternal hell

Understanding the origin of evil is so important because not understanding it leads to two of the most hideous, false doctrines. If evil is not from God then there must be a place to hold evil for all eternity, therefore, the unscriptural and illogical eternal hell was invented.

Eternal hell turns God into a sick monster that tortures the very creatures that He created. It makes the cross of Christ a failure because Jesus came to take away the sin of the world and save sinners, yet because of sin, people are tortured forever.

Christian Evil has to get God off the hook: human free-will

Eternal hell is a stain on God’s love and sovereignty. Therefore, Christians can’t have God responsible for this and as a result invented human-free will. This places the ultimate destiny of mankind on human choice and not God. Therefore, because of evil, God is no longer the creator, source, nor completer of any of His creature’s destinies.

The proper understanding of Evil

Scripture has an entirely different view on the origin and purpose of evil. God is indeed the creator and source of all things, including evil. God says this in the first person that “I create evil” so that there is no doubt.

God gives us an experience of evil (Ecc. 1:13) and subjects us to horrible things (Rom 8:20) in order to one day free us from them. You see, in order to become glorified children of God, we must know good and evil. We have to experience pain, suffering, sin, death and separation from God in order to truly understand joy, righteousness, immortality and the glory of being with God.

Evil is the contrast God uses to teach us, shape us, and mold us into His children. Once we are perfected and given the immortality of Christ Jesus, evil is abolished forever.

God remains God

Only by placing evil in its proper place, as a creation of God, can we truly understand the power and purpose of our God. Evil is not running rogue and ruining God’s creation, but instead, is a vital step in the process of creating Children of God that know good and evil.

By placing evil in its proper place, we can honor the God of scripture seeing that out of Him and through Him and for Him is all: To Him be the glory of the eons! Amen (Romans 11:36)!