Did God Create Evil?

Did God create everything that exists? Does evil exist? Did God
create evil? A University professor at a well-known institution of
higher learning challenged his students with this question. "Did God
create everything that exists?" A student bravely replied, "Yes he
did!" "God created everything?" The professor asked.
"Yes sir, he certainly did," the student replied. The professor answered, "If God created everything; then God created evil. And, since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are, then we can assume God is evil." The student became quiet and did not answer the professor's
hypothetical definition. The professor, quite pleased with himself, boasted to the
students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.

Another student raised his hand and said, "May I ask you a question, professor?"
"Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?" "What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The other students snickered at the young man's question.
The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to
the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of
heat. Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (-460 F) is the total absence of heat; and all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to
describe how we feel if we have no heat."

The student continued, "Professor, does darkness exist?" The professor responded, "Of course it does." The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can
study, but not darkness. In fact, we can use Newton's prism to break
white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each
color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break
into a world of darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a
certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this
correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when
there is no light present."

Finally the young man asked the professor, "Sir, does evil exist?"
Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course, as I have already
said. We see it everyday. It is in the daily examples of man's
inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence
everywhere in the world. These manifestations are nothing else butevil.
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist, sir, or at least it
does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is
just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the
absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what
happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's
like the cold that comes when there is no heat, or the darkness that
comes when there is no light." --The professor sat down.

The young man's name -- Albert Einstein

Source unknown- interesting email I received recently.

Led By The Spirit?

New Testament writers did not shy away from discussing the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Actually, they speak rather comfortably about it. When you read through the New Testament notice how often the authors mention that God has poured out His Spirit on those who believe. John the Baptist told the multitudes that Jesus was greater than he was, and that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. The apostle John records these words of Jesus, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, ‘out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John then said: “but this He Spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39).


Romans 8 and Galatians 5:16-6:8 speak unreservedly about the Spirit. Paul told the Galatian brethren, that those who are led by the Spirit are not under law. The law is to restrict those who are led by the flesh, because their desire is to do evil. That is why Paul could say in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” The flesh and the Spirit are “contrary to one another” (Gal 5: 17). If we live in the Spirit, or allow the Spirit to live in us, we are Christ’s. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires” (Gal 5:24). When the Spirit dwells in us, it is a purifying agent. It rids us of all the putridity caused by the flesh. The lusts of the flesh and the fruits of the spirit cancel each other out. If one is faithful, they do not commit adultery, and they are not idolatrous. If one is peaceful and loving they do not hate or act selfishly. In other words, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit brings life, and results in the purging out of the flesh, which causes death. Consider these two statements:

1. “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace...So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God. But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Romans 8:6,8-9).
2. “For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:13-14)


The New Testament writers wrote frequently and openly about the Spirit because Old Testament writers such as Isaiah also spoke frequently about the working of the Spirit. One of the central themes of Isaiah message was to warn the people of God about their impending judgment. Conversely, he also foretold of the restoration of Jacob, the people of God. It is clear in his prophecies that the Holy Spirit would play a major part in the restoration of these cleansed people. The Spirit of God is promised to all of his faithful followers. God's Spirit, said Isaiah, would replenish a land that had been destroyed because of the wickedness of the Jews. The waste land would flow with rivers of water. The dry fields would produce plentifully. Why? "For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour my Spirit upon your offspring" (Is 44:3). Those who receive the Spirit of God have one heart and one mind, they fear God and keep his commandments (Ezekiel 11:19; Jeremiah 32:37-41). Joel prophesied concerning the initiation of the era of the Holy Spirit. As a sign that the Spirit was being poured out on the people of God (Rom 5:5), for a time some men and women were blessed with spiritual gifts. Certainly, not every Christian in the first century had spiritual gifts. We know the Christians in Rome did not have these special gifts when Paul wrote them (Romans 1:11), but all faithful followers of Christ today are definitely led by the Spirit. God promises that. Do not mix up the two concepts or just assume they are basically the same thing. The Bible is clear that they are not.


We could continue in greater detail on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but I’ll let you continue the study on your own. Notice in these few scriptures, and the suggested readings below, that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit has to do with how we live. Those who are filled with the Spirit of God, are led by the Spirit of God. Those who are filled with the Spirit of the world (desires of the flesh), are led by the Spirit of the World. As Paul says, “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal 5:25). Those who live in the Spirit are cleansed and made new. That is how the Spirit changes the lives of believers (Titus 3:5).


Scriptures to Read About The Holy Spirit:

1. The Book of Isaiah. Pay special attention to imagery regarding the renewal of the promised land, and the restoration of God's people. This mostly occurs from chapters 29-66, the first 24 chapters mainly focus on the destruction of wicked nations, including the "People of God," who failed to obey God.
2. Romans 5:5 & 8:1-30
3. Galatians 5:16-6:8
4. 2Cor 1:21-22




B.A.M. 12.8.06