WEBVTT
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Our world is filled
with evil and suffering.
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How do we reconcile that
evil and suffering with
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the fact that God, Creator of the world, is good and loving?
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Philosophers have wrestled
with this "problem of evil"
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for centuries.
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But God reveals the answer
to the problem--the reason
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for evil and suffering in the world--in the pages of His word.
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And that answer is, perhaps,
the greatest source of hope
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the human mind is capable
of understanding.
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You need that hope.
00:36.269 --> 00:38.571
Join us right now on
Tomorrow's World where we
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will give you God's answer
to the Problem of Evil.
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♪
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Greetings, and welcome
to Tomorrow's World,
00:51.284 --> 00:54.020
where we make sense of
your world through the
00:54.087 --> 00:55.822
pages of the Bible.
00:55.889 --> 00:58.525
And today's subject is
one that many struggle
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to make sense of: Why is
the world so filled with
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evil and suffering if
God is good and loving?
01:06.599 --> 01:09.669
As we explore God's own
answer to this question,
01:09.736 --> 01:11.671
we'll also give you an
opportunity to request
01:11.738 --> 01:15.341
your own copy of one of
the most inspiring and
01:15.408 --> 01:18.244
revealing booklets you
will ever read in your
01:18.311 --> 01:22.115
life--our free resource,
What Is the Meaning of Life?
01:22.182 --> 01:24.651
Even if you've never
requested anything from
01:24.717 --> 01:27.921
us before, you will
want this booklet.
01:27.987 --> 01:30.557
Keep any eye out as the
information you need to
01:30.623 --> 01:34.027
get your copy appears
today on the screen.
01:34.093 --> 01:36.729
In philosophical circles,
the topic we're tackling
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today is called
"The Problem of Evil."
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It's been stated many ways,
but you could summarize
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it like this:
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God is supposed to be
all-powerful and good.
01:46.873 --> 01:50.577
Yet, evil clearly exists in
the world, resulting in much
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pain, misery, and agony.
01:53.112 --> 01:55.982
Either God is too weak
to do anything about it,
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or else He doesn't care.
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In either case--a weak God
or an uncaring God implies
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that, in reality, there
is no God at all.
02:07.126 --> 02:09.996
Hence the existence
of evil and suffering
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supposedly proves that
there's no God.
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In short, it argues that
an all-powerful, all-good
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God simply can't exist,
because there's so much
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evil in the world that
He does nothing about.
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And if you search around
on YouTube and pointless
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discussion forums on the
internet, you'll see the
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Problem of Evil thrown
about as if it has somehow
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"done God in".
02:34.621 --> 02:37.790
Yet, as supposed "proof"
that God does not exist,
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it's long been recognized
by many that the Problem
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of Evil falls short.
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Many answers have been
provided, including the
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fact that--to truly rule
out God's existence--
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one would need to prove
it is impossible for God
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to have good cause for
allowing evil to exist.
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And that's a tall order.
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For instance, as our children grow, we sometimes need to let
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them experience the result
of their wrong choices
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instead of intervening
to prevent problems.
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Calling every parent who
does so a "bad parent"
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would be naïve.
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In the 1970's, philosopher
Alvin Plantinga's argument
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that the value of human
free will provides God
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with sufficient moral
cause to allow evil was
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widely perceived to have
"won the day," so to speak--
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demonstrating that, yes,
it is feasible that God
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can have good cause to allow
people to choose evil.
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If humans are free to
choose, it's unreasonable
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to expect that they will
always choose the good.
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Still, the Problem of
Evil is not merely
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a philosophical
problem, is it?
03:46.559 --> 03:49.929
When we or those we love
are personally stung by
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the pain and suffering of
the world, the arguments
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of philosophers provide
cold comfort.
03:56.069 --> 04:00.440
And this world truly is filled with pain and suffering.
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On a personal level, how
many have been victims of
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robbery, theft, assault,
rape, or murder?
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And how many suffer at the
hands of those who benefit
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from their suffering?
04:12.919 --> 04:15.388
Many of you watching
know the burdens
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of sickness and infirmity.
04:17.590 --> 04:22.161
It seems no age--young or old--is immune to disease, and
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maladies of every sort plague mankind and bring pain and
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heartache to even the youngest and most innocent among us.
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On a larger scale, how many lives have been ravaged by
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the scourges of mass murder, slavery, genocide, and warfare?
04:40.313 --> 04:44.117
Human beings are shockingly creative in their capacity
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to generate suffering among their fellow human beings.
04:48.554 --> 04:51.057
And beyond the world of
man's cruelty to man,
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there are earthquakes; floods; droughts and famines; hurricanes
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and typhoons; plague, pestilence, and parasite.
05:00.366 --> 05:03.936
Nature seems intent on
reminding us, over and over
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again, that we are not in
control, and our lives are
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lived at the mercy of merciless forces far greater than we are.
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Whether we are sitting amongst our burnt belongings in the
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smoldering ruins we once called home, or holding the hand of a
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son or daughter in a hospital room, suffering from a disease
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we cannot heal, the question
of the problem of evil and
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suffering in the world is very real, and very personal.
05:34.267 --> 05:36.235
Why does evil exist?
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And how does suffering fit
into the plans of a supposedly
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merciful and loving God?
05:43.209 --> 05:47.280
We need more than the abstract assurance of philosophers.
05:47.346 --> 05:49.782
We need answers.
05:49.849 --> 05:52.151
And God provides them.
05:52.218 --> 05:55.455
When we understand why
mankind exists and what
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the purpose of life truly is, then our lives, even our
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sufferings, become infused
with meaning, hope, and,
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believe it or not, even a profound and unshakable joy.
06:10.770 --> 06:13.606
In our next segment, we will leave the philosophers behind
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to explore what God Himself
says on the Problem of Evil,
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and in His words we will
see hints of a hope almost
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beyond comprehension.
06:23.583 --> 06:26.352
Before that, let me give you
an opportunity to request
06:26.419 --> 06:30.256
today's free resource
What Is the Meaning of Life?
06:30.323 --> 06:34.627
Many have no idea why they
were born or what the purpose
06:34.694 --> 06:36.896
of humanity really is.
06:36.963 --> 06:40.433
You've lived too long already without understanding the
06:40.500 --> 06:44.771
powerful, life-changing
reason you are alive.
06:44.837 --> 06:46.806
It's time for that to change.
06:46.873 --> 06:49.675
Request this booklet, What
Is the Meaning of Life?
06:49.742 --> 06:52.111
by calling the number on
your screen, or going to
06:52.178 --> 06:56.883
TWTV.org/Life--and I'll be
right back to begin laying
06:56.949 --> 06:59.986
out God's answer to
the Problem of Evil.
07:00.052 --> 07:01.187
Don't go away.
07:01.254 --> 07:02.155
♪
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For today's free
offer call...
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Or go to...
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This clear and
straight-forward resource
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will help you understand
this vital truth--
07:19.872 --> 07:23.009
straight from the
pages of the Bible.
07:23.075 --> 07:25.611
If you're calling for the
first time, you will also
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receive a free annual
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07:28.481 --> 07:30.016
World magazine.
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Six inspiring issues
discussing news, science,
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and modern culture will
help you make sense of
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your world from a
biblical perspective.
07:40.026 --> 07:42.795
Call today and join
millions around the world
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who are turning to
Tomorrow's World for
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truth, prophecy, and hope
in these confusing times.
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Call now!
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Or go to...
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♪
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Welcome back.
08:03.015 --> 08:06.152
To understand the answer
to the Problem of Evil--
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not just in theory, but
in reality--we have
08:09.255 --> 08:13.559
to understand why life
exists in the first place.
08:13.626 --> 08:16.596
Why did God create humanity
and the world?
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What is the purpose of life?
08:19.131 --> 08:22.068
This topic is explored
in tremendous depth in
08:22.134 --> 08:25.304
today's free resource,
What Is the Meaning of Life?
08:25.371 --> 08:28.107
There we show you, in
passage after passage
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in the Bible, how God lays
out the meaning of your
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life and mine and the
reason you were born.
08:35.481 --> 08:39.185
Please do not miss out on
getting that free booklet.
08:39.252 --> 08:41.687
Until you do, we'll
have to keep it brief.
08:41.754 --> 08:45.091
And the best way to understand the purpose of human life is
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to go back to its beginning--
all the way back to the
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very beginning, in the
book of Genesis.
08:51.731 --> 08:54.567
And when we do, we see
that God did not create
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the world to be a
place of suffering.
08:56.669 --> 09:01.474
Genesis 1 and 2 describe the world God created as a paradise.
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And it tells us of
the creation of first
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human beings,
Adam and Eve.
09:06.913 --> 09:11.250
There, we're told
in Genesis 1:26,
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"Then God said, 'Let Us
make man in Our image,
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according to Our likeness;
let them have dominion
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over the fish of the sea,
over the birds of the air,
09:22.028 --> 09:25.364
and over the cattle, over
all the earth and over
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every creeping thing that
creeps on the earth.'
09:28.734 --> 09:33.072
So God created man in His own
image; in the image of God
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He created him; male and
female He created them."
09:37.643 --> 09:41.080
Unlike any of the animals
God made, we see that He
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made mankind as a sort of
analog of Himself--sharing
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with them His own image
and likeness, with the
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capacity of reasoning,
judgment, and morality.
09:51.390 --> 09:54.694
And man was given a level of dominion over the creation--
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again, picturing what God possesses, but on a much
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smaller scale.
10:00.032 --> 10:02.635
The importance of being
made in God's image is
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hard to overstate.
10:04.570 --> 10:09.141
In fact, skip ahead for a moment to chapter 5 and verse 3.
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There we read of Adam and
Eve's reproducing themselves
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in their son, Seth:
10:14.981 --> 10:19.085
"And Adam lived one hundred
and thirty years, and begot
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a son in his own likeness,
after his image, and
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named him Seth."
10:25.124 --> 10:29.161
The use of this phrase
is not a coincidence.
10:29.228 --> 10:31.931
The larger picture of
Scripture, supported from
10:31.998 --> 10:36.002
Genesis to Revelation, is that God created man as a part
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of the process of reproducing Himself and growing His
10:40.139 --> 10:44.777
divine Family, intending to produce countless children.
10:44.844 --> 10:47.947
Today's free resource will demonstrate this astonishing
10:48.014 --> 10:50.683
truth to you beyond
the shadow of a doubt.
10:50.750 --> 10:55.788
God intends man to one day
share in His divine and
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glorious existence, ruling
and creating throughout
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the cosmos forever.
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This is why, unlike the
animals, man was made
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in God's own image and
given analogous capacities
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and responsibilities--yet
something vital was missing.
11:12.805 --> 11:17.543
While God is spirit, as
Jesus tells us in John 4:24,
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man is physical--limited.
11:21.213 --> 11:24.183
And unlike God, who has
eternal life inherent
11:24.250 --> 11:28.120
within Him, mankind was
made with the potential
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for eternal life, but
also for eternal death.
11:32.158 --> 11:35.761
Because being an eternal
child of God requires holy
11:35.828 --> 11:39.965
and righteous character,
and developing godly
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character requires choice.
11:42.935 --> 11:46.739
So, Adam and Eve were given
the opportunity to choose.
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God planted a tree in the
garden that could provide them
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eternal life, and a tree that represented the knowledge of
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good and evil--and He lovingly told them which one to choose.
11:59.251 --> 12:01.554
If they continued choosing
the right tree, the
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tree of life, then God
could continue working
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with them, developing
them, caring for them.
12:07.460 --> 12:12.131
But if they rejected Him and
His instructions, then they
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would eventually die, refusing eternal life and obedience
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to their Creator.
12:18.304 --> 12:21.740
You can read of their choice
in Genesis chapter 3.
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In short, they
chose disobedience.
12:25.945 --> 12:28.481
They chose to accept the
temptations of the devil
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and to take on themselves
the "right" to choose what
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is good and evil and what is right or wrong for themselves.
12:37.523 --> 12:42.061
They rejected God's instruction, rejected God as their Creator,
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rejected His purpose for them, and rejected His care
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for their lives.
12:47.600 --> 12:51.637
And all of the suffering
of the world has flowed
12:51.704 --> 12:53.739
from that choice.
12:53.806 --> 12:57.610
Yet, it's easy to sit here
and blame Adam and Eve.
12:57.676 --> 13:00.713
The Apostle Paul makes
it very plain that every
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single one of us, in our
own way, has repeated their
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mistake for ourselves
in our own lives.
13:08.621 --> 13:12.024
As he writes in Romans 3,
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"'There is none righteous,
no, not one'...
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for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."
13:23.035 --> 13:25.738
Think about it--and be
honest with yourself.
13:25.804 --> 13:29.842
At any point in your life,
was there a right thing to do,
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and you chose the wrong one?
13:31.777 --> 13:35.548
Was there a loving thing to do, and you chose a selfish one?
13:35.614 --> 13:38.951
Was there ever anything God tells us to do, and you
13:39.018 --> 13:43.289
chose not to--or anything
God tells us not to do,
13:43.355 --> 13:45.824
and you did it anyway?
13:45.891 --> 13:50.095
In our own, individual ways, each of us has fallen short
13:50.162 --> 13:53.098
of the character of God--
and, thus, fallen short
13:53.165 --> 13:56.101
of our purpose to
become His children.
13:56.168 --> 13:59.705
And the world around us
reflects this condition.
13:59.772 --> 14:02.474
We sin, and we suffer...
14:02.541 --> 14:04.610
those around us suffer...
14:04.677 --> 14:07.146
our children suffer.
14:07.213 --> 14:10.015
We kick God out of the
world He made for us
14:10.082 --> 14:13.419
and tell Him we can run
it without Him, and that
14:13.485 --> 14:16.722
same world becomes a
place of suffering.
14:16.789 --> 14:20.259
Yet, even in the midst
of all of this evil,
14:20.326 --> 14:23.929
all of this suffering,
God's purpose remains.
14:23.996 --> 14:27.666
He is still working to create
a family full of billions
14:27.733 --> 14:32.137
upon billions of glorified Children of God who will live
14:32.204 --> 14:36.108
with Him forever in glory, majesty, and power.
14:36.175 --> 14:39.311
And the means by which He
is accomplishing this not
14:39.378 --> 14:42.648
only resolves the Problem
of Evil, but provides
14:42.715 --> 14:46.852
profound meaning in our suffering and life-changing
14:46.919 --> 14:51.023
hope beyond that suffering
that you need to grasp.
14:51.090 --> 14:54.827
We'll discuss that meaning
and hope in our next segment.
14:54.893 --> 14:58.831
First, let's pause very
briefly to give you another
14:58.897 --> 15:01.200
opportunity to request
today's free offer,
15:01.267 --> 15:03.102
What Is the Meaning of Life?
15:03.168 --> 15:06.372
We've already discussed
God's plan to transform
15:06.438 --> 15:11.076
flesh and blood human beings into the divine and eternal
15:11.143 --> 15:15.114
Children of God, sharing life with Him on His plane of
15:15.180 --> 15:16.915
existence forever.
15:16.982 --> 15:20.586
But you need to see that
plan with your own eyes--
15:20.653 --> 15:24.423
and in the pages
of your own Bible.
15:24.490 --> 15:27.259
Request your copy during
this brief break, and
15:27.326 --> 15:28.327
I'll be right back.
15:28.394 --> 15:29.395
♪
15:29.461 --> 15:31.096
This clear and
straight-forward resource
15:31.163 --> 15:33.699
will help you understand
this vital truth--
15:33.766 --> 15:36.535
straight from the
pages of the Bible.
15:36.602 --> 15:37.636
Call now!
15:37.703 --> 15:41.507
Or go to...
15:41.573 --> 15:43.709
♪
15:43.776 --> 15:46.512
In our previous segment,
we pointed out that God
15:46.578 --> 15:49.615
did not create a world
of evil and suffering.
15:49.682 --> 15:51.517
We have made it so.
15:51.583 --> 15:54.053
In fact, the Bible says something important
15:54.119 --> 15:57.756
in Proverbs 26:2,
15:57.823 --> 16:01.593
"Like a flitting sparrow,
like a flying swallow,
16:01.660 --> 16:06.298
so a curse without cause
shall not alight."
16:06.365 --> 16:10.836
The reason we suffer is
because of sin--disobedience
16:10.903 --> 16:14.907
to a God who loves us too much to prevent us from learning,
16:14.973 --> 16:19.011
as a civilization, what it
means to appoint ourselves the
16:19.078 --> 16:22.481
masters of "right and wrong" instead of accepting the
16:22.548 --> 16:26.752
guidance of a loving God who plans so much better for us.
16:26.819 --> 16:30.622
If we examine the suffering
we experience, all of it--
16:30.689 --> 16:33.792
every bit of it--comes
from humanity's choice
16:33.859 --> 16:35.761
to disobey God.
16:35.828 --> 16:38.597
Sometimes we suffer
because of our own sins.
16:38.664 --> 16:41.567
We see this in many of the
problems that plague us:
16:41.633 --> 16:44.803
addictions, sexually
transmitted diseases,
16:44.870 --> 16:48.107
some instances of poverty
and wasted lives.
16:48.173 --> 16:51.210
But we suffer, too, as we
are impacted by the sins
16:51.276 --> 16:53.812
of others--just as a
pebble thrown in a
16:53.879 --> 16:57.149
lake disturbs the water
in every direction.
16:57.216 --> 17:01.053
Our societies suffer the
ravages of diseases that
17:01.120 --> 17:04.423
would not exist if we would
look to the laws of God as
17:04.490 --> 17:06.859
our guides in matters of
health, and look to the
17:06.925 --> 17:10.496
God of heaven who has the
power to heal and bless.
17:10.562 --> 17:14.266
And the Creation suffers
disasters as mankind refuses
17:14.333 --> 17:17.469
to turn to the Creator--
the One who can control
17:17.536 --> 17:21.473
the forces of nature that
lie beyond our grasp.
17:21.540 --> 17:25.010
And why God won't simply
snap His fingers and make
17:25.077 --> 17:29.515
everything alright makes
sense when we consider
17:29.581 --> 17:32.918
the purpose for our lives
in the first place.
17:32.985 --> 17:37.222
Human beings aren't simply "pets" to God--fun playthings
17:37.289 --> 17:40.793
for Him to care for and make sure we're fed, watered,
17:40.859 --> 17:42.394
and happy all of the time.
17:42.461 --> 17:46.765
He seeks to turn us into
members of His family--
17:46.832 --> 17:51.637
full and glorious children of the divine family of God.
17:51.703 --> 17:56.775
And unlike pets, we have a
role to play in that purpose--
17:56.842 --> 18:00.446
we must learn to think like
God, react like God...
18:00.512 --> 18:03.582
and choose like God.
18:03.649 --> 18:06.885
We are here to develop the
mind and character of
18:06.952 --> 18:11.156
God Himself--to grow to
reflect Him on the inside
18:11.223 --> 18:14.026
in the same way He has
made us to reflect Him
18:14.092 --> 18:17.863
on the outside, in His
image and likeness.
18:17.930 --> 18:21.600
When we comprehend that,
then our suffering takes on
18:21.667 --> 18:25.370
meaning, because we know
that what we learn in that
18:25.437 --> 18:29.441
suffering, how we respond to evil in the world, and the
18:29.508 --> 18:33.545
godly character we develop becomes part of an eternal
18:33.612 --> 18:37.516
reward that will far
outshine any pain and
18:37.583 --> 18:40.752
anguish we will ever
know in this life.
18:40.819 --> 18:44.490
When we comprehend that,
then how we grow in our
18:44.556 --> 18:49.061
trials contributes to
that future of glory.
18:49.127 --> 18:52.231
The Apostle Paul speaks
of this coming time,
18:52.297 --> 18:57.870
and this coming existence,
in Romans 8:18,
18:57.936 --> 19:00.606
"For I consider that the
sufferings of this present
19:00.672 --> 19:05.143
time are not worthy to be
compared with the glory which
19:05.210 --> 19:07.946
shall be revealed in us."
19:08.013 --> 19:11.283
Paul is saying that comparing light from the smallest
19:11.350 --> 19:14.820
matchstick to the light
of the sun, or a mote of
19:14.887 --> 19:18.524
dust with a mountain range,
would make more sense than
19:18.590 --> 19:22.060
comparing the sufferings of
this life with the glory that
19:22.127 --> 19:26.298
God is building within those
He's working with to develop
19:26.365 --> 19:29.501
His own righteous,
godly character.
19:29.568 --> 19:30.836
Let's continue:
19:30.903 --> 19:35.073
"For the earnest expectation
of the creation eagerly waits
19:35.140 --> 19:37.709
for the revealing of
the sons of God.
19:37.776 --> 19:40.479
For the creation was
subjected to futility,
19:40.546 --> 19:44.783
not willingly, but because of
Him who subjected it in hope;
19:44.850 --> 19:48.420
because the creation itself
also will be delivered from
19:48.487 --> 19:52.190
the bondage of corruption
into the glorious liberty
19:52.257 --> 19:54.393
of the children of God."
19:54.459 --> 19:58.897
God intends the entirety of Creation, the whole universe,
19:58.964 --> 20:02.935
to be given over to the glorified Children of God--
20:03.001 --> 20:07.873
you and me if we repent and commit ourselves to Jesus
20:07.940 --> 20:12.077
Christ to allow God the Father to reproduce Himself and
20:12.144 --> 20:14.479
His character in us.
20:14.546 --> 20:18.050
Paul writes that all of
Creation--the whole of
20:18.116 --> 20:21.687
created reality--is waiting
for the liberty and glory
20:21.753 --> 20:24.623
that will come with the revealing of the Children
20:24.690 --> 20:26.858
of God at Christ's return.
20:26.925 --> 20:31.463
"For we know that the whole creation groans and labors
20:31.530 --> 20:35.567
with birth pangs
together until now."
20:35.634 --> 20:39.237
This, my friends, is the answer to the problem of evil and
20:39.304 --> 20:42.741
suffering--seeing that suffering not as an eternal condition,
20:42.808 --> 20:47.646
but a passing phase that, just like the pains of childbirth,
20:47.713 --> 20:51.083
are serving a purpose that
will bring joy and happiness
20:51.149 --> 20:56.254
such that the suffering will never come to mind again.
20:56.321 --> 20:59.191
Such a fact should remind
us of the words of Jesus,
20:59.257 --> 21:03.328
spoken on the final Passover
of His earthly ministry:
21:03.395 --> 21:07.032
"A woman, when she is in
labor, has sorrow because
21:07.099 --> 21:10.669
her hour has come; but as
soon as she has given birth
21:10.736 --> 21:14.539
to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for
21:14.606 --> 21:19.478
joy that a human being has
been born into the world."
21:19.544 --> 21:24.016
And how much more joy will
be known when that birth
21:24.082 --> 21:27.519
is not of a human being,
but the expanded and
21:27.586 --> 21:29.888
glorified God family?
21:29.955 --> 21:32.924
My friends, God is not
silently watching us
21:32.991 --> 21:35.661
suffer in the cold,
dark distance.
21:35.727 --> 21:39.297
For those willing to yield
their lives to Him, to repent
21:39.364 --> 21:43.802
of their sins and turn to His Son, embracing His beautiful
21:43.869 --> 21:48.273
purpose for their lives, He
is present in our suffering--
21:48.340 --> 21:52.144
working within us for His purposes, building within us
21:52.210 --> 21:56.682
a future, and creating within
us a glorious existence that
21:56.748 --> 21:58.717
will last throughout time.
21:58.784 --> 22:02.521
Our suffering is profoundly personal to Him.
22:02.587 --> 22:06.558
And He proved this to us in the most intimate way possible.
22:06.625 --> 22:09.528
We'll discuss that awesome
truth in the final segment
22:09.594 --> 22:11.096
of our program.
22:11.163 --> 22:14.232
But first, we'll pause
one last time to make
22:14.299 --> 22:16.735
sure you don't forget to
request today's resource,
22:16.802 --> 22:18.870
What Is the Meaning of Life?
22:18.937 --> 22:22.774
Sincerely, I cannot imagine
a truth of the Bible that is
22:22.841 --> 22:27.245
so utterly ignored and cast aside by the majority of
22:27.312 --> 22:30.148
those who call themselves "Christian" while providing
22:30.215 --> 22:33.518
so much life-changing hope
for everyone who chooses
22:33.585 --> 22:37.422
to learn it, understand
it, and embrace it.
22:37.489 --> 22:39.858
You need this booklet.
22:39.925 --> 22:42.027
Just call the number on
your screen or go to
22:42.094 --> 22:46.765
TWTV.org/Life to
get your free copy.
22:46.832 --> 22:49.367
Please take advantage
of this final break,
22:49.434 --> 22:52.437
and I'll be right back to
reveal just how personally
22:52.504 --> 22:54.973
God shares in our suffering.
22:55.040 --> 22:56.174
Please don't go away.
22:56.241 --> 22:57.042
♪
22:57.109 --> 23:04.182
For today's free
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23:04.249 --> 23:08.954
Or go to...
23:09.020 --> 23:11.990
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23:12.057 --> 23:14.793
will help you understand
this vital truth--
23:14.860 --> 23:17.929
straight from the
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23:17.996 --> 23:20.465
If you're calling for the
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23:24.903 --> 23:28.306
Six inspiring issues
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23:28.373 --> 23:31.176
and modern culture will
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23:34.946 --> 23:37.682
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23:40.385 --> 23:46.091
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23:46.158 --> 23:47.425
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23:47.492 --> 23:51.296
Or go to...
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♪
23:56.434 --> 23:59.104
I mentioned before the
last break that God takes
23:59.171 --> 24:02.774
our problems with evil and suffering very personally--
24:02.841 --> 24:06.678
not a cold, calculating distance, nor as an abstract
24:06.745 --> 24:09.648
exercise for philosophers
and academics.
24:09.714 --> 24:13.051
He displayed this fact by
sending His Son to suffer,
24:13.118 --> 24:14.986
just as we do.
24:15.053 --> 24:18.089
Already one of the two
members of the God Family,
24:18.156 --> 24:22.561
the One that John 1:1 calls
the Word, the Logos,
24:22.627 --> 24:27.499
condescended to become like
His Creation--like us--
24:27.566 --> 24:30.368
and become the
Man Jesus Christ.
24:30.435 --> 24:33.905
He came and, unlike us,
followed His Father's laws
24:33.972 --> 24:36.441
and way of life perfectly.
24:36.508 --> 24:39.477
His obedience did not
bring the praise of men,
24:39.544 --> 24:43.715
but their hatred, their contempt, and their violence.
24:43.782 --> 24:47.252
The prophet Isaiah described
the suffering that Christ would
24:47.319 --> 24:49.054
endure in this life...
24:49.120 --> 24:53.358
"despised and rejected by
me, A Man of sorrows and
24:53.425 --> 24:55.026
acquainted with grief...
24:55.093 --> 24:59.197
He has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows...
24:59.264 --> 25:02.434
He was wounded for our
transgressions, He was
25:02.500 --> 25:04.870
bruised for our iniquities...
25:04.936 --> 25:07.472
He was oppressed and
He was afflicted...
25:07.539 --> 25:11.243
He was led as a lamb
to the slaughter..."
25:11.309 --> 25:14.813
One whose life of love and generosity deserved nothing
25:14.880 --> 25:18.984
but praise and adoration was given, instead, mockery,
25:19.050 --> 25:25.090
threats, beatings, abandonment, torture, and execution.
25:25.156 --> 25:29.961
And through it all, He remained faithful to God, His Father.
25:30.028 --> 25:33.732
As Philippians 2 explains,
though He had existed
25:33.798 --> 25:37.969
in the form of God, He was
willing to set that aside
25:38.036 --> 25:43.441
and become like us so He
could suffer as we do, and
25:43.508 --> 25:48.647
"being found in appearance as
a man, He humbled Himself
25:48.713 --> 25:52.717
and became obedient to the
point of death, even the
25:52.784 --> 25:54.653
death of the cross."
25:54.719 --> 25:58.189
Having done so, He was
resurrected and given
25:58.256 --> 26:01.726
once again the glory that
He had set aside and the
26:01.793 --> 26:04.396
existence that He had before.
26:04.462 --> 26:07.899
But now from heaven He
makes Himself available
26:07.966 --> 26:12.437
to live His life again
through His Spirit within
26:12.504 --> 26:16.174
those who are willing to
repent, obey, and fulfill
26:16.241 --> 26:19.945
God's purpose for their
lives by following Him.
26:20.011 --> 26:23.982
For those who do, then these times of evil and suffering
26:24.049 --> 26:28.353
can be seen for what they
truly are--mere birth pangs
26:28.420 --> 26:32.524
before they, too, are born
into the Family of God and
26:32.590 --> 26:36.027
into the glory Jesus Christ
now has with His Father,
26:36.094 --> 26:38.930
which will be revealed
at His return...
26:38.997 --> 26:42.534
A time when they will
join Him in His Kingdom
26:42.600 --> 26:46.471
to begin building a world,
and ultimately a universe,
26:46.538 --> 26:49.975
that will never know
evil and suffering again.
26:50.041 --> 26:54.412
As the Apostle John was told,
in vision, of that final estate,
26:54.479 --> 26:58.350
"Behold, the tabernacle of
God is with men, and He
26:58.416 --> 27:01.586
will dwell with them, and
they shall be His people.
27:01.653 --> 27:06.458
God Himself will be with
them and be their God.
27:06.524 --> 27:10.628
And God will wipe away
every tear from their eyes;
27:10.695 --> 27:15.066
there shall be no more death,
nor sorrow, nor crying.
27:15.133 --> 27:17.602
There shall be no more
pain, for the former
27:17.669 --> 27:20.472
things have passed away."
27:20.538 --> 27:24.743
May God send His Son soon,
to finally solve, once
27:24.809 --> 27:29.748
and for all, the real
Problem of Evil.
27:29.814 --> 27:32.917
Please don't miss out
on today's free resource,
27:32.984 --> 27:35.153
What Is the Meaning of Life?
27:35.220 --> 27:37.689
And please don't forget
to come back next week.
27:37.756 --> 27:41.059
When you do, Gerald Weston, Richard Ames, Rod McNair,
27:41.126 --> 27:44.462
and I will be here waiting
for you, ready to share with
27:44.529 --> 27:48.066
you the good news of God's coming Kingdom, the teachings of
27:48.133 --> 27:52.070
Jesus Christ, and the end-time prophecies of your Bible.
27:52.137 --> 27:54.539
Until then, take care.
27:54.606 --> 27:55.407
♪
27:55.473 --> 28:02.380
For today's free
offer call...
28:02.447 --> 28:06.718
Or go to...
28:06.785 --> 28:09.454
Call today and join
millions around the world
28:09.521 --> 28:11.956
who are turning to
Tomorrow's World for
28:12.023 --> 28:16.761
truth, prophecy, and hope
in these confusing times.
28:16.828 --> 28:18.863
The preceding program
is produced by the
28:18.930 --> 28:20.031
Living Church of God.
28:20.098 --> 28:25.070
♪