pastor’s heart article from ggwo.org

How Close Does Evil Come? 

by Pastor Thomas SchallerFebruary 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, someonecame 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 manwho owned the field says, "Let them grow together until the harvest"

(see Matthew 13:24-30). Truth is planted and the lie takes its ownpreferred 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 amongthe 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 aresult of the lie. There are many illustrations of this phenomenon.

This is awesome because it is first a reflection on God's nature, andsecondly 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 peoplewill eliminate all opposition immediately. But God allowed Satan in the

Garden of Eden after He planted it. God allows the lie because Heshows 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? DoesGod 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 isactually 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 campwhile Moses is in the tabernacle worshipping, if God allowed Israel to

have a king that will do them great harm, and if God allowed Solomonto 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 aglass 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 ownhearts? 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? Wouldwe 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 aunique 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 withsimple 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 havemeaningful relationship with Him and with the world?

By our new birth, we are equipped and promised all we need to live inthe 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 withunwavering 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 Hisnature and revealing the privilege we have of embracing Him in the

presence of our enemies. The truth is rolled around on our tonguewhile 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 tothem, 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 andembraced.

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.