s

2010 Mel-Thomas Rothwell Holiness Lectures

Why, God, Why?: Holiness and Evil

Thomas Jay Oord, Ph.D.

As he who called you is holy, s
be holy yourselves in all your conduct;
for it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."
(1 Pt. 1:15-16; Lev. 19:2)

The central question of the first lecture:

Is it immoral to be holy as God is holy?

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Why didn’t God do something to prevent this evil?

An adequate explanation of holiness

requires an adequate answer to the problem of evil.
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The central question of the second lecture:

What does the Bible say about evil and God?

The Bible offers answers to the problem of evil.

Most answers are unsatisfying, in themselves.
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1. The best way to address diverse biblical answers to
evil is to take love as our interpretive tool or lens.

A Christian answer to evil should be Christocentric:

Jesus Christ is our fullest revelation of God’s love.
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2. The Bible says God can’t do some things. God can’t

lie (Heb. 6:18), God can’t be tempted by evil (James
1:13), and God can’t deny himself (2 Tim. 2:13).
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The central task of this third lecture:

Provide an adequate answer to the problem of evil

to help us discern what it means
to be holy as God is holy.
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Principles for answering the problem of evil.
1.Be biblical – especially Christocentric.
a. Interpret biblical passages in light of God’s love.
1.Be reasonable. Love God with our minds.
2.Be practical. Ask “Does this fit how we live?”
3.Consider how the answer helps us understand how
we might be holy as God is holy.
 freedom
and
agency

Although God is almighty, God cannot...

- Act in ways or be that which is illogical.
- Act in ways or be that which contradicts God’s
loving character/being.
a. act in ways or be that which entirely controls
others with freedom/agency. To control others
entirely goes against God’s nature.
 freedom
and
agency

Kenosis
“Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ
Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did
not regard equality with God as something to be
exploited, but emptied/gave himself (kenosis), taking
the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.”
– Paul, Philippians 2:5-7
 freedom
and
agency

Essential Kenosis
God’s nature is love. God’s love necessarily
provides freedom/agency to others.
Because of God’s loving nature, God cannot fail
to offer, withdraw, or override the freedom/agency
God necessarily gives to creation.
God’s loving and freedom/agency-providing
nature means that God cannot prevent creatures
from using freedom/agency in evil-producing ways.
 suffering
alongside

God, who is present everywhere and knows

everything, also feels every pain and joy that
creatures feel.
Those who suffer because of genuine evil have
God with them as a fellow-suffer who feels their
pain. God is a suffering God.
 suffering
alongside

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord

Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of
all consolation, who consoles us in all our affliction,
so that we may be able to console those who are
in any affliction with the consolation with which we
ourselves are consoled by God” (2 Cor. 1:3-4).
 healing

God is a wounded healer who desires to heal

those injured and broken by sin, evil, and violence.
God works with individuals and circumstances to
bring healing and wholeness to whatever extent
possible in any given situation.
Some healing may not occur until heaven. One
aspect of the answer to evil is eschatological.
 healing

“Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all

God’s benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals
all your diseases, who redeems your life from the
pit and crowns you with love and compassion.”
Psalm 103:3-4
 character
building

Although God does not want evil to occur, God

responds to evil by offering us new possibilities to
grow and learn.
While suffering from genuine evil is not a part of
God’s “plan,” God can squeeze some good out of
the painful circumstances that God didn’t want to
occur in the first place.
 character
building

“We also boast in our sufferings, knowing that

suffering produces endurance, and endurance
produces character, and character produces hope,
and hope does not disappoint us, because God’s
love has been poured into our hearts through the
Holy Spirit that has been given to us” (Rm. 5:3-5).
 working
with God

God calls upon all creatures to work cooperatively

to make this world a better place for everyone.
As God’s fellow laborers, we should work
strategically to convince those who act in evil ways
to act instead for the good.
We should act to form people, communities, and
social structures that minimize evil and promote
good.
 working
with God
Romans 8:28
- “We know that all things work together for good to
them that love God” (KJV).
- “We know that God causes all things to work
together for good to those who love God” (NASB).
- “And we know that in all things God works for the
good for those who love him” (NIV).
- “We know that in everything God works for good
with those who love him” (RSV).
As he who called you is holy,
be holy yourselves in all your conduct;
for it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy."
(1 Pt. 1:15-16; Lev. 19:2) s

God is love. God is not immoral, and being like God

does not require us to be immoral.

God always acts lovingly,

and we can be holy as God is holy
when we respond to God’s call to love.
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2010 Mel-Thomas Rothwell Holiness Lectures

Why, God, Why?: Holiness and Evil

Thomas Jay Oord, Ph.D.