(John 16:33)<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nGod paid the price of sin so that we can enter a peaceful eternity with Him. He did<\/em> stop the evil. But we don\u2019t get to see the full manifestation until we get to heaven.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\nPerhaps that should be enough of an answer, but if you wrestle with questions like this as much as I do, then you might also wonder why we have to wait. Why doesn\u2019t He step in and just stop the evil here and now?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The second answer I see is: free will.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
In order for evil to be removed, God would have to prevent humans from acting on the evil impulses we have. The loss of free will is the price that would have to be paid for God to erase the suffering from this world. We might say, \u201cFine! It\u2019s worth it. Do it!\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
God says, \u201cNot like that.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
This makes me look differently at free will. What could possibly be more important than world peace? What could possibly be more important than the elimination of cruelty and suffering and insert your list of world horrors here __________________.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
The answer I hear is: free will.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
God values free will so much that he will not remove it for a quick fix of the world\u2019s woes. He knew the costs before creation began. He knew the price that he himself would pay on our behalf.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
Yet, God gave us free will anyway.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
And, He continues to give us free will today.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
If God values free will that much, then I\u2019m beginning to think that I should too. And I probably ought to learn more about it. What exactly is free will? How do we glimpse its value amidst the darkness of its price? And most importantly, how do we use it for good and not for evil?<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
I hope this post stirs up your desire to wrestle with these questions, too.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n
\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n
Janet Beagle, Ph.D. serves as director of graduate programs for Purdue University\u2019s College of Engineering and is a writer, a Bible study teacher, and a student of God\u2019s Word. In her spare time, she likes to eat other people\u2019s cooking and hike with her two- and four-footed friends. Read more of Janet\u2019s Christian reflections at\u00a0www.mustardpatch.org<\/a><\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Unless you\u2019re an accountant, you\u2019ve probably never thought about the difference between price and cost. I didn\u2019t until today. But while we may use the words interchangeably, there is a notable difference. Cost is what<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":26961,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[4418,1551],"tags":[5274,5281,109,1674],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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