The Nature of Evil, part 2

Man has their source and being within God. I believe that 'being' itself has something good in it even for those who perish in hell. It is like: "It is to better to have loved and lost than to never have loved at all." but for life. It is the very breath of God that gives life in his act of creation. This breath remained entirely good until corruption came. The breath or this soul retains all the goodness in the image of God but not in being and nature. Evil would not be what it is if it did not constantly invent ways to lie about the image of the incorruptible God that we bear even still. We are guilty for such continual deceit. God cannnot allow such to continue without judgment.

Evil's main purpose at every turn is to profane the image of God that is retained. It is from this evil sought and corrupted all of mankind completely. We are to be images bearers of God but we would now rather paint over his picture with obscenities and abominations. God cannot rightly cannot stand for such hostility toward himself. We are guilty for being rebels by nature and trying to kill God himself.

Every created thing was made weak and susceptible to corruption. This would have been ok had not corruption taken root. This corruption reaches far into whatever good remained and turned it black. No island remains untouched. Evil would assault the image and person of God Himself if it had any substance to do so. God took on flesh was crucified by evil. Evil and death tried to kill the very source of being and life but things without substance could not keep Christ down.

Like Augustine, I believe that evil has no real substance. God did not make it. One can be good without evil being there. Yet, one cannot be evil without something good and the corruption of something good. Light can exist without darkness. Darkness needs the absence of light to exists. Heat can exist without cold. Cold cannot exist, or be defined, without heat. Absolute Zero is defined by the lack of heat (atomic vibration). These cannot defined by themselves. Evil is like this.

Somethings exists because they are virtues in and of themselves. They exist without aid. Other things exist merely because they lack these vitrues. Evil is such. It is a parasite that requires something that was created good and with being in order to live. Augustine went as far sin was an act of uncreation and the taking away of good.

This begs to question. How can something that has no substance stand up to something that does have? It is clear here that Darkness can only persist by God allowing it. Corinthians seems to answer "the why and to what end."

Evil is but a "base thing of the world and the despised, God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may bring to nothing that are. So that no man may boast before God. But by -His doing- you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, so that, just as it is written, "LET HIM WHO BOASTS, BOAST IN THE LORD." (1 corinthians 1:28-31). Evil is to destroy the present so that by Grace everything will be summed up in Christ.

Furthermore, creation and continued existance cannot be evil since they themselves are good. God shall show such on Judgment day. No hardship or suffering can out do the goodness of life itself. Evil may try to multiple these ills but life is a greater gift. This itself will cause every knee will bow and every tongue shall confess God in all his attributes on judgment day.

It was kindness that Adam was not judged and killed in the Garden. God had the right but his lovingkindness continued. Spiritually dead men have the fires of hell lit by the kindnesses of God in their present life. Wraith is when these kindnesses depart. Eternal Wraith is where everything but one's eternal soul and substance is destroyed.

For the redeemed, Evil is present so that our hope, our boasts, our wisdom, our sanctification, our righteousness, our redemption, and our very life and our very being remain in the Lord. And not of ourselves.

Part III Grace invincible.