the greater the evil the greater the healing

When we hear of an incredibility heinous violation of someone, such as rape, or kidnapping of a child and selling them into sex slavery, what possible good could come out of such horrendous acts? How could God possibly use something of such a destructive and heinous nature for good? 

It's actually the same question we can ask about the unjust murder of Christ himself. Can God bring good out of such evil? 

3 Things to consider. Such evil can result in...

• Observing mankind's evil demonstrates how desperately evil man's condition and heart are without God -- proving the futility of being disconnected from God and the importance and necessity of knowing Him and being restored to Him.

• How evil and destructive our rebellious distrust of God can be and is. Distrust or unbelief is the source of all wrong doing. 

• How Christ fully understands the pain evil causes by going through his own at the hands of evil acts i.e. his rejection by his own people, and His subsequent trial and crucifixion. 

Probably the greatest value we derive from suffering at the evil hand of others is a greater appreciation of the sufferings of Christ and a deeper understanding of the love Christ has that moved him to take on this suffering for us. When we see this clearly, it frees us from the bitterness of our past hurts as well as ensures the ultimate and complete removal of it from us in eternity. 

Suffering is not the last word. 

When we consider the suffering someone goes through, no matter how wicked, it does not have to be the end of the story or the ultimate destruction of one's soul -- though it certainly will be if we become embittered and more firmly committed to distrust in God and self-protection. God can (and will) truly and fully restore those who go through such overwhelming abuse and suffering (and beyond) if they allow Him to. If not in this life certainly in the next. In fact, because Christ fully took on all our pain, the ¹greater the losses we suffer in this life, the greater our ¹potential gain in the next. 

Also, some of the greatest testimonies of his love and grace are from those who have come out of the most abusive pain and are now brilliant lights for him. 

In fact, he will use evil to heal us in a way we would have not otherwise or ever known without evil. The extent of the healing is (and can only be) in proportion to the evil experienced i.e. the greater the evil the greater the potential healing and appreciation for it. Healing occurs precisely because damage is done and is needed most where the damage is greatest. Without great damage, there is no great healing.

What about the next life?

One of our biggest mistakes is to only view things from a temporary perspective. This is the opposite view taken in scripture (2 Cor 4:16-18). If this life was all there was, these horrendous deeds would only be devastating if not irreversible.

This is precisely why the resurrection is so vital and significant. It shouts that pain and death are not the final word... life is!

As Christ said, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world but to lose his own soul? Wouldn't the opposite also be true? What great gain it would be to lose the world with all it's comforts, benefits, and blessings if it became the means of gaining our eternal soul and ultimate bliss far greater then any pain that brought us to it? And if we did, how much greater and more appreciated that gain would be once we experience it. If the pain, suffering, and destruction lead to the saving of our souls, would this not indeed be a great gain beyond all comparison? 

Some may argue the wound is too great and deep. How could God heal it? However, because the wound is so deep is exactly why the healing can be and is so great once we experience it. Even greater and deeper than the wound. As Paul said, where sin abounds, grace superabounds, i.e. the abounding is far greater than the loss. Though hard to grasp during the pain, this is the promise made to us. And this is not simply a promise of words but a promise backed up by the real suffering, death, burial, and resurrection of Christ himself. He knows far greater pain than any of us and therefore understands ours better than anyone else.

All of this is possible only because Christ took the evil of our brokenness into his own body and let it wound and destroy him in the most unjust, undeserved, unfair, painful, and ²humiliating manner. An evil more vile and unjust than any of us could know; a wound and pain ³far greater and deeper than any wound any of us could experience or ever suffer. Our wounds do not carry the full weight of humanity's evil. Christ's did. 

Part of what also makes it so great and distinguishes it from all our pain is it was a wound he was no more guilty of than those who suffer the kind of abuse mentioned at the beginning of this article. He was the ultimate and greatest victim of abuse -- though he submitted himself to this willingly out of love for us. 

And because he rose to life after his terrible abuse and wounding, those who are also abused can be raised to eternal bliss and will be if they are in Christ. And the eternal benefit will far outweigh any present suffering and loss no matter how deep the wound or great the loss. 

Some have ⁴testified of the delivery of knowing Christ's love after coming from such a background. This is the work he has done on your behalf and the promise he offers if you will receive it.

For a further discussion of how we are in a constant state of pain click here.

What is the knowledge of good and evil? click here.

For a further discussion of how God uses evil for our good click here.

For a discussion on suffering due to our own choices click here.

For a discussion on seeing Christ love in our pain Click here.
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¹it is a potential gain and not certain, not because God is uncertain but only because our trust in God is uncertain, which determines if we do or do not gain from such events. If and when we fully trust him the gain is absolutely certain. The greater our trust, the greater our gain. 

²All artists' render Christ hanging on the cross with some kind of loin clothe. However, the common practice by the Romans at the time was to crucify their victims naked, to strip them of their dignity, maximizing their emotional pain and shame in addition to their physical pain. We sanitize it by putting a loin cloth on Christ. God did not. 

Add to this that Christ was actually crucified on a hill outside the city walls overlooking Jerusalem. It is understood that everyone within the walls of Jerusalem could see this hill and any events taking place there. Those who were not up on the hill that day could still see what transpired. Those who feel shame for their past abuse have someone in Christ who understands shame. 

Heb 12:2  looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Heb 4:14  Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 

Heb 4:15  For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted G3985 as we are, yet without sin. 

Heb 4:16  Let us then with confidence (a certainty he understands and does not look down upon us with shame) draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. 

³But this was not the final word, life was i.e. resurrection. And because it was for him, so it is for those who are in him.

⁴Joyce Meyers was raped over 200 times by her father before the age of 18. Eventually, she led her father to Christ before he passed away. We have also seen how God has used her over the years. She shared how she knows a key reason God has used her in the way He has was because of this abuse. 

G3985 tempted - πειράζω peirazō

Thayer Definition:

1) to try whether a thing can be done
1a) to attempt, endeavour
2) to try, make trial of, test: for the purpose of ascertaining his quantity, or what he thinks, or how he will behave himself
2a) in a good sense
2b) in a bad sense, to test one maliciously, craftily to put to the proof his feelings or judgments
2c) to try or test one’s faith, virtue, character, by enticement to sin
2c1) to solicit to sin, to tempt
2c1a) of the temptations of the devil
2d) after the OT usage
2d1) of God: to inflict evils upon one in order to prove his character and the steadfastness of his faith
2d2) men are said to tempt God by exhibitions of distrust, as though they wished to try whether he is not justly distrusted

2d3) by impious or wicked conduct to test God’s justice and patience, and to challenge him, as it were to give proof of his perfections.