Deeper Conference 2010 Recap, Part 4: Mark Spence

Immediately after Ravi Zacharias spoke at the 2009 Deeper Conference, Kirk Cameron remarked, "I'm glad he's on our side."

I feel the same way about Mark Spence.  I am so glad he is a soldier of the Lord, armored up and out in the fields.

Not because he, like Zacharias, is someone who can engage the loftiest of intellectuals with multi-syllable words I can't define, but because he has been on the front lines of evangelism, has probably heard it all, offers practical advice, and projects a humble disposition.

For the 2010 Deeper Conference, Spence tackled the question frequently used as they Atomic Bomb of Objections: If God is so good, why does evil exist?

As Christians we are told to be ready to give a defense for our faith and to preach the gospel routinely.  If you strive to be faithful in these areas, you will eventually have this question fired at you as the questioner looks on with a hint of disgust because so many bad people get away with so much.  The question may be mixed with an air of certainty that you cannot answer this timeless puzzle.

It is unfortunate that more Christians are not primed and ready with a Biblical response, such as the answer Spence shared with the audience and that I now reveal to the readers of this blog.  Ready?

Jesus.

Yes, the answer to evil is Jesus.  But it probably will make little sense unless I share a bit more from the talk given by Spence.

There are a couple keys to answering this question.  First, understand that the person who asks this questions recognizes that evil exists.  In this age of relativism, this is an important factor to recognize.  Secondly, the person agrees that evil should be punished.

People need to understand that evil is the absence of good (much the same way that darkness is the absence of light and cold is the absence of heat).  Without a standard for good, the concept of evil is meaningless.  The concept that "morality has evolved" is meaningless.  There is no foundation.  (See the article I wrote on this topic, Do Good?  What Does That Mean?)

What most people don't like about this truth is that the breaking of God's moral standard means they have to admit they were wrong, and they should be punished by the God who will stand in judgment.  This is one thing they fight against as they try to deny God's existence.  But the answer for them, as we know from Scripture, is answer given by Spence for Evil: Jesus.

Jesus paid the price for sin.  This is the good news of the gospel, and the answer to evil.  All that is required is to repent and put your full faith and trust in Christ as Savior.  Evil will continue to exist, but it has no hold on you.

Finally, Spence gives a question that you can ask your non-believing friend who wants to know about the question of evil:  If God was to fully handle the problem of evil at Midnight tonight, where would you be as 12:01?