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[ This letter was sent to the minister of a gentleman whose pastor considered him to be in a lost condition because he believed God would create evil. This letter summed up the belief so well, I thought it was worth passing on. I couldn’t have said it better!]

Dear brother ____,

I am writing this letter in an effort to ask for you to interpret several scriptures for me. I want to thank you in advance for your sincere desire to help me to see the error of my ways. It seems there are so few people who have time to leave the 99 to go out and do the necessary work involved in working or climbing or digging or whatever is necessary to seek and to save that one lost sheep. I am hoping that you are just such a selfless person who doesn’t care what the rest of the congregation or for that matter the entire rest of the world thinks. You are going to leave the 99 and take as much time and effort as is necessary to seek and to save this ‘poor lost sheep.’
I’m sure that we are both using the same Bible, but for some reason, I seem to be seeing scriptures differently than every pastor I’ve come in contact with. Maybe you can help me by explaining a few of these scriptures. It would go a long way toward ‘helping me.’
Here are a few of the verses that just don’t seem to be dealt with while I am in church. Indeed, it seems to me in my ‘lost’ condition that they are completely avoided.

Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.
Isa 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Does this verse say “I the Lord … create evil?” What Bible am I in? Is that in your Bible? Before, you explain away “evil” here as ‘calamity,’ allow me to point out that in my ‘lost’ condition, I have noticed that this is the same Hebrew word translated “evil” in the following verses:

Jdg 9:23 Then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech:
1Sa 16:14 But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.
1Sa 16:15 And Saul’s servants said unto him, Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.
1Sa 16:16 Let our lord now command thy servants, which are before thee, to seek out a man, who is a cunning player on an harp: and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well.
1Sa 16:23 And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.
1Sa 19:9 And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul, as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand: and David played with his hand.
1Ki 22:23 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.
2Ch 18:22 Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee.

Are we to believe that these “evil spirits” were “from God?” Is that in your Bible?

2Ch 33:6 And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom: also he observed times, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.

Would you also please explain this scripture for me?:

Rom 9:15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.

And these?:

Rom 9:16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.
Rom 9:18 Therefore hath he mercy on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he hardeneth.

“It is not of him that [ free] willeth… Whom He will He hardeneth?” Is this what your Bible says?

Isa 63:17 O LORD, why hast thou made us to err from thy ways, and hardened our heart from thy fear? Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes of thine inheritance.

“Whom He will He hardeneth?” Is this verse in your Bible ____?

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

“God works in us to will?” Where is our ‘free’ will? Is this the same in your Bible?

Pro 20:24 Man’s goings are of the LORD; how can a man then understand his own way?

But man’s goings are “evil always continually” (Gen 6:5). What about this verse?

Pro 16:4 The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

“The Lord… made… even the wicked?” Is this what your Bible states?

Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

There ____, this verse explains the very purpose for evil; “God meant it unto good … to save much people alive.” Even those who committed that evil. Is this verse in your bible ____?
Straighten me out on these ____ and then we can get into the thousands of scriptures that tell us poor lost sheep who you want to ‘help’ that the God who “creates evil” and “makes us to err… and hardens our hearts…,” “will have all men to be saved, specially [ not exclusively] them that believe”(1Ti 4:10).

1Ti 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Of course you will want to change ‘will’ to ‘desire,’ so be sure to consider this verse of scripture:

Isa 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

Are any of these verses in your Bible?

2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us- ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
1Co 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Rom 5:18 Therefore as by the offense of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Rom 3:22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

“No difference…” between “all” and “them that believe?” Are any of these verses in your Bible ____?

1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

“Also … the whole world?” Is that in your Bible? Please answer when you have time.

Sincerely,
X____