If God has a good reason for allowing evil to exist, can we know what that reason is?
This is a hard and complex question that is asked by most people at one time or another. Many people say the existence of evil is proof that God does not exist. Some reason that God exists, but He is not strong enough to stop the existence of evil in the world. Some even say that the Lord has left us to our own devises and is not concerned with evil in the world. NO GOD. A WEAK GOD. AN UNCARING GOD. None of these answers are true because they detract from our loving, all powerful, Holy God.
- GOD’S WORD DECLARES HIS EXISTENCE. – Psalms 90:2, “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” God exists. He has ALWAYS existed.
- GOD’S WORD DECLARES HIS POWER. – In Jeremiah 32:27, the Lord asks this hypothetical question, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: IS THERE ANY THING TOO HARD FOR ME?”
- GOD’S WORD DECLARES HIS LOVE. – John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”We see from the Word that God does exist, He is all-powerful, and He loves us. Why then, does He allow evil to exist? I suggest that it is God’s love and patience that compels Him to allow evil to exist. Let’s consider Genesis 6:5, “And GOD saw that the WICKEDNESS OF MAN was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was ONLY EVIL CONTINUALLY.” Let’s consider Romans 3:23, “For ALL HAVE SINNED, and come short of the glory of God.” Let’s consider Psalms 14:1-3, “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are CORRUPT, they have done ABOMINABLE WORKS, there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are ALL GONE ASIDE, they are ALL TOGETHER BECOME FILTHY: there is NONE THAT DOETH GOOD, no, NOT ONE.”
When we think about these verses, and many others that say the same thing, we must conclude that WE ALL are evil. For the Lord to destroy evil in the world today, he must destroy us! One day, the Lord will judge and destroy all evil, but not yet. We read of His patience in 2 Peter 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.”Those who repent of their sins and put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior are no longer considered evil or sinful by the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD in him.” God sees us in His Son and declares us righteous. What love and grace from our Lord! (287.8)