Questions About Evil
Why is there evil in the world?
Adam’s choice to defy the Creator, called sin, defiled all of creation and separated us from God. Death, disease, and evil of every kind entered our world because of sin (Gen. 3:16–19, Rom. 5:12).
We All Sin
We all have the freedom to choose to obey God or not, but everyone makes the wrong choice at some point, just as Adam did. We all sin (Rom. 3:23).
The Cost of Sin
Our sins and the sins of others have far-reaching effects. Sometimes people get hurt or die. Sometimes relationships or possessions get broken. Sometimes bad things happen that make no sense. But sin is still the reason.
If God is good, why do bad things happen?
This is probably the hardest question of all. And we can’t completely understand the answer.
God Can Bring Good from Evil
God’s ways are not our ways. Sometimes the innocent are taken away to save them from worse evil (Isa. 57:1). Even though it is unpleasant at the time, suffering helps us grow stronger (Jam. 1:2–4). God promises to work out everything for the good of believers and to make us more like Jesus (Rom. 8:28–29).
Suffering is a consequence of a world marred by sin. But God cares, and He is in control. We don’t know why God allows bad things to happen. But we can trust Him through it, whether we believe it at the time or not.
God Sees What We Can’t
God knows the future we can’t see. He knows the effects, the consequences, the ramifications of everything that might happen.
It’s something like when a dad is getting ready to cross the street holding his son’s hand. The dad is tall enough to see what’s on the other side of a hedge or parked car, but the child is not.
Let’s say the boy pulls away and starts to run into the street on his own. His dad yanks him back violently and the child falls and skins his knee or hits his head.
The boy is hurting. He may be angry or confused about what his father did. He doesn’t understand that his father just saved him from being mowed down by a speeding car.
Trust the One Who Knows All
We can’t know what God might be saving us from or leading us to when He allows us to suffer. But it only makes sense to put our trust in the One who can see what we can’t see.
How can evil be fixed?
God planned the solution from the beginning. He promised that He Himself would be our Redeemer (Gen. 3:15, Isa. 45:11, 54:5).
We can have salvation and changed lives through Jesus (Acts 4:11–12).
Even Creation Waits
God will make all things new. Creation also waits with groaning to be released from its bondage. As long as we live on earth, we will suffer.
Jesus Makes All Things New
But when we know Jesus as our Lord and Savior and yield to His work in our lives, God will take our suffering and mold us more into the image of Jesus Christ.
Through this suffering yielded to Him, we will develop a better character and a deeper intimacy with God.
Our Task
Those of us who know Jesus as Lord and Savior have been bought with the price of Jesus’ blood.
We have the honor of offering our bodies as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1) to God.
This means living our lives for God as an act of worship, giving thanks for everything (Eph. 5:20), and doing all to the glory of God (2:1 Cor. 10:31).
Obeying God gives us lives filled with inexpressible joy (1 Pet. 1:7–9).
Questions About God
Is there really a God?
What is God like?
Does God really care about my problems?
Questions About Life’s Meaning
Where did I come from?
Why am I here?
Questions About Death
- What is death? Why do we die?
- Is there life after death?
- What will happen when I die?
- How can I go to heaven?