If God is so Good, Why is There Evil in the World?
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If God is so good, why is there evil in the world? And, why does God let bad things happen?
These are questions that all of us have wrestled with at one point or another, whether we profess faith in Jesus or not. Why is there suffering in the world? Why do we have to suffer? Why can’t we all just be good people?
Some of you may ask, how could a good and perfect God allow for evil and suffering? Is he responsible for it?
Many of you may struggle to place your faith and hope in a God that would allow this. Why? Why God?
These questions are valid. Some of you reading may be asking some of these questions right now. Why let this happen God? Why me? Why my kids? Why my family? Why have I lost my job? Why am I here? Why let those I love struggle with this? Why let me struggle with this? Maybe you or someone you know has terminal cancer. Why let that happen God?
These questions I want to speak on today. You are not alone in asking these questions.
First, I want to ask you, the reader, what is your definition of evil? What is it? Is your standard for what is evil absolute? Or is it subjective?
Again, what is YOUR definition of evil? Stop & write it down. What is it?
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I ask because without the Bible as your foundation for what is good and what is evil, it’s very very difficult, if not impossible, to come up with a solid standard for it.
I’m about to give the Biblical viewpoint on evil, and where it originates and who is responsible for it, but I want you, reader, to understand this:
If you do not have an absolute standard for what is good and evil you can merely offer an opinion or preference. Because if morality was subjective, everyone would have a different take on what is good and evil. You may say societal standards are absolute standards, but they are in fact not, because they change and vary with the community.
The only possible absolute standard of morality can come from an eternal, good, and unchanging God. A standard above man. Is your definition of evil based on absolutes, or based on opinion? I’m about to give you the definition and origination of evil based on the absolute truth that is the Bible.
Now, let’s begin.
Firstly, let us recognize that the issue of suffering and the problem of evil is not unique to Christianity; it is present all around the world.
To be able to answer the issue of suffering and evil and its presence, we need to locate its source. Like any problem, we want to find the root. You can’t get rid of a weed if you do not get the root. When your car is not working properly, you check the source of its power, the engine. Our bodies would cease to operate if our source (our heart) stopped working.
In other words, if we want to remove the presence of suffering from life altogether, we must kill it at its source. I think this is where many of us look to God, as he is the Creator of the universe.
So, looking to the exegetical study of Scripture, where does evil come from?
And did God create it?
The short answer is evil comes from sin, and sin from man. God did not create evil.
Now let me give you a longer yet concise answer:
In Scripture, there was no suffering or evil in initial creation. None.
Genesis 1:31 comes after God has created the universe, and it reads “God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good.”
“Behold, it was very good”.
God’s creation was good, it was very good. There was no evil. There was no suffering. From this verse alone we can determine God did not create evil, nor did he create suffering.
I recently read of God’s creation and the presence of evil this way:
Imagine donuts. Who likes donuts? I like donuts. When a donut is created, do they make the hole in the middle of the donut or does it form because of the formation of the actual donut?
A donut maker does not make the hole specifically. Rather, he creates a substance (the donut) whose absence is thus named (the hole).
Similarly, God did not create evil. He created all good things, but all that he created has an absence that is named, which is evil.
You would not blame the creator of the donut for the hole in the middle, but you would blame him for the glazing, the texture, the taste, etc. Similarly, we cannot blame God for the hole of evil in this world. And like the donut, all that he created, this whole universe, is good. God, the donut maker, is responsible for the donut, not the hole in the middle.
Now that serves as an imperfect, but solid example of how God is not the author of evil. However, that does not explain why it still remains. Because if God were so good, so perfect, why wouldn't he just fill that donut-sized hole of evil? It would make sense to do so, would it not?.
Enter the concept of ‘choice’ in creation. God did not want to, nor did he actually create beings like you or me who are forced to worship him. He did not create beings who are forced to choose, as Aquinas cites Augustine, the ULTIMATE GOOD, which is God himself. We are not forced to do anything. You can do whatever you want.
So although God did not create evil, he DOES allow for it. He has not filled the hole in the donut. At least not yet. The belief of a believer is that one day he will and all evil will cease to exist in the final creation. One day God will ‘…wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4)’. That certain hope aside, for now, God DOES allow for evil. And why does he do this? Because he wants us to choose the ULTIMATE GOOD. He wants us to choose Him. He gives us a choice.
Take Lucifer for example: he was created by God, and his name means “bringer of light’” He was given freedom of choice, and because of his choice to worship himself over God, to become prideful, he was cast out of Heaven, and evil entered the world.
Notice how his name was changed from Lucifer to Satan. From a name meaning “day star” and “bringer of light” to a name meaning “accuser” and “adversary”. He was not initially created as an adversary to God, but as a bringer of light. He was not initially created as an adversary to God, but he chose to become one. And so did we, as human creation.
Look further to Adam and Eve, who chose the apple from the tree of knowledge over God and his commands. What they chose was still good, as it was created by God, but it was far less good than the ULTIMATE GOOD, being God. They were given a choice, and because of THEIR choice, because of Adam’s choice, sin was introduced to the world.
So you can blame and thank the creation of sin and evil to Lucifer become Satan and Adam, but you cannot place it on God. Evil entered the world through Satan, and sin entered the world through Adam.
Additionally, if evil were not present, there would be no need for God. If God removed choice from the equation, and he made every decision for us, we would lack freedom and be robots.
However, that said, God desiring us to choose him is only part of the explanation for the continued presence of evil.
You may be asking, if God knows every decision we’re going to make, and He does all things according to His will, then do we really have a choice?
This idea of choice I’m speaking on ignores the future hope which someone like me, a believer, looks towards. Like I previously said, the Bible says there will be no suffering and no sin in the final creation, which means we will not have the opportunity to sin. We won’t have a choice.
Furthermore, this idea of us having free will limits God’s power and omnipotence. Yes we have choice, but God is still in control over everything. So how do we reconcile this?
Tim Keller, a famous pastor, said that we are both fully-free and fully-determined. How is this so?
This is because we are free to make any decision we want, however, God does know every decision we will make.
Proverbs 16:9 reads:
“The heart of man plans his way,
but the Lord establishes his steps.”
Keller says here that “your plans are yours, your choices are yours; that you are responsible for them. God’s not forcing you in any direction on this. It’s yours. If you do something stupid, if you do something wicked, if you do something selfish, if you do something cruel, there’s going to be bad consequences and people are going to hold you accountable and they should. And God will hold you accountable and he should. But, nothing that happens is not according to His plan. Your plans belong to you, your choices belong to you. However, what actually happens is completely set, it’s completely fixed, both at the same time.”
This may sound like I’m contradicting myself. It may sound intellectually impossible to comprehend and to grasp, and I don’t think that perspective is false. Our minds simply cannot comprehend God’s divine nature. I wonder why? It is as if we aren’t divine and we were never meant to understand his nature in the first place! And imagine if we could? Who would want to serve a God they could fully understand? That would mean either you also are divine, or that God isn’t.
As a believer in Jesus, I find great confidence and rest in this concept of being fully-free and fully-determined. Why? Because God’s will for my life will be accomplished, and THAT I am seeking to do. I will mess up, I will make mistakes, but I find comfort in knowing God will direct my steps. The Creator of all has a perfect plan for little ‘ol me.
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Now, what is the purpose behind all I have just said? '
I want you to understand, I want to make it very very clear, that GOD IS NOT THE CREATOR OF SUFFERING OR EVIL. The presence of evil and suffering exist because of our own decision making. All evil is a result of sin, and there is no sin in God. His eyes are ‘too pure to look upon evil’ (Habakkuk 1:13).
Though this is true, it still doesn’t answer the question of why God allows evil in the world. Why does God let bad things happen to us?
On the one hand, if God were to remove all evil from the world, so that no one would experience bad/evil things happening to them, he would need to remove you and me. We are the source of evil that would need to be eradicated. And God has no desire to eradicate us, but rather to redeem us. So that’s one.
Secondly, I believe God lets bad things happen to us so that we could see his goodness in the midst of the storm. Theologian Thomas Aquinas once said, “'Good can exist without evil, whereas evil cannot exist without good'. Evil CANNOT exist without good. In the midst of whatever painful thing you may be going through, or whatever suffering you may be enduring, there is an ULTIMATE SOURCE of good, of protection, of hope, that you can look to, and that is God.
The presence of suffering and pain in our lives emphasizes our need for something, for SOMEONE, greater.
Again, like I said earlier, if evil were not present, there would be no need for God. If you never suffered, if I never suffered, I would not need something or someone greater than myself. I’d be just fine. The presence of suffering and evil further highlight our need for God.
Being 100% honest and transparent, there are some events and circumstances that I don't understand why God let occur. But here’s what I do know:
My God is just, he is merciful, he is full of grace. He is faithful, He is love. He has a plan to diminish all of the present evil in this world and to lift up his son Jesus Christ and all those who profess faith in him. I also know God will work all things for the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). And in my life, that verse, Romans 8:28, has held true. Because our God is faithful, and he can never be anything but that.
LASTLY, I want people to know where I’m coming from today. This past summer, I worked as a camp counselor in Missouri. One of my campers one week looked me dead in the eye, with tears filling his face, and he said, “How can I believe in a God that would let all this happen to my mom?” His mom has had cancer for nine straight years, and while he was at camp she was getting special treatment in Texas.
I had no idea what to say to him. My mom, the woman I care about the most on this earth, has never gone through any struggle remotely close to that. My heart broke for him. And I did not have an answer.
I remember him looking me in the face while in some kayaks on a river, and telling me following God was not worth it to him. In a way I did not blame him. Why would you do this God? Why allow this to happen to his mom?
I told him to “come and see”. That phrase is used twice in John 1, and it is an invitation. The first use of the phrase is when Jesus asks two of John’s disciples (v38) “what are you seeking”, to which they reply, “Rabbi (teacher), where are you staying?”, and Jesus answers with “Come and you will see”.
The disciples go and stay with him. The Greek word used for stay in the following verse is “menō” (meh-no), which means ‘to stay, abide, remain’; and also translates to “to make one’s home”.
They go and stay with Jesus, and then a few verses later in verse 46 one of those disciples who went to stay with Jesus, named Phillip, also tells a future disciple but current skeptic Nathanael to “come and see”.
This is what happens to those who truly open their heart and give Jesus a chance. He reveals himself to us in ways that make us want others to experience relationship with him too. That is where I’m coming from today. I’ve come and seen God and his goodness, and I want all of you to experience that.
It is also so beautiful here that as Nathanael, the skeptic, was coming toward Jesus, Jesus called out to him. Nathanael said “How do you know me?” to which Jesus answered “Before Phillip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you”.
BEFORE Phillip called Nathanael Jesus saw him. BEFORE he was even told to come and see. To the reader who may not know Jesus, He sees you. He saw you before you listened to this podcast (or read its transcript). Whatever the pain, whatever the past, whatever the struggle, Jesus sees you fully and he loves you. Jesus sees you now, whether you have come and seen who he truly is or not.
Come and see who Jesus is. Choose to make your home with Jesus.
Jesus is not the author of evil, rather he is the redeemer of it. He suffered more than anyone else ever will. He suffered more than you ever will. Ever. And he suffered for you. He suffered for people who would choose not to care. He committed the greatest act of love ever. We have a high priest in Jesus who can empathize with our weaknesses, our suffering and our pain. He knows and has felt whatever it is you may be feeling.
As for the camper, he gave his life to Christ that week, which was awesome! Come and see like he did. Give Jesus a chance. Give him a first date, and then a second date. Get to know him, and I promise, I promise, that you will begin to experience what PERFECT LOVE is like.
Come and see Jesus today.
My God is good, and he loves you. And I do too. God bless.
