Why is there evil and suffering in
the world?
The curious as well as the critics of Christianity ask this
question. If God is all-powerful and all loving, then why does He permit evil and
suffering in the world? Various answers have been given but permanently settling the issue
is impossible because so many of our answers raise further questions. Nevertheless, our
lack of ability to answer the question perfectly does not mean that we cannot offer
solutions. Of course, I do not assume to be able to answer these questions definitively,
but I can offer some solutions.
First of all, it is possible that God has reasons for allowing
evil to exist that we simply cannot understand. In this the Christian can have confidence
in God knowing that His ways are above our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). As the Bible says, the
just shall live by faith (Hab. 2:4).
Second, God may be letting evil run its course in order to prove
that evil is evil and that suffering, which is the unfortunate product of evil, is further
proof that anything contrary to God’s will is bad, harmful, painful, and leads to
death.
God gave Adam dominion over the world (Gen. 1:28). When he
rebelled against God, he set in motion an entire series of events and changed the very
nature of man and creation. Both were affected by sin. Creation was no longer a paradise,
but bore thorns and thistles (Gen. 3:17-18; Rom. 8:22). People became sinful (Rom. 5:12;
Eph. 2:3), who were haters of God (Rom. 3:19-12), etc. The only conclusion to such a
situation is death. Jesus said, "And except those days should be shortened, there
should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be
shortened" (Matt. 24:22).
Sin is rebellion against God and His created order. But God has
not left us alone in this fallen world. He continued to enter this world, pointing us to
Himself, to truth, to morality, purity, and love. He used the evil of the world (liars,
perjurers, the envious, etc), to bring His Son to the cross so that we might have the
opportunity of eternal life. In this, God has not stepped away from fallen creation, but
has stepped into it by becoming Jesus. God works within the fallen world to affect change
and He uses fallen people to accomplish His will. In this, He is proving His sovereignty
over evil, suffering, and rebellious people, proving that sin and evil are utterly futile,
and that He is worthy of honor and glory.
A third possible reason that God is letting evil occur is so that
on the day of judgment, the condemned will have no right to say that their sentence is
unjust. God is not stopping people from exercising their free will. Think about this: If
someone said that God should stop evil and suffering, then should God then stop all
evil and suffering? If God only stopped some of it, then we would still be asking the same
question of why it exists. So, if we want God to stop evil and suffering, then He must
stop all of it. We have no problem with this when it means stopping a catastrophe, or a
murder, or a rape. But what about when someone thinks of something evil? Evil is evil
whether it is acted out or not. Hatred and bigotry in someone’s heart is wrong. If it
is wrong, and if God is to stop all evil, then He must stop that person from thinking his
own thoughts. To do that, God must remove his freedom of thought. Furthermore, which
person on the earth has not thought something evil? God would be required, then, to
stop all people from exercising their free will. This is something God has chosen not to
do. Therefore, we could say that one of the reasons that God permits evil and suffering is
because of man’s free will.
Fourth, it is quite possible that God uses the suffering to do
good. In other words, He produces patience through tribulation (Rom. 5:3). Or He may
desire to save someone through it. Take for example, the account of Joseph who was sold
into slavery by His brothers. What they did was wrong and Joseph suffered greatly for it.
But, later, God raised up Joseph in Egypt to make provisions for the people of that land
during the coming drought of seven years. But not only was Egypt saved, but also so was
his family and brothers who originally sold him into slavery. Joseph finally says to them,
"You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good" (Gen. 50:15-21). Of
course, the greatest example of God using evil for good is the death of Christ. Evil
people brought him to the cross, but God used that cross as the means to save the world.
But then we must ask, if this is true, are we working against God
by working against evil and suffering? No, we are not. God says he does not want us to sin
and suffer. But it is simply true that God can use evil despite of its apparent despicable
nature.
God is in the world using the world and its failures for
His glory and the benefit of those who listen to Him.
But then, what about those who seem to innocently suffer with no
benefit resulting? What about the woman who is raped, or the innocent by stander who is
killed by a stray bullet. In both cases, the victims and families suffer nothing but pain
and loss. What good can this possibly be?
I think that the answer is two-fold. One, ultimately, no one is
innocent. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and are by
nature children of wrath (Eph. 2:3). There is none innocent. Though this is biblically
accurate, it does not satisfy the question emotionally. Why do little babies suffer for
things they have not done? I must acknowledge that I do not know. Ultimately, we must
trust God who knows the beginning from the end and sees the grand picture. He will have
the final word and He will be vindicated.
Conclusion
Suffering is the result of human sin. The world is not the way
that God created it and because of that, all are vulnerable to the affects of sin in the
world. Why does one person suffer and another does not? Why do catastrophes happen to some
and no others? It is because sin is in the world. But there will come a day when the Lord
will return and cleanse this world of all sin and all suffering.
"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former
things are passed away" (Rev. 21:4).
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