Why Does Evil Exist?

Introduction

As with other lessons in this series, there is more than one way to approach our subject today. The way that I have chosen to approach the subject is what makes sense to me and hopefully to you as well. There is little doubt that of all the questions that could be asked in this culture that poses the most difficulty for Christians to answer is the question of evil. How is it that a good God could allow evil? If God is all knowing then why doesn’t he alter events so that the future would have no evil? If God is all powerful why doesn’t he stop the bad things from happening? These are legitimate questions.

We are surrounded by the presence of evil. We hear and read about evil events regularly. We experience evil in a real and painful way. It isn’t just that we suffer, we see and know that there is a pervasive evil presence in our world. We know that there is injustice. We know that the innocent are mistreated. Because we know that evil exists, it is difficult for us to remain confident and certain about goodness. We lock our doors at night; we turn on our alarms; we avoid contact with strangers. We teach our children (and rightly so) to be wary of strangers. We fortify our dwellings and fortify our lives as much as possible and all the while we still don’t feel completely safe. There is still uncertainty and anxiety about our world.

One of the great challenges that we have is to deal with the problem of evil in this world intellectually and theologically while also having to deal with the emotional challenges that come personally when evil affects us. I want to address both today. Volumes have been written about this subject and the danger is that a 20 minutes lesson will be too superficial. I admit on the front end that I will not and cannot answer all questions. My task is to help us to deal intellectually with some tough questions then to speak to our hearts about faith and love and trusting our God.

Questions

If God is all powerful, why doesn’t he stop evil? If God is all knowing why does he continue to allow evil exist? While these are two questions they are really the same question. The idea is that all knowing, all powerful, and all loving God should be able to do something about evil in this world. The fact that evil continues calls God into question. Harold Kushner wrote the book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.” Kushner, a Jewish rabbi, tried to explain how evil and God could co-exist. His conclusion — God is all knowing but he is not all powerful. He writes “even God has a hard time keeping chaos in check and limiting the damage that evil can do.”

This view means that God is not worthy of our worship. If God is limited in power then we cannot trust him. His lack of power calls into question his sovereignty and his goodness. The Bible declares that God is all powerful and that he is all knowing. If the Bible is wrong in one point it is wrong in all points. So how do we explain that an all knowing and all powerful God allows evil in this world? And by allowing evil in this world does this not call into question God’s goodness?

What is the greatest commandment? Matthew 22:37-39 says that the greatest commandment is to love God with all of our heart, soul, and mind and the second is like the first that we are to love our neighbors as we even love ourselves. How is that possible? Do we not choose this? Do we not choose to love God and others? Is it love if we do not choose it? If we lose the ability to choose love, then we are not left with love at all. We are left with an artificial, stilted, sterile existence with no real love. We become robotic and mechanized. If I cannot choose love then there is no free will.

Is the same possible with evil? Is evil not chosen by someone? If God allows us to choose love, does he not also allow us to choose evil? If we do not choose it does not someone choose it so that life is affected? But you may be quick to point out that not all evil is chosen. That there is evil in this world that isn’t chosen by anyone. A disease that takes life; a weather incident that destroys life and property; an unexplainable event that results in suffering — are these not evil as well?

They are but Jesus gives us alternative views. Look at Luke 13:1-5. Two examples of evil are given. Pilate kills a number of men. Jesus says these men were not worse sinners than others. Their deaths were not a reflection on their spiritual condition. It was a reflection, however, on the realization that there are worse things than dying. To die without knowing God is far worse than dying in this life. The second example is an act of random evil. A tower fell resulting in 18 men dying. Did they die because they were evil in some way? No. Jesus doesn’t address the situation to explain the presence of evil. That is taken for granted. What he addresses is the importance of repentance. Death, suffering, evil are a part of this life. What is important is one’s relationship with God. Does this seem to calloused?

Turn to John 9. Who sinned this man or his parents that he was born blind? Jesus answers — there is no sin involved. People are born blind; cancer occurs; our bodies are not made to last; suffering comes. Evil Jesus says ultimately enhances the goodness of God. Here is the logical, philosophical and theological answer to evil — We were created to be free to choose. People choose evil and people can choose love. It is never God’s will for evil to be chosen but when it is chosen or when suffering comes as a part of the existence of a fallen world, then God can still reveal his glory through those events. Do not think of disease as punishment or a tornado as God’s judgment. Think of how we can reveal God’s glory in such events. How can we reveal the beauty of God in those situations?

Finding Purpose in Suffering

I do not have enough wisdom and intelligence to answer all questions. But one question that I want to address is simply this — Is there any benefit to suffering in this world? There are multiple ways to answer this but I will choose only one for the sake of time. Suffering allows us to recommit to faith and love. C.S. Lewis’ wife, Joy, died from cancer. Lewis was 58 years old when he married Joy. A long confirmed bachelor, Lewis wasn’t looking for a mate, but when Joy came along he was smitten by her intellect and humor. They married in 1956. Joy died in 1960. He wrote the book “A Grief Observed” following her death. Here is one quote from that book — Ill. “Suffering—Questioning God.” This is how Lewis described his grief — God being silent.

That is often what happens when evil touches our lives. We are angry and grieved. We wanted God to intervene in clear ways. We wanted the suffering to end and we wanted things to be right again. Like Lewis what we find in the midst of our suffering is a deafening silence. God doesn’t speak. We go through the suffering feeling very much alone and helpless and in some cases we grow bitter and disappointed in our God.

Eric Clapton son died on March 20, 1991. His son fell out of 53rd story window. A parent’s nightmare. Clapton took 9 months off and when he returned he had written a number of songs that reflected his grief. One of those songs was “Tears in Heaven.” Clapton in an interview acknowledged that it was the trial which helped to move him toward greater faith. After a time of being mad at God, he found hope in knowing that there would be a time when he would see his son again.

What I am suggesting is that suffering has a some benefit even if we are not able to see it or know it. We take our children to doctors to receive treatment that at times is uncomfortable and painful. Our children may not understand but we assure them that it is for their good. God on an even grander scale reassures us that he has not left us in our suffering. He reassures us that he is still working in our suffering. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:18 that our present sufferings when compared to eternity are not worthy comparisons. It is only that eternity will be better; Paul calls us to see beyond this present life and its sufferings. Paul will write in Philippians 1:29 that our suffering is a blessing because it reminds us of what is truly important while allowing us to share with Christ in his sufferings.

Do not forget that God has the ability to take any suffering we have and use it to carry out his will and to ultimately bring good to us. Just ask Joseph who was sold into slavery about how God changed the evil into good (Genesis 50:20 — You intended to harm be but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”). Ask Paul about his imprisonment and living in the shadow of death throughout his ministry and he will tell you about having time to write multiple letters and to eventually go to Rome to preach the gospel even resulting in the conversion of guards who served in direct connection with Caesar (Philippians 1:13).

God brings good out of our suffering. Sometimes it is to draw us closer to him. Sometimes it is to help us change our character. All of this demands faith. This kind of faith demands much. Suffering is never easy, pleasant or wanted. But God can use our suffering and knowing that we trust him more and more to do what is best for us. Lewis later in his book “A Grief Observed” wrote the following.

Invitation.

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