Why is there so much suffering? Why does God allow evil to exist? Why do bad things happen to good people? If God is all-powerful, why doesn’t He just stop evil? So many of these questions are asked by non-Christians, as well as Christians, all the time. Many non-believers main reason as to why they don’t believe is some variation of these types of questions. It can be a difficult topic to discuss. Often it is uncomfortable. Sometimes the topic is brought up during a difficult time in someones life. Maybe they suffered a loss. Maybe they heard something on the news or radio. With evil all around, it often is just WHY?
Everything starts and ends with God for He is all-powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), and everywhere (omnipresent). God is absolutely sovereign (ruler with absolute power). He is in charge of absolutely everything. “He is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings, and the Lord of lords” (1 Tim. 6:15). Every single thing that happens. Every molecule in existence. Every ruler, every authoritative figure, every government; God is King of kings, sovereign ruler over all. Nothing happens outside of God’s control. “The Lord brings death and gives life…The Lord brings poverty and gives wealth; He humbles and he exalts. For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s” (1 Sam. 2: 6-8).
Evil exists. God is the only Sovereign. “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and no one is like me. I declare the end from the beginning…. and I will do all my will” (Isaiah 46: 9-10). God in numerous Scripture verses, by being Sovereign over all, declares the existence of evil does not happen outside his control.
Evil is no disruption in God’s plan. God allows His creation free will to sin. In Genesis, we see this will to sin in full view. The Pride of man is on full display here. God warns Adam, “You are free to eat from ANY tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die” (Gen. 2: 16-17). God created mankind, allowed them free will to sin. Man pridefully disobeyed God’s command. However, this evil did not altar God’s plan.
This original sin in the Garden, as all sin, is Pride. Why Pride? Sin comes from not following God’s will given to us in Scripture. Sin is following OUR will, not God’s will. Evil is created from sin. God is not the author of sin. Sinfulness comes only from creature. When we sin, we CHOOSE to sin against God. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). God is Holy and perfect, as is His Will. Our pride, our sin, is in choosing our will over God’s will.
“In the beginning God created the Heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). “Let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker (Psalm 95:6)! God is the creator of all, yet we pridefully choose sin over worship. Our praise over praise for God our maker. Self-worship over worship of our Lord. “God detests sin” (Proverbs 6:16-17). “Sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar” (Gal. 5: 19-21).
We choose to sin. God detests sin, yet out of Pride we attempt to justify our sin. We claim our sin is better than someone else’s sin. If they do more evil than us, they are worse than we are. All sin is enmity against God! It is not for us to declare one sin worse than another. No matter how harsh or evil sin is, ALL sin is enmity against God! The wages of sin is death!
It is by the Grace of God that we are given eternal life, salvation from God, by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. Sin is so heinous and evil in the eyes of God He sent his only begotten Son to become Sin and declare us righteous in the eyes of a Holy God. “For God so loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Jesus Christ was perfect and sinless, yet became sin in order for sinful man to be saved through our faith and obedience to our Lord.
Our Lord Jesus Christ suffered a most brutal, horrific death at the hands of sinful man. Our Lord new no sin, yet became sin. The wages of ALL sin is death. Nothing displays the horrific nature of sin more than God sending his only Son to suffer the consequences that come because of OUR sin in order for us to be declared righteous in front of a Holy, perfect God. By becoming sin, our Lord Jesus Christ imputed his righteousness into us. Our Lord, suffering for our sin, defeated death. He rose from the grave. He sent us the Holy Spirit and Holy Scripture. “The free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
“Repent and believe” (Mark 1:15). By the Grace and love of God, we can repent of our sins, live a life of obedience to our Lord, and have eternal life. A most Glorious, Godly plan. Walking as Christ walked will put is in the crosshair of sin and evil, yet not our will, but God’s will be done. Share the great news of the Gospel message and give a Holy God all Glory and Praise in all that we do. Amen
Jason Pauley
