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How Can A Loving God Allow Evil To Exist?

E.R. Hall, Jr.
01/09/22 - Sunday

Clarifying the question: Can God create a place without evil or pain? (2 Pet. 3:3; Rev. 7:14-17)

• The answers are emotionally unsatisfying.
  • Evil is a consequence of sin. (Rom. 5:12, 17-18)
  • The message of the prophets: God will bring evil upon those who disobey. (2 Kings 17:7-23; Isaiah 1:19-20; Jer. 15:1-9)
  • People experience evil because of their own sin. (Acts 5:1-11)
  • The sentence of hell is for those who do not believe and obey. (Rom. 2:5-11; 2 Thess. 1:6-9; Rom. 5:14, 18)
  • Evil is a consequence of free will. (Ezekiel 18:18-20)
  • Powers, civil, military and economic currently rule this world. (2 Cor. 4:3-4; Eph. 6:12)
• The Answer is unknown:
  • Job asked why the innocent suffer and was not given an explanation. (Job 38:4)
  • Solomon said such questions are "vain"; he sees no explanation for it. (Ecc. 4:1; 8:14, 16-17)
• It's not the wrong answers; but the wrong question.
  • Why are we asking the question?
  • If we were given a satisfying answer, would it change anything?
  • Evil is too complicated for that. (Eph. 6:12)
  • Evil cannot be separated from those who commit it. (Rom. 3:23)
  • Since evil is in the world, it cannot be removed unless the world is destroyed.
• We must learn to imitate our Father by doing good instead of evil. (James 1:2-4)
• Instead of asking why evil exists, we should ask "What is God doing about evil"? (Matt. 17:5; Rom. 8:32; Matt. 26:39; 1 Cor. 15:20-26