Have you ever experienced — either directly or indirectly — a tragedy or loss that so deeply affected you?
If not, give it some time. It’ll happen.
If so, did this experience negatively impact your faith in God? Or, for the unbeliever, is the pain and suffering in this world too much for you to comprehend from an omnipotent God?
If God is truly all-good and all-powerful, why is any of this allowed? Why can’t — or doesn’t — he stop it?
You’re not alone. This question has spanned the test of time, and it’s perfectly normal and rational to wonder.
But there’s good news. I’m going to share with you why the pain, the suffering, and the evil in this world is actually evidence for God, not against Him.
Defining the Terms
What is evil? What is good? And what are we to make of God, as he is understood in the Bible?
What is Evil?
First of all, let’s establish that evil exists in the first place.
Evil Does Exist
Most humans, believers and nonbelievers alike, will admit that there is evil in the world. We don’t have to look far and wide, or for too long, to spot it. Something is wrong with this world, and everybody knows it.
We just won’t all agree on its cause and/or definition.
Defining Evil
So, because we can agree that evil does, in fact, exist, how do we define it?
In order to define evil, we must know what good is. Otherwise, there is no standard or basis for judging and defining what evil really is.
Evil can be defined as that which is incongruent or at odds with good.
“But, wait… that sounds like a circular definition! You’re going to define evil by using good?”
Yes, I am.
“But why can’t the reverse be true? Why can’t evil be the standard that defines good?”
Here are two reasons:
• First, to avoid a circular definition, good and evil can’t both define each other. One has to be the standard and the other has to be the deviation. Ask most people which one is which and the likely response would be: “Despite the presence of evil in this world, the default — or neutral state — is good.” If this were not the case, and if evil were the default state, that would mean that everything that exists, including the God who created it all, would have to be evil, and good would be the rare deviation of such a horrid scene.
• Secondly, good would be dependent on evil. If evil really was the default state, you have to judge all action — or even inaction — on its evil counterpart. An example: It is generally accepted that giving someone a compliment is a “good” gesture. But if evil is necessary in order to define that specific gesture as good, then it would have to be considered “evil” for you not to give your neighbor a compliment. Which, needless to say, is nonsense.
What is Good?
As Christians, we believe that “good” can be defined as that which is in accordance with God’s will and his holy nature.
During Creation Week, God saw what he had created and declared it “good” — except at the conclusion of Day 6, when he saw everything that he had made and deemed it “very good.”
Characteristics of Goodness
What are some of the characteristics of goodness as viewed through the lens of a holy God?
Here are a few:
Goodness flows from faith: True good works come from our faith in the Gospel. As James 2:18 says, “But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” Works do not lead to salvation, but they are the evidence of a genuine faith.
Goodness is done for God’s glory: A man who donates to charity for the plaudits and recognition is not doing true good. But the one who donates because it is God’s will for us to be generous and to spread his glory is truly doing good to honor Him.
Goodness is done for the benefit of others: Good works are not about self-improvement, personal spirituality, or an imaginary deposit into the fictitious “Morality Bank.” They are selfless acts directed toward the good of one’s neighbor.
Goodness is motivated by grace, not law: Although God does command us to love one another and to be generous with what he grants us, there should be more motivation than appeasement. Good works are not done out of compulsion or for selfish reasons. They are joyful response to God’s love and grace. “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” — 2 Corinthians 9:7.
Goodness is an act of God: We are not robots programmed by a scientist, nor puppets whose strings are being pulled by a puppeteer. But our good works are not of our effort alone. God operates through his children.
Who is God?
The last term we must define is God himself.
God is omnipotent (all-powerful), omniscient (all-knowing), and omnibenevolent (all-good). These are attributes that no atheist wants to believe exist because they know humans don’t possess those qualities, and they don’t want to believe or admit there is a higher power that they cannot see.
They don’t believe in those qualities independently, and certainly not all three held at the same time. In fact, some believers even have trouble understanding the concept.
But that doesn’t mean God’s attributes aren’t true. It just means our understanding and comprehension are lacking due to our limited human brains.
Think about it this way:
If humans have had to correct themselves, both on an individual level and as a collective race of beings throughout time, it clearly demonstrates how little we really know, and how much more information there is to gather.
Responses to the Problem of Evil
Okay, so what if there is a God? If he really is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent, then why does he allow evil to exist?
Although as humans we look to theodicies — arguments that attempt to reconcile the existence of God with the reality of evil and suffering in the world — the truth is that we will never fully understand all of God’s ways by virtue of his perfection and our limited capacities.
However, through Scripture, which is God’s revealed Word, we are able to make educated guesses.
Free Will
The free will theodicy states that evil and suffering exist because God gives humans free will, making genuine goodness and love possible through choice.
For love to be genuine, it must be a free choice, not a forced one.
For one moment, imagine you are a science and technology nerd — if you’re not already one. (And I use “nerd” lovingly, as I am a big web development nerd.)
If you were able to program a robot to say “I love you” about 50 times per day, it wouldn’t feel nearly as satisfying as a spouse expressing his or her love to you, even a fraction of that amount, would it?
That’s because you programmed your robot to express love. The robot doesn’t really feel that way about you. But your spouse choosing to love you and express it means so much more.
It’s genuine.
Similarly, God is not the “programmer” of evil. He does not write code for humans to do evil. But by virtue of our human free will, we are able to reject God — and sadly, we do so with each of our daily sins.
The Bondage to Sin
Although we have free will, our “choice” to sin isn’t just a black and white issue. There is some gray to the topic, and that’s because of the bondage to sin.
We are, by our human nature, bound to sin. We aren’t “sinners” because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.
Huh?
To put it another way: it’s not the sinful action that makes us sinners. We already are sinners by birth, through the descendency of Adam and original sin.
God’s Unwavering Sovereignty Amidst Evil
God is not passive; He is constantly at work, actively holding together the universe and all life within it. His control is absolute — a concept known as sovereignty.
This means God is in charge of everything, and ultimately, no human depravity or demonic force can thwart His plan.
The Nature of God and the Origin of Evil
God Does Not Author Evil: The central tenet is that God is pure and holy, and He is the source of ultimate good, not the author or creator of evil.
Evil is the Result of Sin: Evil is understood as a consequence of sin, which is the transgression of God’s perfect law. It is not an original creation of God but an aberration that arose from rebellion.
God Permits Evil’s Existence: While God does not create evil, He does apparently allow it to occur within the world.
God’s Purpose and Action Through Evil
Even in the face of permitted evil, God remains in control and actively works through those circumstances for His divine purposes:
Turning Evil for Good: God possesses the power to use evil and suffering to bring about a good outcome. A prime example is the story of Joseph, where his brothers’ wicked act of selling him into slavery was ultimately used by God to save many lives, including his family’s, from famine.
A Call to Repentance: Tragic or evil events can serve as powerful catalysts, leading people to repentance and a turn toward eternal life, as Christ Himself taught.
Displaying God’s Glory: God allows suffering and evil, not out of an inability to stop it, but because through these challenges, He reveals the full spectrum of His glory, most vividly His unmatched grace and mercy.
Christian Responses to Suffering in Practice
Our Christian faith offers more than just theological explanations for suffering.
It provides concrete, practical responses rooted in the core beliefs. We focus these responses on the person of Jesus Christ, and the hope for the future provided by him as our savior.
The Cross of Jesus Christ: The Central Response
At the heart of the Christian faith and its practical response to suffering is the Cross of Jesus Christ.
Yes, Jesus died and rose from the grave. It is a historical fact recorded and backed by evidence.
But it’s not just the historicity of the event that we should celebrate. God demonstrates his nature and commitment to his creation — us humans — through our pain. He knows that we’re at fault and yet remains sympathetic to our plight.
Too many humans — believers and nonbelievers alike — are searching for the wrong kind of God. They’re looking for a God who will prevent all suffering and be at their beck and call, ready to fulfill their requests like a celestial butler.
The Cross gives us a different truth: that we made a mess, and rather than prevent it from happening, he’s going to help us through it.
What does the Cross reveal to us?
- God Understands: God became one of us and suffered and died for our sins. We know that we worship a Savior who understands our pain and struggles.
- God Shares: The Cross signifies that God’s response to a suffering world was not to merely observe, but to participate. He shares in our pain — and even endured much worse — giving us a deep sense of companionship, and a belief that “God is with us” in the midst of the struggle.
Hope for the Future: Endurance and Meaning
Jesus paying the penalty for our sins isn’t just a representation of God’s love for us in the midst of our present suffering.
It’s also, more crucially, a sign of future hope.
All the evil and suffering that exists in the world will be wiped away. This is the promise of God’s ultimate plan and victory.
Scripture tells us of a future restoration, one in which there will be a new heaven and earth.
Revelation 21:4 says: “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
This hope is a powerful theological certainty, rather than a simple wish, which provides:
• Meaning: Present struggles are temporary and purposeful. They point toward the eternal weight of glory. This hope transforms pain from a meaningless dead end into part of a larger, redemptive story.
• Endurance: Call this the “light at the end of the tunnel” analogy. The promise of final relief emboldens believers to face current difficulties with resilience. Knowing that the pain is not permanent and that perfect justice and peace await provides the strength to persevere in the face of immense present trials.
Conclusion: Finding Meaning in the Mystery
The problem of evil and suffering is a difficult one for many to overcome, both believers and nonbelievers alike. It’s a major stumbling block for many skeptics or newcomers to faith.
“Why is God allowing this?” is the common refrain.
But that is direct evidence for the existence and goodness of God. The fact that all humans have an innate ability to see when something is “off,” whether they agree on all intricacies of evil or not, proves that there is a “right” way that is not being fulfilled.
The “right way” cannot be relative, because then nothing would be considered universally right. Everyone would be able to dispute everyone else’s vision of good, and there also would be no agreement on what is evil.
Remember: if there is no absolute truth to goodness, then nothing can be considered evil.
The best — and only — explanation for what is the absolute standard for universal good is an all-powerful, all-knowing God, the creator of everything we know.
The Christian journey through suffering is not about perfectly solving the problem of evil; it is about finding a way to persevere with hope. It acknowledges the reality of your pain, validates your questions, and invites you to anchor your uncertainty in the person of Jesus Christ, who shared in your humanity.
