The present evil in our world is not God’s fault. Evil is a result of sin and Satan’s work in the earth. God has indeed did something about sin through the death of His Son; the end just hasn’t come yet because God wants the world to turn to him to be saved. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, New International Version). God does care about the evil that comes from sin. “The Bible tells us that God was grieved by human sinfulness (Gen. 6.6)” (Erickson, 2015, p. 165). God created us in his image for his glory. He gave freedom to every man so that we could hopefully choose to live in an everlasting relationship with him. But because Adam disobeyed God and caused the world to fall, we are going to see Satan and sin cause pain until Jesus comes back to renew the earth. We can find peace by looking forward to the world to come when our Savior returns!

Evil exists whether or not we believe in God. As I say this, I think about the many conversations that I had with atheists who questioned God because of evil. It sounds like an excuse to blame God so that man isn’t held responsible. It makes me believe that Satan really blames God for the fall, thinking that God did wrong when He created us in His image. Satan is the true deceiver and is lying to people so that he can prove God wrong and take his place. But it’s all foolish because God is perfect! Man needs to realize their wrongs and impact of their own sins in this world, repent, and turn to Christ. Otherwise, they’ll just be mad forever in hell. It’s interesting that I say this because I remember being this wicked person. I was so frustrated with the outcome of my life. I just wanted to turn my face from God and die. But I would’ve been lost forever and surrounded by even more evil. I looked crazy blaming others for my problems, being depressed, and not even realizing that blaming others didn’t change anything. I am very thankful for God’s grace. Jesus is our only way out of this mess. Whether we like him or not, evil still exists; so, we may as well choose the only hope that’s available!

“God is a fellow sufferer with us of the evil in this world, and consequently is able to deliver us from evil” (Erickson, 2015, p. 165). Those that are in Christ have the power to live according to the Holy Spirit so that we can choose not to sin and reap the consequences. Though things may attack us like natural evils, sickness, disease, or poverty, God is able to deliver us from them all. “Natural evils, in other words, can help cultivatevirtues such as courage and generosity by forcing humans to confront danger, hardship, and need” (Sherry, n.d.). Living for God causes us to use everything in life as an opportunity to seek the Lord and grow closer to him. Take Job’s tragedies for example…

God is omnipotent, no matter what’s happening in the world today. He has given everyone the opportunity to receive salvation which includes the hope of a world without evil. Believing in God is the only way to find hope and peace in the midst of the evil in the world. Without him, we will forever be lost, confused, and surrounded in evil. God loves us so much and will soon destroy all the forces of evil so that we can freely live for his glory. He cares for us and will not let evil tear us apart. He will only let it run its course for a little while, so that all people can have a chance to receive his gift of salvation.

References

Erickson, M. J. (2015). Introducing Christian doctrine (3rd ed.). Hustad, L. A. (Ed.). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic.

Sherry, P. (n.d.). Problem of Evil. Retrieved from https://www.britannica.com/topic/problem-of-evil