Job: Why does God Allow Evil to Exist?

James 1:2-4

God is sovereign over all. His response to Job made it clear that the Almighty created all things and controls them. Yet, evil exists. Countries attack other nations, causing the deaths of thousands. Tornadoes sweep across the United States, destroying communities. Diseases ravage our bodies. Why?

Let’s begin with a summary review.

• God is the sovereign Creator (Job 38-42).
• God did not create evil. Evil is the absence of good (Gen. 1:31).
• God did not create robots. He gave the angels and humanity free will (Gen. 2:8-9, 15-17).
• Satan led a rebellion against God (Isa.14:12-14; Eze. 28:12-18).
• Satan led Adam and Eve to rebel against God (Gen. 3).
• Sin and evil entered the human race (Rom. 5:12).
• Presently, Satan is the “god” or “ruler” of this world (John 12:31, 14:30; 2 Cor. 4:4).

So why does God allow evil to exist? Let me attempt to answer that question.

1.  The Bible does not ignore this question. 

This is not a new question. What we wonder about remains the same question that has echoed throughout the history of humanity. The psalmist posed it this way:

Psalm 10:1-4
Why, O Lord, do you stand far away? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble . . . For the wicked boasts of the desires of his soul, and the one greedy for gain curses and renounces the Lord. In the pride of his face the wicked does not seek him; all his thoughts are, “There is no God.”

2.  God is at work even when we don’t understand. 

We must approach this humbly, as God’s thoughts and ways are perfect and beyond our comprehension (Isa. 55:8-9; Rom. 11:33-34). Finite minds and hearts can never fully comprehend the eternal sovereign God. However, we hold fast to the promise that he works all things out for good (Rom. 8:28).

3.  As soon as God stops evil, he ends free will and reduces humans to robots. 

What is the apparent evil you want God to stop? Let’s say murder. So, God must take away man’s free will to express hatred, jealousy, envy, and pride. That sounds fine until you realize that all emotions would be removed. And how many murders involve alcohol? There go all the breweries located in your area. No more family pictures to share on your smartphone, because where there is a camera, there is pornography. And porn needs to be delivered to you, so there goes all technology—no computer, smartphone, photography, or print material.

So, what if God judged and removed only those who committed sins? That wouldn’t suffice, because “there is not a righteous [person] on earth who does good and never sins” (Eccl. 7:20).

4.  Why does God allow natural disasters? 

We can answer that question in two ways. First, God created the earth and all the laws of nature (Gen. 1:1). However, just as humanity is under the curse of sin, so is the earth (Rom. 8:19-21). Sometimes, natural disasters result from the laws of nature operating in a broken world. Hurricanes and tornadoes occur when divergent weather patterns collide. Earthquakes are caused by the Earth’s plates shifting. An underwater earthquake can trigger a tsunami.[1]

Second, God allows natural disasters as a judgment on sin (Deut. 11:17, James 5:17, Num. 16:30-34). This happens in his sovereign eternal mind, which we cannot comprehend.

5.  Sometimes God allows evil to test and grow us. 

God seeks to capture our attention and guide our hearts towards him. He is continually helping us to grow in our faith.

James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Romans 5:3-5
…We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

God never wastes our time; he always works towards his perfect purpose being accomplished in our lives.

6.  Sometimes God allows evil to discipline us. 

The writer to the Hebrews says it this way:

Hebrews 12:5-8
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

7.  One day, evil will be completely eradicated from the earth. 

When Satan fell, evil—the absence of good—came into being. When Adam and Eve fell, sin entered the stream of humanity. God is sovereign, so his allowance of evil is never arbitrary. He uses it to fulfill his purposes in our lives and in the world. And remember, justice delayed is not justice denied.

One day, Jesus will return, and evil will be abolished forever. Paradise lost in Genesis 3 will be restored. No evil will ever be present in our eternal home with Jesus. He will destroy Satan once and for all (Revelation 20:7-10). All who know Jesus will experience a new heaven and a new earth free from sin and evil.

At the end of The Revelation, Jesus said, “Surely I am coming soon.” The writer John responded, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” We echo John’s words: “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read James 1:2-4 and Romans 5:3-5. From these verses, consider how God worked in Job’s heart and how he is working in yours.

Talking to God
Ask God to help you learn from your pain. What is he teaching you?

Have Questions?
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