Why Evil?

Why Evil?

The reasons why a good God would allow evil in His world does not lend itself to trite sayings or easy answers, but it’s a fair question.

When Jesus returns, He will bring in a world without tears, death, sorrow, or pain (Rev 21:4). His wise and righteous ones, those who followed him, who “led many to righteousness” will shine like the sun (Dan 12:3; Matt 13:43). Those yet to be born (Isa 65:17-20) will never have to be brave, nor believe, hope, or endure for a promised reward, ever. They will need someone to tell what it was like when evil was in the world, and it seemed normal.

Evil’s strength comes in part from its deceit. It spreads like a lush, green tree and it looks to last forever. Then it’s gone (Psalms 37:35,36). It stands like a nine-foot giant, until it meets David the shepherd boy with a rock and a sling. Death was conquered by Jesus at the cross (Rev 1:17-18), and evil will be crushed with His return (Rom 2:5-9, Rev 21:8). His final triumph will also be based on the daily battles of His faithful ones (Eph 6:10-12), His tested people who, through the ages, from all walks of life, believed, trusted and dared to do great things no matter what an evil world threw at them.

Doing right endures forever (Isa 9:7). This means evil is finite. It will have an end. It will run out of ideas. All its schemes will be known one day. All its moves will have a counter move. The questions evil raises will be answered. Every trick evil could think of will be tried, even the ones reserved for the last battle. In the end it will not be enough. Then, having been exposed, it will be disposed of (Job 8:13, Matt 25:46, Rev 20:3,10). Out of this world will march a savior with a wise, tested and savvy people who will take their triumphs with them into the next, endless world.

In that time to come, when the nations are healed (Isa 2:2-4, Rev 22:2), people will know what those righteous people did (1Tim 5:24, 25, Rev 14:13). Some will say, “I would have been like you if I had the chance. I would have given up doing wrong. I would have believed. I would have seen through the lies. I would have fed the hungry and cared for the hurting, even if it was hard. I could have been brave too, just like you.” The righteous will tell them those triumphs didn’t come easy. Life at that time was sometimes painful.

“What’s pain?” they will ask.

This world allows us to choose between good and evil; the side that will win and the side that seems to be winning. That is the answer.

Started August 4, 2022

Sent to JH ??

Received from JH September 20, 2022

Final version sent to JH Monday, October 5, 2022