The existence of evil is one of the oldest and most challenging theological and philosophical issues and it is often seen as a contradiction to the belief in an omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent God. However, this conclusion overlooks several important considerations.
1.
The
existence of evil does not necessarily negate the existence of God. God created
man in His own image and gave him freewill to choose right from wrong so that
humans would not be like machines. Evil came into the world because of the
wrong choices made by man. If God was to wipe away all evil, it would mean
wiping away every human on the earth. He would have to cause more disaster in
order to get rid of evil and that would not make Him a loving God so He has to
exist with it (Matthew 7:11).
2.
The
presence of evil allows for the manifestation of good. Just as the surgeon can
perform painful surgery to relief another form of pain or suffering, the
problem of evil can be used to bring about good. In times of tragedy and suffering, we often
see acts of heroism, compassion, and altruism. These acts of goodness and
kindness would not be possible without the context of evil. It provides context
for moral growth and development, which is an essential part of the human
experience. Without evil, there would be no need for moral decisions, and thus
no moral progress. God allows His children to go through suffering so that
after they have endured, His name will be glorified. Job was better off after
his sufferings. Paul’s sufferings led to the furtherance of the gospel (Phil.
1:12-14). Jesus endured suffering to save the humans from the wages of sin
which is eternal death (Heb. 9:22)
3.
If God
is good, then evil must exist because the goodness is the standard by which
evil is measured. If evil is the absence of good, then goodness must exist for
evil to exist, so God and evil can exist at the same time.
We must strive to
understand the role of evil in our lives and seek to grow in our relationship
with God despite its presence.
