Why Doesn’t God End the Evil in the World?

We often hear folks ask questions why God allows this thing or that thing. Why sickness? Why war? Why violence? Etcetera.

The world is in the condition it is in because of sin. The effects of sin is death: “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). So, if God suddenly stopped the sin problem in the earth, then death would cease. That would be great.

Here’s a thought: Who would survive if He suddenly ended the sin problem? The scripture says:

“There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).

That is God’s position on the sin problem. Not one of us is righteous enough to meet His standard. What is His standard? Himself!

That’s right! He is the standard of what’s right. He is the supreme authority. Disobedience of any kind is sin. Not one of us can fulfill such a lofty standard.

Because not one of us can fulfill such a lofty standard, God sent Himself to be our righteousness. He sent His Word in the flesh. His name is Jesus.

Jesus bore our sins, our sin nature, and the results of that unrighteous nature—the curse. Then, because Jesus had done no sin, when He was resurrected, He was resurrected righteous. We share in His righteous resurrection when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior. God’s standard is now met in Jesus:

“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).

What has this to do our original question? Why doesn’t God end the evil in the world?

If He did, who would survive? “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The answer is: Only those who have accepted Jesus. Everyone else is doomed. That’s billions of people who no longer have a chance being saved by God’s grace.

Is that what you want? No doubt the evil in this world can be overwhelming and terrorizing, but do we really want loved ones, friends, and so many “average” people to be so easily discarded to eternal damnation. I don’t.

If God passed judgement today and ended all the evil in the earth, only those who meet His standard would survive. And no one measures up to His standard—except Jesus.

The day will come when He will end the evil forever. But He’s patient and we need to be also: “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:7).

We like to blame God for all the evil we see, but God is the answer to the evil. He’s willing to tolerate this age of sin that some may be saved. And that is what He’s determined to do. We need to get on board with what He’s doing, because He isn’t changing. He will make it all worth while for us in eternity.

Meanwhile, as we face the challenges of this life, God has made His Word, Spirit, and Son available to us that we may overcome the evil: “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust” (2 Peter 1:2–4).

We have “exceedingly great and precious promises” that we may overcome the evil in this world.

Stay vigilant and prepared.