Question
Something has been bothering me: If God is in charge, why does He allow evil to exist?
Answer
That is one of the most-asked questions in all the world, but I think it’s actually three questions. Let’s see if I can help you on this one…
Why does God allow evil to exist? – Because He’s still using it. Evil gives mankind a choice to willingly follow or not. Evil is the opposite influence that can be resisted or embraced by man. The Devil is a counter point at this time, so God is still utilizing him for His purposes. Once there is no more need, Satan, his demons, God’s enemies, and sin will be eradicated. Why sin came in at the beginning we can only guess. It appears so that God could set up a designed world where His love and goodness is revealed and create a place where people willingly love Him (with options to the contrary).
Did God create evil? – No. Evil is that which is contrary to God’s nature, so by definition God didn’t cause it. However, God put the pieces in play that can cause it (i.e. two good things when combined become bad), and did so knowingly. Does that make God evil? Perhaps if He didn’t provide the means by which to deal with it, then we could argue something like that. But God provided for the presence of evil to be resisted by Good. God has not left things alone after creating them. He is continually involved.
Is God loving if He allows evil? – I hope you see the answer clearly that it’s “Yes”. By placing the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the middle of the Garden of Eden (the possibility of evil), God provided a means by which His love for His people could be demonstrated and resisted, so that our love was ‘tested.’ God was continually loving, all that needed to be revealed ultimately was our love, not His.
