This is a follow up to last week’s message, “Adam, where are you?”
Introduction
The prompt for this message comes from the questions:
If God is omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent and all loving, why does He permit evil and not exercise His power to stop these things (just pick the headline of the day – the slaughter in Ukraine and the recent Texas school shooting) from happening?
And on a personal level, “Where is God when we need Him when we experience life shattering events and even minor upsetting events and issues?”
Message
Perhaps, the first thing we should do is ask ourselves, “Who is God?”
Simply stated: Are You good?
“For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” Psalm 100:5
Are You trustworthy?
“For the word of the LORD is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.” Psalm 33:4
Do You care?
“Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
Note: There are numerous verses that also answer these three questions.
You may be thinking – well, those verses are all well and good, but I still am perplexed about God not putting a stop to all the evil acts and also where is He when I need Him? And perhaps, why am I paying for Adam and Eve’s sins?
Let’s begin with the last question – paying for Adam and Eve’s sins. All we have to do is examine our own thoughts and actions. Yes, we condemn murder, but do we condemn our thoughts that we may have regarding wishing harm on another person? Or do we think that we are better than another person? Looking in the mirror should give us pause to reflect on that question.
As to the question “Why does God not put an end to evil if He is powerful enough to do so?” First of all, let it be noted that God will put a stop to all the pain and suffering one day, and that day is likely coming sooner than we think. But why not yet? The answer is that when, not if – but when, God does put a stop to all evil in this world there will be no more chances for anyone to ever get right with God again. Let’s ask the question this way: What if God had come back last night? What if God had decided that enough was enough; that no more children will ever suffer; that no one else will ever be murdered; what if He had chosen to stop the violence and the suffering of this world last night? The answer is beautiful on one hand. Evil would once and forever be finally and fully eradicated and done away with; evil would be punished accordingly and justly forever. On the other hand, had God put an end to all evil last night, the weeping and heartache that this world would have seen would have been unparalleled since the beginning of creation. Numbers beyond our comprehension forever doomed to an eternity in hell. Parents waking up to find out that their children have been taken from them into the presence of God forever more only to know that they would be separated from them forever as they spent eternity in the place called Hell which was prepared for the Devil and his angels. The question, if God had come back and put an end to all evil last night, where would we be at this present moment? Where would our neighbors be? Where would our loved ones be? Do we still wish that He had returned? Do we still wish that He put an end to that which is evil last night?
In the meantime, does God care about what is happening in the world?
And does He care about us?
Look only to John 3:16 and the 23rd Psalm for the answers.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”
Since He cares about us, then He cares about what happens in the world.
Concluding Remarks and Application
So again we ask the question: do we really wish that God put an end to all wickedness last night? Where would we be forever had God decided last night was the night He would once and for all stop evil?
The very reason that God has not stopped the tragedies of our day, is because His perfect righteousness demands that He stop all wickedness when He steps in to put an end to sin, judge the world, and bring in a new heaven and a new earth. When God does so (and He will) there will be no more opportunities for repentance and salvation when He makes that move; and He will make that move one day. One day He will judge all the world in perfect justice and righteousness. Judging all that is wicked, not just that which feels wicked to us. The wicked will be punished – forever. The saved will be saved – forever. There will be an end to all of the evil in this world. Evil will be punished – forever. But when that happens what will become of us? What will become of our friends? Our neighbors? Our family?
This is why God waits. And until He returns there will always be evil in this world. It is impossible for there not to be unless God removes it all. The very fact of evil in this world only proves how true and clearly supernatural the Bible is, for it alone explains all of this clearly. Yet, how wicked the hearts of men are, for they still refuse to believe. Oh may God open the eyes of many that they might be saved before that glorious and terrible day when time as we know it is no more and evil if forever done away with.
And to that we pray as the Lord Himself taught us… “Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”