Why Does God Not Stop Evil & Suffering?
Kyle Austin • July 20, 2020
1. Removing evil removes man’s freedom.
Think with me just for a moment. Try to take God’s place and create a better world in which you stop all suffering but in doing so you must think completely through each choice and thus the consequences of everything you do. Each time you use force to remove evil you are removing man’s freedom. To prevent all evil and suffering would be to remove all freedom. Now you have reduced humans to mere robots who have lost the ability to love.
2. There is the potential for good to come from evil & suffering.
The life of Joseph is a perfect example of how God can bring good from evil and suffering. He was severely mistreated and the evil against him was undesired and unjust. Jospeh would say to the very ones who committed the evil acts against him, "But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."
(Genesis. 50:20) One writer said, “all suffering contains at least the opportunity for good but not everyone actualizes that potential.”
How could anything good come out of evil and suffering?
- Suffering tests and strengthens faith. Suffering doesn’t destroy faith, it refines it. Only by testing is real faith discovered.
- Suffering of the cross produced eternal salvation through Jesus Christ. Who would have thought that through the false accusations, a rigged trial, beaten to the point of death, being unjustly hung on a cross to die, and the tremendous suffering emotionally and physically could have produced anything good. The disciples of Jesus sure could not see it at first but God brought about the absolute greatest from the absolute worse, eternal salvation!
- Suffering brings repentance. Pain and suffering are the means God uses to motivate people to surrender to Him and seek Jesus Christ for salvation. CS Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
3. Suffering and evil are compatible with God’s love when it is used to bring about a better good.
This occurs in the medical field everyday. The surgeon must inflict more pain and suffering in order to bring about healing. Here is an illustration. I broke my hip in an ATV accident and walked around on it for five days. My knee was the only area of my body that hurt a little. I finally went to the hospital because I started dragging my leg. Here the x-ray revealed the break. I was rushed in for surgery and when I woke up the pain was absolutely excruciating! I went in with only a sore knee and after the surgery I was in intense pain for a couple of days. The surgeon had to inflict more pain to bring about a better good which was me being able to walk on that leg for life. Another illustration to consider is how a doctor uses chemotherapy which can cause severe sickness and suffering in order to heal the cancer.
It may be that we need to adjust our view. Rather than asking God, “Get me out of this suffering”, we need to be asking “God what can I get out of this suffering.”

There are various ways to communicate the Gospel to people. There is not a set 1-2-3 method. We will walk through one method that has proven to be extremely effective and easy to remember. After we ask our spiritual discovery question of, "If you died today, where would you go?” typical responses will be something like: “I hope Heaven.” “I think Heaven.” “I’m not really sure.” “Can I really know?” “You can’t really be sure.” From there you can ask permission once again and follow with one of these questions: “Can I show you how you can know 100% for sure you can go to Heaven from the Bible?” “Do you mind if I show you what the Bible says about that?” “Do you have a few minutes for me to show you how to receive the gift of eternal life?” If they answer yes, they have given you permission to share the Gospel. Use the Bible and walk through the gospel. Allow the person to see and read the scriptures for themselves. It is helpful to mark your Bible with the following verses by highlighting the verse and then writing the next verse on the page somewhere so you know where to go next. Memorize and know these verses inside and out.

Lust and sin are two words commonly used in Christian communities. But I am willing to bet that if you went up to anybody on the street, on a college campus, at your local grocery store, they would be able to talk about lust and sin. This being that there has never been a person to ever exist, who has not dealt with lust and sin. Whether that is stealing, cheating, inappropriately looking, rudely speaking, or doing anything against the character of God. So often do people dance with sin. Attraction to Sin In Genesis 19, when Lot and his family are running away from Sodom, Lot’s wife disobeys the Lord and looks behind back at the city. Though she is running away from Sodom, her eyes were set back at a city filled sin. We, so often, can be like Lot’s wife; with our feet directed towards God, running toward Him, away from sin, but with our eyes and our hearts still set on sin. We can be internally dancing with sin, being no different than Lot’s wife. Implications of Sin Sin is not a light term, the definition of it being an immoral act against God, ”means that it is going directly against the most perfect, good, just, righteous, Creator of all things. He sets morality up for a purpose, not as a vain set of rules. So, we should listen when God says to do something, otherwise expect there to be consequences. We cannot hide sin, even the smallest of dances with it bleeds into every aspect of our lives. It will affect our relationships, energy, thoughts, and walk with God. The Devil rejoices in the aftermath of sin, how far he can take you away from God. This being the ideas of unbelief, struggle, worry, anxiety. Though the consequences of sin linger, the redemption, new creation, freedom, liberty, and victory found in Christ is forever! Victory over Sin Even the simplest dances with sin are dangerous, but in God there is complete victory! Stay on the straight and narrow path, focus on the Way, the Truth, and the Life, that is Jesus Christ. Be in the Word of God, seek to abide in Him and He will abide in you. Think back to Lot’s wife, she might’ve been doing the right things, trying to work her way back to safety, but her heart wasn’t in it. She was dancing with sin. So leave this dance, it doesn’t last. Eternal life is far greater than a fading moment in this world. Have your feet and eyes directed on Him, do not look back. Greater is He that is in you, than He that is in the world.

Many of us build five-year plans, but we forget that where we think we’ll end up may be vastly different than where the Lord has planned. Our eternal destination is Heaven, but our daily destination on Earth is uncertain. The only certainty as followers of Christ is the direction of the Way Who is Jesus. “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went. By faith he sojourned in the land of promise, as in a strange country, dwelling in tabernacles with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise: For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.” Hebrews 11:8-10 Abraham stepped out in faith, not knowing the destination, only the direction. He went out and sojourned because he trusted the God Who called him. Abraham immediately stepped out in pure faith when God called him to a promised land, when God said He would provide Abraham with descendants, and when God called Abraham to sacrifice his only son. What would it take for us today to step out in pure faith? Would we be content with a direction and not a detailed destination? Many times, the Lord gave directions for Abraham to follow, without sight of a destination. But every step Abraham took with God was immediate and out of pure faith. Abraham should have questioned everything, but he didn’t. And because he didn’t, God provided. We overwhelm ourselves, we worry, we fall, because we misplace our eyes. Our eyes need to look to nothing more than each step led by Jesus. Abraham not only sojourned in a strange land, but this land was of a promise. We are, “heirs with him of the same promise.” Just as Abraham looked for the city “whose builder and maker is God,” let us stay with the Direction, not the destination, Who is Christ Jesus!

Collegians for Christ is offering the opportunity for currently enrolled ECU or Pitt CC students to earn a one year CFC Bible Certificate or a two year CFC Advanced Bible Certificate. Classes meet in the fall and spring semesters. Three classes will be offered each semester with each class meeting for four weeks. Students will receive a notebook with all the covered content. Each class will only have two short homework assignments to complete. The goal is to help you grow in your biblical knowledge and faith, equip you to know what you believe and why you believe it, and learn how to make an impact as a believer in our culture and your vocation. To earn the CFC Bible certificate, a student must complete six classes and to earn the Advanced Bible Certificate the student must complete all twelve classes. Students can enroll in the certificate program at the beginning of any semester. Classes are held each Thursday 3:45-4:45pm at the CFC Campus House Beginning Sept. 5th, 2024 You can get more info on class offerings and how to register here .