God's Sovereignty and the Problem of Evil

If God is good and all-powerful, then why does evil exist?

This is one of the hardest questions that Christians will ever have to answer. Skeptics of Christianity often put it this way:

1)    If God is all-powerful, He could stop evil.

2)    If God is all-good, He would want to stop evil

3)    Evil exists – therefore such a God must not exist.

This form of reasoning seems simple, but is it true?

Many call this the problem of evil. No one challenges  evil’s existence. The problem of evil is deeply personal for us. We experience it in cancer diagnoses, school shootings, infant deaths, broken families, natural disasters, etc. If God is truly sovereign and truly good, then why does he allow such things? The goal of this blog is to show how God’s sovereignty gives us hope – even amidst suffering and evil.

As Christians, we affirm that God is all-powerful, that God is good, and that evil exists. However, we also believe that these truths do not contradict each other because of a fourth truth: God permits evil, not because He is powerless or cruel, but because He has a greater purpose for allowing it… to display His glory.

What is a Theodicy?

In theology, when we try to answer the question, “How can God be good and powerful, even though there is evil and suffering in the world?” we call this a theodicy. A theodicy is a defense of the justice of God. We are asking, “How is it fair?” There are different answers to this question; however, the view that I advocate for is called the Greater-Glory Theodicy...God permits evil to exist for His greater glory.

Evil Exists – But It Is Not Random 

When we survey Scripture, we see that God is sovereign over all things including evil. Yet God is sovereign over evil in  a way that prevents Him from being the author of sin. That means that even the darkest moments of history are part of His-Story and are used for His purposes. Consider how the Bible speaks about the darkest event of all time – the cross.

In Peter’s sermon in the early chapters of Acts, he said, “This Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed…”(Acts 2:23). The Bible tells us that the worst evil that was ever committed was planned by God for our salvation. Yet God accomplished His purposes through the evil actions of men.

Something similar happens in the Joseph narrative found in Genesis. Joseph’s brothers had sold him into slavery. Joseph ended up second in command in all of Egypt. In Genesis 50, Joseph’s brothers begged him for their life since they sold him into slavery. Joseph’s response sheds some light on how we should think about the problem of evil. He said “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good…”(Gen. 50:20). Joseph’s brothers really meant evil against him. So much so that they are culpable for sinning against their brother. Yet even through the sin of Joseph's brothers, God accomplished His purposes. He brought His people down to Egypt.

Both of these examples demonstrate that evil does not happen at random. Nothing falls outside the sphere of God’s sovereignty. The question still remains… Why would God allow evil?

The Ultimate Goal

If God is sovereign over all things and if that includes evil, then God must have a purpose in allowing evil to exist. The Greater-Glory theodicy teaches that evil actually serves a role in revealing the fullness of God’s character. Without sin, then we would know nothing of God’s redeeming love, mercy, holiness, judgment, or comfort. Without sin’s presence, what would make us long for heaven? Without sin’s presence, what would our need be for Christ? The presence of evil functions to reveal the fullness of God’s character. It functions to magnify God’s glory. Scott Christensen puts it this way, “God’s glory, like a brilliantly cut diamond, shines most brightly against the black backdrop of evil”. Paul says it this way, “where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Rom. 5:20 KJV). God's glory and God's grace is the brightest against the black backdrop of sin and evil.

Hope in the Midst of Suffering

God takes the things that are meant for harm and turns them for His glory. This does not make suffering easy, but it does make suffering purposeful. God is in control – even when we aren’t. God is not reacting, He is reigning. Since God is reigning, when suffering comes, we can remember that we are not abandoned. We are in the hands of a God who is working all things for our good and for His glory.