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Why Does God Allow Evil? Finding Answers in the Light of Jesus Christ

The question cuts deep, echoing in the aftermath of horrific headlines, personal betrayals, and the quiet erosion of hope by systemic injustice: If God is perfectly good and all-powerful, why does He permit such profound evil in the world? We witness malice that chills the soul, cruelty that seems senseless, injustice woven into the fabric of societies, and countless acts of wrongdoing that defy easy explanation.

A question like that, born from genuine pain and observation, inevitably challenges faith, disturbs peace, and leaves many searching desperately for answers, especially those exploring Christianity or new to a relationship with Jesus. It’s natural to feel troubled, confused, or even angry when confronting such stark realities, and simple answers or platitudes often fall painfully short. How, we wonder, can absolute goodness coexist with such pervasive darkness?

While human minds, limited in perspective and understanding, may never fully untangle every knot of a complex reality involving divine sovereignty and human freedom, turning our attention to Jesus Christ offers something far more substantial than intellectual arguments alone. It provides a powerful, personal, and hope-filled response directly from God Himself.

God did not send a philosophical essay or a theological treatise to address the anguish caused by evil; He sent His Son, Jesus, into the very heart of our broken world. Examining Jesus’s life – His teachings, His compassionate actions, His confrontations with evil forces, and His ultimate, stunning triumph over darkness – provides a compelling counter-narrative to the despair that evil so readily breeds. A journey into understanding Jesus reveals a God who actively confronts evil, who courageously enters into the pain it causes, and who ultimately secures an irreversible victory over it.

Let’s delve deeper into foundational truths about Jesus, truths that illuminate God’s character with brilliance and provide profound strength when confronting the stark, often overwhelming reality of evil.

Confronting Evil Through the Wonder of Jesus

The existence of deliberate wrongdoing, calculated hatred, and wanton destruction is a grim, undeniable reality. It forces us to grapple with fundamental questions about the nature of goodness, the extent of divine power, and the meaning behind immense suffering caused by malice. The Christian faith, however, offers a unique and compelling perspective centered squarely and unashamedly on Jesus. He is not an afterthought, a footnote, or a secondary character in the drama of evil; He is God’s decisive, loving, and powerful action against it.

Fact 1: Jesus is Immanuel – God With Us in a World Touched by Evil

A cornerstone of Christian belief, radical in its implications, is that Jesus was God Incarnate – God Himself taking on human flesh and blood. He didn’t merely observe the world’s evil from a safe, celestial distance; He plunged into a world deeply affected and scarred by it.

He lived among ordinary people, individuals who both experienced the sting of evil and sometimes participated in perpetrating it. He walked dusty roads, ate meals with sinners and saints alike, felt fatigue, experienced friendship, and faced temptation. His very presence, signified by the name “Immanuel,” which literally means “God with us,” declares emphatically that God has not abandoned His creation to the ravages of darkness. He drew intimately near, sharing our physical space, breathing our air, experiencing the very conditions under which evil operates and thrives.

A distant, abstract deity might seem indifferent or powerless against evil, but a God who willingly steps into the midst of evil demonstrates profound, sacrificial love and an unwavering commitment to redemption.

Importance: Why does knowing God came near truly matter when you are personally facing the consequences of evil? It provides the profound assurance that God is not detached from your reality, your suffering, or the world’s collective pain. When evil touches your life – through loss, betrayal, injustice, or fear – you are not crying out into an empty void or appealing to a distant, uncaring cosmic force.

You are speaking directly to a God who intimately understands proximity to darkness, who chose presence over comfortable distance. A belief in Immanuel means finding deep comfort in God’s nearness, knowing He walks alongside humanity on a path often shadowed and treacherous because of evil, offering His very presence as a profound, sustaining source of strength, hope, and solace. He is not unaware; He is with us.

Scripture: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).” – Matthew 1:23 (ESV)

Fact 2: Jesus Modeled Perfect Righteousness Against Evil’s Standard

In a world where moral lines constantly blur, where justifications for wrongdoing abound, and where evil often parades as acceptable or even necessary, Jesus lived a life of perfect, unblemished righteousness. He consistently and perfectly obeyed God’s will, not merely adhering to rules but embodying the very spirit of divine love and holiness. He demonstrated flawless compassion, unwavering integrity and consistently chose the path of good over evil, even when it was difficult or costly. His life serves as the ultimate, definitive standard of goodness, a brilliant light exposing the shadows and standing in stark contrast to the evil He encountered daily.

He showed humanity the original design, the intended beauty of a life lived in perfect harmony with God before being marred and twisted by sin and rebellion. His perfection wasn’t merely passive innocence; it was an active, dynamic demonstration of God’s holy character and a direct challenge to the darkness prevalent around Him. Seeing His life, lived out in real-world circumstances, assures us of God’s unwavering commitment to absolute goodness.

Importance: Jesus’s perfect righteousness provides a crucial, unshakeable anchor in a world swirling with moral confusion, ethical compromises, and blatant evil acts. For you, it means that goodness is not just a vague, relative concept; it has a face, a name, a history, and a perfect example in Jesus. It assures you that God’s holy standard remains pure and unchanging, regardless of how much evil seems to prosper or how cleverly it disguises itself.

Furthermore, His perfection offers tangible hope for personal transformation through faith in Him. It demonstrates that overcoming deeply ingrained patterns of sin – the very root of so much evil – is genuinely possible through His power working within you. It confirms God’s absolute goodness, a vital truth to hold onto when questioning His nature amidst the pervasive presence of evil. He provides the true north on our moral compass.

Scripture: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” – 2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

Fact 3: Jesus Directly Confronted and Overcame Evil Forces

Jesus’s earthly ministry was dramatically marked by numerous direct, authoritative confrontations with evil in its various, often terrifying, forms. He commanded demons to leave tormented individuals, demonstrating absolute authority over spiritual darkness and bringing immediate liberation (Mark 1:23-27, 5:1-15). He fearlessly challenged the entrenched hypocrisy and systemic corruption of powerful religious leaders who misused their positions, twisting righteousness for personal gain and burdening the people they were meant to serve (Matthew 23).

He consistently spoke out against social injustice, defended the marginalized, and championed the oppressed. He didn’t just offer teachings about goodness from a distance; He actively, courageously pushed back against the specific manifestations of evil He encountered daily, showing that God’s Kingdom is inherently, actively opposed to evil’s reign and influence. His powerful actions vividly reveal a God who battles relentlessly against darkness.

Importance: Knowing that Jesus actively fought against evil provides immense assurance that God is not passive, resigned, or indifferent towards the darkness that afflicts the world. He doesn’t merely permit evil with a sigh; He actively opposes its every form and purpose. When you feel overwhelmed by the sheer scale of evil you witness in the news or experience in your own life, remember that Jesus Himself engaged these forces head-on and consistently demonstrated His superior authority and power.

A realization like that instills deep confidence that God is unequivocally on the side of good, actively working against evil’s destructive purposes, and that His power is ultimately, incomparably greater than any darkness. You are aligning with a God who is a warrior against evil, one who didn’t shy away from its consequences.

Scripture: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.” – 1 John 3:8b (ESV) – a verse directly stating His mission was to dismantle evil’s influence.

Fact 4: Jesus Suffered the Worst Effects of Human Evil

In a profound mystery, Jesus, the perfect Son of God, became the ultimate victim of concentrated human evil. He faced the sickening sting of betrayal from within His closest circle of friends, endured baseless accusations fueled by envy and fear from religious authorities, suffered the pain of denial by a trusted follower, withstood cruel mockery and humiliation from hardened soldiers, and ultimately experienced an agonizingly unjust and brutal execution orchestrated by fearful, self-serving, and power-hungry leaders.

He willingly endured the full, crushing force of human malice, systemic injustice, and spiritual opposition. Because He personally suffered evil’s worst blows, He possesses a unique and intimate understanding of its devastating impact. He is not a savior detached from the deep pain evil inflicts; He absorbed its full fury, ultimately demonstrating that even the most horrific acts of evil could not extinguish God’s infinite love or derail His sovereign purpose.

Importance: The intense suffering of Jesus at the hands of evil men holds profound, personal significance for anyone who the evil actions of others have deeply hurt. It means your Savior genuinely truly understands your pain. He is not asking you to endure something He is unfamiliar with or immune to. When you experience the sharp pain of betrayal, the crushing weight of injustice, the dehumanization of cruelty, or the fear instilled by malice, you can turn to Jesus, knowing.

He experienced those very things with an intensity we can scarcely imagine. His shared experience offers unparalleled empathy and deep comfort, validating your pain and assuring you that you are seen and understood. It assures you that God comprehends the depths of suffering caused by evil because He bore it Himself in the person of His beloved Son.

Scripture: “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief…” – Isaiah 53:3a (ESV) (Prophetically speaking of the Messiah’s suffering).

Fact 5: Jesus Taught About Accountability and Evil’s End

Jesus’s teachings were not solely about love and mercy; they also included clear, sobering warnings about the serious consequences of evil actions and the inescapable reality of divine judgment. He spoke plainly about a future separation of the righteous from the unrighteous (Matthew 25:31-46), affirming unequivocally that individuals and nations would be held accountable for their deeds, both good and bad. Simultaneously, and offering immense hope,

He proclaimed the coming Kingdom of God – a future, perfect reality where evil, injustice, suffering, and all their painful consequences would be completely and permanently eradicated. His comprehensive teaching provides both a vital moral compass warning against the dangers and deceitfulness of evil and a profound, unshakeable hope that evil’s current reign is temporary and its ultimate destruction is certain. God’s perfect, loving, and just ultimate plan involves the complete removal of all evil.

Importance: For those deeply troubled and perhaps angered by rampant injustice and seemingly unpunished evil in the world, Jesus’s teachings on accountability are absolutely vital. They affirm that God sees everything, He cares profoundly about justice, and a final, perfect reckoning is coming where all accounts will be settled. A truth like that provides sustaining hope that evil will not ultimately triumph or go unanswered forever.

Furthermore, the concrete promise of the future Kingdom, where evil is utterly eradicated, offers a powerful future hope that sustains you through the often discouraging darkness of the present age. It assures you that the current state of the world, marred by sin and evil, is not the final chapter; God Himself guarantees a future where goodness reigns supreme and evil is no more than a forgotten memory.

Scripture: “The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” – Matthew 13:41-42 (ESV)

Fact 6: Jesus Offers Freedom from Sin, Evil’s Root Cause

A significant portion, if not all, of the moral evil we witness stems directly from sin – humanity’s fundamental rebellion against God’s loving authority and our subsequent state of spiritual brokenness. Internal conditions like unchecked greed, festering hatred, crippling selfishness, blinding pride, and consuming envy – these internal states inevitably fuel external acts of evil, from personal cruelty to large-scale exploitation and violence. Jesus came into the world offering not just management techniques for sin, but radical forgiveness for sin and complete liberation from its dominating power.

His sacrificial death on the cross is understood within the Christian faith as the full payment for the penalty of sin, breaking its legal hold and enslaving power over those who place their trust in Him. By addressing the corrupted root cause within the human heart, Jesus provides the pathway not just to pardon and forgiveness but to genuine inner transformation, enabling people to turn away from destructive patterns of evil and wholeheartedly embrace righteousness through His empowering grace.

Importance: Understanding sin as the deep root of evil and recognizing Jesus as the definitive solution is fundamentally important for achieving lasting personal freedom. It means the struggle against evil isn’t merely about changing external circumstances or resisting outside pressures; it critically involves the condition of our own hearts.

 Jesus offers you a genuine way out – not simply forgiveness for past wrongs (though that is gloriously included) but authentic liberation from the ongoing power of sin that naturally leads to evil thoughts, words, and actions. Acknowledging our own capacity for sin, repenting of it, and receiving His complete forgiveness and transforming power is the absolute key to breaking destructive cycles of hurt (both given and received) and actively participating in God’s divine solution to evil, starting right within ourselves. It offers solid hope for real, lasting, internal change.

Scripture: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” – John 8:36 (ESV)

Fact 7: Jesus’s Sacrifice Disarmed Evil on the Cross

From a human perspective, the crucifixion appeared to be evil’s greatest, most shocking triumph – the brutal silencing of God’s own innocent Son by the combined forces of religious hypocrisy, political expediency, and mob violence. Yet, the Christian faith understands that horrific event as the very place where evil was ultimately, decisively defeated and disarmed.

Through His willing, sacrificial death, Jesus absorbed the full penalty deserved by human sin, satisfying God’s perfect justice while simultaneously demonstrating an unparalleled, unfathomable depth of divine love. He took the absolute worst that evil could inflict – betrayal, injustice, torture, death – and through divine alchemy, turned it into the very means of salvation for all humanity. God sovereignly used the ultimate act of human wickedness to bring about the ultimate, eternal good, decisively disarming the spiritual rulers and authorities, the forces of darkness that fuel and inspire evil in the world.

Importance: Grasping the profound meaning of Jesus’s sacrifice helps you see beyond evil’s often intimidating and seemingly victorious appearances in the world. It reveals the staggering depth of God’s love – a love willing to pay the ultimate price, the life of His own Son, to overcome evil and reconcile rebellious humanity back to Himself. For you, personally, it means that even in the darkest, most hopeless-seeming moments, God’s powerful redemptive purpose is still actively at work.

The cross stands as an eternal assurance that evil did not, and ultimately cannot, thwart God’s loving plan. It powerfully demonstrates that God’s sovereign power and self-giving love are infinitely greater than any evil act or oppressive system, providing a solid foundation for your trust even when circumstances seem overwhelmingly bleak. Knowing the cross wasn’t evil’s victory but its strategic defeat provides a foundation for your trust, assuring you that God’s love and power are greater than any evil you face.

Scripture: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” – Colossians 2:15 (ESV)

Fact 8: Jesus’s Resurrection Declares Evil’s Ultimate Defeat

If the cross represented the decisive battle against the forces of darkness, then the resurrection was God’s triumphant, public declaration of absolute victory. By rising bodily from the dead three days after His execution, Jesus irrefutably proved His divine power over death, over sin, and over every evil force aligned against God and His creation. Evil and death unleashed their worst fury upon Him, but they could not hold Him captive.

The resurrection stands as the ultimate validation of Jesus’s unique identity as the Son of God and confirms the truth of all His claims. It serves as the unshakeable bedrock of all Christian hope, guaranteeing that evil, despite its present noise and fury, does not have the final word. For believers, it promises not only Jesus’s victory but also their own future resurrection and an eternal life completely beyond the reach of evil and all its painful consequences.

Importance: The resurrection is the ultimate, electrifying source of Christian hope in the ongoing struggle against evil. For you, it is the non-negotiable, historical proof that Jesus is indeed Lord over all, and that evil, sin, and even death itself are definitively defeated enemies. When the presence and power of evil in the world seem overwhelming, the historical fact of the empty tomb declares loud and clear that God’s power is supreme and that final, complete victory over all darkness is absolutely assured. It provides a vibrant, living hope – not mere wishful thinking or vague optimism, but a confident, joyful expectation of future glory and participation in a renewed creation where evil has absolutely no place. It anchors your faith, assuring you beyond doubt that the One you follow has conquered the very worst reality evil can produce: death itself.

Scripture: “‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” – 1 Corinthians 15:55-57 (ESV)

Fact 9: The Holy Spirit Empowers Believers to Resist Evil

Jesus, before ascending to heaven, assured His followers He would not leave them as orphans, powerless against the world’s evil. He promised and subsequently sent the Holy Spirit, the very Spirit of God, to dwell permanently within every believer. The Spirit actively provides moment-by-moment guidance, brings conviction regarding sin, imparts supernatural strength to choose righteousness over wrong, and grants divine power to resist temptation and stand firm against destructive evil influences in the world.

Christians are explicitly called to be light shining in the darkness, and the indwelling Holy Spirit equips and empowers them for that crucial, challenging task. We are not left to engage in the spiritual battle against evil alone, relying on our fluctuating willpower; God Himself provides His constant presence and inexhaustible power within us.

Importance: Knowing about the indwelling Holy Spirit means you are truly never alone in your daily struggle against evil, whether it manifests as internal temptation, harmful habits, or external pressures and attacks. God provides constant, readily accessible, moment-by-moment help, guidance, wisdom, and strength.

For you, it means having direct access to divine power, enabling you to live righteously, to resist evil influences and temptations effectively, and to actively be a force for good, healing, and light in a world often shrouded in darkness. It’s not just a theological concept; it’s a practical, daily reality – God Himself dwelling within you, offering comfort in sorrow, wisdom in confusion, courage in fear, and the supernatural enablement needed to stand firm against evil in all its forms. You don’t have to rely solely, or even primarily, on your own limited strength.

Scripture: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…” – Acts 1:8a (ESV)

Fact 10: Jesus Guarantees Evil’s Final Destruction and Full Justice

The grand narrative of the Bible culminates with the certain promise of Jesus’s triumphant return. A definite day is coming when He will establish His Kingdom visibly and universally in all its fullness, execute perfect and final judgment upon all forms of evil (both human actions and spiritual forces), and completely eradicate it from existence forever. On that day, all injustice will be rectified, every hidden wrong brought to light, every tear wiped away, and every broken thing made new.

God will create a new heaven and a new earth, a realm where perfect righteousness dwells and where evil and its terrible effects – suffering, sickness, sorrow, and death – will be utterly no more. Christian faith holds firmly onto a certain, glorious hope: evil’s days are numbered, its ultimate defeat is inevitable, and God’s perfect justice and infinite goodness will ultimately, finally, prevail completely and eternally.

Importance: The concrete promise of evil’s final, absolute end provides ultimate perspective and fuels enduring hope, especially when facing present realities. When you are grieved, angered, or disheartened by the evil and injustice that still persist and often seem to flourish, remember God’s unbreakable guarantee: it will not last forever.

For you, a belief like that, rooted in God’s faithfulness, offers profound strength to persevere through difficulties, knowing that all of history is moving inexorably toward God’s final, glorious victory over all darkness. It assures you that every wrong will eventually be righted, perfect justice will ultimately prevail for all, and a future awaits where evil is completely, eternally absent.

A hope as solid and certain as that anchors the soul amidst the often turbulent and painful troubles of the present world, empowering righteous living even now.

Scripture: “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away… He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” – Revelation 21:1, 4 (ESV)

Finding Refuge from Evil in the Person of Jesus

So, returning to the agonizing question, why does God allow evil? Perhaps the focus shifts, becoming less about demanding a complete explanation and more about finding refuge when we truly see Jesus. In Him, we witness God actively engaging evil, personally suffering its horrific effects, and ultimately, decisively conquering it through His death and resurrection. T

he difficult reality of human free will, a gift necessary for genuine love and meaningful relationships, unfortunately also opens the door for choices that result in profound, devastating evil. Yet, God, in His infinite wisdom and boundless love, foresaw and planned for that reality, executing a perfect response centered entirely on His Son.

Looking to Jesus doesn’t magically erase the presence or pain of evil in the world today. It doesn’t provide neat, tidy answers for every tragedy. What focusing on Him does offer is profoundly life-changing:

• A God Who Engages: God is not indifferent or distant; He entered our world specifically to confront evil head-on.
• A Savior Who Understands: Jesus experienced the full brutality and sorrow caused by evil firsthand, offering unmatched empathy.
• A Way Out: He offers complete forgiveness for sin, evil’s insidious root, and supernatural power to overcome its grip in our lives.
• A Certain Victory: His resurrection stands as the ultimate, undeniable guarantee that evil’s defeat is final and absolute.
• A Future Hope: A time is definitively coming when evil and all its consequences will be eradicated forever.
• Present Strength: The Holy Spirit empowers believers daily to stand against evil and live righteously.

For anyone troubled by the stark reality of evil – whether exploring faith for the first time, struggling with doubt, or seeking deeper understanding as a believer – Jesus Christ offers true refuge.

He provides not necessarily an exhaustive explanation that satisfies every intellectual query about evil’s permission, but something far more valuable: a personal, transformative relationship with the One who has definitively overcome evil.

He offers His constant presence, His resurrection power, and an unshakeable hope that ensures light ultimately, finally triumphs over all darkness.

He is God’s definitive answer to evil, the source of true and lasting peace, and the ultimate reason we can face a broken, often frightening world with courage, compassion, and unwavering hope.

If you are seeking refuge or answers, consider exploring the life and teachings of Jesus further; He warmly invites you into a personal relationship where divine hope overcomes the deepest darkness.

Thank you today for letting Olive Branch Publishing offer you insights that can help you grow as a new Christian in today’s world.