The Scales of Justice, Old Bailey, London Photo: © jeff gynane - Adobe Stock Photos

The Problem of Evil & The Justice of God

We have already seen in the sections entitled THE PROBLEM OF EVIL and GOD'S ANSWER TO EVIL that God has not stood idly by and done nothing about suffering and injustice.

PSALM 62:11-12  One thing God has spoken, two things I have heard: “Power belongs to you, God, ¹² and with you, Lord, is unfailing love”; and, “You reward everyone according to what they have done.” 

• JESUS' DEATH ON THE CROSS demonstrated GOD'S LOVE by entering into all human suffering.

• JESUS' RESURRECTION demonstrated GOD'S POWER over sin, death and satanic evil.

If God has already dealt with sin and evil through Jesus' death on the cross and his resurrection to life from the grave, why does he allow evil to exist and appear to go unpunished?

The Problem Of Unpunished Evil

The problem of evil appearing to go unpunished is a theme we find in the Psalms, especially PSALM 37 and PSALM 73, which warn us of the danger of being angry at what appears to be the injustice of evil going unpunished and the apparent futility of faith in God. They remind us that this life is not the end of the story. If God exists at all, he is a God of justice and justice requires that evil is punished.

In GENESIS 18:20-25 we see God about to visit judgement on Sodom and Gomorrah for the gross immorality and sin going on there. But when he tells Abraham about his plan to destroy the towns, Abraham pleads with God to spare the innocent, saying:

“Will you sweep away both the righteous and the wicked? [.....] Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, destroying the righteous along with the wicked. Why, you would be treating the righteous and the wicked exactly the same! Surely you wouldn’t do that! Should not the Judge of all the earth do what is right?”