3 Questions – Why Does God Allow Evil If He Really Loves Us?
Years ago, a reader asked the following:
“If God loves us so much, then why are we slowly being dehumanized?
Why would God let something like that happen to us?
I believe we need to take a closer look and break those questions into 3…
1. Does God love us?
2 Are people becoming dehumanized?
3. Why does God allow evil?
People have asked similar questions for generations, but let’s talk about them anyway…
If He Loves Us – Why Does God Allow Evil
1. Does God love us?
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible proclaims that you and I can confidently trust God’s love.
John walked with Jesus. He stood at the cross and watched Jesus die. He saw Jesus and ate with Him after He rose. He stood on the hill and watched Jesus ascend into heaven. And he wrote:
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.
John 3:16–17
All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in His love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
1 John 4:15–16
So, we look at lives that have been changed by His love and we stand in awe at the beauty of creation and say . . . Yes, God loves us!
2. Are people becoming dehumanized?
Dictionary.com defines the word dehumanize as:
- to regard, represent, or treat (a person or group) as less than human.
- to deprive of human qualities or attributes; divest of individuality.
I suppose it depends on a person’s views. If we focus on the news and dwell on the crime rate, we might come to the conclusion that people are decreasing in empathy, compassion, and spirituality. However, if we focus on the efforts of individuals and ministries who help people in need, we might conclude that humanity is still pretty good at caring about and for each other.
This is His commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with Him, and He with them. And we know He lives in us because the Spirit He gave us lives in us.
1 John 3:23—24
So yes, it is possible that the more secular a society becomes the less individuals in that society will show love and compassion to one another.
3. Why does God allow evil . . . and people to dehumanize each other?
God has given people the freedom to choose.
He gave humanity that freedom because He wants people to love and obey Him freely . . . forced love and obedience is slavery.
John wrote the following words of Jesus:
“I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin. A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.”
John 8:34–35
God wants us to be a family! He wants us to love Him and love others . . . to love our Parent and our siblings. He created us and knows that when we freely trust and love Him and the people around us we will find true satisfaction, peace, joy, and happiness.
Let’s pray…
A Prayer to Freely Trust and Love God
and Love People
Father, the question is asked often . . . why does God allow evil? Why would You allow Your creation to suffer? Why do You tolerate man’s inhumanity to man?
Please forgive us. Please forgive me. We are surrounded by sin and we live with sin within us. We are prone to selfishness and stubbornness . . . putting our own will and desires ahead of Your perfect plans and purposes for us.
You are love! You created us to love You and love each other. We fail. We need You.
And You saw our need and sent Jesus to suffer our punishment. He took our flaws and failures upon Himself. Your grace, mercy, and love, and His, are greater than our sins. You offer us lives filled with satisfaction, peace, joy, and happiness. You offer us hope in Jesus and made it possible for us to have an eternal future with You in Your Kingdom.
This day, I give myself to You and place my trust in Your love. It is my heart’s desire to faithfully look to Jesus the “author and perfecter of my faith. It is my prayer to love as You want me to love.
Lord, When I feel overwhelmed by the evil conditions of this world . . . please help me rest in Your all-sufficient grace and live with a full heart of love and hope as I anticipate Jesus’ return to bring Your family home. It is in His name, I pray. Amen.
So, finally…
Why does God allow evil if He loves us . . . why does He allow us to dehumanize each other?
My answer would be…
God wants us to freely trust and love Him. In our sinful human nature . . . we don’t and we won’t. We deserve to be punished and “dehumanized” forever.
But because God loves us so much He sent Jesus to save us from sin. And when we place our faith and hope in God’s love and all that He has done for us through Jesus, we will respond to Him with love and humility.
Love and humility are the antidotes to dehumanizing sin.
Our Heavenly Father wants us to experience joy now and forever and He knows that it is only through faith, hope and love . . . it is only through Jesus that everlasting joy is possible.
May God be with you and bless you today through His grace, mercy, and love.
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Thank you for your clarity here and I love the prayer to reaffirm our position!
Thanks for visiting, Sharon, and for your kind encouragement. God bless you!
Deb, thank you for answering these questions here. I am so grateful for God’s love for us????
Thank you, Deborah. I am always blessed by your encouragement. God bless you!
Age-old questions, but the answer is always the same – trust in Jesus!
Blessings, Deb!
Amen, Martha! Hugs!
In the Garden of Eden humanity voted sin into power. Sin gutted in humanity everything that is honorable, good or worthy. As Jesus said in Matthew 24, “12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” And today when we look around us, this wickedness greets from every corner. Yet it’s marvellous that despite our wickedness God Loves us unconditionally. Despite sin’s hatred present in humanity that was on full display at the Cross, Jesus willingly and lovingly suffered for us. The biggest thing that ever humbles me is that the Almighty God craves my, our love!!!! That He wants my love, He wants my trust, my life with all its rags, dirt and filth….He entered into an irrevocable covenant with me!!!, with the one who didn’t want nothing to do with Him. Yet He assured me that He carved my name in His palm, I’m HIS. Isn’t that marvelous?
What a beautiful word, Gaby. Thanks so much for sharing it here. I love the way God works in us and He is working through you, too. God bless you!
❤️
I have really loved what Gaby has said, in conjunction to that what is there is,its only those who love and trust that GOD is their creator ,father and everything that GOD allows to be tempted. Just like what happened to Job.So be happy when you are tempted because God whats you to be near him always i.e. praying always and doing good to others.thanks be blessed.
That’s a good point, Asimit. God does allow troubles in our lives to draw us close and remind us that He is able to accomplish His plans and purposes in our lives. They remind us that we can trust His love always and no matter what. God bless you!