Understanding God's Justice Amidst the Reality of Evil

 

Summary

In addressing the profound question of how a loving God can allow evil, we delve into the heart of theodicy, which concerns the righteousness and justice of God. The term "theodicy" combines the Greek words for God (theos) and justice (dike), and it seeks to reconcile the existence of evil with the nature of a just and loving God. This question is not merely academic; it is deeply personal, touching on the suffering and evil we witness in the world and experience in our own lives. Many people, including atheists and agnostics, struggle with this issue, often rejecting the notion of God due to the presence of evil. However, the reality is that God has instilled a sense of eternity in our hearts, and deep down, everyone acknowledges His existence, even if they resist it.

The dilemma of evil has been a topic of debate among philosophers and theologians for centuries. Figures like David Hume and Epicurus have posed questions about God's power and goodness in the face of evil. If God is all-powerful, He could stop evil; if He is all-loving, He would want to stop it. Yet, evil persists. This trilemma challenges our understanding of God's nature, but it is crucial to approach it with humility and a willingness to explore the depths of God's character.

Scripture provides insight into this complex issue, particularly in the book of Job and the writings of the Apostle Paul. Job's story is a theodicy in itself, illustrating how a righteous man can suffer and how God's purposes transcend human understanding. In Romans, Paul systematically defends God's justice and righteousness, emphasizing that God's ways are beyond our comprehension. He reminds us that God is sovereign, holy, and deserving of glory, and that His ultimate purpose is to bring glory to Himself.

The real question we should ask is not why bad things happen to good people, but why good things happen to sinners like us. God's mercy and grace are evident in His restraint of evil and His provision of salvation through Jesus Christ. Our understanding of our own sinfulness is limited, but God's goodness and mercy are boundless. Ultimately, God created us for His glory, and His love for us is demonstrated in His desire for us to know Him and be in relationship with Him.

Key Takeaways:

1. Theodicy explores the justice and righteousness of God in the presence of evil, challenging us to reconcile God's nature with the reality of suffering. This question is deeply personal and requires humility and faith to navigate. [01:14]

2. Many reject God due to the existence of evil, but Scripture reveals that God has placed eternity in our hearts, and deep down, we all acknowledge His existence. Our resistance often stems from a desire to deny His authority. [02:00]

3. The book of Job and the writings of Paul in Romans provide profound insights into God's sovereignty and justice, reminding us that His ways are beyond our understanding and that His ultimate purpose is His glory. [07:44]

4. The real question is not why bad things happen to good people, but why good things happen to sinners. God's mercy and grace are evident in His restraint of evil and His provision of salvation through Jesus Christ. [09:11]

5. God's love and purpose are demonstrated in His creation and salvation of humanity for His glory. Our existence and redemption are not for our sake alone but for the glory of God, who desires us to know and love Him. [19:48]

Youtube Chapters:

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:27] - Introduction to Theodicy
[01:14] - The Dilemma of Belief
[02:00] - Eternity in Our Hearts
[02:44] - The Problem of Evil
[03:33] - Personal Suffering and Prayer
[04:49] - Philosophical Perspectives
[06:12] - The Trilemma Explained
[07:00] - Scriptural Insights on Theodicy
[07:44] - The Book of Job
[09:11] - The Real Question
[10:34] - Paul's Argument in Romans
[11:56] - God's Sovereignty and Justice
[13:18] - The Holiness and Glory of God
[14:51] - Understanding God's Purpose
[17:50] - Our Sinfulness and God's Mercy
[19:48] - God's Love and Glory

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. Job 1:1-22 - The story of Job, a righteous man who suffers greatly, illustrating theodicy.
2. Romans 9:14-18 - Paul's explanation of God's sovereignty and justice.
3. Ecclesiastes 3:11 - "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart..."

#### Observation Questions
1. How does the story of Job illustrate the concept of theodicy and the righteousness of God? [07:44]
2. What does Paul argue about God's justice and mercy in Romans 9:14-18? [11:56]
3. According to the sermon, why do some people reject the existence of God despite the evidence of His presence in their hearts? [02:00]
4. How does the sermon describe the relationship between human sinfulness and God's mercy? [17:50]

#### Interpretation Questions
1. In what ways does the book of Job challenge our understanding of suffering and righteousness? How does this relate to theodicy? [07:44]
2. How does Paul's argument in Romans 9 help us understand God's sovereignty in the presence of evil? What implications does this have for our faith? [11:56]
3. The sermon suggests that everyone acknowledges God's existence deep down. How might this understanding affect one's approach to evangelism? [02:00]
4. How does the sermon redefine the question of why good things happen to sinners, and what does this reveal about God's character? [09:11]

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you questioned God's presence during a difficult situation. How can the story of Job provide comfort or insight into your experience? [07:44]
2. How can you cultivate a deeper understanding of God's sovereignty in your daily life, especially when faced with personal challenges? [11:56]
3. The sermon mentions that God has placed eternity in our hearts. How can this awareness influence your daily decisions and interactions with others? [02:00]
4. Consider the idea that God's mercy restrains evil. How can this perspective change the way you view the world and your role in it? [19:05]
5. How can you actively seek to understand and appreciate God's goodness and mercy in your life, even when faced with your own sinfulness? [17:50]
6. The sermon challenges us to ask why good things happen to sinners. How can this question shape your gratitude and relationship with God? [09:11]
7. Identify one area in your life where you struggle to see God's justice or goodness. What steps can you take to seek understanding and trust in God's plan? [14:51]

Devotional

Day 1: Theodicy and the Nature of God
Theodicy challenges us to reconcile the existence of evil with the nature of a just and loving God. This question is deeply personal, as it touches on the suffering and evil we witness in the world and experience in our own lives. Many people, including atheists and agnostics, struggle with this issue, often rejecting the notion of God due to the presence of evil. However, the reality is that God has instilled a sense of eternity in our hearts, and deep down, everyone acknowledges His existence, even if they resist it. Approaching this dilemma requires humility and faith, as we explore the depths of God's character and His purposes that transcend human understanding. [01:14]

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (ESV): "He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end."

Reflection: Consider a time when you struggled with understanding God's plan in the face of suffering. How can you approach this struggle with humility and faith today?


Day 2: Acknowledging God's Existence
Many reject God due to the existence of evil, but Scripture reveals that God has placed eternity in our hearts, and deep down, we all acknowledge His existence. Our resistance often stems from a desire to deny His authority. This internal acknowledgment of God challenges us to confront our own resistance and to seek a deeper understanding of His nature and purposes. By recognizing this innate sense of eternity, we can begin to explore the profound relationship God desires to have with us, despite the presence of evil in the world. [02:00]

Romans 1:19-20 (ESV): "For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse."

Reflection: Reflect on a moment when you felt a deep sense of God's presence. How can you acknowledge and embrace this awareness in your daily life?


Day 3: Insights from Job and Paul
The book of Job and the writings of Paul in Romans provide profound insights into God's sovereignty and justice, reminding us that His ways are beyond our understanding and that His ultimate purpose is His glory. Job's story illustrates how a righteous man can suffer and how God's purposes transcend human understanding. In Romans, Paul systematically defends God's justice and righteousness, emphasizing that God's ways are beyond our comprehension. These scriptural insights challenge us to trust in God's sovereignty and to seek His glory in all circumstances. [07:44]

Job 42:2-3 (ESV): "I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. 'Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?' Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know."

Reflection: Think of a situation where you struggled to understand God's plan. How can you trust in His sovereignty and seek His glory in this situation?


Day 4: The Real Question of Grace
The real question is not why bad things happen to good people, but why good things happen to sinners. God's mercy and grace are evident in His restraint of evil and His provision of salvation through Jesus Christ. Our understanding of our own sinfulness is limited, but God's goodness and mercy are boundless. This perspective shifts our focus from questioning God's justice to recognizing His grace and mercy in our lives. By acknowledging our own sinfulness, we can appreciate the depth of God's love and the gift of salvation He offers us. [09:11]

Ephesians 2:4-5 (ESV): "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved."

Reflection: Reflect on a time when you experienced God's grace in your life. How can you express gratitude for His mercy and share this grace with others today?


Day 5: God's Love and Purpose
God's love and purpose are demonstrated in His creation and salvation of humanity for His glory. Our existence and redemption are not for our sake alone but for the glory of God, who desires us to know and love Him. This understanding calls us to live our lives in a way that reflects God's glory and to seek a deeper relationship with Him. By recognizing that our ultimate purpose is to glorify God, we can find meaning and fulfillment in our lives, even amidst suffering and challenges. [19:48]

Isaiah 43:7 (ESV): "Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made."

Reflection: Consider how your daily actions reflect God's glory. What is one specific way you can live out your purpose to glorify God today?

Quotes

I have been given the task to address the question of how can a loving God allow evil? When we ask that question, we are fundamentally asking a question that has to do with the righteousness and justice of God. And when we speak of the righteousness and justice of God, we are speaking in terms of theodicy. [00:00:00]

The reality is that God has put eternity in our hearts and He has set the knowledge of Himself within each and every one of us who are made in His image. That is to say that everyone in the end, ultimately, believes that God exists. Atheists, agnostics, and others simply hate Him. [00:01:52]

Because if God is good and if God is powerful, then how can He allow such suffering and misery and evil to exist? We are not just talking about the evil that has existed throughout history, holocausts and genocides and the untold countless millions who have been murdered in the womb. [00:03:03]

If God is unable to prevent evil, then He is not all-powerful. If God is not willing to prevent evil, then He is not all good. If God is both willing and able to prevent evil, then why does evil exist? So, this dilemma or really a trilemma is a significant question. [00:05:55]

It is something that we see pointedly in the book of Job. In one sense, the book of Job is a theodicy itself. It is explaining and defending God in His righteousness and sovereignty through the lens of His servant, Job who was righteous. How is it that righteous Job suffered? [00:07:38]

The real question that we need to be asking is this: Knowing that we are sinful in our hearts, knowing that at the core and nature of our being we are against God, at enmity with God in our natural states before God, the real question is not how can bad things happen to good people. [00:09:23]

The Apostle Paul in making his case for God and for God's sovereignty and for God's salvation explains with very systematic, thorough, and careful arguments how God is indeed just, righteous, and altogether perfect and good in all that He does. [00:10:05]

Romans chapter 9 is one of those chapters that most beautifully and poignantly deals with theodicy, defending and explaining the justice and righteousness of God. And I want to read just one passage from Romans chapter 9 beginning at verse 14 when Paul writes, "What shall we say then? [00:11:56]

We also need to remember that God is holy. We also need to remember that God seeks and demands and deserves glory for Himself. Now, that is one of the most fundamentally misunderstood points when it comes to this whole problem of evil, because ultimately why did God create anything? [00:13:44]

God does all things according to His own perfect will and good purpose and all in accordance with His glory. That was Paul's point in Romans 9, that while we may not understand the mystery of God, that while we may not be able to understand God completely and comprehensively, what we do know about God is sufficient. [00:14:19]

You see, what Paul is asking is this, "Who do you think you are?" God is, and you know that He is. You cannot wake up in the morning, you cannot go to sleep at night, you cannot look in the mirror, you cannot breathe, you cannot speak, you cannot think, you cannot move without knowing that God is. [00:16:12]

And it is precisely because God is good and because of His restraining mercy, even a universal mercy, as Francis Turretin spoke of it, a love of beneficence, a caring restraining mercy that keeps humanity from destroying itself so that we could exist today, and so that you and I could know Him. [00:19:33]

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Transcript
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