The Bible describes God as “holy” (Isaiah 6:3), “righteous” (Psalm 7:11), “just” (Deuteronomy 32:4), and “sovereign” (Daniel 4:17-25). These attributes tell us the following about God:

1) God is capable of preventing evil, and

2) God desires to rid the universe (heaven and earth) of evil.

So, if both statements are true, why does God allow evil? If God has the power to prevent evil and desires to prevent evil, why does He still allow evil?

Perhaps a practical way to look at this question would be to consider some alternative ways people might have God to run the world:

1. God could change everyone’s personality so that they cannot sin.

This would also mean that we would not have a free will. We would not be able to choose right or wrong because we would be “programmed” to only do right. Had God chosen to do this, there would be no meaningful relationships between Him and His creation. Genuine love only exists in a relationship based upon freewill of both parties.

Instead, God made Adam and Eve in innocence but with freewill, the ability to choose good or evil. Because of this, they could respond to His love and trust Him or choose to disobey, which we know they did. They chose to disobey and eat of the forbidden fruit of “the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.” We live in a real world where we can choose our actions but not the consequences of our actions, because Adam’s sin affected all those who came after him (us). Similarly, our decisions to sin have an impact on us and those around us and those who will come after us. It is said about addicts to alcohol and drugs, all of whom chose wrong, that their lives negatively affect about 30 people, both immediate family and generationally.

2) God could compensate for people’s evil actions through supernatural intervention 100 percent of the time.

God would stop a drunk driver from causing an automobile accident. God would stop a lazy construction worker from doing a substandard job on a house that would later cause grief to the homeowners. God would stop a father who is addicted to drugs or alcohol from doing any harm to his wife, children, or extended family. God would stop gunmen from robbing convenience stores. God would stop high school bullies from tormenting the brainy kids. God would stop thieves from shoplifting. And, yes, God would stop terrorists from flying airplanes into buildings.

While this solution sounds attractive, it would lose its attractiveness as soon as God’s intervention infringed on something we wanted to choose and do. We want God to prevent horribly evil actions, but we are willing to let “lesser-evil” actions slide—not realizing that those “lesser-evil” actions are what usually lead to the “greater-evil” actions. Should God only stop actual sexual affairs, or should He also block our access to pornography or end any inappropriate, but not yet sexual, relationships? Should God stop “true” thieves, or should He also stop us from cheating on our taxes? Should God only stop murder, or should He also stop the “lesser-evil” actions done to people that lead them to commit murder? Should God only stop acts of terrorism, or should He also stop the indoctrination that transformed a person into a terrorist?

3. Another choice would be for God to judge and remove those who choose to commit evil acts.

The problem with this possibility is that there would be no one left, for God would have to remove us all. We all sin and commit evil acts; Romans 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not; 1 John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

While all men have the sin-nature some people are even more evil than others, where would God draw the line? Ultimately, all evil causes harm to others.

Instead of these options, God has chosen to create a “real” world in which real choices have real consequences. In this real world of ours, our actions affect others. Because of Adam’s choice to sin, the world now lives under the curse, and we are all born with a sin nature;

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man (Adam) sin entered (came) into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:.

There will one day come a time when God will judge all the sin in this world and make all things new, but He is purposely “delaying” in order to allow more time for people to repent so that He will not need to condemn them.

“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering (patient) to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV)

Until then, He is concerned about evil. When He created the Old Testament laws, the goal was to separate Israel from the Nations and discourage and punish evil. He judges nations and rulers who disregard justice and pursue evil. Similarly, in the New Testament, Paul says that it is the secular governments who bear responsibility to provide genuine God-based justice in order to protect the innocent from evil (Romans 13). He also promises severe consequences for those who commit evil acts, especially against the "innocent" (Mark 9:36-42).

In summary, we live in a real world where our good and evil actions have direct consequences and indirect consequences upon us and those around us. Paul wrote that ‘none of us lives or dies unto ourselves.’

God’s desire is that for all of our sakes we would obey His words (not the Mosaic law given to Israel), His instruction that applies to us during today’s “dispensation of the grace of God,” that it might be well with us. We find these instructions in Paul’s thirteen epistles to “the body of Christ.”

Instead of heeding His words for us, what happens is that we choose our own way, which creates a mess, and then we blame God for not doing anything about it. Such is the heart of sinful unregenerate man.

Jesus came to change men’s hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit, and He does this for those who will believe and call on Him to save them from their sin and its consequences. He makes all things new in the heart of man.

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)

God does prevent and restrain some acts of evil through the restraining affect that exist while His Spirit is in the members of the body of Christ are yet in the world. That is some restraining occurs until the rapture, after which the full blossoming of evil will be expressed … and then judged in “the Day of the Lord,” at His 2^nd coming. This world would be MUCH WORSE were not God restraining evil through His Spirit in “the body of Christ.”

At the same time, God has given us both the power and ability, and an inner prompting to choose good over evil. Yet, when we choose evil, He allows us, and those around us, to suffer the consequences of our evil doing.

So, rather than blaming God and questioning God on why He does not prevent all evil, we should be about the business of proclaiming the cure for evil and its consequences… the ‘power’ of the Cross of Jesus Christ that has freed us from the dominion of Sin nature (read Rom. 6:3-4, 6-7), and His righteous resurrection life within us as our new life (Col. 1:27, 3:4a)!

Christ life is the only life that is able to express God righteous nature… and He dwells within us as our new life, desiring that our soul would choose to submit to Him as the Lord of our daily living.

“To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory (righteous expression):” (Colossians 1:27 (KJV)
“When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.” (Colossians 3:4 (KJV)