SBC: No Apologies | 6 - Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering?

I. Setting the Ladder

This probably one of the most prominent questions when it comes to arguing the existence of God. and while it is probably the most powerful, it is also one of the easiest to refute logically

Why do bad things happen?

Now the world has an answer for that.

They’ll tell you: “It’s just life.” “It’s random.” “Sometimes things just happen.”

And if you listen long enough, you’ll realize— what they are actually saying is they have no idea why bad things happen, they just do.

Because if everything is random, then nothing actually means anything.

But we all know that’s not true.

We know evil is real. We know something is wrong.

So the question isn’t going away.

II. Clarifying the Real Question (Top of Ladder)

But here’s where most people get it wrong.

They ask: “Why did this happen to me, or why would God allow something bad like this to happen?”

You respond with this—

What makes something bad? Something is bad because it violates what is right and ought not to be done.

By what standard is it bad? It is measured against an objective moral standard, not personal opinion.

Because until you answer that, you’ll never make sense of anything else.

And here’s the reality— The world cannot answer that question.

Because the moment you say something is evil, you’re admitting there is a standard.

Not preference—standard.

And standards don’t come from nowhere. They come from a lawgiver.

Romans 2:15 — the law is written on the heart.

So let’s take a step down—

If evil exists, doesn’t that require real good? Yes—evil is the corruption or absence of what is good.

You don’t get “bad” unless something is first “right.”

III. The Midpoint

Now we get to the midpoint—

If good exists, then there must be a perfect standard of good. ← MIDPOINT

Otherwise it shifts. And if it shifts, and there is no standard, it’s just opinion.

And if it’s just opinion, it isn’t real

But we don’t treat morality like opinion.

So follow it—

Where does that perfect standard come from? It must come from a source outside of humanity and above it.

Does that point to God? Yes—it points directly to a perfect moral lawgiver, which is God.

So now the argument flips—

The existence of evil does not argue against God—

It requires Him.

IV. The Historical Reality (The Facts)

Now we go to what God actually says.

Genesis shows us a world without death. Without suffering. Without evil.

This is the greatest issue with this whole idea that God is the author of all things evil.

If God created us in an evil world with inherent sin, this would be a much different conversation.

But...God didn’t create a broken world. He created a perfect one.

So what happened?

God gave man a choice.

And he did those so everything actually mattered - if he didn’t we would just be robots doing whatever he programmed us to do

And we chose sin.

So what introduced sin into the world? Sin entered through man’s choice to rebel against God’s authority.

And from that moment—everything changed.

Death entered. Suffering entered. Corruption entered.

Evil entered.

And it didn’t stop there.

Every person since then has made the same choice.

We choose sin.

So let’s be clear:

Bad things don’t just happen to us. They happen because of sin.

IF WE WOULDN’T HAVE CHOSE TO LIVE IN AN EVIL WORLD, THEN WE WOULDN’T FACE EVIL

CANCER EXISTS = BECAUSE WE CHOSE SIN

DEATH EXISTS = BECAUSE WE CHOSE SIN

POVERTY = BECAUSE WE CHOSE SIN

And here is the incredible part

God had every write to create us and put us in a sinful and wicked world = he’s God

But instead he puts this lowly creation into perfection in all ways, and we chose evil

AND NOW WE COMPLAIN LIKE IT’S GOD’S FAULT WE HAVE TO FACE EVIL

V. The Example

Soon after creation we see the first murder

Genesis 4—Cain and Abel.

Cain kills his brother Abel

God does not blame the environment. He does not blame upbringing.

He does not blame the world he created. He does not blame the tool.

He looks at Cain:

“What have you done?”

Responsibility is placed on the sinner. He judged Cain.

Because the existence of evil is not in God’s creation, it is in the sinner.

VI. The Logical Conclusion

So we come back—

Why do bad things happen?

Because sin exists. And we choose it.

Not occasionally—constantly.

This is not complicated.

We live in a fallen world because man chose rebellion over God.

VII. Why This Matters

Now here’s where this turns—

People spend their lives asking: “Why did this happen?”

But you already know the root.

Sin.

So the issue isn’t explanation— it’s response.

VIII. Final Summary

Here is the other incredible fact of all of this....

God had every right to just let us live in our evil world we chose, and face it

But he makes a way for us to escape all evil and live in perfection once again.

BUT EVEN NOW HE PROMISES TO WORK THROUGH THE EVIL IN THIS WORLD THAT WE CHOSE TO GROW AND STRENGTHEN US

God created a perfect world. Man chose sin. And we live with the effects.

But God continues to work through those effects for our good.

IX. The Foundation

So here’s where it lands—

How does God in his grace and mercy save us from the effects of evil we chose?

He sends his son to take the punishment of our sin forever, and his spirit to dwell within us and guide us through the evil we chose.

He is the perfect standard of good— stepped into the broken world.

Lived perfectly. Died sacrificially. Rose victoriously.

So now it comes down to this—

The gospel of Christ is the ultimate expression of what is good. ← FOUNDATION

Repent and trust Him— or reject Him and remain in sin.