The problem of evil, is not about evil.

Isaiah 40:1-31, 2 Thessalonians 1:10

Often times, God’s allowance of “gratuitous” evil in the world, becomes an accusation leveled against God by the agnostic or atheist.

The accusation is usually stated, “If an all good, all loving and all powerful God exists, then why is there such gratuitous suffering and evil in the world?”; or “an all good and all loving and all powerful God cannot exist due to the gratuitous evil in the world”.

on the face of it, this questions seems reasonable.

However, what is implied in this question is a hidden assumption by the atheist or agnostic that betrays their finiteness: They assume that they know the depth of the mind and heart of God and call into question His allowance of evil and suffering in pursuit of His glory and righteousness.

They assume that they know God’s mind exhaustively. and that they know every reason why God would have and have found all of those reasons to be unsatisfactory.

They are assuming that God should have should have had another plan than the current one.

The atheist or agnostic who levels this claim against God, is immediately crushed under the vacuousness of their own understanding.

They are claiming to know that God has no sufficient reasons to allow the evil and suffering in the world. It is a fantastic and wild claim, which they could in no way uphold.

For, what if God allowing evil and suffering in the world, (which would include the innocent suffering of His one and only Son), is an arrow striking dead center on the bullseye of God’s glory?

And what if, the allowance of evil and suffering in the world, which would include the innocent suffering of Christ on the cross, is the means by which eternal souls who hate God are saved from God’s wrath?

If these are even possibly true, then the atheist or agnostic who would level the charge of gratuitous evil against God is placed in very dangerous predicament. Their unbelief or dislike of God due to the problem of evil, shows itself to be what it always was: a liability with eternal consequences.

The atheist or agnostic who would level the charge of evil and suffering in the world, as an indictment against God’s existence or His holy and righteous character, would hastily answer “yes” to Isaiah’s questions in Isaiah chapter 40.

“Do you not know?
    Have you not heard?
Has it not been told you from the beginning?
    Have you not understood since the earth was founded?

The atheist or agnostic who would level the charge against God of gratuitous evil in the world, would answer Isaiah, “yes I do know, and if God would have but sought my counsel, I could’ve given Him much better plan. How thoughtless of Him to not have put time on my calendar for a meeting”.

The incredulity of the atheist is not against evil in the world.

It is against God who allows evil as He pursues His own glory.

The atheist and agnostic who will not repent and and put their faith and trust in Christ, the king who suffered the weight of all their evil at the cross, will be crushed under the weight of their sinful and evil incredulity against God. They will be shocked with the same face of incredulity as they look into the face of Christ “when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:10).

The deception of sinful incredulity on the part of the atheist or agnostic who would level the charge of gratuitous evil against God’s existence or goodness, does have an appointment to meet with God; it however, will be the last appointment they ever have with Him. Then will come ever lasting death in the lake of fire.

May God grant boldness in these last days to preach the Gospel, and may God grant us all the grace and mercy which are in Christ Jesus.