Answers to Hard Questions

Why is there evil?


If God is all-powerful, why doesn’t He prevent evil? Perhaps He is preventing great evil daily, and we just are not aware of it because it does not come to pass! God could have made everyone without the capacity to choose evil, but then we could not choose genuine love either. Love demands the ability to choose and give it, and pre-programmed robots that simply could not sin would not be able to offer deep, significant, loving relationships either. This question tends to focus on “big” evils: drunk drivers killing innocent ones, terrorists destroying lives, malicious murders, etc. But the Bible reminds us that every single person has sinned (Romans 3:23). So where should God draw the line? Should He stop, eliminate, or never create those who would one day kill, steal, or slander? Jesus reminds us that even if we hate someone without cause it is murder in our hearts though. Have you taken a pencil or even paper from your school or job and used it for your own purposes other than their intent? That’s stealing too. Have you ever told a lie? That breaks a commandment. If God were to delete or annihilate those who commit evil, we would all be destroyed. The issue with this question is that we want those who commit “big” evils to receive justice, and we want mercy and to get away with our “little” evils. God created a world where we have free will to choose to love Him and others. When we choose the opposite, we see that sin has consequences that hurt others and ourselves too. There will be ultimate justice for those who never repent of their sin, and there is grace available in the forgiveness of our sin through Jesus. We also get to look forward to heaven where there is no evil and every tear is wiped away (Revelation 7:17). Until then, people can make choices that have horrible impacts on one another. That is one of the reasons it is critical to share the Gospel so that more loving choices increase as the Holy Spirit works in more lives.

Why do bad things happen to good people?


This question requires rethinking the definitions of “good” and “bad.” The truth is that no one is good: “there is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). Everyone who has sinned deserves hell, not good things to happen to him or her. With this in mind, we ought to thank God that He allows good things to happen to bad people! Recall that while we were still sinners – at our lowest, most wicked points of our lives – Christ demonstrated His love toward us in dying for us (Romans 5:8)! This is the best thing that could be done for us, because it paves the way to salvation and an eternal, loving relationship with God. So, the most “good” thing that could happen for humanity did. Every other good thing is likewise undeserved. Sometimes though we see that people who seem to be altogether good have bad things happen in their lives. When this occurs, we must remember that God is sovereign and has a reason for everything. He is good, even when our circumstances don’t seem to be. He gives us grace and mercy. We can trust in His promise that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

What if I think there is no absolute truth?


2 + 2 is absolutely 4. Sacramento is the state capitol of California. The sun is the biggest mass of energy in our solar system. These are all absolute truths. To say that there are no absolutes is an absolute statement in itself also. It does not ultimately matter what you think or what you believe. What matters is the truth. And the truth by definition will be narrow. 2 + 2 has many wrong answers and only one correct one. The way to heaven likewise has many wrong answers and only one right one: faith in Jesus Christ as Savior.

What if I believe there is no God?


This claim is actually based on blind faith and may stem from an unbeliever’s commitment to living life his or her way rather than in compliance with God’s way. To get at the heart issue behind this claim, you can inquire, “What evidence do you have to back up your belief?” You can ask, “What if you’re wrong?” Or “How did you come to that conclusion?” Our own made up beliefs do not have the capacity to save us and they are not grounded in truth. For example, I could say that I do not believe in gravity, but if I jump out of my window I will quickly find that gravity exists and that I cannot escape it. Whether God is acknowledged or not by someone does not change the truth that He is real. All people will stand before Him upon their death to be judged for their sin, and only faith in Jesus will save them.

Is the Bible true and trustworthy?


The Bible claims to be written by God. This doesn’t prove its authenticity to an unbeliever, but this point is important to consider, because if one thing in the Bible is found untrue, then that would make God – the author – a liar. If God was a liar, then Christianity would have no foundation. This points out the wonderful truth that no point in the Bible over thousands of years has been able to be proven wrong! It just takes one element to be proven wrong, and yet not a single one has undermined the Bible’s authority. It is remarkably reliable and trustworthy!

Every year more archeological discoveries are made that validate the Bible, and there is no existing archeological evidence that disagrees with the Bible. For example, the discovery of the Hittite capital in Turkey proved the existence of this people group that had previously only been mentioned in the Bible (Genesis 23 and 2 Samuel 11). All historical evidence supports the Bible, and other historical documents back up biblical accounts too. For example, the Tel Dan Inscription from the 9th century B.C. references the “house of David” and confirms the biblical account of him founding the kingdom of Judah – by Israel’s enemy recording so in Aramaic. The Bible also is a quarter prophecy, and it is the only book with hundreds of prophecies in it. Who can predict the future with 100% accuracy? Only God. One example of fulfilled prophecy is Psalm 22. Over a 1000 years before Jesus was born and hundreds of years before the Romans used crucifixion as punishment, King David prophesied about the Messiah’s crucifixion. Every prophecy in the Bible has been fulfilled to the smallest detail with the exception of those that have yet to be fulfilled regarding Jesus’ second coming. No wonder it is the best selling book across history with over 100 million Bibles sold a year.

Can you prove God is real?


Can you prove He’s not? Most people will admit that they do not have evidence to prove that God does not exist. If you point out a building nearby and describe that the building is standing proof of a maker who is capable of logic, order, and creation, the world itself is also standing proof of its Maker who is a logical, orderly Creator. You can reference even a few of the amazing truths about the universe we live in to point out the necessity of a logical God capable of designing it. For example, the axis of the earth and distance from the sun is perfect in preventing us from burning up or entering an Ice Age. The chance of setting the stage to sustain life on earth is nearly impossible. The chance of the creation of a protein molecule is 1 in 10243. Statisticians know that any probability over 1 in 1053 is impossible. One liver cell can have over 10,000 different proteins in it, thus over a million protein molecules! Creation is simply evidence of a very creative Creator. There are many arguments for God’s existence. However, rather than engaging in a spiritual debate, recognize that most bring this question up because they would rather doubt His existence than believe and be accountable to Him for their actions. Ultimately, we believe in God’s existence in faith, and believers have personal experience with God through prayer and circumstance that reassure them of His active existence in their lives.

What about the people who have never heard about Jesus?


It is true that there are many people who have never heard about Jesus. You may find that your listener doesn’t really care about those people if you respond, “If you truly care about how they haven’t heard about Jesus, would you be the one to go tell them?” You may then find that this was asked just to derail the conversation, not because the person has a deep concern and compassion for these people. Everyone will stand before God and be judged upon their death – not for whether or not they heard of Jesus, but for whether or not they broke God’s Law. God has given every person a conscience that tells what is good or bad, right or wrong. He has also expressed His existence and reality through nature (Romans 1:20). Yet, people still reject Him and rebel against how God has revealed Himself to them. It is their rebellion in sin that condemns them, not having never heard of Jesus. Jesus is the answer that those who have rejected and rebelled against God need though. Salvation is through Him and no one else. This is our motivation to evangelize and spread the good news. We do not want anyone to live in rejection of and rebellion against God when we have the message that could save them. We are called to spread this life-saving news.

Do you really believe Jesus rose from the dead?


Jesus’ resurrection was described by numerous authors whose writings were later bound into the Bible. Paul described the current event of His time that Jesus “was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present” (1 Corinthians 15:5-6). The resurrected, living Christ was seen by over five hundred people – many of whom were still alive at the time Paul wrote this letter. They could actively affirm that they had seen Jesus to any curious skeptic. Many of the people who saw Jesus resurrected – not just who believed He rose from the dead – later were killed because they would not deny seeing Him resurrected. Would countless people then, across history – and now – die for a lie? They saw Jesus, and that was enough validity for them to live for Him and to die for Him and the promise of eternal life that they were convinced of by their God who proved He was more powerful than death. Not only does a history of eyewitness accounts and martyrs confirm Jesus’ resurrection, but His personal power at work in believers today legitimizes it too. Ask other believers, and they can likely testify of what Jesus has done in and through their lives. His power and presence is available to any who put their faith in Him today too!

Why would a loving God create hell?


Firstly, it is important to realize that God does not want anyone in hell. He says that He takes no delight in the destruction of the wicked (Ezekiel 18:23) and that He desires everyone to be saved (1 Timothy 2:4). Hell was originally created for rebellious angels, and now rebellious people who love darkness rather than the light will end up there after they are judged for their sin. God doesn't want them to end up there, but the people who rejected God in life ultimately will continue in their rejection of Him after death. Hell exists because there must be a place for those who reject God. Also, God is holy and loves righteousness. His holiness cannot be marred with sin, which by His very nature, He hates and is inherently incompatible with. So, anyone who is not found in Jesus forgiven for their sins will be judged guilty for them. Those found guilty of their sinfulness cannot be unified with the holy, righteous God in heaven. Thus hell is the place created for those who reject God and do not have forgiveness for their sins through faith in Jesus.

How does Jesus’ death pardon me?


If Jesus was just an ordinary man, His death would not pardon any one for their sin. However, Jesus was fully God and fully man, thus fully able to pay for our finite sin with His infinite life. Jesus absorbed the sin of humanity and paid the penalty for it with His perfect life. He was capable of satisfying the moral standard God’s holy nature demands and the wrath He has toward sin (Romans 3:24-25). For, if you place Jesus on one side of the scale and all of humanity on the other, His worth outweighs everyone together. He alone can take the sins of humanity and cover believers in His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:19). Human effort cannot reconcile sinful people to a holy God whose very nature and character oppose sin. Only God Himself can accomplish this. In His incomprehensible, passionate love for us, God chose to die for us – even though we are depraved with sin – to offer eternal life with Him.