The short answer is that God wanted to have a loving personal relationship with each of us so He gave us free will. And with free will comes the choice to either love or hate God and to either do good or evil.
If I were talking with fellow Christians and this question came up I would share with my Christian brothers and sisters the following scenario: I believe the key concept revolves around the word relationship. Let me explain. Before we even had a universe God existed. Since God is complete and perfect He clearly wasn’t lonely but I believe He wanted to share his awesome love and goodness with others and that’s why He created humans – He wanted relationship. So, the logical question is how could God have a relationship with us that would be two-sided where He loves us and we can love Him? The only way is to make us moral agents that can exercise free will. For without free will there can be no real relationship. Loving someone is always a choice and that is exactly what God gave us – the choice to either love Him or to go our own way.
And here is the dilemma God was faced with. It is not logically possible to have free will and no possibility of moral evil. And here is the keep point – God is not the creator of evil. He created the possibility of evil – people actualized that potentiality. And it is important to note that God’s permission is not the same as God’s approval.
The Bible tells us that man chose to disobey God and rebel against Him. As a result, sin entered the world and with sin all kinds of evil and suffering. And because of sin the real question is not so much “Why did God allow evil?” but “Why do we?”
One other reason God allows evil is to show us that no matter how much evil exists He is able to bring about something good in the process. God often allowed current evil and suffering for a future good. For example, God showed us how the very worst thing in history, the death of God Himself on the cross, resulted in the very best thing in history – our restoration into relationship with God and eternal life with Him after physical death. At Christ’s crucifixion His disciples couldn’t see how anything good could come about – but it did! And don’t forget what God said to Joseph’s brothers when they intended to destroy their brother: for we read in (Genesis 50:20): “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”
I enjoy each one of your posts, Curt. This one is especially beautiful in how it glorifies God.
There is that great mystery of the relationship between God’s sovereignty and our free will, but you explain it well: we are made for relationship with Him and ultimately for His glory. True relationship cannot be had with robots, but only with willing individuals.
That fact that we frequently choose to do evil (nay, rather are BENT toward evil!) and yet God is still patient with us, is also evidence of his great love.
Awaiting Part II. 🙂