Evil Proves God Exists
Month 6: Hard Questions · Why We Believe
Today's Scripture
Read together: Romans 8:22-25
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. 23 Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.
Memory Verse
“I consider that our present sufferings are not comparable to the glory that will be revealed in us.”— Romans 8:18 (BSB)
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Samuel 8-10
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Israel demands a king, and God gives them Saul.)The Heart of It
The most famous argument against God goes like this. "If God were real and good, there wouldn't be so much evil and suffering." It feels powerful. But turn it around, and something surprising happens. To say something is truly evil or wrong, you need a real measuring stick of good to measure it against. If there were no God, "evil" would just mean "stuff I don't like." And your dislike would be no more true than anyone else's. But we all know cruelty is really, truly wrong. It's not just unpopular. That points to a real moral law. And a moral law points to a Lawgiver. So the very evil that people use to argue against God actually whispers that He's there.
Paul shows us the Christian's honest, hopeful posture in today's reading. He says the whole creation "groans," and we groan too. He never pretends suffering isn't real. But then he adds, "We were saved in this hope," and "we eagerly wait for it with perseverance" (). Christianity doesn't just explain evil. It announces that God Himself stepped into our broken world in Jesus to defeat it from the inside. He didn't stay far off. He suffered with us and for us. On the cross, God took the worst evil ever done and turned it into the greatest rescue ever given. That's an answer no other story offers.
Around the Table
How do we know mean things are really wrong? Because God made a "good" rule for the whole world. Wrong only feels wrong because real good exists!
Let's do it: Name one thing that's wrong (like hitting), then cheer the good opposite (like hugging).
Saying "that's evil!" only makes sense if there's a real "good" to measure by. And that good comes from God.
Let's talk: If nobody made the rules, could anything ever be truly wrong? Why or why not?
The problem of evil actually cuts both ways. If there's no God, there's no fixed standard, so "evil" loses its meaning. Our outrage at evil is itself a clue that the Lawgiver is real.
Let's go deeper: How is "God explains evil and entered it to defeat it" a stronger answer than "evil just is"?
💬 Conversation Starter
Say someone cut in front of the whole line at an ice cream truck. Everybody would say, "That's not fair!" Where do you think that "not fair" feeling comes from?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
When someone says: "All the evil in the world proves God isn't real." You can kindly reply, "I understand. Evil is awful, and I hate it too. But here's the thing. To call something truly evil, we need a real measuring stick of good. Where does that come from? A good God is actually the best explanation for why evil bothers us so deeply. And here's the amazing part. God didn't ignore evil. He came in Jesus to suffer with us and beat it." Always say it the way Peter teaches, "with gentleness and respect" (). Say it gently. You're not trying to win a fight. You're trying to share real hope.
For Dad · Go Deeper
The logical problem of evil is the claim that a good, all-powerful God and evil cannot coexist. Even skeptical philosophers have largely abandoned it. Alvin Plantinga's free-will defense showed it isn't a strict contradiction. Genuine love requires genuine freedom. And freedom that can't be misused is no freedom at all. This fits our Wesleyan-Arminian conviction precisely. God grants real, resistible freedom. So much of the world's evil flows from creatures truly choosing against Him, not from God scripting it. But don't let your children meet only the argument. The deepest Christian answer to evil isn't a syllogism. It's a Person on a cross. So teach the logic. Then point past it to the wounded, risen Savior who entered the suffering Himself.
Draws on: Frank Turek, Stealing from God; Alvin Plantinga, God, Freedom, and Evil.
Let's Pray Together
"Father, thank You that You are good. When we hate what's wrong, it reminds us that You are real. Thank You that in Jesus You didn't stay far away. You came to defeat evil for us. Help us share this hope kindly with others. In Jesus' name, amen."
Our deep sense that evil is real points straight to the good God who made us.