Many people have struggled with belief in God because of terrible events in history. One example that is often mentioned is the Holocaust. The question is sincere: “If God is real and good, why would He allow such evil?” This is not simply an intellectual question—it is a deeply emotional one. Yet the Scriptures provide thoughtful, reasonable answers that can strengthen our faith.
The Existence of Evil Shows There Is a Moral Standard
When someone calls the Holocaust evil, they are making a moral judgment. But where does that standard come from? If there is no God, then morality is only opinion—one culture’s values versus another’s.
However, the reason we recognize cruelty, injustice, and oppression as truly wrong is because there is a God whose character defines good and evil (Romans 2:14–15). Our moral conscience is one of the strongest evidences for the existence of God.
The Bible Does Not Ignore Suffering
Scripture never presents life as painless. Job wrestled with grief. David wrote psalms of anguish. Habakkuk questioned why God allowed wickedness to continue. The Bible is honest—evil exists because of sin (Genesis 3). God created man with free will, and that freedom includes the ability to choose evil. Historical tragedies remind us just how destructive sin is.
God Has Not Remained Distant
God did not remain distant from human suffering. He entered into it through His Son.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, experienced hunger, grief, rejection, betrayal, injustice, and even death. He was “a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief” (Isaiah 53:3). When we suffer, we do not serve a Lord who merely observes pain—we serve One who has endured it. He did not exempt Himself from the trials of this world.
And at the cross, the greatest injustice ever committed—the death of the innocent Son of God—became the greatest act of love and redemption. In Christ’s suffering, God confronted evil and provided salvation (Romans 5:6–8). Our suffering is therefore neither unnoticed nor meaningless, because our Savior has walked the path of pain before us.
Without God, There Is No Hope of Justice
If there is no God, then every victim and every oppressor end the same—in the grave—with no final justice. But Scripture assures us that God will judge all wrongs (Acts 17:31). For the faithful, there is the assurance that those who endured suffering with righteousness will be comforted eternally. And those who committed evil, and did not repent, will answer before the Lord in judgment (Revelation 20:11–15). God brings justice perfectly where man cannot.
Conclusion
The presence of evil in the world is not evidence against God. It is evidence of our need for Him. The horrors of history show the depth of human sin, and the cross shows the depth of God’s love. Instead of driving us from God, suffering should cause us to seek Him more earnestly.
“The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” — Psalm 34:18
