Why does God let evil continue? Part II

In Part I I suggested that God lets evil linger to allow trials to sanctify us. Another reason I see in Scripture comes from Isaiah 30:18. God is waiting patiently for more sinners to repent and be saved.

God lets evil continue to allow more sinners a chance to hear the gospel and repent and be saved.

Isaiah prophesied for God to rebuke his people for their rebellion. He promises destruction if they don’t turn back but at the same time promises restoration and forgiveness for their repentance. He goes so far as to promise that He will come and redeem them and rebuild His city. In chapter 30 he says that God is waiting to be gracious to them, he exalts himself to show mercy to them. God wants to show mercy and be gracious. He longs to do it and waits to be gracious to you as Is. 30:18 says. As I think about how or why God waits, I consider that the reason is that He chooses to work in us in such a way that we willingly come to him. He is capable of overpowering us and forcing us to do His will. But He is exalted and glorified even more when we willingly obey him and follow Him.

Then I also think of the means that God will use to destroy evil when he comes to do away with it completely. The clearest answer I see in scripture and think out is that he will do that when he comes on the day of judgment. If he came to do away with evil today, all who are still in rebellion would be condemned eternally. If he waits until tomorrow, then those who repent today will be saved for eternity. Scripture tells us that this will not be an endless cycle going on forever and ever as a never-ending story. Scripture tells us that there is a day fixed when he will come to judge and he will do it through the firstborn of the resurrection (Acts 17:31). Scripture also tells us that only the Father knows that day. Until that day comes, there is still time to repent and be saved, while at the same time evil still lingers.

It appears that God is waiting patiently to allow more people to repent and return to him. He knows the day and that day will come at His right time. But until that day comes, there is still time for us to do our job of proclaiming his glory and pleading with more to believe in the gospel and repent and be saved. It seems like a difficult thing to grasp that we have to suffer evil both internally and externally because God is waiting to bring judgment day until his chosen loved ones come home. But on the other hand, this thought fills me with hope and longing for my friends and family to be saved. I think of my sister-in-law who has rejected God and I would be utterly grieved to think of her suffering eternally for her rebellion. It would give me the greatest joy to hear of her repentance and return to her loving savior before it is too late. I am very thankful and am willing to suffer however many more days of evil it takes if I may get the chance to see her and countless others return home and be restored to their loving creator. This compels us to go out and plead harder with our loved ones and strangers too to come to Jesus while there is still time. Because there will come a day when it will be too late and God will do away with all evil and will make all things new. He will punish and destroy all who continue to rebel and he will bring home and restore all who are washed and clothed in the righteous robes of Christ. How many more can we lead home today?