“Why doesn’t God deal with evil people?”

Every day we read about people who abuse children, traffic in other human beings, sell drugs to teenagers, and desert their families. We see people who destroy the lives and reputations of others to get ahead financially or politically or to acquire power in some area of life. Others become wealthy by preying on the most vulnerable. Why do evil people seem to get away with murder?

Add to that, events like school shootings, terror attacks, and hate crimes and it’s tempting to wonder, “Where is God?” “Why doesn’t He deal with evil people who do such things?”

Today’s Readings:

Ezekiel 5 & 6
Psalm 119.169-176
Proverbs 28.14
Hebrews 3.1-19

Why Doesn’t God Deal with Evil People?

Ezekiel 5 & 6:

God’s Warnings

God works hard to help us understand His truths. In the New Testament Jesus told parables, used illustrations from the agricultural world, and told stories like that of the prodigal son to help explain the Word.

Here in Ezekiel, He instructed the prophet to act out many of his prophecies. In these verses, he was to cut his hair and use it as a picture of the nation of Israel: burning a portion of it, chopping a portion with the sword, scattering a portion to the wind, and binding a small “remnant” in his clothing to protect it. This was an illustrated warning of the coming judgment along with God’s promise to protect His faithful remnant.

God is good, but He is also holy and righteous, and although, His patience and mercy often cause Him to hold back the hand of judgment, the time was coming for the nation of Israel when it would be carried out.

This doesn’t just apply to nations, in this case, the nation of Israel, but to individuals, as well.

God’s Judgment

When someone has sinned against us, we may ask “Why doesn’t God deal with that? Why doesn’t He go ahead and bring judgment on them?”

But when it’s us, we want mercy and cry foul when we suffer the consequences of our actions. The truth is few of us see our sins as all that serious.

But sin is serious to God and, as a loving Father, God will sometimes allow us to suffer the natural consequences of our choices and even discipline us so we can grow in holiness and the likeness of His Son. Hebrews 12.5b-6:

5 … “My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD,
Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him;
6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens,
And scourges every son whom He receives.”

But what about people who seem to suffer no consequences for the horrible things they do?

Getting Away with Murder?

For those who carry out atrocities, who prey on and hurt others, and who never repent and surrender to the Lord, there will be a day of accounting (Rom. 3.23, 6.23).

Galatians 6.7-10 says:

7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.

If they don’t repent, God will deal with those who sin against us and others. But He will do it His way and in His timing.

Sin and evil always have consequences … always! Even if people seem to get away with things in this life, it’s hard to imagine the horror they will experience when they step out of this world into what Jesus described like this:

Where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched (Mk. 9.44).

They will be joined there one day by two men called the beast and the false prophet.

Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (Rev. 19.20).

And notice at the end of Christ’s 1,000-year millennial reign, we’re told:

The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever (Rev. 20.10, emphasis added).

One thousand years after they were thrown into hell, they are still there. The fires of hell are neither consuming (their worm does not die) nor purgatorial (the fire is not quenched). Instead, those who end up there face an eternity in a place of burning, thirst, and darkness, with no hope of it ever ending. A place that is full of terrorists, mass murderers, and other evil people. But sadly …

People Who See Themselves as Good

Sadly, it will also be full of people who saw themselves as good (Prov. 20.6) but rejected their only hope of eternal salvation … the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because while, as I said, most of us see our sin as relatively small, all sin is worthy of death (Rom. 6.23). God is perfectly holy. No sin can be in His presence. It must be dealt with either at the cross or by eternal punishment.

If you’re not sure your sin has been dealt with, don’t leave it to chance. Or if you’re hoping you’ve been good enough to get into heaven, that’s not possible (Rom. 3.23). If it were, Jesus would never have had to suffer and die in our place.

To read more on this subject you can check out these posts. If that last paragraph describes you, I pray you will read the first one and watch the video you’ll find there.

“Could You Be a Christian in Name Only?”

“Is Hell Real or Will Everyone Go to Heaven?”

“Why Consequences for Wrong Behavior Are Important”

Today’s Other Readings:

Psalm 119.169-176:

I Have Gone Astray

I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Your servant, for I do not forget Your commandments (v. 176).

After extolling the wisdom and virtues of the Word and his love for it … for 176 verses … the psalmist still recognized his own sinful nature, “I have gone astray …” and understood that he needed God to keep seeking him!

Proverbs 28.14:

Calamity & the Fear of the Lord

Happy is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart will fall into calamity.

True happiness, peace, and joy come from a reverential fear of God, but when we harden our hearts and are determined to go our own way, we too will eventually reap the consequences of our own choices.

Hebrews 3.1-19:

Warn, Encourage & Restore

[B]ut exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin (v. 13).

And Galatians 6.1:

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

God not only teaches His truths directly through the reading and preaching of His Word, but He also uses all of us to warn and encourage one another. In Hebrews 3.13 He commands us to exhort one another so that we won’t be hardened by sin. One definition of the word “exhort” is to beg or entreat. Galatians 6 takes it even further by commanding us to “restore.” That word means to fix or mend much like setting a bone.

So when we see a brother or sister who is caught up in sin, we should be willing to allow God to use us to warn, encourage, and restore, even when it is uncomfortable and inconvenient.

Coming Up:

In the next few days, we’ll discuss the question, “Does Salvation + Time + Knowledge = Spiritual Maturity?” We’ll also talk about idolatry, whether we can be addicted to religion, what it means to be children of light, generational sin, and look at a slippery spiritual path.

I hope you’ll sign up so you don’t miss any of them. You might also like to check out our YouTube channel.

If this post spoke to you, I would love it if you would share it on your favorite social media platform.

Blessings as you grow in Christ,

Donna ♥

Note about this post:

I began blogging through the Bible in 2012 and have done so every year since then. These posts are the product of many edits and additions throughout those years. Some days I make major changes, other days fewer. 

A while ago, I read Jen Wilkin’s book None Like Him about the attributes of God. One is His incomprehensibility. In it, she says, “God is incomprehensible. This does not mean that he is unknowable, but that he is unable to be fully known.”

I have found that to be true each year as I’ve gone back through the Bible. Sometimes I find myself feeling as if a passage just appeared there for the first time. I’m reminded that no matter how many times we read through the Bible, we have only scratched the surface. I hope you feel the same.

Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways,
And how small a whisper we hear of Him!
But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26.14)

I sometimes LINKUP with these blogs.