What Is the Biblical Solution to the Problem of Evil?
According to the Bible, the problem of evil is resolved not by philosophical speculation or abstract reasoning but by the person and work of Jesus Christ. Humans are created in God’s image with the ability to make moral choices, which means the capacity for love exists alongside the possibility of evil. Because love must be freely given, removing the possibility of evil would require removing the freedom that makes love possible. The biblical solution does not eliminate freedom, nor does it ignore evil. Instead, God enters the world in Jesus Christ to confront evil directly. Through the cross and resurrection, Jesus deals with both moral evil (what people commit) and the evil done against victims. The Bible teaches that Jesus will either justify or judge every person and will ultimately renew creation so that evil and its consequences are permanently removed. The biblical solution to the problem of evil is therefore rooted in Christ’s atoning sacrifice, offering not just explanation but “good news.”
1. Why the Bible Says Evil Exists
A biblical solution must begin with a biblical understanding of evil. According to Scripture, humans were created in God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27) and therefore possess the ability to make moral decisions. This ability means:
humans can choose good
humans can choose evil
humans can choose love, which requires the freedom to refuse it
humans can act as moral agents responsible for their decisions
This explains why the Bible never presents the solution to evil as eliminating human choice. If God removed the possibility of evil, he would also remove the possibility of love. Because love is the greatest good, the biblical solution addresses evil without destroying the freedom love requires.
The Bible describes this moral capacity in passages such as Deuteronomy 30:19, where God sets before his people “life and death, blessing and curse,” commanding them to “choose life.” Human choice is part of God’s design, and evil arises when humans misuse this freedom.
2. How the Biblical Solution Confronts Evil Through Jesus Christ
The Bible’s solution to evil is not detached or philosophical but deeply personal. Instead of remaining distant from human suffering, God’s Son enters a world disordered by sin and directly confronts the forces of evil. This approach includes several key components:
Jesus experiences human suffering, identifying with victims (Isaiah 53:3–4).
Jesus confronts demonic evil through healing and exorcism (Mark 1:34).
Jesus bears the consequences of moral evil through his death.
Jesus rises from the dead, breaking the power of death and evil itself.
According to the Bible, Jesus does not simply comment on evil—he carries it, defeats it, and ultimately destroys it. This is why the Gospel writers center their narratives on the cross and resurrection as the decisive turning point in the battle against evil. God’s solution is not theoretical but incarnational.
3. How the Biblical Solution Deals With Moral Evil and Its Consequences
The problem of evil includes both those who commit evil and those who suffer from it. The biblical solution addresses both.
For those who commit moral evil:
Jesus takes the punishment deserved for sin.
He bears the judgment humans should bear.
Through faith in Christ, sinners are justified and forgiven.
This is central to passages such as Romans 3:23–26, where God declares sinners righteous because Jesus absorbs the penalty of evil on their behalf.
For those who suffer evil:
Jesus will either pay for the evil committed against them
orJesus will judge those responsible
The biblical solution does not allow injustice to go unanswered. Instead, the cross ensures justice is satisfied either through atonement or through final judgment. God promises that no act of evil will be ignored or forgotten. As Paul writes, God “will render to each one according to his works” (Romans 2:6).
For every person:
Jesus will judge or justify every human being.
No evil committed will escape God’s justice.
No evil suffered will be overlooked.
This dual approach—judgment or justification—preserves both justice and mercy.
4. How the Biblical Solution Ends Evil Forever in the New Creation
The Bible’s solution to evil does not end at the cross. Scripture points toward a future when God renews the entire creation and removes evil permanently. Revelation 21:1–4 describes a new heaven and new earth where:
death is no more
sorrow is no more
pain is no more
evil is completely removed
This future world is not an escape from creation but a restoration of creation. The biblical solution to the problem of evil includes the promise that the consequences of sin—death, decay, injustice, grief—will all be undone. God’s purpose is not merely to forgive; it is to renew and restore.
In this new creation:
God dwells with his people
righteousness defines the world
evil has no place
the effects of sin are reversed
This final step of the biblical solution ensures that evil’s presence, power, and memory are extinguished forever.
5. Why the Biblical Solution Finds Its Center in Christ’s Atoning Work
The Bible does not present multiple solutions to evil. There is one solution, and it is rooted in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Scripture explains this in several ways:
Jesus bears the weight of evil.
Jesus satisfies divine justice.
Jesus restores victims through judgment or mercy.
Jesus inaugurates a new creation through his resurrection.
Faith in Christ connects people to the solution, not because faith is a work, but because faith receives what Christ has done. This is why the biblical solution is more than an explanation—it is the Gospel. The Bible’s answer to the problem of evil is not abstract reasoning; it is good news that God has acted decisively in Jesus.
Conclusion
The biblical solution to the problem of evil centers entirely on Jesus Christ. Humans introduce evil through moral freedom, but God refuses to destroy freedom because freedom makes love possible. Instead, God sends his Son to enter human suffering and confront evil directly. Jesus takes the punishment of moral evil, provides justice for victims of evil, and promises to judge or justify every person. The biblical solution culminates in a renewed creation where evil and its consequences are permanently removed. Faith in Christ receives this solution, making the Gospel the final and complete answer to the problem of evil.
Bible Verses About the the Problem of Evil
Romans 5:8 “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 3:23–26 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift… so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”
Isaiah 53:4–5 “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows… he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities.”
Revelation 21:3–4 “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man… He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more.”
Acts 17:31 “He has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed.”
1 Corinthians 15:25–26 “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”
1 Peter 2:24 “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree.”
Hebrews 2:14–15 “Through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”
2 Peter 3:13 “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.”
Romans 8:18–21 “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed… creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption.”
