"So God created mankind in His own image, in the image of God He created them; male and female He created them."
-Genesis 1:27
I actually meant to write this post about the image of God in 2015, but somehow three years have passed without me writing on this topic. When the 2018 New Year started, I started a Bible reading plan that starts in the book in Genesis. As I read Genesis 1, I found myself thinking about what the "image of God" is once again. Now that I've had some time to gather my thoughts, I figured I would finally write this blog post.
In Genesis 1, God creates the world in six days. He creates light, the earth, the sky, land and sea, vegetation, night and day, animals of water and sky, animals of the land, and finally man. Out of everything that He created, only man is created in God's image. What significance does this bear? What does it mean to be created "in the image" of God?
When I think of what an "image" is, I immediately think of a picture (i.e. Google images). What would you find if you searched for an image of the President? You would probably find pictures of the President. The image of the President bears many resemblances to him, such as his facial features. In other words, the image captures the likeness of the President. In the same way, when God created us in His image, we have the likeness of God. What are some of these likenesses? We have a spirit, we have emotions and we have an intellect. All of these things are a result of being created in the image of God.
If you think again about the picture of the President, you quickly realize that although the image can capture the likeness of the President, it is not of the same nature as the President. The picture may bear a resemblance to the President, but it does not breathe, think, or feel. There are aspects of the President that are not shared by the image. Similarly, there are aspects of God that we do not share, such as His omnipresence, omniscience, and omnipotence.
What implications does the image of God have on our lives? The purpose of an image is to capture the likeness of the subject of the image. Our purpose is to capture the likeness of God. However, an image can be distorted by imperfections such as dirt or tears. Since we do not share in the omnipotence, omniscience and omnipotence of God, we cannot always understand Him. When He is trying to perfect His image onto our lives, we can't always see what He is doing. Thus, we doubt Him and turn to our own desires and plans. This creates dirt and tears (sin) in our image, which separates us from the image that God is trying to create in us.
No one is immune from sin. Everyone falls short of being a perfect reflection of God's image. We always fall short because although we share in the likeness of God, we do not share completely in His nature. Anything that is created will never fully share in the nature of the creator. Only something that is begotten is of the same nature as the one who begot it. This is why the Bible says that Jesus is the only begotten one of God. Jesus was the only to have walked on this earth that completely shared in the nature of God. Furthermore, Jesus was the only one who could rescue us from our sin and imperfections because only He could live a perfect life.
Knowing we can never be a perfect reflection of the image of God, what are we supposed to do? In the gospel, there is a story of the Pharisees and Herodians trying to trick Jesus into upsetting the people. They ask Jesus whether it is okay to pay the tax to Caesar or not. They knew that no matter how Jesus answered this question, He would inevitably upset either the Roman government or the taxpayers.
Instead of answering the question straightaway, He asks His questioners a question. "Bring me a denarius and let me look at it. Whose image is this? And whose inscription? (Mark 12:15-16)" They respond correctly by saying that it is Caesar's image on the denarius. Jesus then says "give back to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's." What is Jesus implying here? He is saying that because the denarius bears the image of Caesar on it, it belongs to Caesar. As such, it is the duty of those who own the denarius to give it back to Caesar. The natural follow up question we should ask is "what belongs to God?" Instead of answering the question, let me ask this- whose image in on you?
-Smart
Key Verse 2018
“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.”
-Mark 12:30-31
2017 was one of the most unique years I have ever experienced. I lived in Dallas, cooked for myself, and worked full time. Never in my life had I done any of these things for the span of a whole year. I learned how to take care of myself without the help of my family, which was difficult yet rewarding. Living on my own for a year made me realize how much my parents did for me, which I am extremely grateful for today.
As in every year, there were both challenges and successes in 2017. The biggest challenge for me was adjusting to full time work while at the same time taking care of myself. There were times in the spring and summer of 2018 were my workload got very intense, which forced me to work extra hours often. This definitely put a toll on me, as I struggled to find time and energy to do things like exercise, cook, go to the doctor, and most importantly, spend time with God. Rather than do these things, I chose to play videogames, watch TV, or sleep. My mind and body felt so tired, and rather than turn to God I turned to worldly things.
On the flip side, one of the biggest successes was starting Dallas UBF with Jonathan, Karen, Brian, and Scott. None of us had lived in Dallas until roughly two years ago, so I could see God’s hand in placing us all here at this time. I truly believe God has something planned here through us because He has placed each of us here. I cannot lie and say that starting a small house church ministry was easy. In fact, it was often disappointing. Coming from a fairly large church in Maryland, Dallas UBF felt so small despite being in a big city.
Karen would sometimes ask me to go to campus with her to do outreach, and we would spend time praying and talking to students. Many of the students were friendly, but were already attending other churches in the Dallas area. One moment of success was when one student agreed to study the Bible with Karen after we spoke to her on the SMU campus. By God’s grace, Karen also got a job on SMU which allows her to be among the students we are hoping to reach. I pray that I can spend more time going to campus and asking students to study the Word of God.
My key verse for 2017 was Matthew 13:31-32 which reads, “He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’” My hope for 2017 was that through consistent Bible reading and prayer, God would grow the seed of His Kingdom in my life.
Unfortunately I cannot say that I was very consistent in my quiet time with God. However, despite my shortcomings, I believe God was helping me grow. Through the Mid-Atlantic Summer Bible Conference, I was convicted to being writing down my struggles in a journal. I have never been very good at journaling, so it was hard for me to keep doing it. As I started writing my thoughts, I realized how much I needed God’s grace. I prayed for Him to guide me and help me overcome my struggles with sin.
On the final days of 2017, I was given the privilege to help lead worship at Washington UBF’s youth group retreat. I was encouraged to see students from the east coast chapters come together to hear God’s Word. The speaker was Richard Lee, who I thought did a great job inspiring the students to love God’s Word. As the students understood more of God’s heart through His Word, I saw a noticeable change in their attitude during worship. They began to sing out rather than stand there silently. I also believe I saw their genuine hearts in prayer during the ministry times. I hope that they would continue to hunger after God in 2018.
One thought that stuck out to me at the retreat was that we are not slaves of God, but sons of God. A slave receives a wage for his work, but a son receives an inheritance regardless of his work. A person who tries to earn God’s favor as a slave will never experience the inheritance and joy of God. They will spend their entire lives trying to work for God’s love, never realizing that God’s love is not earned. On the other hand, a son of God already knows the Father loves him. Instead of working to earn God’s favor, they work as a response to God’s love. A lover will always outwork a worker.
My key verse for 2018 is Mark 12:30-31. Prior to these verses, Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is. He responds by saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” I want to hold onto these verses in obedience to God’s command. Jesus proclaims that these are the greatest commandments because “All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:40).” Everything that God commands us to do is based on our love for Him. If we try to earn God’s favor without love, our lives will be miserable. However, if we do everything out of love for God and other people, our lives will be filled with joy.
I used to wonder why Jesus doesn’t simply say that the greatest command is to “love God and love others.” Why does He say “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”? A year or two ago I came to an understanding of why God wrote the commandment in this way. If you consider the essence of a person, you must consider these four things- physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual nature. When Jesus tells us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, He is saying to love God with our entire being. We cannot leave out any part of ourselves when loving God.
The best way to love God in this way is through worship. Worship is the best way to engage the entire nature of our being as an act of love. Ravi Zacharias often says this quote about worship that I really love: “worship is the submission of all of our nature to God, quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose. All this gathered in adoration is the greatest expression of which we are capable.” My hope for 2018 is that I spend more time each day in worship to God as a response to His love for me. I want to love God and love others with all of my being.
-Smart
-Mark 12:30-31
2017 was one of the most unique years I have ever experienced. I lived in Dallas, cooked for myself, and worked full time. Never in my life had I done any of these things for the span of a whole year. I learned how to take care of myself without the help of my family, which was difficult yet rewarding. Living on my own for a year made me realize how much my parents did for me, which I am extremely grateful for today.
As in every year, there were both challenges and successes in 2017. The biggest challenge for me was adjusting to full time work while at the same time taking care of myself. There were times in the spring and summer of 2018 were my workload got very intense, which forced me to work extra hours often. This definitely put a toll on me, as I struggled to find time and energy to do things like exercise, cook, go to the doctor, and most importantly, spend time with God. Rather than do these things, I chose to play videogames, watch TV, or sleep. My mind and body felt so tired, and rather than turn to God I turned to worldly things.
On the flip side, one of the biggest successes was starting Dallas UBF with Jonathan, Karen, Brian, and Scott. None of us had lived in Dallas until roughly two years ago, so I could see God’s hand in placing us all here at this time. I truly believe God has something planned here through us because He has placed each of us here. I cannot lie and say that starting a small house church ministry was easy. In fact, it was often disappointing. Coming from a fairly large church in Maryland, Dallas UBF felt so small despite being in a big city.
Karen would sometimes ask me to go to campus with her to do outreach, and we would spend time praying and talking to students. Many of the students were friendly, but were already attending other churches in the Dallas area. One moment of success was when one student agreed to study the Bible with Karen after we spoke to her on the SMU campus. By God’s grace, Karen also got a job on SMU which allows her to be among the students we are hoping to reach. I pray that I can spend more time going to campus and asking students to study the Word of God.
My key verse for 2017 was Matthew 13:31-32 which reads, “He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’” My hope for 2017 was that through consistent Bible reading and prayer, God would grow the seed of His Kingdom in my life.
Unfortunately I cannot say that I was very consistent in my quiet time with God. However, despite my shortcomings, I believe God was helping me grow. Through the Mid-Atlantic Summer Bible Conference, I was convicted to being writing down my struggles in a journal. I have never been very good at journaling, so it was hard for me to keep doing it. As I started writing my thoughts, I realized how much I needed God’s grace. I prayed for Him to guide me and help me overcome my struggles with sin.
On the final days of 2017, I was given the privilege to help lead worship at Washington UBF’s youth group retreat. I was encouraged to see students from the east coast chapters come together to hear God’s Word. The speaker was Richard Lee, who I thought did a great job inspiring the students to love God’s Word. As the students understood more of God’s heart through His Word, I saw a noticeable change in their attitude during worship. They began to sing out rather than stand there silently. I also believe I saw their genuine hearts in prayer during the ministry times. I hope that they would continue to hunger after God in 2018.
One thought that stuck out to me at the retreat was that we are not slaves of God, but sons of God. A slave receives a wage for his work, but a son receives an inheritance regardless of his work. A person who tries to earn God’s favor as a slave will never experience the inheritance and joy of God. They will spend their entire lives trying to work for God’s love, never realizing that God’s love is not earned. On the other hand, a son of God already knows the Father loves him. Instead of working to earn God’s favor, they work as a response to God’s love. A lover will always outwork a worker.
My key verse for 2018 is Mark 12:30-31. Prior to these verses, Jesus is asked what the greatest commandment is. He responds by saying: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: love your neighbor as yourself. There is no commandment greater than these.” I want to hold onto these verses in obedience to God’s command. Jesus proclaims that these are the greatest commandments because “All the Law and Prophets hang on these two commandments (Matthew 22:40).” Everything that God commands us to do is based on our love for Him. If we try to earn God’s favor without love, our lives will be miserable. However, if we do everything out of love for God and other people, our lives will be filled with joy.
I used to wonder why Jesus doesn’t simply say that the greatest command is to “love God and love others.” Why does He say “with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength”? A year or two ago I came to an understanding of why God wrote the commandment in this way. If you consider the essence of a person, you must consider these four things- physical, emotional, intellectual and spiritual nature. When Jesus tells us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, He is saying to love God with our entire being. We cannot leave out any part of ourselves when loving God.
The best way to love God in this way is through worship. Worship is the best way to engage the entire nature of our being as an act of love. Ravi Zacharias often says this quote about worship that I really love: “worship is the submission of all of our nature to God, quickening of conscience by His holiness, nourishment of mind by His truth, purifying of imagination by His beauty, opening of the heart to His love, and submission of will to His purpose. All this gathered in adoration is the greatest expression of which we are capable.” My hope for 2018 is that I spend more time each day in worship to God as a response to His love for me. I want to love God and love others with all of my being.
-Smart
Ordinary Miracles
"God saw all the He had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning- the sixth day."
-Genesis 1:31
In recent times it seems there has been a movement away from religion, specifically Christianity. People maintain the idea that science disproves the possibly of there being a god. They believe that science is able to adequately explain all that we see and observe so there is no room for belief in a god. In this new worldview, science is the only rational explanation for the world and everything in it.
If you've read my blog at all, you'll know that I disagree with that worldview. I do agree that science is able to help us explain many things, but it cannot explain everything. For example, science can explain why humans need to breathe but it cannot explain how life was breathed into the first human. Of course there are many theories as to how people came to be, such as the big bang and evolution, but I don't believe these theories are adequate.
While I could write extensively about things that science can't explain, I actually want to talk about the things that science can explain. Before I get into that, I want to describe why I was thinking about this subject in the first place. In the Bible, there are accounts that talk about miracles that Jesus performed. These miracles were events that happened that can only be explained by supernatural forces, in this instance, the power of God through Jesus Christ. Many people who believe in the scientific worldview claim that these miracles either never happened or were exaggerated accounts of ordinary events. In other words, they believe that nothing can happen that cannot be explained by science.
Again, I don't want to discuss whether or not these miracles really happened or not, although I do believe they did happen. Instead, I want to explore the idea that a scientific explanation nullifies the existence of God. The word "miracle" implies something that isn't ordinary. For example, when Jesus walked on water, we consider it a miracle because ordinarily, people cannot walk on water, they sink. However, what if the very things we consider ordinary are actually miraculous in nature?
To help explain my point, let me pose a question. If I gave you a pair for dice and asked you to roll them a hundred times, would you expect to get the same number every time? If you did happen to roll the same number a hundred times in a row, would you consider that ordinary or not? Of course you wouldn't find that ordinary! You would probably assume that I had altered the dice in some way as to make them roll the same number every time.
If we consider it extraordinary that the dice behaved the same way each time, why do we consider it ordinary that things in nature behave the same way every time? Is it more likely that when an apple falls, it falls at the same speed every time or that it falls at different speeds? Is it really ordinary that water boils at a specific temperature (100°C) every time? Is it not miraculous that if I apply a certain voltage through a certain resistance, I get the same amount of current every time?
My point is that maybe the very fact that we can explain things with science is a miracle in itself. Going back to the dice example, the fact that you rolled the same number each time led you to believe that the dice were designed in a certain way. You would not infer that the dice were random in nature. Similarly, when we see things around us behaving according to the laws of science, we should believe that there is someone who designed it that way. Maybe instead of science removing the need to believe in God, it actually requires it.
-Smart
-Genesis 1:31
In recent times it seems there has been a movement away from religion, specifically Christianity. People maintain the idea that science disproves the possibly of there being a god. They believe that science is able to adequately explain all that we see and observe so there is no room for belief in a god. In this new worldview, science is the only rational explanation for the world and everything in it.
If you've read my blog at all, you'll know that I disagree with that worldview. I do agree that science is able to help us explain many things, but it cannot explain everything. For example, science can explain why humans need to breathe but it cannot explain how life was breathed into the first human. Of course there are many theories as to how people came to be, such as the big bang and evolution, but I don't believe these theories are adequate.
While I could write extensively about things that science can't explain, I actually want to talk about the things that science can explain. Before I get into that, I want to describe why I was thinking about this subject in the first place. In the Bible, there are accounts that talk about miracles that Jesus performed. These miracles were events that happened that can only be explained by supernatural forces, in this instance, the power of God through Jesus Christ. Many people who believe in the scientific worldview claim that these miracles either never happened or were exaggerated accounts of ordinary events. In other words, they believe that nothing can happen that cannot be explained by science.
Again, I don't want to discuss whether or not these miracles really happened or not, although I do believe they did happen. Instead, I want to explore the idea that a scientific explanation nullifies the existence of God. The word "miracle" implies something that isn't ordinary. For example, when Jesus walked on water, we consider it a miracle because ordinarily, people cannot walk on water, they sink. However, what if the very things we consider ordinary are actually miraculous in nature?
To help explain my point, let me pose a question. If I gave you a pair for dice and asked you to roll them a hundred times, would you expect to get the same number every time? If you did happen to roll the same number a hundred times in a row, would you consider that ordinary or not? Of course you wouldn't find that ordinary! You would probably assume that I had altered the dice in some way as to make them roll the same number every time.
If we consider it extraordinary that the dice behaved the same way each time, why do we consider it ordinary that things in nature behave the same way every time? Is it more likely that when an apple falls, it falls at the same speed every time or that it falls at different speeds? Is it really ordinary that water boils at a specific temperature (100°C) every time? Is it not miraculous that if I apply a certain voltage through a certain resistance, I get the same amount of current every time?
My point is that maybe the very fact that we can explain things with science is a miracle in itself. Going back to the dice example, the fact that you rolled the same number each time led you to believe that the dice were designed in a certain way. You would not infer that the dice were random in nature. Similarly, when we see things around us behaving according to the laws of science, we should believe that there is someone who designed it that way. Maybe instead of science removing the need to believe in God, it actually requires it.
-Smart
Thanksgiving Topics 2017
"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."
-Psalm 100:4-5
I know I haven't written a blog post in a while but I do have two topics to write about (not including today's topic) in the the near future. In the spirit of Thanksgiving 2017, I wanted to share my Thanksgiving topics. I hope in this Thanksgiving season we remember the goodness of God and what He has done for each of us in the past year.
-Smart
-Psalm 100:4-5
I know I haven't written a blog post in a while but I do have two topics to write about (not including today's topic) in the the near future. In the spirit of Thanksgiving 2017, I wanted to share my Thanksgiving topics. I hope in this Thanksgiving season we remember the goodness of God and what He has done for each of us in the past year.
- I am thankful for God. Without His unending love and grace, I would not be able to have anything in this list. While it is nice to have things to be thankful for, I know I would have nothing without the source of all things. I am thankful that God sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for my sins even when I was an enemy of God. No matter how many years go by, I am always amazed at the amazing grace of God.
- I am thankful for family. This year is the first full year I've lived completely on my own. While there are many things I enjoy about living on my own, I have realized the impact my family has had on my life. Much of who I am is due to my family influencing my life. I am especially grateful for the times I can travel back to Maryland and spend time with my family.
- I am thankful for friends. Since moving away from my hometown, I've had to make new friends. I have developed good relationships with people at my new church and workplace. I always enjoy having a nice lunch or dinner with my friends. I am also grateful for the friends back in Maryland, who encourage me through prayer and words of encouragement. I am also thankful that I can see them whenever I visit Maryland.
- I am thankful for my job. This is the first year I've worked full time for an entire year. While there have been many challenges, I have learned a lot about how to manage my career. Of course I am thankful for the money I get from my job, but I am also thankful for the relationships I have made. I know I still have much more to learn, but I am grateful for what my job has taught me so far.
- I am thankful for technology. I know this may seem broad, but I have come to appreciate technology because it allows me to communicate with family and friends who are no longer nearby. This year has given me a new appreciation for the ability to send a text message or email to someone who lives halfway across the country.
- I am thankful for music. While I was thinking about this list, I realized that music is a huge part of my life. I listen to music for a large portion of every day. I always have music playing in my car, my work, and my apartment. Music allows me to drown out my surroundings and focus at the task at hand. Music also helps me remember the goodness of God when I listen to the lyrics of the song.
- I am thankful for Instagram. I joined Instagram in March of this year and it has changed my life. I am able to take a peek into the lives of my friends and they also can peek into mine. I really enjoy seeing what others are up to, especially those who live far away from me. While Instagram has mostly been a good thing, I have realized that it can take up a lot of my time if I am not careful. Despite being time-consuming, I am thankful to have Instagram.
- I am thankful for basketball. I usually play basketball twice a week and it has been a great way for me to stay healthy and find enjoyment. I can't really explain why I enjoy playing basketball so much but I can say that I love it. I am thankful that I have a place to play year-round and people to play with.
- I am thankful for Dallas. I have lived in Dallas for over a year now and I must admit that I really enjoy living here. Of course I miss my family and friends in Maryland but Dallas has been a great place to live. The food and weather here is incredible. I am grateful to have so many places to have good food whether it be by myself or with friends.
- I am thankful for church. I currently attend both a Methodist church and a small UBF ministry in Dallas. While it has been a bit weird going to a different church service every week, I have come to appreciate it. The Methodist church has been a good source for me to learn about the word of God through Biblical teaching. Dallas UBF has been a good time for me to study the Bible with a small group of people and grow together through fellowship. I hope that through our prayers, we can grow Dallas UBF.
-Smart
Can God be Both Sovereign and Good?
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."
-Romans 8:28
One big objection to the Christian faith is the question of how God can be both sovereign and good. The argument is that if God is sovereign and good, He would stop evil from occurring in the world. If God does exist, maybe He is sovereign but not good so He doesn't want to prevent evil. Or maybe He is good and wants to stop evil but He is not sovereign so He cannot. Either way, to those asking this question, it seems that God cannot be both sovereign and good if He allows suffering and pain in this world.
I've heard a lot about this subject and thought I'd share some of the conclusions I have come up with. First of all, if God is good but not sovereign, is He really God? One of the attributes of God is that He is all-powerful. Without this attribute He ceases to be God. Second, if God is sovereign but not good, by what measure can we determine He is evil? The concept of good and evil comes from the purpose for which something is created. We have an innate sense that pain and suffering are evil because God has instilled in us our purpose, which is to glorify and enjoy Him forever. How can we have this sense of good and evil if God had never created us for a purpose? If we want to state that God is sovereign but not good, we must give an answer for how we can say He is evil.
So if God has the ability to stop evil, why does evil exist? To be clear, God doesn't cause pain, He allows it. Pain and suffering are a result of a broken world stained by sin. Sin separates us from God, which in turn creates hurt in our world. So why does God allow evil? Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul. Thus, the greatest ethic in life is love. Everything we strive for in life is really a search for love. We experience pain and suffering because we reject the love God is extending to us.
For love to exist, free will must also exist. If God simply forced us to obey Him with His sovereign power, that would not be love but compliance. We would simply be like machines that are incapable of love because we would have no choice not to love. Perhaps God allows us to choose sin and experience pain because it gives us the capacity to truly love Him. If He stopped all pain and suffering by preventing us from sinning, we no longer would be able to love Him. If the ultimate ethic of love is to be achieved, free will must exist, and thus, the capacity for evil must exist.
While this may sound like God has no interest in preventing evil, we have to remember one more thing. The verse I quoted at the beginning of this verse claims that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him." What does this mean? Both the good and the bad things that happen in a person's life can work together for their good. Every good storyteller knows that the most compelling stories are about people who were able to turn their struggles into their success. What may have seemed to cause hurt and pain in that person's life turned out to be for their good.
God is the ultimate weaver, able to turn both the good and bad in our lives for His perfect and pleasing will. While evil does exist in this world, God never allows it to destroy us. Maybe we need to trust that God will use every experience in our lives to bring us closer to Him. Pain and suffering are a reality in this world, but God has a purpose for everything. He is still sovereign and good. One day when we go to meet Him face to face He will wipe away every tear from our eyes as we gaze into His sovereignty and goodness.
-Smart
-Romans 8:28
One big objection to the Christian faith is the question of how God can be both sovereign and good. The argument is that if God is sovereign and good, He would stop evil from occurring in the world. If God does exist, maybe He is sovereign but not good so He doesn't want to prevent evil. Or maybe He is good and wants to stop evil but He is not sovereign so He cannot. Either way, to those asking this question, it seems that God cannot be both sovereign and good if He allows suffering and pain in this world.
I've heard a lot about this subject and thought I'd share some of the conclusions I have come up with. First of all, if God is good but not sovereign, is He really God? One of the attributes of God is that He is all-powerful. Without this attribute He ceases to be God. Second, if God is sovereign but not good, by what measure can we determine He is evil? The concept of good and evil comes from the purpose for which something is created. We have an innate sense that pain and suffering are evil because God has instilled in us our purpose, which is to glorify and enjoy Him forever. How can we have this sense of good and evil if God had never created us for a purpose? If we want to state that God is sovereign but not good, we must give an answer for how we can say He is evil.
So if God has the ability to stop evil, why does evil exist? To be clear, God doesn't cause pain, He allows it. Pain and suffering are a result of a broken world stained by sin. Sin separates us from God, which in turn creates hurt in our world. So why does God allow evil? Jesus says that the greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind and soul. Thus, the greatest ethic in life is love. Everything we strive for in life is really a search for love. We experience pain and suffering because we reject the love God is extending to us.
For love to exist, free will must also exist. If God simply forced us to obey Him with His sovereign power, that would not be love but compliance. We would simply be like machines that are incapable of love because we would have no choice not to love. Perhaps God allows us to choose sin and experience pain because it gives us the capacity to truly love Him. If He stopped all pain and suffering by preventing us from sinning, we no longer would be able to love Him. If the ultimate ethic of love is to be achieved, free will must exist, and thus, the capacity for evil must exist.
While this may sound like God has no interest in preventing evil, we have to remember one more thing. The verse I quoted at the beginning of this verse claims that "in all things God works for the good of those who love Him." What does this mean? Both the good and the bad things that happen in a person's life can work together for their good. Every good storyteller knows that the most compelling stories are about people who were able to turn their struggles into their success. What may have seemed to cause hurt and pain in that person's life turned out to be for their good.
God is the ultimate weaver, able to turn both the good and bad in our lives for His perfect and pleasing will. While evil does exist in this world, God never allows it to destroy us. Maybe we need to trust that God will use every experience in our lives to bring us closer to Him. Pain and suffering are a reality in this world, but God has a purpose for everything. He is still sovereign and good. One day when we go to meet Him face to face He will wipe away every tear from our eyes as we gaze into His sovereignty and goodness.
-Smart
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