By: Brian G. Chilton | September 3, 2019
Skeptics often accuse God of being evil for not punishing the wicked. Why would a good God allow murders, disease, and the like? Yet ironically, skeptics also accuse God of being evil for punishing the wicked. For instance, questions involving the punishment of individuals in hell and judgment brought against the unjust are often the basis for the skeptic’s accusations against God’s good moral nature.
Both questions can be answered in the pages of Scripture. When Scripture is read in its entirety, certain theological themes emerge. In this case, the books of Ezekiel, Habakkuk, the Gospels, 2 Peter, and Revelation denote certain attributes of God goodness, his judgment, and his desire to transform humanity into something much better
1. God’s Desire. God often calls certain men (i.e., Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Amos) and women (i.e., Deborah, Huldah, and Isaiah’s wife) to be God’s mouthpieces. In the Old Testament days, these individuals were called prophets. The prophets delivered God’s message often to rebellious people. In the case of Ezekiel, God delivered a message concerning a person’s responsibility to the Lord. In Ezekiel 18, God notes that a righteous person is not responsible for the actions of a godless nation (Ezek. 18:5–9); a parent is not responsible for the wicked actions of his or her child when the child reaches adulthood (Ezek. 18:10–13); and a child is not responsible for the ungodly behaviors his or her parents (Ezek. 18:14–17). Each person is responsible for one’s own behavior and one’s own relationship with God and others.
God notes that if a person repents and turns away from one’s sins, then God will forgive and transform the person (Ezek. 18:21–22). God also states that he takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezek. 18:23) and would much rather have a wicked person repent and find new life in God (Ezek. 18:23, 31).
When a person thinks about hell, the skeptic questions why God would send the wicked there. However, one must remember that hell was never intended for people. People were intended to have a loving relationship with God and with each other. Jesus notes that hell was “prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41) and not for people. God does not desire to send people to hell. It is a person’s volitional choice to rebel against the Creator of the universe and the rejection of God’s free offer of forgiveness that brings condemnation. While it is true that God sends people to hell, the bottom line is that the person condemns oneself to hell.
2. God’s Decree. Why is it that the wicked seem to prosper and get away with crimes? When we look at the world, we see an increase in shootings, a condition that seems to be worsening as time progresses. Wealth often comes from wicked means. Why is it that the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? This is a question that people have asked for centuries.
The prophet Habakkuk asked the same question about his nation. Why was God allowing the wicked to prosper (Hab. 1:2–4)? God spoke to the prophet and told him that judgment was coming to the nation, and it would come by the hand of the Chaldeans/Babylonians (Hab. 1:5–11). Habakkuk stepped back and said, “Wait, Lord! We’re bad. But they’re worse” (Hab. 1:12–17)! God answered the prophet by saying that Babylon and the entire world would eventually be judged (Hab. 2:2–20). The child of God needs to trust that God will right all wrongs in the end. God reminds the prophet that the “righteous one will live by his faith” (Hab. 2:4, CSB). While God has not righted all wrongs just yet, he eventually will. Everyone should consider that the “eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing the evil and the good” (Prov. 15:3). Nothing takes God by surprise.
3. God’s Draw. Does God condemn people without the possibility to repent? I earnestly don’t think that God does. I think God somehow reaches people in ways we do not always understand. We can see two examples of God reaching out to the lost even in their last moments.
First, one sees the example of God’s extension of forgiveness to Judas. Jesus placed Judas beside him during their last supper together. Jesus and Judas shared a bowl which was Jesus’s way of showing kindness to Judas. Jesus predicted that Judas would betray him. In a manner of speaking, Jesus was reaching out to Judas to tell him that he didn’t have to betray him. I am of the persuasion that if Judas had not betrayed him, Jesus would have still been condemned by the Sanhedrin by another means. The Sanhedrin had already intended to kill Jesus. It was just a matter of time. Jesus also gave Judas a piece of bread as if he were trying to call Judas to repentance. However, Judas refused, Satan entered Judas (John 13:27), and the rest is history. It is intriguing how Jesus reached out to Judas even in the last moments before his betrayal.
Second, the book of Revelation denotes that God calls people to repentance even as the last series of judgments are to transpire. For instance, when the fifth bowl of wrath is poured out, John the Revelator denotes that “People gnawed their tongues because of their pain and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they did not repent of their works” (Rev. 16:10b–11, CSB). If they were not able to repent, then it makes no sense for John to say that they didn’t repent. It is quite possible that God grants people a chance to repent up until the final judgment is delivered. Even then, a person volitionally chooses God’s judgment over God’s graciousness.
4. God’s Destruction. When the final judgment comes, islands are blown away (Rev. 16:20), mountains collapse (Rev. 16:20), and the molecular structure of the universe melts before the overwhelming power of the Almighty (2 Pet. 3:10). As it was mentioned earlier, a person volitionally chooses to face God’s judgment. But when people stand before God, all a person’s works will be exposed both good and bad (Luke 8:17; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Pet. 3:10). God cannot be manipulated. God won’t be bribed. Everyone will agree that God is justified in his judgments when Judgment Day arrives.
In conclusion, the skeptical inquiry concerning God’s goodness in lieu of earthly wickedness is answered within the pages of Scripture. God does not desire to punish anyone. God had rather that all people join him in the heaven that he created for them. However, because of human rebellion, people stand condemned. God is justified in punishing the wicked because he has given each person an alternative if the person would have taken it. This could be viewed as a wink towards Molinism. Nevertheless, rebellious people face judgment, a judgment that God does not desire to bring. Therefore, God will punish the wicked. But God does not punish the wicked out of hate-driven motivation. The reason he may not have punished the wicked yet may be due to God granting the rebellious soul a chance to repent before judgment comes. God’s goodness wins in the end.
About the Author
Brian G. Chilton is the founder of BellatorChristi.com, the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast, and the author of the soon to be released book The Layman’s Manual on Christian Apologetics. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); and received certification in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Brian is currently enrolled in the Ph.D. program in Theology and Apologetics at Liberty University and is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society. Brian has been in the ministry for nearly 20 years and serves as the Senior Pastor of Westfield Baptist Church in northwestern North Carolina.
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