The Greater Good

The primary argument used against God is the argument of evil. Why would a good God allow evil to exist? Lots of people have answered; some well, some not so much. I've always maintained (against a pretty hefty current, I suspect) that God intends evil for His good purposes. No, He doesn't cause it, but He allows it to accomplish something He wants to accomplish that is better than the good that would be accomplished in eliminating evil.

We see this in Paul's reprimand of those who question God's Sovereignty.

What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory (Rom 9:22-23)?

It's clear then that He wills to demonstrate His wrath and make His power known. Or take Joseph's predicament back in Genesis. God could have saved Joseph from his brothers' schemes, but He didn't. Instead, He intended to use Joseph in his position in Egypt to save Jacob's family (Gen 50:20). Saving Joseph? Good. Saving Israel? Better.

I came across another one that was quite startling.

And those passing by were hurling abuse at Him, wagging their heads and saying, "You who are going to destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save Yourself! If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross." In the same way the chief priests also, along with the scribes and elders, were mocking Him and saying, "He saved others; He cannot save Himself. He is the King of Israel; let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe in Him. "He trusts in God; let God rescue Him now, if He delights in Him; for He said, 'I am the Son of God'" (Matt 27:39-43).

Now think about that one. I mean, how many have said to you, "If God would do a miracle in front of me, I'd believe in Him"? How many have challenged, "Why doesn't God do something to prove His existence?" We have the same thing here. Imagine if He had. Imagine if, right there in front of the Romans and the Jews and the Pharisees and all, Jesus simply floated off the cross and sailed down to the ground, perfectly healed and intact. Who could have disbelieved Him then? Who could have questioned that the Father delighted in the Son then? Good stuff, right?

Sure, perhaps¹, this would have been a triumph, a winning hand, an irrefutable proof. Perhaps many would have believed. All good stuff. But what else would have happened? You and I wouldn't be saved. No death, no resurrection, and no payment for sin. No "saved by grace through faith". No hope. No Christianity.

Jesus had an option of doing a good thing. He opted instead to go the painful route to accomplish something better. God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Tim 2:4), but has something better to achieve. God could end evil in any form, but He has something better in mind. He has the greater good in view. Are you willing to let Him accomplish that?
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¹ I say "perhaps" because of other events in Scripture. We have the children of Israel who miraculously cross the Red Sea and are complaining days later that God brought them out in the desert to kill them. We have Jesus's story about Lazarus and the Rich Man where He said, "If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead" (Luke 16:31). And, of course, shortly before they hung Him on the cross, many witnessed an actual resurrection when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44). The response of many to an undeniable miracle was to seek to kill Jesus and Lazarus (John 11:53; 12:10). So we can't really be sure what the response would be.