Theodicy--"Why does an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God not deal with all the evil and suffering NOW?"
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Answer: God is patient, which is actually beneficial to you. If God were to deal with ALL the evil that is displeasing to you, He would rightly deal with ALL of your evil that is displeasing to Him. Reiterating the point, the issue of theodicy is: "Why does an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God not deal with all the evil and suffering NOW. Although the word "NOW" is not explicit in the classic argument, it is implicit. Keep in mind God (as described in the Bible) will deal with evil and suffering in the future. God withholds judgment of those who cause evil and suffering because He is patient and doesn't wish any to perish (in hell): |
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2 Peter 3:8-9 MSG
"Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change."
If God dealt NOW with all the "others who cause needless suffering", then God would rightly deal with ALL unrighteousness/ungodliness NOW. In other words, when the pastor below talked about "flipping the script" he was essentially saying instead of thinking, "If God is holy, why doesn't God take care of all this evil and suffering that is displeasing to ME?", one should ask, "If God is holy, why has God not dealt with ALL the unholy people who displease Him (INCLUDING ME)?"
"Don’t overlook the obvious here, friends. With God, one day is as good as a thousand years, a thousand years as a day. God isn’t late with his promise as some measure lateness. He is restraining himself on account of you, holding back the End because he doesn’t want anyone lost. He’s giving everyone space and time to change."
If God dealt NOW with all the "others who cause needless suffering", then God would rightly deal with ALL unrighteousness/ungodliness NOW. In other words, when the pastor below talked about "flipping the script" he was essentially saying instead of thinking, "If God is holy, why doesn't God take care of all this evil and suffering that is displeasing to ME?", one should ask, "If God is holy, why has God not dealt with ALL the unholy people who displease Him (INCLUDING ME)?"