If you think about it, isn’t evil in the world necessary in order for us to be saved? The only way we could have been saved is for God’s own Son to come into this evil world and die for our sins. But what if there was no death? How would Jesus Christ have died for us?
Jesus was crucified by the hands of wicked men (Luke 24:7; Acts 2:23). But what if there were no wicked men in the world? Who would have crucified Him? There would have been nobody to plot against Him (Matt. 12:14, 22:15, 26:4, 27:1; Mark 3:6) or false witnesses to testify against Him (Matt. 26:60; Mark 14:56, 57). No angry mobs crying out for Him to be crucified (Matt. 27:22, 23; Mark 15:13, 14; Luke 23:21; John 19:6, 15). No soldiers to mock Him (Matt. 20:19; Mark 10:34; John 19:3), scourge Him (Matt. 27:26; Mark 15:15; John 19:1), and to cast lots for His clothes (Matt. 27:35; Luke 23:34; John 19:24). Simply put, the crucifixion would not have happened if there were no wicked people in the world to carry it out. And no crucifixion of Him means there would be no salvation for us.
What if there was no sickness and disease in the world? Then Jesus would not have healed the multitudes (Matt. 4:24, 8:16, 12:15, 14:14, 15:30, 19:2; Mark 1:34, 3:10; Luke 4:40, 5:15, 6:17-19, 9:11). Now some might argue that if there was no sickness and disease in the first place then Jesus would not have needed to heal anyone. But the miracles Jesus performed were necessary in order to prove He is the Messiah, the Savior of the world (John 10:25, 37, 14:11, 15:24; Acts 2:22). Being manifested to Israel and ultimately to the rest of the world by the miracles He performed was an integral part of our salvation.
God’s plan of redemption started from the very beginning (Gen. 3:15) and human history that followed, especially the history of Israel, was shaped according to this plan. What if God had not called Abraham out and made a promise to him and to his Seed Jesus Christ? Then there would be no eternal inheritance for the children of God. If there was no Abraham then there would have been no Isaac, Jacob and the entire nation of Israel. And since Jesus was born of the tribe of Judah, there would be no heritage for Him to be born into. Jesus will sit forever upon the throne of David (1 Kings 2:45; 2 Chron. 7:18; Psalm 132:11; Isa. 9:7, 16:5; Luke 1:32). But in order for there to be a throne to sit on, David had to rule over Israel. Therefore Israel’s monarchy as well as surrounding foreign kingdoms were necessary in order for God to carry out His plan. Why did God allow so many bloody wars and loss of innocent lives during Israel’s history? Ultimately it was to consummate our salvation. Christ came into the world at the fullness of time (Gal. 4:4). Everything had to be in place at the right time for Him to enter the world as a man and die for our sins.
Evil and suffering in this life are necessary for an infinitely greater good: "For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Rom. 8:18). The greater good is so much greater than we can even begin to imagine. We are just so focused on the here and now that we can't see beyond it.
Is evil a necessary evil? As a part of God's plan of redemption, it seems to be. Evil people have done horrible things to others throughout the world's 6000 year history. But all of the pain and suffering pales in comparison to what will happen to those who die in their sins. God seems to have allowed pain and suffering in this present world in order to save us from far greater pain and suffering for all eternity. What we are enduring now is necessary in order for God to have saved us from our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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