How can people be so wicked and use their wicked ways to burn cities?

Q: How can people be so wicked and use their evil ways to burn cities, destroying their own neighborhoods and country? Have they no sense — or shame — at all? — E.D.

A: Looking around at all the evil that happens today, we may find ourselves wondering if some people must have been born without a conscience! But the Bible teaches that God has placed within every human being some sense of right and wrong. We can, however, ignore the voice of our conscience, and over time we can become so hardened by sin that we almost can’t hear its voice. In fact, some people lose almost all sense of right and wrong, and when that happens the results are always tragic.

Christians must not turn our heads. We must speak up against tyranny and against destruction at every turn. We must not let evil go unchallenged. But the greatest power Christians have on earth is to pray to Almighty God who sees it all. His heart is touched when His people petition Him through prayer. For those who follow Christ, He empowers His people to proclaim the truth, to exemplify His great love for those who are burdened down; to those who live in anger, and to those who live in fear.

Evil and suffering are real. They are not an illusion, nor are they simply the absence of good. We are fallen creatures living in a fallen world that has been twisted and corrupted by sin, and we share in its brokenness. Evil is real — but so is God’s power and love.

We cannot pray for someone and hate them at the same time. As we pray for God to restrain evil actions, let’s also pray that He will change the hearts of those who commit acts of evil, that God’s truth will penetrate their hearts and bring them to His great salvation.

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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)

©2020 BILLY GRAHAM LITERARY TRUST

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