The Bible says that “God is love.” (1 John 4:8) Many object, ‘If God is love, why does he permit wickedness?’ It is his purpose to end all wickedness, but he delays because of his love for us: “Yahweh is not slow respecting his promise, as some people consider slowness, but he is patient with you because he does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9) In his mercy he now permits wickedness, that repentant ones may cease doing it and live. (Ezekiel 33:14-16) But in his due time he will end wickedness by destroying those who persist in it. He will end war by ending warmongers, end crime by ending criminals, end pollution by ending polluters, end gross immorality, rape, incest, and perversion by ending those who insist on practicing them. All wickedness will end when God ends all workers of wickedness. In so doing he shows love to those who want to live in peace and righteousness. (Psalm 37:10, 11; Proverbs 2:21, 22) As any gardener knows, weeds must go before flowers can flourish.
