Psalm 5.4-6 reminded me of my friend’s recent question.  The verses are

“For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you.

The boastful shall not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.

You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.”

The question: “If God is all-powerful, why doesn’t he wipe out all the terrorists?”

The answer has several parts.  First of all, God is more.  He is certainly more than able to wipe out all the terrorists.  He is more than all-powerful, He is Holy and Just.  He is also more patient and loving than we can imagine.

God’s holiness is beyond our fallen comprehension.  Any acts against God’s laws, even white lies and minor cutting remarks to a friend, are black marks on the perpetrator’s soul, making that person unworthy of being in heaven with God.  Acts of terrorism are bad, but so is the hubris of suggesting justice for some but not all sins.

God is Just, and indeed all terrorists and other sinners will not only be wiped out, but punished eternally in a place where there is great “moaning and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 8.12, 13.42, 22.13). The ONLY escape from the punishment – and all are liable for such punishment because of their actions –  is the grace offered by the redemptive sacrifice of God’s son Jesus Christ. As the Heidelberg Catechism answer 1 says, “He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood.”  The required action on our part is to repent and believe.

God does not immediately wipe out all terrorists for the same reason he does not immediately wipe out all sinners.  He is patient and provides the time needed for coming to Christ.  But the time is not limitless; the offer expires at death.