Real Questions People Ask
Christians in the 21st century need to know what they believe and why they believe it. The six sessions of the “Honest to God” study will enable you to grow in your own faith and equip you to be more effective in sharing that faith with others. These sessions address foundational issues in the life of every person: The origin and significance of human life,the existence and nature of God, and how God reveals Himself and relates to people.
Last week we explored the fifth real question people ask: How Did We Get Here And Why? We learned that the most important aspect of the continuing discussion is not the process of creation, but the origin of creation. The world is not a product of blind chance and probability; God created it.
So, now it's time for the sixth and final real question people ask.
Real Question #6: If God Is Good, Why Is There Suffering?
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“Why, God?”
Since the beginning of time people have asked “why” in the midst of suffering. Lee Strobel cites a national survey that asked, “If you could ask God one question and knew He would answer, what would it be?” The top response: “Why is there pain and suffering in the world?”
Are you facing a life situation that is causing you
pain, stress, and anxiety? How are you dealing with it?
Our Lesson Says
God meets us in our suffering.
Skeptics cite suffering as evidence against the biblical view of God. If God is a loving God but does not stop evil and suffering, then He must not be all-powerful. If God is able to prevent evil and suffering and does not do so, He must not love. The Bible assures us God is both loving and all-powerful despite the suffering and evil that is a part of life. The question of why there is suffering is more than a philosophical discussion, particularly when we are the one’s suffering.
If God is all powerful and loving, why is there suffering in the world?
Suffering can fall into three simple categories: emotional, mental, and physical suffering. But, there are a variety of causes for suffering: morally corrupt (evil) people, disease, earthquakes, floods, famine, etc.
There are different explanations for why God allows suffering, but none of them will satisfy everyone. Here is a list of various reasons offered to account for suffering and evil in the world.
1. How else can we have Free Will
- God has given us freedom of choice. Having this freedom means that we can rebel against God and make choices that are contrary to His desires. Since we can say that evil is anything contrary to God's perfect and holy will, then anyone who chooses anything contrary to God's perfection is committing evil. This is the risk of being able to have freedom of choice. Evil and suffering are the result of making bad free choices.
- How could this account for natural disasters and sickness that brings suffering? Biblically, Adam represented not only all of his descendents, but he was also the head of the created order since he was given dominion over the earth. Therefore, when he fell, sin entered into the world (Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned—) and with it the effects of being fallen spread to the earth as well as to humanity.
2. For discipline and instruction
- We know that God uses evil to discipline people (Prov. 3:11 My son, do not reject the discipline of the Lord Or loathe His reproof,) and to teach them (Prov. 15:32 He who neglects discipline despises himself, But he who listens to reproof acquires understanding.).
- The Bible tells us that God disciplines those whom He loves (Heb. 12:6 6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives. ) and that no true child of God is without discipline and instruction. We can see that the results of rebellion against God brings suffering and it is also true that we can learn through our suffering that rebellion is bad. We then could glorify God during and after our suffering by proclaiming the truth of His word that urges us to follow God and His ways. Sometimes we learn our greatest lessons after having suffered the consequences of our actions -- and this is good. If we see that there are consequences through the acts of suffering in this world, it is logical to conclude that there will be suffering in the next as a consequence of our rebellion now. This could easily lead us to conclude that we need to be delivered from our rebellion against God. Of course, Jesus is the answer to this.
- To serve as a warning - Evil and suffering in the world can serve as a warning against breaking God's law and then people can see the necessity of following God's truth. God's ways are right and good and following them leads to security and safety. The consequences of disobeying God's word are manifested in suffering. Therefore, suffering in the world easily serves as a demonstration of the need to follow God's words thereby vindicating what God has said
- To make a point - It is possible that God is simply allowing evil and suffering in the world to prove that rebellion against Him brings pain and suffering. God may be allowing sin to take its natural course in the world so that on the Day of Judgment God can say "Do you see what rebellion against my words brings?" This may seem overly simplistic but it may prove to be one of the reasons that God allows pain and suffering. After all, did He not make us in His image and give us the freedom to choose? And in our freedom have we not rebelled? Yes, we have. Should God then make us robots or restrict our freedom so much that we have no choices at all? Of course not. But since we are limited in our knowledge and have used our freedom to rebel, God allows us to have what we desire and in the end, our sins will prove that God's way is the right way.
- We cannot know all the reasons that God has for allowing evil and suffering in the world. Because God has not stopped evil and suffering in the world, doesn’t mean that He cannot. Suffering does not mean that God is powerless to stop it. It means that He has chosen not to do so.
- How much evil should be stopped? The question of stopping evil means that if God is to stop it, then He must stop all of it. This means the murderer along with the thief. But it also means the thinking of evil. Therefore, He must remove the ability for people to freely choose what they want to do.
- Prevention of further evil - It is possible that human suffering (cancer, disease, etc.) can be a means that God uses to remove the person from further suffering, worse suffering, or future suffering.
4. Because of sin
- Biblically speaking, pain and suffering are the results of sin in the world. Adam, who represented all humanity as well as creation, rebelled against God and brought suffering into the world (Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— ). Sin is more than simple rebellion and breaking of God's law. It is permeating throughout all of God's creation bringing imbalance, famine, earthquakes, disease, etc. This does not mean that God created evil. Instead, it is God who is allowing evil and suffering to continue for His divine plan.
5. God has a plan
- God has a plan. Since God knows all things He is not surprised by the presence of evil and sin in the world that brings about suffering. But if God knows all things, then He is perfectly capable of using suffering in the world in His greater plan. The best and simplest example of this is the suffering of Christ at the hands of evil men. It is by Christ's suffering and death on the cross that we are able to be redeemed. It was God's plan from all eternity that Christ die for our sins yet Christ was crucified by evil people (Acts 4:27-28 “For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.). This means that God had incorporated into His divine plan the reality of evil and suffering in order to accomplish His will. This does not mean that God is the author of evil, but it does mean that God is above it all and can use it to accomplish a greater good. If this is true on a large-scale, why cannot it also be true on a smaller one in each of our individual lives?
- The death of the Son is the means by which God has redeemed those who would receive Jesus. This death cannot occur if Jesus were not a man. In order to be a man He had to be born as one. But since Jesus was sinless, death has no power over Him. Therefore, in order to die and in order to redeem us, His death must be at the hands of evil people. Without sin, suffering, and evil in the world, Jesus could not have been sent to the cross. So, it could be said that suffering in the world is necessary in order to bring about the cross which in turn demonstrates the great and awesome love of God. Jesus said that the greatest act of love is to lay one's life down for another (John 15:13). If God is love (1 John 4:8) and love gives (John 3:16), can it be that God must demonstrate the greatest act of love? If so, it can only be done through suffering in the world.
- Biblically speaking, pain and suffering are the results of sin in the world. Adam, who represented all humanity as well as creation, rebelled against God and brought suffering into the world. This sin is more than simple rebellion and breaking of God's law. It is an offense against a holy God. Sin is permeating throughout all of God's creation bringing imbalance, famine, earthquakes, disease, etc. This is not how God created things but it is God who is allowing them to continue for his divine plan. Ultimately, we can't know all the reasons why God allows suffering; we just know that He does.
- What does the Bible tell us that God has done about evil? It tells us that He sent His son Jesus to die for our sins and to deliver us from pain and suffering. Ultimately, God is allowing evil in the world for a purpose; otherwise, He would not let it exist. Therefore, we must trust Him that He knows what He is doing.
In our lesson today, God allowed Satan to test Job through some pretty intense suffering.
- Satan took away Job’s children and possessions and later attacked his health.
- Job’s friends presented the view that people suffer because they sin, but Job maintained his uprightness.
- When God spoke, He never addressed Job’s suffering but spoke only of His sovereignty.
- Job repented of questioning God’s goodness, and he experienced the gracious deliverance of God.
Are you facing a life situation that is causing you pain, stress, and anxiety? How are you dealing with it?
Today we’ll discover that, although we cannot always answer the “why” question, we can know that God loves us. Our lesson’s point today is this: “God meets us in our suffering.” We are not alone.
I. WE ALL EXPERIENCE SUFFERING – JOB 30:26-31
26 But when I hoped for good, evil came; when I looked for light, darkness came. 27 I am churning within and cannot rest; days of suffering confront me. 28 I walk about blackened, but not by the sun. I stood in the assembly and cried out for help. 29 I have become a brother to jackals and a companion of ostriches. 30 My skin blackens and flakes off, and my bones burn with fever. 31 My lyre is used for mourning and my flute for the sound of weeping.
These verses are a portion of a speech Job began in 29:1. In that chapter he reminisced about the good days in his past. When we are struggling, the past always looks better; sometimes even better than it actually was.
Job considered himself to be a gracious person to others during their time of need. He empathized and sympathized with acquaintances that were in trouble and for the poor. Not that he did it for selfish purposes, but he did have some expectation that when he was suffering others would extend a sympathetic and helping hand to him. However, he did not receive the support he anticipated. When I hoped for good – whether from others, from God, or from life in general, he does not say – evil came. When I looked for light, darkness came. Job cried out for help, but instead of getting help, he got more trouble.
What is it we question about God when we read these verses?
- Why did God let Satan bring suffering to Job? God allowed Satan to afflict Job with intense suffering that included the loss of family, possessions, and health. Job cherished God more than these things, and he ultimately chose to trust in God’s sovereignty and love. However, such faith did not come easily or instantly.
What do we learn from Job’s suffering?
- That all people experience suffering, even those who pursue good. Our suffering is not always the direct result of our personal sin. Suffering is a by-product of living in a world corrupted by sin. Sometimes the evil we experience is the result of other’s sins.
- Sometimes our suffering is not because of our sin.
- There is a "cosmic conflict" going on the behind the scenes that we usually know nothing about. Often we wonder why God allows something, and we question or doubt God's goodness, without seeing the full picture.
- Sometimes God doesn’t answer the why.
- Sometimes God is humbling us through our suffering.
- Sometimes God is trying to make us grow-up or mature through our suffering.
- Sometimes God is revealing to us the consequences of our sin – choices we make.
- Our suffering reveals who we are – by how we respond.
Why did God grant Satan even limited power to inflict pain on one of God’s choicest servants?
- We don’t know the answer to some of these questions, but God’s power and sufficiency is highlighted against the backdrop of our weakness and suffering (2 Cor. 12:7-10). When you comprehend how far we have fallen short of God’s desires for us, the ultimate question may change from “Why do we suffer?” to “Why don’t we suffer more?”
- Our suffering can affect all dimensions of our lives. Focusing only on our suffering or difficulties leads to despair.
- Job’s faith was being tested to see if God was his only reason to believe. Only by loss and suffering could Job know that he served God not for worldly blessings or even family or even health.
Based on Job, what do I say or do?
1. A neighbor suffers from chronic migraine headaches.
2. A friend was down-sized and can’t seem to land a job because of his age.
3. Your niece is a paraplegic due to a hit-and-run accident.
“However deep the pit, God’s love is deeper still.” -Corrie Ten Boom
Sadly, people don’t know what to do or say to people in pain, so they often turn their backs, making that situation even worse. Even though Job’s friends falsely accused Job of secret sins, they did do one thing right. They came to their friend, they grieved with him, and they sat with him silently for a solid week, saying nothing. It’s called a ministry of presence.
Job 1:20-21
We must trust God, not only WHEN we do not understand, but BECAUSE we do not understand.
In the next section we’ll find that even during suffering we can be assured of God’s power and knowledge.
II. GOD IS SOVEREIGN – JOB 42:1-3
42 Then Job replied to the Lord: 2 I know that You can do anything and no plan of Yours can be thwarted. 3 You asked, “Who is this who conceals My counsel with ignorance?” Surely I spoke about things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.
In response to God’s speech, Job humbles himself. Job 42 is Job’s response to God’s speech recorded in Job 38-41. Job admitted that he had obscured knowledge by speaking of things he didn’t understand.
What brought Job to this point of response?
- God rebukes the three friends for adding to Job’s suffering by their false assumptions and critical attitudes. Job’s material possessions and family are restored, and he receives even greater blessings than he had before. Those who persist in trusting God will be rewarded.
- In chapter 31, Job continued defending his innocence before God and his friends. In chapter 32-37, an angry young man named Elihu stepped forward to wrangle with Job and to defend God. In chapter 38, God Himself arrived in a whirlwind before Job and his friends. We might expect God to set the record straight about Job’s innocence and explain the cosmic reason for his suffering, but God did neither.
- Face to face with God’s awesome presence, Job’s determination to demand an explanation from God crumbled. Job realized God had made the world; so as the sole Owner of the world, He could do anything with the world and with Job. Years later, Isaiah added to this very important truth: “Woe to the one who argues with his Maker – one clay pot among many. Does the clay say to the one forming it, ‘What are you making?’ Or does your work say, ‘He has no hands’?” (Isa. 45:9-10). In humility we are to confess the superiority of God, His plans, and His ways. We are to believe that God has the foresight and ability to do all things and to do them right and well. We are not capable of advising God on how to do His work.
- God is sovereign. But it is not wise to tell a fellow sufferer to “just deal with it, for God can do what He wants.” Head knowledge does not eliminate heart pain. A much better strategy would be to follow the initial example of Job’s three friends and the teachings of Romans 12:15 “weep with those who weep.”
- God never condemned Job for his anger or his questions. His friends were required to offer sacrifices for the things they said about God, but not Job (42:7-9). Questions are natural, and they are not necessarily sinful, but they might go unanswered. Based upon my study of God’s relationship with Israel and Judah, the only time we can expect God to explain our suffering is when the suffering was sent our way to get us to stop some stubborn sin habit we have been indulging. God sent the prophets to explain to His people what they were doing wrong so they would repent and God would deliver them. I believe He will do the same for us. Only a dysfunctional parent disciplines his child and does not explain why (Heb. 12:5-11).
We may not understand why we are suffering, but we can know that God is sovereign.
Job had demanded an audience with God, believing that he could explain himself to God and could receive an explanation from God for the suffering he was enduring. Job got the audience he wanted with God, but God didn’t provide the explanation Job wanted. Rather, God challenged some of Job’s presumptuous demands and asserted that He alone is God. A sovereign God is not bound to defend Himself or offer explanations about His actions.
What has caused you to question God’s wisdom or power?
- When we are ambushed by adversity, it is normal and acceptable to ask God questions and to tell Him we don’t understand.
- If we believe in God and believe that all things are under His control, and that His holy plans will not be thwarted by the work of humankind or Satan, then we may find comfort, consolation, and encouragement in the face of struggle even though we lack understanding. That is the essence of trust.
In the next section we’ll see how Job responded to God.
III. GOD’S PRESENCE LEADS TO REPENTANCE – JOB 42:4-6
4 You said, “Listen now, and I will speak. When I question you, you will inform Me.” 5 I had heard rumors about You, but now my eyes have seen You. 6 Therefore I take back my words and repent in dust and ashes.
We can experience the presence of God even in the midst of suffering, which should lead us to repent and draw closer to God. Job’s final reply to the Lord continues. The confession of verses 1-3 leads the way to repentance in verses 4-6.
Was Job being bold or arrogant when he had called for a face-to-face dialogue with the Lord? Why do you think so?
- Job’s repentance was his expression of sorrow for his arrogant attitude and lack of trust in the sovereign providence of God. Dust and ashes in Scripture are symbols of humiliation and insignificance before the Lord. Dust is also a reminder of the origin of human life as well as a reminder of death. By his repentance, Job willingly submitted himself to the Lord.
- Our knowledge of the Lord and His ways needs to be based on personal experience with Him, not on hearsay, tradition, or secondhand accounts.
- Our coming to know who the Lord is in wisdom and power should lead us to humble submission and repentance.
Intellectually, Job still had no answer to his struggle. Nevertheless, he had learned the secret of contentment – see Philippians 4:10-13 – and had found spiritual peace. Peace and contentment came through his confession of God’s nature and by his willingness to repent.
What good can we discover from suffering?
1. Makes us recognize our need of God.
2. Draws us closer to God.
3. God is in control.
4. Equips us to help others.
“If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain; if I can ease one life the aching, or cool one pain, or help one fainting robin unto his nest again, I shall not live in vain.” – Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
Chuck Swindoll pointed out that in the end, Job came to realize that life and its struggles were not about him but about God. The desire for an explanation or justification for what befalls us comes from focusing on self. God owes us no explanation because He is sovereign. Swindoll identifies four truths we can learn by focusing on God and not ourselves:
1. God’s purpose is unfolding and I cannot hinder it.
2. God’s plan is incredible and I will not comprehend it.
3. God’s reproof is reliable and I dare not ignore it.
4. God’s way is best and I must not resist it.
Live It Out
So what are some ways we can do this?
1. Refuse despair. It’s Ok to grieve, but that doesn’t mean we have to despair. Trust God’s love and goodness.
2. Be there. You often don’t have to say a word, but your presence can be a great comfort to those suffering.
3. Help. Connect with a friend or two to minister to families suffering through illness, hospitalization, or the death of a loved one. Develop a list of needs, and enlist other volunteers to help meet these needs as long as necessary.
What truth from this session helps you to gain a new perspective on your struggle?
- The Book of Job is the story of one man’s struggle to understand the suffering that stormed into his life, even though he was a righteous person. While Job searched for an explanation for his suffering, he never received one. However, by the end of the book, Job reached the conviction that God ultimately has everything under control and that comfort and peace even in the midst of unexplained suffering is available to the one who trusts in God.
Conclusion
Suffering is the result of human sin. The world is not the way that God created it and because of that, all are vulnerable to the effects of sin in the world. Why does one person suffer and another does not? Why do catastrophes happen to some and not to others? It is because sin is in the world. But there will come a day when the Lord will return and cleanse this world of all sin and all suffering. "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away," (Rev. 21:4).
Prayer of Commitment
Lord, I confess You are Sovereign Lord. May that confession be my help, even on those days when life is its toughest. Help me to be strengthened by knowing that You alone are sufficient for the day and the days to come. Amen.
Added Commentary:
Why Does God Allow Tragedy and Suffering?
The following message was delivered on July 22 by Christian author and apologist Lee Strobel, just days after the deadly theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. Lee has graciously given us permission to post it here on Bible Gateway.
It was the worst mass shooting in American history – 70 people shot by a gunman, 12 of them killed, while they were watching the midnight showing of a new movie just 21 miles from where we’re sitting. There are no words to describe the anguish being felt by those who are suffering today; our heart and prayers have – and will – go out to them. There are so many tragic stories, so much pain. And many people are asking the question, “Why? Why did God allow this?”
This has been a heart-rending summer for Colorado. First came the wildfires, which ravaged the houses of hundreds of our neighbors – and prompted many of them to ask the question, “Why?”
And those two tragic events are on top of the everyday pain and suffering being experienced in individual lives – maybe including yours. There’s illness, abuse, broken relationships, betrayal, sorrow, injuries, disappointment, heartache, crime and death. And perhaps you’ve been asking the question, “Why? Why me? Why now?”
That “why” question goes back thousands of years. It was asked in the Old Testament by Job and the writers of the Psalms, and it was especially relevant during the 20th century, where we witnessed two World Wars, the Holocaust, genocides in the Soviet Union and China, devastating famines in Africa, the killing fields of Cambodia, the emergence of AIDS, the genocide in Rwanda and the ethnic cleansing of Kosovo. And the 21st Century didn’t start any better. There was 9/11 and now the Syrian slaughters, and on and on. Why all of this if there’s a loving and powerful God? Why do bad things happen to good people?
Several years ago, I commissioned a national survey and asked people what question they’d ask if they could only ask God one thing. The Number One response was: “Why is there suffering in the world?” Incidentally, I did find an interesting statistical quirk – people who are married were much more likely to want to know why there’s so much suffering. I’m just sayin’.
But if you’ve never asked why our world is infected with pain and suffering, you will when they strike you with full force or they come to a loved one. And Jesus said they are coming. Unlike some other religious leaders who wrote off pain and suffering as just being illusions, Jesus was honest. He told us the truth. He said in John 16:33, “You will have suffering in this world.” He didn’t say you might – he said it is going to happen.
But why? If you ask me point-blank, “Why did God allow the gunman to spray the Aurora movie theater with gunfire just two days ago?”, the only answer I can honestly give consists of four words – “I do not know.”
I cannot stand in the shoes of God and give a complete answer to that question. I don’t have God’s mind. I don’t see with God’s eyes. First Corinthians 13:12 says, “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”
So when you ask about specific individual events and want to know why this particular thing happened, we won’t get the full answer in this world. Someday we’ll see with clarity, but for now things are foggy. We can’t understand everything from our finite perspective. And frankly, the people suffering from the Aurora tragedy don’t need a big theological treatise right now; any intellectual response is going to seem trite and inadequate. What they desperately need now is the very real and comforting presence of Jesus Christ in their lives. And I’m so grateful that so many churches and ministries of this community are helping them experience that.
But for us, let’s focus on the big, overarching issue of why God generally allows suffering in our lives – your life and mine. Friends, this is important: even though we can’t understand everything about it, we can understand some things. Let me give you an analogy.
Once Leslie and I were driving from Chicago to Door County, Wisconsin, which is that thumb-shaped peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan. We were driving up the highway in the dark, when it started raining heavily and we hit dense fog. I could barely see the white stripe on the edge of the road. I couldn’t stop because I was afraid someone might come along and rear-end us. It was frightening!
But then a truck appeared in front of us and we could clearly see his taillights through the fog. He apparently had fog lamps in front, because he was traveling at a confident and deliberate pace, and I knew if we could just follow those taillights, we’d be headed in the right direction.
And the same is true in understanding why there is tragedy and suffering in our lives and in our world. We may not be able to make out all the peripheral details of why — they may be obscured from our view — but there are some key Biblical truths that can illuminate some points of light for us. And if we follow those lights, they will lead us in the right direction, toward some conclusions that I believe can help satisfy our hearts and souls.
What are those points of light? Let me go through five of them that I’ve personally found helpful whenever I’ve been prompted to ask the question, “Why?” The first point of light: God is not the creator of evil and suffering.
This answers the question you hear so often: “Why didn’t God merely create a world where tragedy and suffering didn’t exist?” The answer is: He did! Genesis 1:31 says: “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.”
But if God is not the author of tragedy or evil or death, where did they come from? Well, God has existed from eternity past as the Father, Son and Spirit, together in a relationship of perfect love. So love is the highest value in the universe. And when God decided to create human beings, he wanted us to experience love. But to give us the ability to love, God had to give us free will to decide whether to love or not to love. Why? Because love always involves a choice.
If we were programmed to say, “I love you,” it wouldn’t really be love. When my daughter was little, she had a doll with a string in the back, and when you pulled it the doll said, “I love you.” Did that doll love my daughter? Of course not. It was programmed to say those words. To really experience love, that doll would need to have been able to choose to love or not to love. Again – real love always involves a choice.
So in order for us to experience love, God bestowed on us free will. But unfortunately, we humans have abused our free will by rejecting God and walking away from Him. And that has resulted in the introduction of two kinds of evil into the world: moral evil and natural evil.
Moral evil is the immorality and pain and suffering and tragedy that come because we choose to be selfish, arrogant, uncaring, hateful and abusive. Romans 3:23 says “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
So much of the world’s suffering results from the sinful action or inaction of ourselves and others. For example, people look at a famine and wonder where God is, but the world produces enough food for each person to have 3,000 calories a day. It’s our own irresponsibility and self-centeredness that prevents people from getting fed.
In other words: look at your hand. You can choose to use that hand to hold a gun and shoot someone, or you can use it to feed hungry people. It’s your choice. But it’s unfair to shoot someone and then blame God for the existence of evil and suffering. Like that old cartoon said: “We have seen the enemy, and he is us.”
The second kind of evil is called natural evil. These are things like wildfires, earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes that cause suffering for people. But these, too, are the indirect result of sin being allowed into the world. As one author explained: “When we humans told God to shove off, He partially honored our request. Nature began to revolt. The earth was cursed. Genetic breakdown and disease began. Pain and death became part of the human experience.”
The Bible says it’s because of sin that nature was corrupted and “thorns and thistles” entered the world. Romans 8:22 says, “We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.” In other words, nature longs for redemption to come and for things to be set right. That’s the source of disorder and chaos.
Let’s make this crystal clear once more: God did not create evil and suffering. Now, it’s true that he did create the potential for evil to enter the world, because that was the only way to create the potential for genuine goodness and love. But it was human beings, in our free will, who brought that potential evil into reality.
Some people ask, “Couldn’t God have foreseen all of this?” And no doubt he did. But look at it this way: many of you are parents. Even before you had children, couldn’t you foresee that there was the very real possibility they may suffer disappointment or pain or heartache in life, or that they might even hurt you and walk away from you? Of course — but you still had kids. Why? Because you knew there was also the potential for tremendous joy and deep love and great meaning.
Now, the analogy is far from perfect, but think about God. He undoubtedly knew we’d rebel against Him, but He also knew many people would choose to follow Him and have a relationship with Him and spend eternity in heaven with Him — and it was all worth it for that, even though it would cost His own Son great pain and suffering to achieve their redemption.
So, first, it helps me to remember, as I ponder the mystery of pain and evil, that God did not create them. The second point of light is this: Though suffering isn’t good, God can use it to accomplish good.
He does this by fulfilling His promise in Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Notice that the verse doesn’t say God causes evil and suffering, just that he promises to cause good to emerge. And notice that the verse doesn’t say we all will see immediately or even in this life how God has caused good to emerge from a bad circumstance. Remember, we only see things dimly in this world. And notice that God doesn’t make this promise to everyone. He makes the solemn pledge that he will take the bad circumstances that befall us and cause good to emerge if we’re committed to following Him.
The Old Testament gives us a great example in the story of Joseph, who went through terrible suffering, being sold into slavery by his brothers, unfairly accused of a crime and falsely imprisoned. Finally, after a dozen years, he was put in a role of great authority where he could save the lives of his family and many others.
This is what he said to his brothers in Genesis 50:20: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” And if you’re committed to God, He promises that He can and will take whatever pain you’re experiencing and draw something good from it.
You might say, “No, he can’t in my circumstance. The harm was too great, the damage was too extreme, the depth of my suffering has been too much. No, in my case there’s no way God can cause any good to emerge.”
But if you doubt God’s promise, listen to what a wise man said to me when I was researching my book The Case for Faith: God took the very worst thing that has ever happened in the history of the universe — deicide, or the death of God on the cross — and turned it into the very best thing that has happened in history of universe: the opening up of heaven to all who follow Him. So if God can take the very worst circumstance imaginable and turn it into the very best situation possible, can he not take the negative circumstances of your life and create something good from them?
He can and He will. God can use our suffering to draw us to Himself, to mold and sharpen our character, to influence others for Him – He can draw something good from our pain in a myriad of ways…if we trust and follow Him.
Now, the third point of light: The day is coming when suffering will cease and God will judge evil.
A lot of times you’ll hear people say: “If God has the power to eradicate evil and suffering, then why doesn’t He do it?” And the answer is that because He hasn’t done it yet doesn’t mean He won’t do it. You know, I wrote my first novel last year. What if someone read only half of it and then slammed it down and said, “Well, Lee did a terrible job with that book. There are too many loose ends with the plot. He didn’t resolve all the issues with the characters.” I’d say, “Hey – you only read half the book!”
And the Bible says that the story of this world isn’t over yet. It says the day will come when sickness and pain will be eradicated and people will be held accountable for the evil they’ve committed. Justice will be served in a perfect way. That day will come, but not yet.
So what’s holding God up? One answer is that some of you may be. He’s actually delaying the consummation of history in anticipation that some of you will still put your trust in Him and spend eternity in heaven. He’s delaying everything out of His love for you. 2 Peter 3:9 says: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”To me, that’s evidence of a loving God, that He would care that much for you.
Point of Light #4: Our suffering will pale in comparison to what God has in store for his followers.
I certainly don’t want to minimize pain and suffering, but it helps if we take a long-term perspective. Look at this verse, and remember they were written by the apostle Paul, who suffered through beatings and stonings and shipwrecks and imprisonments and rejection and hunger and thirst and homelessness and far more pain that most of us will ever have to endure.
These are his words: 2 Corinthians 4:17: “For our light and momentary troubles” — wait a second: light and momentary troubles? Five different times his back was shredded when he was flogged 39 lashes with a whip; three times he was beaten to a bloody pulp by rods. But he says, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”
Paul also wrote Romans 8:18: “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”
Think of it this way. Let’s say that on the first day of 2012, you had an awful, terrible day. You had an emergency root canal at the dentist and the ran out of pain-killers. You crashed your car and had no insurance. Your stock portfolio took a nosedive. Your spouse got sick. A friend betrayed you. From start to finish, it was like the title of that children’s book: Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
But then every other day of the year was just incredibly terrific. Your relationship with God is close and real and intimate. A friend wins the lottery and gives you $100 million. You get promoted at work to your dream job. Time magazine puts your photo on its cover as “The Person of the Year.” You have your first child and he’s healthy and strong. Your marriage is idyllic, your health is fabulous, you have a six-month vacation in Tahiti.
Then next New Year’s Day someone asks, “So, how was your 2012?” You’d say, “It was great; it was wonderful!” And they’d say, “But didn’t it start out bad? Didn’t you go through a lot of trouble that first day?”
You’d think back and say, “You’re right. That was a bad day, no denying it. It was difficult at the time. It was hard. It was painful. But when I look at the totality of the year, when I put everything in context, it’s been a great year. The 364 terrific days far outweigh the one bad day. That day just sort of fades away.”
And maybe that’s a good analogy for heaven. Listen to me – that is not to deny the reality of your pain in this life. It might be terrible. It might be chronic. My wife Leslie has a medical condition that puts her in pain every single day. Maybe you’re suffering from a physical ailment or heartache at this very moment. But in heaven, after 354,484,545 days of pure bliss — and with an infinite more to come — if someone asked, “So, how has your existence been?”, you’d instantly react by saying, “It has been absolutely wonderful! Words can’t describe the joy and the delight and the fulfillment!”
And if they said, “But didn’t you have a tough time before you got here,” you’d probably think back and say, “Well, yes, it’s true that those days were painful, I can’t deny that. They were difficult, they were bad. But when I put them into context, in light of all God’s outpouring of goodness to me, those bad days aren’t even worth comparing with the eternity of blessings and joy that I’m experiencing.”
It’s like the story that British church leader Galvin Reid tells about meeting a young man who had fallen down a flight of stairs as a baby and shattered his back. He had been in and out of hospitals his whole life — and yet he made the astounding comment that he thinks God is fair. Reid asked him, “How old are you?” The boy said, “Seventeen.” Reid asked, “How many years have you spend in hospitals?” The boy said, “Thirteen years.” The pastor said with astonishment, “And you think that is fair?” And the boy replied: “Well, God has all eternity to make it up to me.”
And He will. God promises a time when there will be no more crying, no more tears, no more pain and suffering, when we will be reunited with God in perfect harmony, forever. Let the words of First Corinthians 2:9 soak into your soul: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.” That’s absolutely breath-taking, isn’t it?
Finally, Point of Light #5: We decide whether to turn bitter or turn to God for peace and courage.
We’ve all seen examples of how the same suffering that causes one person to turn bitter, to reject God, to become hard and angry and sullen, can cause another person to turn to God, to become more gentle and more loving and more tender, willing to reach out to compassionately help other people who are in pain. Some who lose a child to a drunk driver turn inward in chronic rage and never-ending despair; another turns outward to help others by founding Mothers Against Drunk Drivers.
As one philosopher said: “I believe all suffering is at least potential good, an opportunity for good. It’s up to our free choice to actualize that potential. Not all of us benefit from suffering and learn from it, because that’s up to us, it’s up to our free will.”
We make the choice to either run away from God or to run to Him. But what happens if we run to Him?
I started this talk with part of what Jesus said in John 16:33. Now let me give you the entire verse: “I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. But be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
In other words, He offers us the two very things we need when we’re hurting: peace to deal with our present and courage to deal with our future. How? Because he has conquered the world! Through His own suffering and death, He has deprived this world of its ultimate power over you. Suffering doesn’t have the last word anymore. Death doesn’t have the last word anymore. God has the last word!
So let me finish the story of Leslie and I driving through the fog in Wisconsin. We were following the taillights of that truck when the fog slowly began to lift, the rain began to let up and we entered a town with some lights – things were becoming clearer, we could see better, and as we rounded a curve, silhouetted against the night sky, guess what we saw? We saw the steeple of a church and the cross of Christ. After driving through the confusion of the fog for so long, that image struck me with poignancy I’ll never forget. Because it was through that cross that Jesus conquered the world for us.
As that wise man once said to me: God’s ultimate answer to suffering isn’t an explanation; it’s the incarnation. Suffering is a personal problem; it demands a personal response. And God isn’t some distant, detached, and disinterested deity; He entered into our world and personally experienced our pain. Jesus is there in the lowest places of our lives. Are you broken? He was broken, like bread, for us. Are you despised? He was despised and rejected of men. Do you cry out that you can’t take any more? He was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Did someone betray you? He was sold out. Are your most tender relationships broken? He loved and He was rejected. Did people turn from you? They hid their faces from Him as if He were a leper. Does He descend into all of our hells? Yes, He does. From the depths of a Nazi death camp, Corrie ten Boom wrote these words: “No matter how deep our darkness, He is deeper still.” Every tear we shed becomes his tear.
And then the wise man told me this: it’s not just that God knows and sympathizes with you in your troubles. After all, any close friend can do that. Any close friend can sit beside you and comfort you and empathize with you. No, Jesus is much closer than your closest friend. Because if you’ve put your trust in Him, then He is in you. And, therefore, your sufferings are His sufferings; your sorrow is His sorrow.
So when tragedy strikes, as it will; when suffering comes, as it will; when you’re wrestling with pain, as you will – and when you make the choice to run into His arms, here’s what you’re going to discover: you’ll find peace to deal with the present, you’ll find courage to deal with your future, and you’ll find the incredible promise of eternal life in heaven.
As I’ve been saying, all of us will go through pain and suffering. But let me end by going back to this specific tragedy that took place two days ago in Aurora. For all the things it leaves us confused about, one of the truths it clearly illustrates is that life is so fragile and short. These people were going to a movie! They had no clue that this might be their last moments in this world. Friends, in this sin-scarred world, we never know when death will come knocking. Often, we don’t get any warning when a heart attack strikes, or when a drunk driver crosses the centerline, or when a wildfire sweeps through a canyon, or when an airplane loses power. And so the question I’m compelled to ask you is this – “Are you ready?”
One of the first verses I memorized as a Christian is 1 John 5:13: “These things I’ve written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God in order that you may know that you have eternal life.”
God doesn’t want you wondering. He doesn’t want you steeped in anxiety over whether you’re headed for heaven. His infallible, inerrant Word says you can know for sure.
Don’t rely on the fact that you come to church or you’ve gone through some sort of religious ritual in the past. The Bible is clear that we can be religious but not be in a relationship with God. Religious activities and affiliations never saved anyone. Salvation comes from knowing Christ personally and receiving His provision for YOUR sin and YOUR future. It comes from making him YOUR Savior, by asking Him to forgive YOUR every sin, and by asking Him to lead YOUR life.
But it doesn’t happen automatically. It doesn’t come by attending a great church, or being baptized or taking communion, or hanging out with a bunch of Christians. It comes from deciding in your heart that you want to turn from your sin, to stop trusting in your own resources, and to accept the forgiveness and eternal life that Jesus purchased on the cross and is offering you as a free gift. THAT is how you gain God’s peace and confidence.
So settle it now! Resolve this today, at this moment, so that if tragedy were to strike, your eternity with God would be secure. I don’t know all the ways God is going to draw some good from this Aurora situation, but wouldn’t it be something if He were starting right now, with you personally, and using this message to bring you into His kingdom at this very moment? Let the pain of that tragedy open your heart to Christ. Let’s take what was intended for evil and watch God start creating something good from it.
Well, this has been a great series with lots of questions and God's answers! Be in prayer this week as God speaks to you regarding the suffering you are facing in this world. Remember, God meets us in our suffering.
See you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
