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Many people lose faith in God when they see evil and natural disasters in the World. They feel that, if God is really present or really loves us, He will not allow evil. This feeling becomes even stronger, when they see children and innocent people suffer. However, it is not God, but our sins, that produces evil in the world. Sin results from selfishness and selfishness causes hurt to others.  Even natural disasters, which some people erroneously refer to as “acts of God”, are result of our sins. Since we have dominion over the World (Genesis 1: 27-28), our acts of selfishness affect the balance in nature.  So that when we sin by going against nature, the balance in nature is disturbed to produce natural disasters and diseases. Similarly, our evil acts directly affect others and cause them hurt.  The hurt that evil produces affects everyone; including those who live holy lives.  God allows evil, because, He has given us free will. He has given us free will so that we can exercise unconditional love.  If we did not have free will, we will never be able to love others unconditionally, because, to love is a choice, and every choice needs a free will.  God wants us to have love (John 13:34), because he wants us to be one with him and share his life, which is love. In addition, he wants us to live a life of love, because, he wants us to have His peace and joy (John 15:11).
 
       He brings peace and joy to those who are suffering by comforting them (Psalm 23, Is 57:18-21; Ps 94:19) and by giving redemptive value to pain and suffering. He did this by freely accepting pain and suffering, in order to empty self completely on our behalf (1 Peter 2:24, 25).  In other words, he emptied himself of self, by leaving himself totally open to pain and suffering. We too can use our pain and suffering to empty ourselves of self, not only on our behalf, but also on behalf of those who need our help by quietly accepting them. We can also quietly accept pain and suffering in the process of helping others (Luke 14:27). We will then find peace and joy; because, our attention will be directed towards those in need, and not on our self. On the other, hand if we are selfish, and focus our attention on our self, we will become bitter and unhappy. God also brings relief to those who are suffering, through the love and compassion of those who selflessly serve others. Furthermore, by nourishing us with His own sacrificial body and blood (John 6:51), he gives us His own life.

Preach it brother?sister?!!!   Excellent sermon!!!  That was definitely inspired.  

 

The curious as well as the critics of Christianity ask this question. If God is all-powerful and all loving, then why does He permit evil and suffering in the world? Various answers have been given but permanently settling the issue is impossible because so many of our answers raise further questions. Nevertheless, our lack of ability to answer the question perfectly does not mean that we cannot offer solutions.

First of all, God may be letting evil run its course in order to prove that evil is evil and that suffering, which is the unfortunate product of evil, is further proof that anything contrary to God’s will is bad, harmful, painful, and leads to death.

Second, it is possible that God has reasons for allowing evil to exist that we simply cannot understand. In this the Christian can have confidence in God knowing that His ways are above our ways Isaiah 55:8-9. As the Bible says, the just shall live by faith Hab. 2:4.

Sin is rebellion against God and His created order. But God has not left us alone in this fallen world. He continued to enter this world, pointing us to Himself, to truth, to morality, purity, and love. He used the evil of the world (liars, perjurers, the envious, etc), to bring His Son to the cross so that we might have the opportunity of eternal life. In this, God has not stepped away from fallen creation, but has stepped into it by becoming Jesus. God works within the fallen world to affect change and He uses fallen people to accomplish His will. In this, He is proving His sovereignty over evil, suffering, and rebellious people, proving that sin and evil are utterly futile, and that He is worthy of honor and glory.

A third reason may be, that God is letting evil occur is so that on the day of judgment, the condemned will have no right to say that their sentence is unjust. God is not stopping people from exercising their free will. Think about this: If someone said that God should stop evil and suffering, then should God then stop all  evil and suffering? If God only stopped some of it, then we would still be asking the same question of why it exists. So, if we want God to stop evil and suffering, then He must stop all of it. We have no problem with this when it means stopping a catastrophe, or a murder, or a rape. But what about when someone thinks of something evil? Evil is evil whether it is acted out or not. Hatred and bigotry in someone’s heart is wrong. If it is wrong, and if God is to stop all evil, then He must stop that person from thinking his own thoughts. To do that, God must remove his freedom of thought. Furthermore, which person on the earth has not thought something evil? God would be required, then, to stop all people from exercising their free will.

But then we must ask, if this is true, are we working against God by working against evil and suffering? No, we are not. God says he does not want us to sin and suffer. But it is simply true that God can use evil despite of its apparent despicable nature.

God is in the world using the world and its failures for His glory and the benefit of those who listen to Him. But then, what about those who seem to innocently suffer with no benefit resulting? What about the woman who is raped, or the innocent by stander who is killed by a stray bullet. In both cases, the victims and families suffer nothing but pain and loss. What good can this possibly be?

I think that the answer is two-fold. One, ultimately, no one is innocent. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God Rom. 3:23 and are by nature children of wrath Eph. 2:3. There is none innocent. Though this is biblically accurate, it does not satisfy the question emotionally. Why do little babies suffer for things they have not done? I must acknowledge that I do not know. Ultimately, we must trust God who knows the beginning from the end and sees the grand picture. He will have the final word and He will be vindicated.

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 affects of sin in the world. Why does one person suffer and another does not? Why do catastrophes happen to some and no 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.

Resting in the Lords arms.
Bob

Rev. 21:4 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