Why Does God Allow Suffering

The Question If God is all powerful, all good, and all knowing, why does he allow pain and suffering in our lives? Definition Suffering – Undergoing or feeling physical or emotional pain, distress, hurt, irritation; sustaining injury, disadvantage or loss; undergoing a penalty; enduring pain, disability, death, etc., patiently or willingly. It may be cancer or a sore throat. It may be the illness or loss of someone close to you. It may be a personal failure or disappointment in your job or school work. It may be a rumor that is circulating in your school or your church, damaging your reputation, bringing you grief and anxiety. Questions • Are you closer to God in suffering or prosperity? • Do you think God uses suffering to get our attention? • Why do we only refer to bad things as “acts of God”? • Do you agree that “the overwhelming majority of pain in the world is caused by our choices to kill, lie, be selfish, and break our promises”? • • • •

Do you agree with the phrase “true wisdom only comes from pain”? Do you think a world without suffering would appear more like hell than heaven? Can “evil” be substituted for “suffering” in this lesson? Would we be able to fully understand and appreciate the goodness of God without evil and suffering to compare it to?

Bible Verses • “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” Psalm 119:71. • “When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other. Therefore, a man cannot discover anything about his future.” Ecclesiastes 7:14. • “Because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." Hebrews 12:6. • “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Timothy 3:12. • “Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” Romans 5:3-4 • “In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” 1 Peter 1:6 • “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.” Romans 8:28 • “Because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:3-4 Where Does Suffering Come From • Our own foolishness or our own evil choices. Here our sense of justice remains relatively unchallenged. • General frustration – such things as computers crashing, red lights turning red as you approach, etc. • Injustice – suffering which is caused by someone else's evil choices or actions. You feel betrayed by God – if not for yourself, then on behalf of others. • No obvious source – illness or natural disasters. This category raises questions about God's goodness and power. The Nature of Suffering • Suffering is Painful – Suffering is hard, it is never easy. Regardless of what we know, it is going to hurt. • Suffering is Perplexing – Suffering is mysterious. Why now? What is God doing? It’s designed to build our trust in God. • Suffering is Purposeful – Suffering is not without meaning – its chief purpose the formation of Christ-like character. • Suffering Proves, Tests Us – Suffering proves one’s character and integrity along with the quality of one’s faith. • Suffering is a Process – As a process, it takes time. The results God seeks require time and endurance. • Suffering is a Purifier – No matter the reason, it is a purifier, for none of us will ever be perfect in this life. • Suffering Provides Opportunity – Opportunity for God’s glory, our transformation, testimony, and ministry. • Suffering Requires Our Cooperation – Suffering requires the right response if it is to accomplish God’s purposes. • Suffering is Inevitable – The question we face is not “if” we are going to have trials, but “how” will we respond to them. • Suffering is a Struggle – We must be able to look ahead to God’s purposes and reasons for suffering.

Possible Answers to the Question • There is no God – that solves the problem quite quickly. • God is not good. God is all powerful, he's there, but he's not good. He is a malevolent entity. • Pain and suffering are not real. They are illusions. • God is all powerful and all loving, and you're getting just what you deserve. • God is all powerful, all knowing and loving and just, and he will make it right in His time. The Logical Argument – If God and Evil Exist … • God wishes to take away evil and is unable – God is feeble – not in the character of God. • He is able and unwilling – God is cruel – not in the character of God. • He is neither willing nor able – God is cruel and feeble – not in the character of God. • He is both willing and able – in the character of God, so why does he not take evil away? Purposes and Reasons for Suffering • We suffer as a testimony, as a witness. When believers handle suffering joyfully and with stability, it becomes a testimony to the power and life of Christ. • We suffer to develop our capacity and sympathy for comforting others who are suffering. • We suffer to keep down pride. It exposes our presumptuousness, of knowing and controlling everything. • We suffer because it is a training tool. God uses suffering to develop personal righteousness and maturity. • As discipline for sin to bring us back to fellowship through genuine confession. • As a pruning tool to remove dead wood from our lives. • As a tool for growth designed to cause us to rely on the Lord and His Word. We learn the true depth of our faith. • As a means of learning what obedience really means. It becomes a test of our loyalty. • We suffer to bring about continued dependence on the grace and power of God. • We suffer to manifest the life and character of Christ. It gives us a heavenly, as opposed to a worldly, perspective. • We suffer to broaden our ministries. • We suffer as a consequence of our sins, hopefully leading to our repentance. The Dangers • • • • •

Guilt – Many ask, "What did I do to deserve this?" "Is God angry with me?" Blame – It must be somebody's fault. Bitterness. Emotional death – some refuse to express their emotions. Hiding the truth.

Quotes • • • •

If there is no God, why is there so much good? If there is a God, why is there so much evil? – Augustine The point of our lives in this world isn’t comfort, but training and preparation for eternity. – Peter John Kreeft God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains. – C.S. Lewis Pain and suffering are frequently the means by which we become motivated to finally surrender to God and seek the cure of Christ. – Peter John Kreeft • In the real world of pain, how could one worship a God who was immune to it? He laid aside His immunity to pain. He entered our world of flesh and blood, tears and death. He suffered for us. – John R. W. Stott Conclusion •

Suffering itself does not produce faith or maturity. It is only a tool that God uses to bring us to Him and His Word. It forces us to turn from trust in our own resources to living by faith in God. It causes us to put first things first. • Suffering is not in itself virtuous, nor is it a sign of holiness. It is also not a means of gaining points with God. • God gave us the ability to make choices that have a moral dimension. For God to destroy evil, he must take away our ability to introduce evil into the world. But to do that God would also be destroying the ability to do the greatest moral good as well – to be able to love freely, of our own choice. The answer to the problem of evil is the person of Jesus. The answer must be someone, not just something, because the issue involves someone – God, where are you? References http://www.leaderu.com/common/terror/lynch.html http://bible.org/seriespage/doctrine-suffering Christian Apologetics, Doug Powell.

The Case For Faith, Lee Strobel.