Why God?
- Why does God allow pain and suffering
- Why do bad things happen to good people?
- Why doesn’t God get rid of the devil?
- Why did God even bother creating anything at all if He knew there would be so many terrible things?
Today, we’re going to make a distinction between the EMOTIONAL and the LOGICAL
- My feeling doesn’t determine the facts
This is important because: (2 reasons)
Suffering is an EMOTIONAL thing but also a SUBJECTIVE thing
Emotional:
We tend to FEEL more than think about suffering
Subjective:
Some “suffering” is not agreeded as suffering
Ex: Running
Today is about this
ASKING A BETTER QUESTION
Because when we HEAR or THINK “WHY DID GOD?” of “Why DOES GOD?”
What is the BETTER QUESTION?
Today, let’s look at 3 Better Questions:
1: Why did God create at all?
The Bible teaches that God has ALWAYS existed
Moses Prayed…
Psalm 90:2
Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from eternity to eternity, you are God.
What was God doing before he created the world?
- Before He created the universe, God experienced absolute satisfaction in Himself
- God dwelt joyfully alone in eternity as the Trinity.
- These three were together in fellowship with one another from all eternity. They loved each other.
John 17:5
Now, Father, glorify me in your presence with that glory I had with you before the world existed.
That means…
God did not create the world out of PERSONAL NEED
- God does not NEED us
- We cannot give to God something he does not have without us
This means that God does not need:
- Our prayers
- Our Belief
- Our Love
Because God is complete in and of himself
- I AM
Famous Pastor Jonathan Edwards says…
“It is evident, by both Scripture and reason, that God is infinitely, eternally, unchangeably, and independently glorious and happy: that he cannot be profited by, or receive anything from, the creature that he created.” ~ Jonathan Edwards
Since God is complete:
- We are created out of OVERFLOW and for God’s GREATER GLORY
Isaiah 43
7 everyone who bears my name and is created for my glory. I have formed them; indeed, I have made them.”
The answer to the 1st BETTER QUESTION IS…
God created the universe from the overflow of His creativity and completeness for His OWN Glory
That leads us then to the 2nd better question
Since God created the world for His glory…
2: Why is there pain and suffering?
There are two different causes for pain and suffering
- Suffering from Moral Evil
- Suffering from Natural Events
- We have to look at both of these individually
>>Suffering from Moral Evil<<
WHY?
FREE WILL
God created a world in which we have the ability to CHOOSE to do as we like
Good and Evil
A common question:
WHY DOESN’T GOD STOP PEOPLE FROM DOING EVIL THINGS?
Raise your hand if you have ever done anything bad…
- Should be all of you
Did you KNOW you were doing something bad?
- Did you want God to stop you?
- You already knew it was bad. His telling you wouldn’t have stopped you
We want God to stop the BAD in OTHERS but to overlook the BAD in us
- We are ALL guilty of causing pain and suffering in someone else
- varying degrees – but the principle still holds true
In Summary:
Suffering caused by moral evil is due to the fallen, sinful heart of mankind and our rebellion against God’s good design and desires for His creation
>>One last thing on this specific point
Another common question:
Why does God allow bad things to happen to GOOD people?
The Christian answer is:
There is no such thing as good people
We are all sinners saved by God’s grace
>>Suffering from Natural Events<<
- Natural disasters
- Sickness and disease
Christians answer this by going back to the beginning
- Was there death and disease in the Garden of Eden?
- No
- Tree of life
- God’s presence
Genesis 2
16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.”
Genesis 3
17 And he said to the man, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘Do not eat from it’: The ground is cursed because of you. You will eat from it by means of painful labor all the days of your life.
The Bible teaches that sin BROKE THE WORLD
- Mankind was supposed to be God’s stewards in the world, and our rebellion caused us to be SUBJECTED to the brokenness
As Adam’s children, we inherit his sin in our nature
- That’s why we must be BORN AGAIN
But the chaos of this world sometimes STRIKES OUT and causes harm
- Both the righteous and the unrighteous
Romans 8:19–22
19 For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to futility—not willingly, but because of him who subjected it—in the hope 21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. 22 For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now.
So we can say in summary:
Suffering from natural evil is due to the chaos of a fallen and broken world due to the rebellion of God’s chosen representatives to creation: humanity.
This leads us to The Final BETTER QUESTION
3: How is God going to fix it?
Christian teaching gives us 2 answers:
A: God is redeeming His people through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Galatians 3:13
13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.
We have a savior who did not Hide or stay far from our suffering
- He came to take us THROUGH it
- He became subject to humanities EVIL
- Came out VICTORIOUS
B: God is redeeming His creation THROUGH faithful believers who trust Him IN their suffering
Do you know how you defeat the DEVIL in the Spiritual realm?
- Trust God in the midst of your suffering
This is how we fight back against the CHAOS around us and IN US
John 16:33
33 I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
To do this, we must look at our life through the lens of ETERNITY.
Revelation 21:4
4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.
God is using our current suffering to refine us into the rulers that we need to be for the NEW HEAVENS AND EARTH
Romans 8:18
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.
Our current suffering will only serve to make the reality of God’s presence that much better.
Further Study:
Books:
Why Does God Allow Evil?: Compelling Answers for Life’s Toughest Questions