Why Does God Permit Suffering and Evil? - Pastor Joseph Clark
Without a doubt, one of the most asked question of Pastors, is “If there is an all powerful, merciful, and loving God, why does he create / allow, so much suffering?” Here is another way it is asked. “If God is good, then why does he cause or permit so much suffering and evil?”
Sadly, it is also one of the most common reasons people turn their back on God. It is one of the most common questions that believers and unbelievers alike ask. Atheists use it to attack the faith of believers. And I do mean attack. At least a dozen times per week as a minister, my faith is attacked by angry non-believers who feel threatened by my faith. It is one of the most often used arguments to attempt to disprove God.
God is interested in the betterment of our eternal souls. The big picture! The long game! Think of it this way. Look at the thickness of The Holy Bible. It is a big book. Pretend for a moment that the thickness of the Bible is eternity. Our life here on earth is the equivalent of the thickness of a single page as compared to the thickness of all the other pages. God offers a single page of suffering in exchange for eternity in paradise with him. Unless you reject that offering. In which, well you know…but that is covered off in another article.
For God to do away with suffering, God would have to take away human freewill.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33
27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. - Luke 14:27
Suffering creates questions in our minds that only the Word of God can answer. Suffering draws us closer to God’s counsel. For as many questions as it creates it provides even more messages to us from God. We are instructed by Christ to have the faith of a child.
Why does God permit sufferings and evil?
1) God has deemed suffering necessary.
2) You cannot have one without the other. We must have evil to have good.
3) To do away with suffering and evil is to do away with Man’s freewill.
4) It is part of our sanctification to choose to receive Christ and Glorify God in accordance with the Gospels, in the face of suffering.
5) Without a life of suffering, we would be ignorant to the value of Heaven. Mankind would have no bearing on eternal salvation or eternal damnation.
6) To drive us to repentance and hope of salvation through Christ.
7) To remove suffering and evil would involve removing the freewill of men and women to choose to do good and Glorify God, and truly love God with meaning,
Let us remain steadfast and be there for others during their suffering and evil let us remember and be reassured of these powerful and glorious words:
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
- Philippians 4:13
Without a doubt, one of the most asked question of Pastors, is “If there is an all powerful, merciful, and loving God, why does he create / allow, so much suffering?” Here is another way it is asked. “If God is good, then why does he cause or permit so much suffering and evil?”
Sadly, it is also one of the most common reasons people turn their back on God. It is one of the most common questions that believers and unbelievers alike ask. Atheists use it to attack the faith of believers. And I do mean attack. At least a dozen times per week as a minister, my faith is attacked by angry non-believers who feel threatened by my faith. It is one of the most often used arguments to attempt to disprove God.
God is interested in the betterment of our eternal souls. The big picture! The long game! Think of it this way. Look at the thickness of The Holy Bible. It is a big book. Pretend for a moment that the thickness of the Bible is eternity. Our life here on earth is the equivalent of the thickness of a single page as compared to the thickness of all the other pages. God offers a single page of suffering in exchange for eternity in paradise with him. Unless you reject that offering. In which, well you know…but that is covered off in another article.
For God to do away with suffering, God would have to take away human freewill.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33
27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. - Luke 14:27
Suffering creates questions in our minds that only the Word of God can answer. Suffering draws us closer to God’s counsel. For as many questions as it creates it provides even more messages to us from God. We are instructed by Christ to have the faith of a child.
Why does God permit sufferings and evil?
1) God has deemed suffering necessary.
2) You cannot have one without the other. We must have evil to have good.
3) To do away with suffering and evil is to do away with Man’s freewill.
4) It is part of our sanctification to choose to receive Christ and Glorify God in accordance with the Gospels, in the face of suffering.
5) Without a life of suffering, we would be ignorant to the value of Heaven. Mankind would have no bearing on eternal salvation or eternal damnation.
6) To drive us to repentance and hope of salvation through Christ.
7) To remove suffering and evil would involve removing the freewill of men and women to choose to do good and Glorify God, and truly love God with meaning,
Let us remain steadfast and be there for others during their suffering and evil let us remember and be reassured of these powerful and glorious words:
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
- Philippians 4:13
Why Does God Permit Suffering and Evil? - Pastor Joseph Clark
Without a doubt, one of the most asked question of Pastors, is “If there is an all powerful, merciful, and loving God, why does he create / allow, so much suffering?” Here is another way it is asked. “If God is good, then why does he cause or permit so much suffering and evil?”
Sadly, it is also one of the most common reasons people turn their back on God. It is one of the most common questions that believers and unbelievers alike ask. Atheists use it to attack the faith of believers. And I do mean attack. At least a dozen times per week as a minister, my faith is attacked by angry non-believers who feel threatened by my faith. It is one of the most often used arguments to attempt to disprove God.
God is interested in the betterment of our eternal souls. The big picture! The long game! Think of it this way. Look at the thickness of The Holy Bible. It is a big book. Pretend for a moment that the thickness of the Bible is eternity. Our life here on earth is the equivalent of the thickness of a single page as compared to the thickness of all the other pages. God offers a single page of suffering in exchange for eternity in paradise with him. Unless you reject that offering. In which, well you know…but that is covered off in another article.
For God to do away with suffering, God would have to take away human freewill.
33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” - John 16:33
27 And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. - Luke 14:27
Suffering creates questions in our minds that only the Word of God can answer. Suffering draws us closer to God’s counsel. For as many questions as it creates it provides even more messages to us from God. We are instructed by Christ to have the faith of a child.
Why does God permit sufferings and evil?
1) God has deemed suffering necessary.
2) You cannot have one without the other. We must have evil to have good.
3) To do away with suffering and evil is to do away with Man’s freewill.
4) It is part of our sanctification to choose to receive Christ and Glorify God in accordance with the Gospels, in the face of suffering.
5) Without a life of suffering, we would be ignorant to the value of Heaven. Mankind would have no bearing on eternal salvation or eternal damnation.
6) To drive us to repentance and hope of salvation through Christ.
7) To remove suffering and evil would involve removing the freewill of men and women to choose to do good and Glorify God, and truly love God with meaning,
Let us remain steadfast and be there for others during their suffering and evil let us remember and be reassured of these powerful and glorious words:
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”
- Philippians 4:13
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