The "problem of pain," as the well-known Christian scholar, C.S. I had the opportunity to see Vince Vitale, co-author of Why Suffering? An Address for the New Year, by Marcus Rainsford, 1872, Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past – by C.T. Evil words and actions have left great marks on our hearts, minds and bodies. God has a purpose even for evil and suffering. His death brought redemption from sin and diseases. He cannot allow human freedom without allowing suffering or humans would be puppets. And it’s a question that arrived in the inbox from a young man. This is such an important and central question for us at Desiring God. One of the first things we think of when it comes to suffering is that we must avoid it at all costs, but God brings suffering in our lives for the sake of our eternal joy and glory, even if we can’t understand why at this time. Let’s finish with this truth: Jesus took our infirmities (weaknesses) and bore our sicknesses (diseases), Matthew 8:17. It is not an easy thing to go through, but if you understand the positive effects of suffering it will help you endure until the end of your trial. The Bible tells of a future time when there will be no more suffering Suffering seems to be of three types: Caused by ourselves – pain and suffering as a result of accident injuries or lifestyle choices. James 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. We also know that God created man with a free will — giving Adam and Eve the ability to make choices. He is almighty, after all. This verse doesn’t mean that God won’t give you more than you can handle. Can’t He stop it? But why does God allow suffering? People often hold only one view of suffering; however, the Bible does not have one approach to suffering but many. We can also understand that peace can be found when we question why does God allow pain and suffering too. What it does mean is that in his providential will (when He causes something to happen) or in His permissive will (when He allows something to happen), and when we are unable to handle, if we turn to God He will provide us what we need to go through it. We, like Cain must battle our fear, insecurity, shame, resentment and anger. Failing to recognize or master these things often creates suffering for others. On Nov. 21, 1980, when the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas burned, survivors were brought into the Convention Center, where our Crusade meetings were being held. So, here’s six concepts that we can embrace about why a good God allows evil and suffering. He is almighty, after all. Does God Accept All Forms of Worship? God never allows pain without a purpose. Whether our sufferings come from the consequence of sin, the curse of sin, or are a chastening for sin, we view them all through the lens of the cross, and rejoice: “ there is now no CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus ” (Romans 8:1). If you’d like more on the question of why God allows pain and suffering, please see The Case for Faith, which is available for free through local libraries. What do you think? God has the power to prevent suffering and calamity--so why does He allow it? The presence of evil and suffering in the universe is certainly consistent with there not being an omnipotent, omniscience, and omnibenevolent god. Scripture tells us, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). Today my beloved we discuss a question that plagues many Christians and non-Christians alike. For the Christian, then, there is one final reason why God allows our suffering: to point us back to the sufferings of Christ. “for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5). Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering? While going through the shock and denial of it all, I finally began to understand that there was a reason God allowed the stroke to occur. Accidents and diseases do not discriminate. In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, One God, Amen. On March 31, 2019 By Innermost Being In Diving Deep. Suffering and pain cause us to long for our heavenly home and live more fully for eternity. : Finding Meaning and Comfort When Life Doesn’t Make Sense, when he visited my church. Here are five reasons why God allows suffering in life. In doing so they broke the perfect communion that they had with God and plunged the world into sin and darkness. Does God Listen to All Prayers? Reasons for Hope* Jesus, Yes, send me answers to interesting and challenging questions about Jesus and the Bible. <, We need your help. Why would a powerful and loving God allow suffering, evil and death? When the question is raised, “why does God allow pain and suffering?”  it’s usually because we feel pain and suffering is unjust. When a member is down and discouraged, the church is called to lift that person up. But if He did that, He would never be able to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt, that Satan was wrong. What do many religious teachers say about suffering? 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. … Dr. Charles Stanley offers a biblical answer to this question. It’s important to make this distinction. When you possess them, you’ll comprehend with joy what God wanted so much for you to experience in your life. In order to address the reasons why God allows pain and suffering, we need to consider the source of evil. When we go to the word of God there are numerous stories of pain and suffering. God never allows pain without a purpose. He will give us the comfort, peace, patience and strength we need. This verse doesn’t mean that God won’t give you more than you can handle. You see, God dwells in the dimension of eternity. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; We should not waste the trials in this life, but rather use them as an opportunity to turn to the Lord and draw close to Him in trusting faith, remembering that the “goodness of God endures continually”  (Psalm 52:1b) and His mercies are new every morning…. Every breath we take, our abilities and talents, everything we have is because God blesses us. The church is also meant to be a refuge for those who are suffering. Suffering draws us closer to God God allows evil that leads to pain and suffering, but he is not the source of evil. 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.” It’s also important that we recognize that our suffering doesn’t happen without purpose. It's common to wonder if our suffering is God's Will. Everything we see and experience, from illnesses and injuries to grievous injustices and moral decay, are the result of a fallen world. Why God Allows Suffering. You need to realize that you’re not big enough; you’ll never make it without depending utterly upon Him and going in His strength. Adam and Eve’s bodies were created to be perfect in all ways — no illness or injury. Why does God allow pain and suffering? They talked about so many things and various subjects. It was at this point that evil, sickness, disease, and death entered the world — and along with it pain and suffering. Jesus died for that purpose. Abraham's Bosom? But we do know that God loves each person who is suffering, and that He does have each person’s eternal best interests in mind. What does the Bible teach? The wealthiest, most successful man on earth could lose his only daughter in a car wreck this afternoon. When… FAQ: Hold on. Why Does God Allow Suffering? Set in Uz, an obscure land far from Israel, during an unknown time period, the book of Job focuses on questions about God's justice and why good people suffer. What significance do colors have in the Bible? What is needed is an experience of deliverance from affliction, comfort in grief and restoration in brokenness. His death brought redemption from sin and diseases. He could hold out His hand and save us from the pain. This was God’s good design. God knows it all. Why do bad things happen to good people? We need your help to keep our site ad-free. But if He did that, He would never be able to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt, that Satan was wrong. This tract tackles a very sincere and tough question, one that’s been called the skeptics’ “silver bullet.” If God is loving and all-powerful and could end suffering, disease, and death, why hasn’t He? Because both pain and suffering exist, either the Supreme Superhero doesn’t exist at all, the Savior is all-good but not all-powerful, or the Savior is all-powerful but not all-good. Why Does God Allow So Much Suffering in the World? The short answer is that we don’t always know why in specific cases. Is there an error in Genesis 2:17 because Adam & Eve did not physically die? Nehemiah 9:6  You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it…, Exodus 20:11 In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them…, Genesis 1:31  Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good…. The problem of suffering has been with us since the Garden of Eden and it will be with us until Christ comes back. One way is to curse God because of our suffering and the other is to praise God, even in the midst of our suffering. He might not keep us from pain and suffering but He will keep us (hold us and care for us) in our pain and suffering. In our pain, we long to know why God allows grief and hardship into our lives. It can continue for weeks, months, even years. 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. Various answers have been given but permanently settling the issue is impossible (this side of heaven) because so many of our answers raise further questions. The question is often asked: “If God is all-powerful and all-good, why does He allow suffering?” For some, this is not just an abstract logical conundrum, but a deeply personal cry of despair, welling up from intense personal pain. The sermon was focused on the question of “why does God allow pain and suffering?” A deep one this week, yet one of the questions I think we all wrestle with at some point. It's a difficult question—probably one of the hardest to answer. Why does God allow suffering? This Sunday is Question #3: Why does God allow pain and suffering? Many argue, "Why would an all-powerful, all-loving God allow pain and suffering?" Why does God allow suffering by allowing Tom’s wife and daughter to experience the extreme pain that they are feeling? Paul alludes this in Galatians 6:2, when he writes, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” The church is not meant to be an association of loosely bound individuals but a community of individuals bound together. Often behind sophisticated and intellectual arguments against God is a hurt heart. We have all been the victims of the evil choices of others. This Sunday is Question #3: Why does God allow pain and suffering? It’s important to make this distinction. Why didn’t God intervene and heal Chuck? What it does mean is that in his providential will (when He causes something to happen) or in His permissive will (when He allows something to happen), and when we are unable to handle, if we turn to God He will provide us what we need to go through it. Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering? Let me offer three answers: 1) To let us see the gravity of our choices. Job explores the difficult question of God's relationship to human suffering, and invites us to trust God's wisdom and character. We’re going to consider a number of aspects to this issue. Instead, it recognizes the complexity of suffering and how it comes upon us. Job accuses God of being unjust and not operating the world according to principles of justice, and his friends believe that Job's sin caused his suffering. Sin lurks at each of our doors. God never allows pain without a purpose. As mentioned above, when Adam and Eve sinned, their bodies began the dying process and they became susceptible to disease and death; and their minds and wills were no longer governed by being in perfect communion with their Creator. Where was that? As I mention on my “About me” page, I was so confused every night as I lay in the hospital bed having suffered a massive stroke in the summer of 2010. Where did OT Saints go at death? Here are five reasons why God allows suffering in life. Pain is so disdained that it’s hard to imagine how a good God would allow pain into our lives. God … Suffering draws us closer to God Why would a loving God allow pain and suffering? If you’ve never asked why our world is infected with pain and suffering and evil, you will when they strike you with full force or come to a loved one. We’ve established why pain and suffering exists, but we also know that God has the power to stop pain and suffering. Suffering can show up in many ways. Why does God allow Pain and Suffering? Back to our question about why God allows pain and suffering. If you’re going through a tough time, take heart. God sometimes uses pain and suffering to humble us and to break our self reliance. Instead, He uses your suffering to dispense His power. What Is the Good News About Religion? Paul the sufferer turns his pain into a Christ-exalting experience by showing Christ’s all-sufficiency in his weakness. A failing grade on a test is a result of not effectively or sufficiently studying. How can God be good and sovereign over all things and also allow intense personal suffering into our lives? It is not an easy thing to go through, but if you understand the positive effects of suffering it will help you endure until the end of your trial. Interesting, I found statistical quirk: people who are married were much more likely to want to know why there’s so much suffering. If He took them, why are we carrying them still? We should not waste the trials in this life, but rather use them as an opportunity to turn to the Lord and draw close to Him in trusting faith, remembering that the “goodness of God endures continually”  (Psalm 52:1b) and His mercies are new every morning… great is His faithfulness. Show more. 1. As Faith Church joins 800+ other churches in the Chicagoland area in “Explore God,” our blog will examine the seven questions we are exploring in the sermons and groups that are part of the series. What do you think? The Bible should always be our first stop in understanding God and the world around us. No natural disaster or personal struggle or any evil experience we encounter can cause God to be surprised. Next article 4 Ways to Start Memorizing Scripture. It is God’s will that all be healed, that all be saved from sin and sickness. The Bible contains a lot of suffering, but surprisingly says little about it. (Explore God Week 3) Brian Dennert Jan 30, 2019 . The question, “why does God allow pain and suffering,” is always asked of pain and suffering experienced by those we deem to be innocent or undeserving of such affliction. If you are going through a difficult time, rest assured that your suffering is not pointless, and God has his reasons for leading you to your trial. Suffering reminds us that this world is not our home. When we think of suffering, we often think of God being far away from us. www.leestrobel.com. Then in pain and suffering we have a deep foundation of mature faith and an inner strength of character to help us deal with things. But suffering is not just a problem for Christians. Pain and suffering are realities in our everyday life. The Lord is sovereign and He controls all adversity in our lives. Pain and suffering was not present. He created the earth, and all that is in it, to be in perfect harmony with His character and nature. Why does your god allow suffering? A question we must all wrestle with is whether there is a purpose in life - and if so, what it is. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). That explains where pain and suffering came from, but it does not answer the question, “why does God allow pain and suffering?”. A cancer patient will come in after being diagnosed and they look fairly healthy in the beginning but once treatment starts I can not stress enough how it wreaks havoc on their bodies. It’s World Smile Day! Sign up for Beliefnet's Bible Reading newsletter. An expensive speeding ticket is a result of breaking a traffic law. You just told me about a perfectly loving God, but you didn't explain why He allows so much pain and suffering? Do NOT follow this link or you will be banned from the site. This is one of the best explanations of why God allows pain and suffering in the world..... A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. If there’s an all-powerful God, why do you think he allows evil in the world? What makes this experience complex is the fact that when suffering comes, several of these types of suffering are often involved which can take a major toll on our spirit. To pick up one theme of suffering in Scripture is to miss the entire picture. We all face suffering in some way, shape or form. Everything we see and experience, from illnesses and injuries to grievous injustices and moral decay, are the result of a fallen world. In fact, you will gain these things from your pain. Please consider supporting Reasons for Hope*Jesus. Why does God allow pain and suffering? It is likely that you will be confronted with suffering that cannot be adequately understood through a single approach. Every belief system has to account for suffering in some fashion or another. How Can Your Family Be Happy? Can’t He stop it? The only way to begin answering this question is to view our fallen world from God's perspective. While this may be a hard truth to understand, suffering is that it prepares Christians for more glory. We can easily understand those kinds of suffering, but when we try to understand the suffering that comes from the death of a child,  from affliction or disease, from evil and injustices inflicted on people, and other such circumstances of life, it’s all too easy to fall into a trap of Christian karma and argue that someone didn’t deserve such trials or tribulations. God is loving and merciful, kind and good, all-knowing and perfect in all His ways. They say God must not care, or perhaps he is not powerful. What we’ve just stumbled upon is known as The Problem of Evil and it’s been around ever since the first human stubbed their toe- maybe even before that! In the beginning, all of creation reflected God’s glory. Let’s finish with this truth: Jesus took our infirmities (weaknesses) and bore our sicknesses (diseases), Matthew 8:17. When the complexity of suffering rears us its head, we will find ourselves ill-equipped to deal with the ramifications. “Why does God allow pain and suffering?” I asked myself as I laid with my entire left side paralyzed, feeling terrified, worried, and upset. Sometimes the emotional or physical pain of suffering is prolonged. The result has been evil entering the world and bringing pain and suffering by the wrong moral choices people make. This is a question that has baffled people for generations and I am going to give you a great theological answer right now: I don’t know. Love always involves a choice, Strobel explained. I was terrified, worried, and upset. Why does God allow pain and suffering? ... nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. Why Does God Allow So Much Suffering in the World? They are a silent testimony of healing and wholeness that enable one to invite God to be present in the pain of another. I know it sounds crazy but the stroke was the best thing that happened in my life! Delivered Sunday, July 22 at Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. "We human beings have abused our free will by rejecting God and by walking away from Him." 5. When the question is raised, “why does God allow pain and suffering?” it’s usually because we feel pain and suffering is unjust. And His power cannot rest upon you unless you’ve abandoned the idea that you’re big enough to go it alone. Now you ask, why does God allow pain, suffering, and failure in our lives? If you haven’t suffered, just live longer. We know that pain and suffering was not part of God’s plan. Why Does God Allow Pain and Suffering? Therefore He never gives us anything for which He does not provide what we need to deal with it. 5 Pastors, priests, and religious teachers often say that it is God’s will that people suffer. Jesus died for that purpose. Pain and suffering can can be a blessing. God gave us free will and wants us to exercise it. We know that pain and suffering was not part of God’s plan. God knows it. But we can understand what God has spoken to us through His Word. And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. It allows us to see that we have something worth far more than anything this earth can afford. The problem of suffering . From God's perspective, He uses the trials of this painful world to lovingly prepare His children to spend eternity … And His power cannot rest upon you unless you’ve abandoned the idea that you’re big enough to go it alone. How Can You Draw Close to God? My suspicion is that the best answer to this question is that your god probably doesn't exist. See in our everyday life that this world is not our home God but... 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