“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” – Romans 5:12 KJV
Suffering as a Result of Rejecting God
If God is both good and all-powerful then why do people suffer? This is not only a question for which a lot of people want an answer, but also an excuse that many use to deny the existence of God. For if God is good then He obviously wouldn’t want people to suffer. And if He is all-powerful and good then He would certainly keep people from suffering; right?
Listen, just because people suffer that doesn’t mean God isn’t good, nor does it mean He isn’t all-powerful. There are other things to put into consideration here.
Suffering is essentially the result of sin (Gen. 2:16-17, 3:16-19; Rom. 5:12). And since sin is defined as “the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4); that is, the transgression of God’s law, it follows that suffering came into existence as a result of defiance against God. And since God is identified as being intrinsically good (Matt. 19:17), it is obvious that suffering exists because evil was given precedence over that which is good. In other words, because God was rejected suffering came to be. This idea is evidenced in the fact that Adam and Eve chose to sin against God, even after they were warned that sin would result in death (both physical and spiritual).
From Very Good to Very Bad
In the Genesis account of creation the word ‘good’ is used six times to describe the conditions or state of being of God’s creation (Gen. 1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25). It was after God had created the first man and woman that the declaration of “very good” was made in reference to God’s creation (Gen. 1:31). In using the expression, ‘very good’, the idea of perfection and completeness was made manifest. And rightly so; for there was no trace of sin in what God had created. Thus, it was a blameless existence, so to speak. But it was through Adam and Eve’s transgression against God that all of that changed. In other words, Adam and Eve essentially cut themselves off from that which was very good by choosing to be very bad. Hence, they rejected the goodness of God by turning their backs on His good will, thereby opening the floodgates of woe unto all the world and the inhabitants thereof.
So, it’s not God’s fault that we are suffering. Why blame God for something for which man is responsible? The very act of God telling Adam and Eve not to sin made it very clear that He didn’t want to see them suffer. Yet they chose to defy God anyway. And God had to open their eyes to the consequences of their sin by holding them accountable for their transgression. They had to see the true nature of the face of evil…They had to see what they really turned to in choosing to turn away from God…They had to experience death.
The Role of Choices in Relation to Suffering
Suffering is always the result of a choice. For example; a lot of people suffer as a result of choosing to foster a lifestyle that does not agree with good health practices. Moreover suffering could be the result of God’s chastisement towards those who have chosen to behave in a manner that is not good (Ex. 15:26; Rev. 3:19). Suffering could even result from doing the right things in God’s sight. In other words, it could be the result of Satanic affliction, designed by the enemy to get people to lose faith in God (Job 1:6-12). The righteous are not exempt from suffering. Therefore don’t be surprised if you should happen to suffer as a result of following God. For “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12 KJV).
Indeed, we need to be on our guard when it comes to making choices, as our choices may not only result in causing our own suffering, but could also cause others to suffer too. This should awaken us to our innate responsibility to do that which is good, not only for our own sakes, but for the sake of others as well. We can’t eliminate the problem of suffering in its entirety, but we can certainly work together to lessen its severity. It’s simply a matter of making good choices. And where suffering results from making the right choices, it is simply a matter of exercising faith in a God who will work all things out for the best in the end (Rom. 8:28).
Not His Weakness but Ours
Suffering isn’t a sign of weakness or failure on God’s part to do what is good for His people; rather, it is the symptom of disobedience to His good will. And for the simple fact that God commands us to avoid evil, that means He is the master of the results that come by means of either breaking or obeying His commandments. That is, He has the power to ultimately control what happens. He isn’t the cause of suffering, but can and will use it as a means to awaken us to the reality of sin, thereby enabling us to grow in our understanding of His good will, and why it is essential to our happiness that we should keep His commandments.
Incidentally, the argument of God not being all-powerful because suffering exists is very clearly refuted in the following verse:
“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.” – Revelation 21:4 KJV
Indeed, God is going to end all suffering in due time; but if He is going to end all suffering at some point then why let it happen at all? That’s a good question! And it is one that will be explored in the next part to this lesson: The Problem of Suffering – Part Two
