If God is Loving, Why is there Suffering?
Genesis 3
Man’s Sin causes Suffering and Pain
Both Personal Sin
And Original Sin
God’s Mercy ends suffering and pain
God’s Grace replaces suffering and pain
Intro
Slide
Probably the most asked question, in regards to there being a loving God is why is there suffering in the world?
I mean you don’t have to look very far to see suffering.
Turn on the news and you can see a report of a murder every day in Chicago. That is someone’s child or brother or parent suffering through the loss of someone they know, someone taken from them before there time.
Around the world, we see people starving, suffering through diseases that come from lack of basic necessities like clean drinking water.
We see kids excited to get a bowl of rice for the day.
We see earthquakes and tsunami’s killing thousands and hundreds of thousands.
In our own lives on a daily basis, we face heartache, financial crisis, sickness, death. All we have to do is open our eyes in the morning it seems to experience suffering.
Where is God in all of this?!
Is God really in control?
Does God care?
We have seen evidence that there is a God, as we talked about a few weeks ago, but what kind of God is He? Is He really loving if all of this world deals with pain and evil and suffering?
Transition
This morning, we are going to seek to gain some perspective on this issue as we seek to understand if and how we can reconcile that there is a loving God given the suffering and pain and evil that goes on in this world.
To do that, we need to start at the beginning. We can never have proper perspective until we start from the beginning.
So, if you would, turn with me to Genesis chapter 3.
Slide
God has created the universe and everything in it and has created mankind and placed him in the garden, a paradise where man actually walks and talks with God, and He has given one stipulation. He gives this stipulation, because for His glory, He created mankind with a free will to be able to make choices. Therefore He had to give some kind of choice to be able to make.
So he says in Genesis 2:15-17 - 15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, "You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; 17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
So He tells them they are to tend the garden, have dominion over all the earth and animals and they can eat from every tree, except for the tree in the middle of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
One clear stipulation and one clear result from disobeying that stipulation, you will surely die.
Now, in chapter 3 it says,
Genesis 3
3:1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, ’You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ’You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’"
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman. 5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.
8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?"
10 He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
11 And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"
12 The man said, "The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?"
The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."
14 So the Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this,
"Cursed are you above all the livestock
and all the wild animals!
You will crawl on your belly
and you will eat dust
all the days of your life.
15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and hers;
he will crush your head,
and you will strike his heel."
16 To the woman he said,
"I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing;
with pain you will give birth to children.
Your desire will be for your husband,
and he will rule over you."
17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ’You must not eat of it,’
"Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.
18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.
19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."
20 Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.
21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Pray
So we see that mankind was given a choice and mankind chose to disobey and because of that choice, Death, evil, suffering and pain entered the world. Suffering is not the fault of God.
Suffering and Pain are the result of Man’s Sin
Slide
Genesis 2:15-17, 3:14, 17
The suffering that is going on in our lives and in the world is directly a result of sin.
Now, I want to clarify what I mean by this because there are 2 ways that we suffer because of sin.
First,
We experience Pain and Suffering because of Personal Sin
Slide
For Adam and Eve, their sin, their personal disobedience to God, led to the direct result of them getting kicked out of Eden and their separation from God.
There are times that our suffering is a direct result of our personal sin.
If we have sex outside of marriage and we get a disease or a pregnancy occurs, it is not because there is not a loving God, it is because you have sinned that you are bearing the results of your actions.
If we go get drunk, and do something foolish or we get fired from a job because we couldn’t preform or we killed someone while under the influence and are now facing jail time, it is because you sinned and these are the results of your actions.
So there is definitely some suffering and pain that is a direct result of our own sinful actions.
Even while that is true, I would say that much of the pain and suffering we experience is not a direct result of our own personal sin, but
We experience Pain and Suffering because of Original Sin
Slide
Because of the sin of Adam and Eve, that original sin entering the world, this world is a fallen place; it is corrupted, polluted and it affects all of us.
We see some of the consequences of sin coming into the world
Pain during child birth – Genesis 3:16
Work has become painful toil – Genesis 3:17
Pain and suffering are in this world now because of sin.
Death has entered the world because of that original sin… From dust you were made, to dust you will return.
Maybe you are saying to yourself, “Oh that Adam and Eve…those idiots! If I was there, I wouldn’t have sinned!” Not so fast. You would have done the same thing. How do I know? Because you sin now. You still have choice and you have often chosen sin.
So, when we lose a loved one, to cancer, it is not God who is being unloving, but it is the results of sin that mankind has chosen.
Earthquakes and Tsunamis and natural disasters are also a result of mankind’s sin.
Paul tells us that all of creation has been subjected to frustration (Romans 8:22)
While God is ultimately in control of all things, the pain and suffering that each of us face in this life is a result of the sinful choices that have been made, both personal sinful choices as well as the sinful choice that was made originally in the garden and that brought sin into this world.
Ok, let’s pray.
Transition
No not really.
That would totally stink if that were the end, even though this pain and suffering that is experienced in life is a result of our own personal sins and mankind’s sin in general.
But there is some good news for us. Even though it is our own sin that has caused all this suffering and pain in the world, God intervened so that this would not have to be our permanent state.
Let’s look back at our text in Genesis.
I want us to see something that you may have missed.
Genesis 3:21-24
21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them. 22 And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever." 23 So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 24 After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
Why did God banish mankind from the garden of Eden? (v. 23)
So they would not eat of the tree of life and live forever. (v. 22)
We all have this innate desire to live forever. Many people fear death and do all kinds of things to stay alive. I believe that this is God given and how we were originally created. We were created to live eternally.
However, who here would want to live forever in a state of pain and suffering?
Not too many.
So God protected us from making an even worse choice of eating from the tree of life while in a state of sin and thus living eternally in sin and with pain and suffering with no hope of overcoming this life.
God’s Mercy has provided an end to pain and suffering
Slide
Even though we rightfully deserve the consequences of our sin, the eternal separation from God, the death and pain and suffering that have resulted from our sin personally and mankind’s sin generally, God has shown us mercy in providing and end.
We don’t have to live eternally in this state.
Death offers an end to the pain and suffering that we face in this world.
Jesus told us in John 16:33 that, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
This world is going to be full of trouble for us because of sin. But Jesus, God in the flesh came to earth and defeated death, overcame sin and this world and offers that to us.
Perspective
This is why it is so imperative for us to be looking at life with a proper perspective.
When we look at things from our limited, earthly life point of view, it will be impossible for anything to make sense to us, suffering, death or pain.
But when we begin to understand and view things from an eternal, godly perspective, we begin to recognize our own sinfulness and the consequences of sin, and the love and mercy and grace of a holy God.
It is by God’s mercy that we do not have to eternally endure the rightful consequences to our sin.
But that is not all.
Even in this life, we don’t suffer all that we should.
Even in our sin, God has had mercy on us. Even in our sinful state, God doesn’t destroy us immediately for our sin and disobedience, but is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish.
And it is in God’s mercy, of not giving us what we deserve, that He also offered us His grace.
While His mercy doesn’t give us what we deserve, eternal and never ending suffering,
God’s grace has provided a replacement to pain and suffering
Slide
God doesn’t just make it possible that we don’t experience pain and suffering eternally, but He has also provided things that can be enjoyed in place of that pain and suffering.
Those things that are available to everyone, no matter what, are called common grace.
An example is found in
Matthew 5:45
He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
Because God created you and me, He has extended grace to all of us through allowing us to enjoy His creation.
But that is not all.
Suffering can be used for our good
For those who enter into a relationship with the Lord, He promises to use all that we experience for our ultimate good, including pain and suffering.
Romans 8:28 - 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.
The things we suffer here help to transform us to have more of the character of Christ and so we can experience hope. Paul writes in
Romans 5:3-5
Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Peter also tells us that we can rejoice in our sufferings
1 Peter 4:13 - But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
We can not only rejoice now that God is at work, but those who trust in Christ have a future glory that is coming.
Perspective
I talked about how important it is for us to have proper perspective, that is why we started at the beginning. Well it is also important for us to keep a view to the end to have proper perspective.
I want you to hear what God tells us is available to us in eternity.
Revelation 21:1-4
21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
No more death, no more pain, no more suffering.
Not only will there be no more pain and suffering, but we will be with God!
Choice
Here is the thing though.
Just like Adam and Eve had choice in the garden, whether to trust God and not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, mankind has choice today to trust the Lord and receive God’s mercy and grace. There are those who choose not to receive God’s grace and won’t experience the new heaven and earth.
Right before the verses I just read, it tells us what happens to those who do not receive His grace.
Revelation 20:11-15
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Death is a transition to our eternal state. It is in this life that we have opportunity to make choices as to if we will believe the Lord and follow Him or believe the lies of Satan and follow him.
It is by God’s grace and mercy that He has provided that we do not have to experience pain and suffering eternally. But that requires that we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior.
He has offered to save us from an eternity where our rightly deserved pain and suffering is permanent.
Instead, by His grace, He is willing to replace our pain and suffering with eternal life.
John the apostle writes in
1 John 5:11-12
God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Do you have the Son?
We receive Jesus, by believing in His name, by believing in who He is and what He has done.
Believing that Jesus is God in the flesh and that He paid for your sins, in your place by dying on the cross and resurrecting from the dead.
Paul tells us in Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
If you never remember a time when you have confessed your belief to the Lord, why don’t you receive Him today by confessing your belief and receiving the eternal life that He has made available so you can experience an eternity with Him, and eternity where every tear is wiped away and there is no more pain, no more death, no more suffering.
An eternity that is spent the way life was originally designed before our sin brought suffering into this world, an eternity in continual communion with the Lord.
If you have not received Him, I am going to give you an opportunity to receive Him by confessing your belief in a moment, but first I want to address the fact that there are a lot of people who have received Christ who still struggle with suffering in this world.
I think this is due largely to our lack of perspective in life. I want to help us regain some of that perspective with an illustration.
Illustration
I saw this illustration from Francis Chan once and I think it is helpful for us today.
I want you to imagine that this rope is a timeline of your life. Imagine it doesn’t end but goes on forever.
Now if this rope represents our life, this piece right here (small length at end) represents our earthly life.
Compared to an eternity that will be with the Lord where he takes away pain and suffering and replaces it with being with Him, this is nothing!
When we have proper perspective, it is then that we can say along with Paul,
Romans 8:18 - I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
When we keep our focus on the eternity we have been given and the glory to come, we will be able to persevere and even be joyful as we wait in eager expectation.
If you have never received Jesus by confessing your belief, won’t you pray and confess your belief and be saved this morning.
Let’s pray.
One of the greatest examples of suffering in Scripture is Job. It is when we have a proper perspective of life and our own sin and God’s grace and mercy, then we can be able to say along with Job…
Job 1:21
"Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord."
Let’s worship Him this morning no matter what you are facing as we sing Blessed by the Name.
