Objection 4: Suffering – How can a good God allow evil and suffering?
Tragedies happen on a Large-scale(Katrina, Virginia Tech, Columbine, Tsunami, 911) and a Personal-scale (cancer, car accident, child abuse, )  Jesus said “We must…suffer”(Rom. 8:17) not if.

1.       “Justin was a candidate in our program [to be ordained in the Reformed Church in America] who was diagnosed with aplas�tic anemia shortly aft�er beginning his Master of Divinity studies at Sioux Falls Seminary. At first it seemed things were under control, however, the last couple  of months Justi�n had encountered numerous life threatening infecti�ons and  despite heroic efforts on the part of many he lost the ba�ttle on the morning of April 3, 2008.”   (Cornelis Kors, Director of Ministers for Candidate Care &  Certification)   Why?

2.      Louise Volbruck is a wonderful, godly woman who has faithfully served God for many years, She has cancer on her brain and was recently given 1wk to 1 month to live.  Why?

3.      Gary’s nephew recently had hands and feet amputated. Why?

4.      Lores Nicoles lost his wife to cancer recently.

You can blame Satan, nature, people, but God is ultimately behind it.

If God is good, great and loving how can he allow suffering and evil?

1. For Freedom: He created a perfect world. Humans have freedom.  We are not preprogrammed.  Suffering entered when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. (Gen 3)

2. For Faith: You suffer so you & others will fully trust God & live for him.

a. He uses suffering to draw us to him & repent.

“It seems that God allows evil so that men and women who are evil can have an opportunity to turn back to Him.” Gary Poole, How Could God Allow Suffering and Evil?, Willow Creek Resources, 1998, p. 26

The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent. (2 Peter 3:9 NLT)

b. He uses suffering to grow our character and faith.

We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. (Rom. 5:3-4 NLT)

For the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child…  No discipline is enjoyable while it is happening—it’s painful! But afterward there will be a peaceful harvest of right living for those who are trained in this way.” (Hebrews 12:6, 11 NLT, see Prov. 3:11-12, Ps. 94:12)

“God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” – C.S. Lewis

WHERE: Where is God?

Father: In heaven collecting our tears (Ps. 56:8), causing good (Rom 8:28), and answering prayers (Luke 11:11-13).

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Rom. 8:28 NLT)

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book. (Psalm 56:8 NLT)

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him! (Luke 11:11-13)

Jesus: In heaven interceding (Heb. 7:25) and mediating (Heb. 8:6) for us.

14 So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin… 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf… 27 Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. (Heb 4:14-15; 7:25,27 NLT) [According to Thayer’s Lexicon, intercede is defined as “to go to or meet a person, esp. for the purpose of conversation, consultation, or supplication.”]

1 Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven. 2 There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle,[a] the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands… 6 But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises. (Heb. 8:1,2,6 NLT) [According to Thayer’s Lexicon, mediator is defined as “one who intervenes between two, either in order to make or restore peace and friendship, or form a compact, or for ratifying a covenant.”]

Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us. (Rom 8:34 NLT) [Plead is the same Greek word as intercede.]

Holy Spirit: In our hearts (John 14:17-18) bringing peace and hope to believers and convicting the world (John 16:8).

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. (Rom. 8:26 NLT)

Body of Christ: sitting in pews or loving neighbors? (Saddleback used part of $1.7mill to support pastors after Katrina to care for others)

WHAT: What does God want us to do?

1. Repent

About this time Jesus was informed that Pilate had murdered some people from Galilee as they were offering sacrifices at the Temple. 2 “Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all the other people from Galilee?” Jesus asked. “Is that why they suffered? 3 Not at all! And you will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God. 4 And what about the eighteen people who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them? Were they the worst sinners in Jerusalem? 5 No, and I tell you again that unless you repent, you will perish, too.” (Luke 13:1-5 NLT)

2. Don’t quit

That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. 17 For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! 18 So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever. (2 Cor. 4:16-18 NLT) (see Heb. 4:14, 10:23)

3. Don’t Blame

Walking down the street, Jesus saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked, "Rabbi, who sinned: this man or his parents, causing him to be born blind?" Jesus said, "You're asking the wrong question. You're looking for someone to blame. There is no such cause-effect here. (John 9:1-3 MSG)

4. Forgive

Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. (Eph. 4:32 NLT)
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. 44 But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! 45 In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. (Mat. 5:43-45 NLT)

5. Pray

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. (Heb. 4:16 NLT)

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. (Phil 4:6 NLT)
6. Hope:

Hope: Look for what God can do now

Look instead for what God can do. We need to be energetically at work for the One who sent me here, working while the sun shines. When night falls, the workday is over. For as long as I am in the world, there is plenty of light. I am the world's Light." (John 9:5 MSG)

Hope: Look for what God will do later.

Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. (Rom. 8:18 NLT)

It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. 53 For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. (1 Cor. 15:52-53 NLT)

7. Follow the Spirit’s leading

We must quickly carry out the tasks assigned us by the one who sent us. The night is coming, and then no one can work.” (John 9:4 NLT)

·          Encourage: Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. (Heb. 10:24-25 NLT)

·          Be present: Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. (Romans 12:15 NLT)

·          Pray: I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. (1 Timothy 2:1 NLT)

·          Share faith: Are you prepared to speak truth and love? And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it. (1 Peter 3:15 NLT)

·          Rejoice: We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. 4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. (Rom. 5:3-4 NLT)  Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! (Phil. 4:4 NLT) 

REMEMBER THIS

So if you are suffering in a manner that pleases God, keep on doing what is right, and trust your lives to the God who created you, for he will never fail you. (1 Peter 4:19 NLT)

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. 39 No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom. 8:38-39 NLT)

Most Recommended Resources:
“A Grace Disguised” by Gerald Sittser
“90% is Just Showing Up” by James Kok

http://www.carm.org/40_objections/40-4.htm#_1_31
http://www.allaboutgod.com/why-is-there-so-much-evil-in-the-world-video.htm
http://www.allaboutworldview.org/human-suffering.htm
http://www.allaboutworldview.org/the-problem-of-evil.htm