If God is All-powerful Why is there Suffering? – Pondering one of the big questions
God is all powerful, and yet some Christians get sick and die. Skeptics ask, If that is true, why does he allow bad things to happen—even to believers. Let me make some general comments about this question.
Firstly, we live in a chaotic, fallen world. God did not initiate the evil that pervades our world. “Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man” (James. 1:13). Adam and Eve chose to disobey God. Their choice ushered the consequences of their rebellion into the world. Their choice has infected all their posterity. This inherited depravity is the root of suffering and evil which has spread throughout the world. Facing suffering is an inevitable result of living in this fallen, rebellious world.
Secondly, God overrules evil for the good of his children. Joseph, who was sold into slavery by his brothers and betrayed by Potiphar’s wife, explained God’s overruling of the evil he had suffered by saying; “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives” (Genesis 50:20). Paul explains in Romans 8:28 that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Although bad things happen, God overrules them for the furtherance of his good purposes, of which one is to bless those who love God.
Thirdly, although mankind is fallen, the salvation of men and women out of that evil chaos, through the working of his grace in Jesus Christ will powerfully manifest God’s glory—the glory of his love and mercy. As the moon shines brightest in the night sky, so God’s grace shines forth in stunning brilliance set against the darkness of human depravity.
Fourthly, having faith in God is foundational to dealing with questions such as this. The Scriptures urge us to learn to trust God. “Without faith it is impossible to please him” (Heb. 11:6) And without faith it is also impossible to live joyfully in a chaotic world. Lord, help us to walk by faith. Without learning to trust in the revealed character of God, we will never find stability and confidence, nor be able to deal with suffering. “Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” ( Gen 18:25) Can we trust his character?
Fifthly, we must accept mystery and our own limitations. The ways of God are beyond our understanding. “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out!” (Rom. 11:33). Understanding the interplay of the myriad factors that combine to form God’s inscrutable will is beyond us. Moses laid down an important principle in Deut. 29:29. “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” Some things are secret. Only God understands them. The greatest mystery of all is God and how he operates. Let’s take what he has revealed about how we should live and so act. In the doing we often discover a measure of understanding. Why do we demand to know everything about how God works? Such a demand is not only arrogant but unrealistic. The complete answer to earth’s mysteries is our comprehension.
Sixthly, we need to realize that no one has a more satisfactory answer than the Christian. Most who pose this question use it as an excuse to avoid grappling with the Gospel or are dealing with grief over the suffering in a spouse or friend. Wherever we search, whether in Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam or Shintoism or among atheists, we will not find a more satisfactory answer to this question. Wouldn’t you rather trust the compassionate God who sent his Son into the heart of suffering to enable us to overcome misery and hopelessness to live victorious lives in a chaotic world?
The almighty God calls us to bring our concerns to him. He has not called us to live with doubts and fears, even in the most challenging circumstances. We can find help from him. But first, we need to ensure that we have an intimate connection with this Almighty God, who can be our heavenly Father through faith in Jesus Christ. Let us make sure that we have gone to Christ for salvation, confessing our sins and trusting in the penalty he paid for them upon the cross. Then let us walk in biblical truth, rejecting the lies of our culture that seduces us into believing that there is no help in the Christian faith, urging us instead to believe in ourselves. Instead, let us “Make the Most High your dwelling” (91:9). He alone is infinite, eternal, all powerful in his wisdom love and grace.
(Let me know your thoughts on this subject. If you appreciate this blog, please pass it on. If I can help you spiritually, let me know. Further articles, books, and stories at: Facebook: Eric E Wright Twitter: @EricEWright1 LinkedIn: Eric Wright ; Eric’s books are available at: https://www.amazon.com/Eric-E.-Wright/e/B00355HPKK%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share)
