The Problem of Pain

The Problem of Pain

                Why do we suffer? Why do children die? Why are there wars? Why do people born on the same planet fight and strive with one another for dominance? Why do families born in the same home take one another’s life? First let me assure you that we cannot think like God, Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (v.9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” How many times in my life have I heard someone claim to know these answers? It is not uncommon to hear a teacher or preacher claim to know what God did and why He may have done something. How braggadocios. But an avowed ignorance does not necessitate an end to the search. We can, and should, learn as much as we can from what God has said in His Word.

                When God created, he created everything without sin. At the end of each creative event in Genesis we see that God “saw that it was good” (a deeper study would show this to be a sinless creation). And then Adam and Eve sinned. It was this event that brought all of creation under the consequence of sin, Romans 5:12 “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…” All of the sin and death we endure every day is the result of man sinning, it is not caused by God. So, the question so many have today is why didn’t God just destroy all of creation and start over?  Why does he allow people to continue to be born into a sin cursed world and suffer?

                My answer would have to be (as above), “I don’t know.” I don’t think like God thinks either (Isa. 55:8-9 above). I am simply not that smart. With that being said, I do believe God gave us some clues. One is found in Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (see also John 3:16-17). It is God’s love for each and every one of us that prevents him from destroying us. He wants to save as many of us as is possible, 2Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not…willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” God loves all of us and is doing all that can be done to save as many as he can. If God stops everything right now, today, then how many that are yet unborn will never have the opportunity to see the glories of heaven?

[Did God know from the beginning (He is omniscient or all knowing) the number of people that would ever be born? Is it possible that He is somehow obligated (to Himself alone) to allow each one of them to be born? (just a theological contemplation)]

                May I summarize all of history in a short paragraph using only what we do know? God created all things good. Man sinned and condemned all of creation with the pain and suffering that comes with sin. However, God loves His creation and is not willing to lose any of it. God allowed His Son to do what nobody else in the universe could do. He allowed Jesus to die in our place to pay the price for our sin, Hebrews 9:24 “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: (v.25) nor yet that he should offer himself often, as the high priest entereth into the holy place every year with blood of others; (v.26) for then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” Christ could only die once. So he died at the *perfect point in history.

                His sacrifice ended Judaism it was the culmination of their faith, the Messiah had come. And his coming began Christianity, God sent a Savior for all mankind who bore our sins on the cross in His own body taking away the penalty of death once and for all to all who would believe. His sacrifice made it possible to save everyone before the cross as well as everyone after the cross who would come in faith believing. He could only make this one sacrifice at this one particular point in time in order to save the creation He loved.

Why does he allow evil to continue? Because there are still so many on this side of the cross who can yet be saved if they would just come. He paid the price and opened the doors of heaven to all who will come, 2Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not…willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”  

* “But now once in the end of the world” literally: at the consummation of the age. Meaning when Judaism completed its work.