Suffering & God's Response
Pt. 2 Why Does God Allow Suffering
By Louie Marsh, 3-16-2025
Big vs. Small Picture:
Today I'll be talking about the big picture of suffering not the smaller more personal one. The Bible gives us a framework to understand how a good and loving God can allow suffering in this world. It does not explain why certain things happen to certain people. No one can answer that question, and if someone says they can – run away!!
But there are two scriptures we must rely to help us as we deal with the smaller picture and they are not on your outline so please write them down:
1 There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. 2 And he answered them, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? 3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. 4 Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? 5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish." Luke 13:1-5 (ESV)
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. Matthew 5:45 (ESV)
God allows suffering because … GOD IS LOVE
1) God made humans in His IMAGE.
26 Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV)
· Us = trinity
· Image - Human life was created in (lit., "as," meaning "in essence as") the image of God (v. 27). This image was imparted only to humans (2:7). "Image" (ṣelem) is used figuratively here, for God does not have a human form. Being in God's image means that humans share, though imperfectly and finitely, in God's nature, that is, in His communicable attributes (life, personality, truth, wisdom, love, holiness, justice), and so have the capacity for spiritual fellowship with Him
The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures by Dallas Seminary Faculty.
2) God made us to LOVE HIM.
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" 37 Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:34-40 (NIV)
3) Love cannot be forced but only FREELY CHOSEN.
20 Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard. 21 When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent. Genesis 9:20-21 (NIV)
"1Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, 2"Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me." 3But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord." (Jonah 1:1–3, ESV)
· God gave us REAL choices in a real universe.
· Therefore he HAD to allow us to choose evil over good.
· Adam & Eve did and so has every one of their offspring save one – JESUS!
4) But God will hold us accountable on JUDGMENT DAY.
34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." Matthew 12:34-37 (ESV)
So, eternal love – God – allows evil to exist now to honor our sovereign free will and so that we can, if we choose, freely love Him and others. However, because He is just, there will be a judgment day where all wrongs will be righted.
