If God is so Great?

If God is love, how and why does hate and evil seem to abound? If God is all powerful and all knowing, why do we see and experience suffering? If God is perfect, and all He creates is perfect, why does chaos exist? The questions could go on and on, but in reality they all point towards the same target, “Why does God allow suffering in our world and in our lives?”

If you have been paying attention to the news lately you have seen a world in crisis. There are major political struggles taking place in the Middle East that are taking its toll around the globe. Oil prices are being affected, which continues to raise fuel prices, stocks are dropping, and an already bruised and beaten economy is threatened. In truth, there is little in the news today that seems to be positive. There are murders, kidnappings, rapes, and other violent crimes being committed every day.

There are entire Countries that are lacking things that we in America and other progressive nations take for granted. Things like food and water, sewage systems and treatment, medical care, and education. There are Countries dealing with diseases on a scale that you and I are likely not even able to comprehend. The residents of these Countries are literally helpless due to an unimaginable poverty level.

Allow me to continue adding to the ugliness I have been describing. There are children born each and every day with birth defects, deformities, and genetic diseases. There are children being born into abusive homes in which they are mentally and physically mistreated. Parents with AIDS are giving birth to children that unfortunately have to bear the disease as well. It’s sad and sickening to know what many kids endure in private.

Throughout history millions have been killed in wars and in natural tragedies. Genocides have taken place in which countless numbers of lives were taken out of prejudice and ignorance. Tsunamis, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other violent weather occurrences wreak havoc on our planet every year killing thousands, and sometimes hundreds of thousands.

I could go on mentioning the terrible things that occur globally. Sadly, I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface. So again this leads to my original question, “How can a loving, all knowing, all powerful God allow suffering and evil?” If God is so powerful why didn’t He create a perfect world without sin?

The only way one can answer a question about God is to refer to the Bible. It is after all, His Word. If we open the Bible to the very beginning, Genesis 1:1 we read that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. There is no denying it, God created the world according to scripture. As you continue to read through chapter one of Genesis you notice that as different stages of the world are completed God reviews His creation and confirms them as being “good”.

God never once said that His creation was flawed. Not once did God say there may be an internal glitch that needs to be worked out. God said, “He saw it and it was good.” In the very beginning God created a perfect world without sin. God created a world that knew no death, no pain, no suffering, no shame, nor conflict of any kind. God created a paradise that is beyond our imagination.

I know what you’re thinking, “If God created a perfect world how was sin and suffering introduced?” That is a great question. If God created a perfect world how did things become so tarnished? Why did God allow His perfect creation to become damaged?

That question is not easily answered. I will not promise to remove all your doubts and answer all your questions. All I can do is give you the best explanation I can and hope it helps you see a little clearer.

In Genesis 1:26 God created humankind. Everything that had been created on earth and in the sky was created to support and sustain people. We were placed on earth above everything else and told to care for and maintain all creation. We are God’s greatest creation. We are God’s most cherished creation. God has a love for us that is greater than any love you and I have ever known. He created us in “His own image”. What this means is that we were created in such a way that God would be glorified through our life and existence. In reality, we as people are quite magnificent. We are intelligent, we have individual personalities, we experience emotion, and we have a conscience. To go further, humans were created with an eternal soul. God created us with “free will”. This means that we are free to make our own choices. We were not programmed to perform in a certain manner. God did not create robots that would obey His every wish and command. He could have, but He didn’t. Instead we were given the right to obey or reject God. Yes rules and laws were given, but God did not and does not force us to follow them.

Free will is a great thing, but it can also be very dangerous. It is free will that allowed sin to enter into a perfect world. We can place the blame on a lot of things. We can say that satan introduced temptation and man fell, but that isn’t all there is to it.

In Genesis 2:16-17 God tells Adam, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden, but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” This was not God tempting His creation. God was setting up a ground rule. He was giving instructions that would keep them safe.

God telling Adam that he was not allowed to eat of the tree of knowledge and good and evil was done in pure love. It can be compared in some degree to a parent telling their child not to put a fork in an electrical outlet. We know the dangers of the electricity that the outlet possesses, and we know that that power can kill, or possibly maim a child. Our instructions are not to tempt the child, it is to keep him or her safe. This is exactly what God did for Adam and Eve. He gave them instructions that would keep them safe and out of harm’s way.

In chapter 3 of Genesis we find “the fall”. Satan tempts and taunts Eve. He questions Eve in such a way that she begins to question what God has commanded. She begins to doubt the seriousness of God’s warning. Then the fruit itself came into play. It looked good, and I am certain it smelled good. Combine that with a snack that will give wisdom and you have a very tempting treat on your hands. She couldn’t resist, she took a piece of fruit and ate it. Then she presented the fruit to Adam and he followed suit, doing the very same thing she did.

Everyone always sees the eating of the fruit as the “first sin”. I won’t say that they are wrong, but I will say that the sin went much deeper than just the fruit. Adam and Eve blatantly disobeyed God. That is really what sin is. Sin is disobedience towards God. It is trusting self and one’s own understanding above God. Sin is rebellion. No one forced Adam and Eve to sin. They committed sin out of choice.

Here is a question for you. “Can a righteous and just God who is perfect in every way look the other way as sin is committed?” Absolutely not! That would show God to be tolerant of the very sin He hates, and it would show a flaw in His perfect character and nature. God must hold true to Himself and sin must be punished. God did not warn Adam and Eve for nothing.

One choice, one sin is all it took to disrupt all of creation. This is what God was warning Adam and Eve about. They were told if they ate of the fruit that they would certainly die. It was with sin that death entered into the world. In Genesis 3:17 God begins to reveal to Adam and Eve the results of their choice. The ground became cursed, labor pains in women were introduced, thorns and thistles began to grow, and ultimately mankind was sentenced to death. Not immediate death, but death nonetheless.

What does all of this have to do with the suffering and pain we see around us today? It’s simple; we are still experiencing the curse of sin. The world is no longer perfect. We live in a world that became corrupt due to the rejection of God. Unfortunately for us, once that first sin was committed the damage was done, and sin nature was passed down from generation to generation.

Matthew 15:19 says, “For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies.” These are not characteristics that God gave, these are choices made. Most of the evil we see in the world can be attributed to the evil of man’s heart. Think about it; contaminated drinking water is a result of man-made pollutants that were improperly disposed of, normally out of greed. The Holocaust of WWII was the brain child of a mad man. There are entire Countries oppressed by their government; governments that control every necessity and leave a great number of its residents hungry and without proper medical care. The crimes committed are in reality much like the very first sin. They are all centered on self, around greed, and pride. God is being forsaken for personal gain.

Don’t get me wrong, there is a great deal that we experience that can only be considered a natural occurrence. Violent weather, droughts, earthquakes, and the like are responsible for a great deal of tragedy. Diseases that mutate and become stronger are a natural occurrence. And again, I could go on and on, but that wouldn’t answer the question of why?

The answer to the question literally goes back to the very first sin. Once God was rejected in the garden evil, death, destruction, and chaos became a reality.

Can’t God put a stop to all of this and turn everything around? Yes, He could. There is nothing impossible for God. Nothing is out of His control. However, if God were to stop everything right now and start over you and I would be disposable. We would be nothing more than a Science project that went bad. This would also mean that God made a mistake, and a perfect and just God does not make mistakes. To go one step further, a loving God will not abandon His greatest and most cherished creation.

I can assure you that God does not enjoy the pain that His people (even those that do not confess to believe) endure. I will even go so far to say that it hurts God when we suffer.

John 16:22 says, “So you have suffering now.” God knows and understands that there are major problems here on earth. In fact, we are told to expect hard times and pain. This does not mean that God is ignoring us by any means. In fact it is quite the contrary. If we continue to read the rest of the verse you will find hope. Jesus says, “But I will see you again. Your hearts will rejoice, and no one will rob you of your joy.”

The world we live in will never be the same. Time will not be turned back. What has happened has happened, and because God refuses to let us go He provides a way for us to connect with Him. No matter how dirty, poor, broken, diseased, or sinful you may be, God loves you and truly desires a relationship with you. It is that relationship that gives us hope in a messed up world.

In all that we have done, no matter how far we have run from God, it is God that seeks us out with a desire to restore our broken relationship. God always initiates the actions in restoring a relationship with Him. Luke 19:10 says that Jesus came to seek those that which was lost. We are not looking for God; it is God that is searching for us. It is not us that looks for salvation, it is God that provides and offers salvation to anyone willing to accept it.

The greatest act of kindness and love has been given to us in Jesus. Jesus is God. John 1:1 tells us that “In the beginning was the Word (Jesus) and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Verse 2 and 3 backs this up by stating, “He was with God in the beginning. All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created that has been created.” God literally gave and gives Himself to us.

Remember when I said a just God could not just let sin happen? There must be a penalty for our sin. That penalty was death. The death God was speaking of in the beginning was much more than just a physical death. It was a separation from Him. God is life; it was He that breathed life into mankind in the beginning. God Himself paid the price that you and I deserve. God allowed Himself to be beaten, abused, publically shamed, rejected, and ultimately killed in order to restore a relationship that we messed up in the first place.

How awesome is it to know that the creator of all things loves us so much that He was willing to step into our messed up, corrupt, dirty, sinful world. God didn’t turn His back on us, even as we turned against Him. Jesus endured more than you and I have ever known, just for you.

The great thing about all of this is that Jesus did not remain dead. Jesus rose from the dead. He was resurrected. God is not defeated. If Jesus had been killed on the cross and never rose again we would have no hope. We could look at this chaotic planet and then say assuredly that God had forsaken and abandon us and left us to our own destruction.

The resurrection of Jesus screams out loud and clear that God is above all things. It proclaims victory. All Jesus asks of us is that we believe. We are asked to realize that we are far from God because of our own personal sin. God has already forgiven you, all you have to do is realize and accept it.