Questioning God's Love: Exploring Evil, Suffering, and Judgment

1. February 2019 “We were Made for Love”

2. God is love 1 John 4:8b (NIV) 8b … because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him.10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 

3. Questioning God’s Love • If God is love and if He loved the world so much that He gave His only Son to die for people, then how do you explain so much evil and suffering that goes on in the world? How do I bring together in my heart these often contradictory ideas? How does a loving God allow this? Why does he allow me to suffer if He truly loves me? And finally, how will a loving God bring judgement to mankind at the end?

4. Questioning God’s Love • If God is Love, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world? • If God loves me, why do I go through so many difficulties? • How can a Loving God bring judgement?

5. 1. If God is Love, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world? • Solving the seeming contradiction between a loving God and the reality of evil. • Evil, you see, actually extends not only to the moral world, but also to the natural world. When human beings do bad things to one another, this is moral evil. But so-called natural disasters are often considered evil as well because of all the suffering they cause. Earthquakes, tidal waves, floods, and so forth, are all examples of what might be termed natural evil.

6. Genesis 3 21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.22And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” 23So the Lord God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. 

7. What is Evil? • One helpful approach to solving the problem of evil has to do with defining evil. Christian thinker Augustine defined evil not as a thing in and of itself, but as a parasite on good. Something that is lacking is not a thing in itself.  • This solves some important criticisms. If evil is not an actual thing, then God cannot be the author of evil. God is the author of good, but we make moral choices that result in evil.

8. Does Evil Argue Against God? Asking on what basis is something deemed evil? If there is some moral standard the critic is basing their position on, then the problem of evil becomes an argument for not against the reality of God. After all, in order to call something good or evil, there must be an underlying standard of right and wrong. Theists argue that this standard is rooted in God and His nature. We know His moral law exists so we recognize the reality of evil and suffering. But unless there is a moral standard, we have no real basis for calling anything good or evil.

9. Rescued from the Evil Galatians 1:4 Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. God of this world (2 Cor. 4:4) – Satan, the origin of evil is rebellion against God’s authority.

10. Moral Evil vs Natural Evil • As we noted earlier, there's a difference between moral and natural evil. Moral evil is explained by the fact that human beings commit evil against one another. People lie, cheat, steal, hurt, and more. This does not argue against Christianity, but instead proves the point that there is something very wrong with human nature as it now is.

11. But what about natural evil? • Why doesn't God stop things like earthquakes and tsunamis? Again, this ties into the broad Christian explanation of the human predicament. Paradise has been lost due to human moral shortcomings. As a result, we live in a fallen world, east of Eden. As a result:

12. But what about natural evil? Romans 8:22 (NIV) "We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time“ (Gen. 3 - Cursed Earth)

13. Good in the Midst of Evil Ephesians 5:16 (KJV) Redeeming the time, because the days are evil Ephesians 6:13 (KJV) Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand

14. Evil and Suffering • A World that has been cursed because of the Fall of Man and is groaning. • A World where sin and rebellion of mankind releases evil. • A World where Satan, demons, and Fallen Angels rages against mankind.

15. 2. If God loves me why do I go through so much suffering? 1 Peter 5:9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings

16. Why do I suffer? 1 Peter 4:15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters • You can suffer for your own choices.

17. Why do I suffer? Revelation 2:10 Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life 2. Satan and demonic attack

18. Why do I suffer? • We live in a world that is cursed filled with sickness and disease (Gen.3, Romans 8). • People do evil to us. 1 Peter 3:14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; • We were forewarned about suffering for being righteous in an evil world.

19. Revealed Glory Romans 8:18 "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us“ Heb. 4:15 –Acquainted with our suffering. • Seek Jesus for relief from suffering Hebrews 12:3 (NIV) Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart

20. 3. How can a Loving God bring judgement? • Living in the paradox of the God of Love and God of Justice • I’ve often heard people dismiss God’s judgment by saying, “I believe in a God of love. He would never judge anyone, except maybe the worst of the worst of sinners.”

21. 3. How can a Loving God bring judgement? • Or, some will say, “I don’t believe in the Old Testament God of judgment. I believe in Jesus, who never condemned anyone.” Really? Jesus spoke more often and more graphically about hell than anyone else in the Bible. He used the story of Sodom’s destruction to warn about the final judgment when He returns (Luke 17:29-32). The entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, reveals a God who will bring judgment on sinners, but who shows mercy to those who repent of their sins and trust in Him.

22. 2 Peter 2 (KJV) Vs1 – False teachers, examples of God bringing judgement 9 The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished

23. 2 Peter 2 (KJV) • God righteously judges all the ungodly • God mercifully saves the godly. • We should stand firm in following Him and resist all false teaching.

24. The Death of Jesus is Proof of Coming Judgement • Jesus didn’t come and die on the cross just to give us warm, fuzzy feelings about God’s love. He offered Himself to pay the penalty for sin that we deserved to rescue us from the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:10).  John 3:16 (NLT) “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

25. Jesus Returns and Bings An End to Evil and Suffering Remove all that hinders love Mike Bickle Revelation 21:4 "There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things" will pass away Remove evil, judge, remove suffering, reverse the earth’s curse, Restored Garden of Eden *Live in the Love we were created for and chose freely.