Rev. David Holwick
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
April 17, 1983
Why I Believe God Is Good
The Problem of Pain and Suffering
Habakkuk 3:17-18
Is God good? Then why do innocent people suffer? Why are babies born blind? Why do fourteen-year-olds die of leukemia? Why does a good God allow wars in which thousands of innocent people are killed and children are burned beyond recognition and many are crippled for life? Why were there Nazi death camps?
How can a good God allow such pain and suffering?
To many people, this problem is decisive proof that Christianity is a bunch of baloney. They say that pain and suffering is so indiscriminate that the universe is obviously unfair. Since the God of the Bible is supposed to be absolutely fair and good, he must be a myth. This is what happened to Mark Twain:
The famous American writer had a life full of tragic crises. He was notorious as a skeptic and unbeliever. Here are some of the troubles that plagued him:
1858 - Twain's younger brother Henry, whom he had recruited to work with him on the Mississippi, was badly scalded by a boiler explosion on the steamboat Pennsylvania. Twain prayed "prayed as never man prayed before," but his brother still died. Twain wrote to his sister-in-law: “For forty-eight hours I labored at the bedside of my poor burned and bruised but uncomplaining brother...and then the star of my hope went out and left me in the gloom of despair….” [see HolwickID #34997]
1872 - lost his infant son, Langdon, aged 19 months. (Twain was 37)
1895 - lost his fortune by bad business investments. He had to go on a two-year worldwide lecture tour to pay off his debts. He had to leave two of his daughters at home, but his wife and middle daughter traveled with him.
1896 - after much success, arrived in London, planning to have two girls come to London to meet them. Upon hearing word that Susie, the oldest and favorite, was ill, he sent his wife and daughter back to America. Before they arrived in the United States, Twain got a telegram telling him that Susie was dead of spinal meningitis. Twain blamed himself.
1902 - Twain's beloved wife died. She was the light of his life. His grief was incredible.
1906 - Youngest daughter an epileptic, became violent, was sent to an institution. Begged to come home a few years later. Twain agreed.
1909 - Youngest daughter determined to make Christmas "like old times". Much bustle and preparation followed. On Christmas Eve she got up for a full day of preparations. A servant heard her go into her bath, but after a long delay became concerned; she had had a seizure and drowned in her own bathtub.
Twain often railed against God and expressed the idea in this question: "If God is good, and he is able to do something about tragedy, why doesn't he?"
One commentator said that Twain wanted to believe in God but couldn't bring himself to it.
Kerux illustration #17661
The problem of suffering is one of the most pressing questions of our time. Every philosophy or religion must face it. For example, the philosophy of an atheist is called scientific materialism. They believe reality is only what you can see and touch. There is no God or supernatural realm. Heaven and hell are here on earth, period. If you are a materialist, you believe that people are composed of atoms and they do not have a soul or spirit. They would say that your hopes for immortality are just a figment of your imagination. When you die your atoms go back into the ground. Death has no meaning other than this. To the atheist, suffering also has no meaning. It's just in your mind. It's ironic that these people seem to blame God the most when they suffer.
Most people believe in God but what kind of God? What is he like? Because of the problem of suffering, people tend to come to three main conclusions. The first is that God is all-powerful but not all-good because he has the power to stop evil and suffering but he doesn't. The second view is that God is all-good but he is unable to stop evil; therefore, he is not all-powerful. The third view is that God is both all-good and all-powerful. This is the view of the Bible and orthodox Christianity.
Let's look at the view that God is all-powerful but he's not all-good. A lot of people have this view when they've suffered a great loss. It's not unusual to blame God even if you're a Christian. A good example is found in the Bible. Job says in 10:1-3:
"I loathe my very life; therefore I will give free rein to my complaint and speak out in the bitterness of my soul. I will say to God: Do not condemn me, but tell me what charges you have against me. Does it please you to oppress me, to spurn the work of your hands, while you smile on the schemes of the wicked?"
He adds in verse 8:
"Your hands shaped me and made me. Will you now turn and destroy me?"
Nevertheless, the Bible concludes God is all-good. As Jesus says in Mark 10:18:
"No one is good -- except God alone."
If God isn't good then the testimony of the Bible is false.
What about the idea that God is good but he's not all-powerful? This view is found in the book, "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People," which is very popular right now. Most liberals hold to this view. They believe God is good and they do not believe he causes suffering or even allow it. The way they see it, God made the universe and then withdrew from it. He sits back and watches things happen but he doesn't interfere. This way God is not directly involved in the suffering. This view tries to have the best of both worlds - Atheism and Christianity. But once again, it is not really Biblical. As Paul says in Romans 8:28:
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
God does not sit back and watch. He is actively involved in the world.
Finally, we come to the third view, that God is all-good and all-powerful. As I see it, this is what the Bible teaches. But how does suffering fit in? We must never forget that when God created man, he created him perfect. Man was not created evil. He did, however, as a human being, have the ability to obey or disobey God. Had man obeyed God there never would have been a problem. He would have lived an unending life of fellowship with God and enjoyment of him and his creation. In fact; however, the first man rebelled against God - and every one of us has ratified that rebellion. The point we must keep in mind is that man is responsible for sin and suffering - not God.
But many ask - "Why didn't God make us so we couldn't sin?" To be sure; he could have but then we would no longer be human beings, we would be puppets. How would you like to be married to a doll? Every morning and every night you could pull the string and get the beautiful words - "I love you." There would never be any arguments or fights or hurt feelings. But who would want that? There would never be any love, either. Love is voluntary. God could have made us like robots but we would have ceased to be humans. God apparently thought is was worth the risk to create us as we are. In any case, he did it and we must face the realities.
God could stamp out evil. A time is coming when God will eliminate sin and suffering in the world. In the meantime, God's love and grace prevail and his offer of mercy and forgiveness is still open. If God were to stamp out evil today, he would do a complete job. We want God to stop war but stay remote from us. If God were to remove evil from the universe, his action would be complete and would have to include our lies and impurities, our lack of love and our failure to do good. Suppose God were to decree that at midnight tonight all evil would be removed from the universe - who of us would still be here after midnight? As Lamentations 3:22 reminds us:
"Because of the LORD'S great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail."
God has done something about the problem of evil and suffering. He has done the most dramatic, costly and effective thing possible by giving his son to die for evil men. It is possible for people to escape God's inevitable judgment on sin and evil. It is also possible to have its power broken by entering into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. The ultimate answer to the problem of evil at the personal level is found in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
To speculate about the origin of evil is endless. No one has the full answer. It belongs in the category of "The secret things belong to the LORD our God," as it says in Deuteronomy 29:29.
Part of our problem arises from our limited definition of the word good and the way we apply it to God. Some philosophers have worked out a system called the Exact Reward Concept. They say that if the law of the universe is based on goodness, and God is all-powerful, then in whatever amount suffering and happiness might be dispensed to the world, each person's share would be exactly proportioned to that person's good or evil deeds. If you steal an apple, ZAPPPP! God hits you with a lightning bolt. Steal two apples: ZAPP, ZAPP! God sends two thunderbolts. There is no room for Fate or Grace - you get exactly what you deserve.
This view assumes a good God would reward each person according to what he deserves and that an all-powerful God would have no difficulty in carrying it out. Since rewards and punishments, in the form of happiness and suffering, seem to be unevenly distributed in this life, many people question either God's goodness or his power. But would God be good if he were to deal with each person exactly according to his behavior? If God immediately judged every sin , consider what this would mean in your life!
According to the Bible, God's goodness consists not only in his justice but also in his love, mercy and kindness. Psalm 103 should make us thankful because it says in verses 10-11:
"He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him."
The logical consequence of the Exact Reward is found in Hinduism. The law of Karma says that all of the actions of life today are the result of the actions of the previous life. Blindness, poverty, hunger and all other agonies are the punishment for evil deeds in a previous existence. It would follow that any attempt to alleviate such misery would be interference in the just ways of God. This concept is one reason why the Hindus did so little for so long about their poor people.
Many people believe that Christianity also teaches that suffering is a punishment from God. "What did I do to deserve this?" is often the first question on the lip of a sufferer. It is clear from both the Old and the New Testament that suffering may be the punishment of God but there are many cases where it is totally unrelated to someone's sin. Open to John 9 - the disciples of Jesus apparently held to the Exact Reward Concept. One day they saw a man who had been blind from birth and they wanted to know who had sinned to cause this blindness - the man or his parents. Jesus made it clear that neither was responsible for his condition but "this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life."
Also turn to Luke 13 - on receiving word of some Galileans whom Pilate had slaughtered, Jesus went out of his way to point out that they were not greater sinners than other Galileans. He goes on to say that the eighteen people who had been killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them were not the worst sinners in Jerusalem. From both incidents he made the point - "Unless you repent, you too will all perish." Clearly, then, you are jumping the gun if you automatically assume that the explanation of any given tragedy or suffering is the judgment of God. What is more, it is clear from biblical examples that if your troubles are due to sin, God does not leave you in doubt that the troubles are a punishment from him.
We can suffer because of our own sin. We can also suffer because other people down through the ages have rebelled against God and the effects of their rebellion linger. Often we do not know why we suffer but we can choose how we will respond to the situation.
Perhaps the greatest test of faith for the Christian today is to believe God is good. There is so much which, taken in isolation, suggests the exact opposite. But God has not left us to guess about his goodness from isolated bits of data. He has clearly revealed his character and dramatically demonstrated it to us in the cross. As Romans 8:32 says:
"He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all -- how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"
God never asks us to understand - we need only to trust him in that same way we ask our child to trust our love, though he may not understand or appreciate our taking him to a doctor.
Peace comes when we realize we are able to see only a few threads in the grand tapestry of life and God's will, and that we do not have the whole picture. We want our "why"s answered in specific situations, right now, but the Bible does not promise this (as Job can attest). The day will come when we will understand why and suffering will cease. When by God's grace we can view all of life through the lens of faith in God's love, we can say with the prophet Habakkuk:
"Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines,
though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food,
though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior." (3:17-18)
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Typed on February 28, 2006, by Sharon Lesko of Ledgewood Baptist Church, New Jersey
All Bible quotes are from the New International Version.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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