Suffering & God's Response

Pt, 1: Who Causes Suffering?

By Louie Marsh, 3-9-2025

Last slide – Buddah quote

1) We always blame GOD.

"13And Gideon said to him, "Please, my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all his wonderful deeds that our fathers recounted to us, saying, 'Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?' But now the Lord has forsaken us and given us into the hand of Midian." 14And the Lord turned to him and said, "Go in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; do not I send you?"" (Judges 6:13–14, ESV)

"2"Oh that my vexation were weighed, and all my calamity laid in the balances! 3For then it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words have been rash. 4For the arrows of the Almighty are in me; my spirit drinks their poison; the terrors of God are arrayed against me." (Job 6:2–4, ESV)

Philosophers say: If an almighty, good God exists, and does not eliminate evil, then either that god is evil, or he does not exist. A good God must destroy evil.

The Greek philosopher Epicurus (342-271 BC) claimed that the existence of evil proved there is no God.

· He claimed that if God cannot stop evil then he is not all-powerful (omnipotent).

· He then argued that if God can prevent evil but does not, then God is not good.

· He linked these two points together, claiming that if God is all-powerful and good, then evil would not exist.

· Finally, human experience is that evil does exist. Therefore Epicurus concluded that God must not exist.

2) The REAL culprits.

· SATAN

"1Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God actually say, 'You shall not eat of any tree in the garden'?"" (Genesis 3:1, ESV)

· US.

"4But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. 5For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." 6So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate." (Genesis 3:4–6, ESV)

· We brought it in, we PERPETUATE it.

"9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?" (Jeremiah 17:9, ESV)

3) God is pledged to ELIMINATE it eventually.

"4He shall judge between the nations, and shall decide disputes for many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:4, ESV)

"18And I will make for them a covenant on that day with the beasts of the field, the birds of the heavens, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish the bow, the sword, and war from the land, and I will make you lie down in safety." (Hosea 2:18, ESV)

4) The GOSPEL of Jesus is how God will do it.

"4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."" (Revelation 21:4, ESV)

"15and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace." (Ephesians 6:15, ESV)

"1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1, ESV)