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Introduction:
Do you ever wonder why there is so much evil and suffering in the world?
Any given day when we turn on the news, we can clearly see it.
There was another mass shooting, or another fire that killed many people, or a natural disaster.
It might even be much closer to home.
Maybe a loved one passed away, maybe a family member is in the trenches of addiction and you feel helpless, maybe you’re deeply depressed and lonely.
Evil is usually thought of as that which is morally wrong, sinful, or wicked; however, the word evil can also refer to anything that causes harm, with or without the moral dimension.
The word is used both ways in the Bible.
Anything that contradicts the holy nature of God is evil
Evil and suffering has been a problem for many people, both Christian and non-Christian.
The argument, which was coined by Epicurus in 300 BC, goes like this, “if god allows evil and suffering to continue because he can’t stop it, the he might be good but he’s not all powerful.
On the other hand, if god allows evil and suffering to continue, because he could stop it, and yet he won’t stop it, then he might be all powerful but he’s not good.”
Either way, the good, all powerful god of the bible couldn’t exist.
It’s a hard question and it’s an important one to wrestle with.
When we begin to think about this dilemma, we must remember how evil entered the world.
God gave humans the ability to choose between good and evil back in Genesis.
When they chose to listen to Satan’s lies, sin, evil and judgement entered the world.
Evil didn’t originate from God, but God did create a universe in which evil could exist.
As a result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience, sin and evil were passed to the rest of humanity.
Theologians call this our sinful nature.
We often tend to think of terrorists, rapists or murderers as evil.
But if we are honest with ourselves, we confirm what the Bible says in - all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
If God erased all sources of evil in the world we would no longer be here, the evil is inside us.
Out of His love, he gave us freedom.
That freedom includes the ability to choose Him or not to choose him.
To choose love, or to choose evil.
To believe in Christ or not.
If we were created without freedom of choice, we would just be puppets, dangling by the strings of an imprisoned will.
Although God does have supreme power and authority over all things, including evil, we must never think that God is somehow corrupt or is nursing some sort of dark side.
says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted by evil and He himself tempts no one.
but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed.”
We are responsible for our own actions.
says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.
And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.
But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”
When we sin and do evil, we chose to do it, and God, it says here, provided a way out.
We and our fellow humans are culpable for much of the evil in the world.
We don’t have a God who doesn’t know what it’s like either, Jesus lived 33 years on this earth but always took the escape route God offered.
Thankfully, God is not silent on the topic of evil and suffering.
In 1 Peter, Peter is writing to early Christians often met violent opposition.
Move 1: One way not to face evil and suffering in the world (vv.
6-7).
Peter is addressing people who have faced suffering and who were about to face more.
V 6-7 “In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”
Peter is saying the pain you’re going through can, should and will strengthen faith.
In the face of evil and suffering abandoning your belief in God doesn’t help anything.
It doesn’t help you understand suffering or handle suffering.
In fact, there is no basis to say evil is evil without God and His laws.
Dr. MLK explains this idea well in his letter from Birmingham jail.
He writes, “…there are two types of laws: just and unjust.
I would be the first to advocate obeying just laws.
One has not only a legal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws.
Conversely, one has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.
I would agree with St. Augustine that "an unjust law is no law at all."
Now, what is the difference between the two?
How does one determine whether a law is just or unjust?
A just law is a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God.
An unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law.
To put it in the terms of St. Thomas Aquinas: An unjust law is a human law that is not rooted in eternal law and natural law.
Any law that uplifts human personality is just.
Any law that degrades human personality is unjust.
All segregation statutes are unjust because segregation distorts the soul and damages the personality.”
If God doesn’t exist and there is no divine law, how can we say any event is unjust?
If there is no God and all we have is nature, what’s wrong with violence?
It’s perfectly natural.
If there is no God, all you have is feelings that this isn’t right, and they are based on nothing.
If you don’t believe in God, suffering and evil is a bigger problem that if you do.
Getting rid of your belief in god to handle evil and suffering will not help.
It won’t help to understand evil and suffering either.
We, however, have great hope in the face of evil and suffering.
Our hope is anchored in the past: Jesus rose!
Our hope remains in the present: Jesus lives!
Our hope is completed in the future: Jesus is coming!
Move 2: Three ways to face evil and suffering in the world.
1.
Our hope is anchored in the past: Jesus rose!
Peter says suffering is like a fire.
To put it another way, a Christian is like a tea bag, not much good until it has gone through hot water.
Although Peter is using a simile here, he is also using language to remind us of something.
He’s saying, one time it this actually happened, in Daniel chapter3 (explain chapter 3) “19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed.
He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace.21
So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace.
22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.
24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?”
They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.” 25 He said, “Look!
I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”
The Lord again speaks in with a promise.
He says, “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
The promise is not that if you believe in me you won’t go through trials, or if, the promise is when, God says I will love you and I’m walking with you.
If I’m with you, you won’t be consumed, you’ll be refined with splendor, character and faith.
Suffering can do several things in the life of a believer.
First, it can “burn out the dross,” or purify us and lead us to greater holiness of life.
But it can also “burn in the promises,” or lead us to a closer dependence on God and his faithful promises to us.
Burn it will but look also at what the burning is for.
When you get to the cross, you find how far he will go to be with us in our affliction.
Every religion and non-religion face the problem of evil, but only Christianity says that in Jesus God became vulnerable and faced suffering and death.
On the cross, we see God.
If you’re a political prisoner- God is the subject of unjust suffering, weakness and death.
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