Biblical Worldview of Suffering

23 July 2023 AM – Genesis 1:31 – Worldview – Scott Childs

Introduction: A child dies at birth. A family’s house burns down. A tsunami wipes out an entire village. A work accident cripples a Christian husband/father. A loved one gets cancer and dies a slow, painful death. During hard times, you lose your job. Why does God allow bad things to happen? Very likely, we have all asked that is a question during troublesome times. Many people, Christians and non-Christians, get angry and blame God when bad things happen. As a result, each of us needs a truly biblical worldview of suffering. What does the Bible say?

Transition: This morning, I want to uncover several facts that we must ponder as we seek to formulate a biblical worldview of suffering.

The first fact that we must ponder is that …

1.     Suffering and Death is Expected in the Evolution Model

a.      Evolution requires suffering and death.

1)         Survival of the fittest is a motto of the evolutionists.

2)         The strong survive and the weak die. The useful endures the hardship, and the useless becomes extinct.

3)         Before a human could evolve, hundreds, thousands, millions or billions of failed attempts had to occur, leaving mothers devastated (if such feelings had evolved).

4)         Hitler’s genocide was an evolutionary attempt to promote the survival of the fittest.

b.      Evolutionists have no right to complain.

1)         When disasters, deaths, suffering and pain happen, the evolutionist should simply see it as part of the process of evolution. They should expect such things.

2)         It is not right for an evolutionist to complain or to blame God for something his theory requires.

The second fact that we must ponder is that …

2.     There was NO Suffering or Death in the Creation Model

a.      God created with perfection.

1)         God created all things mature, fully functional, and in perfect working condition. Turn to (Genesis 1:25) “And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” (Psalms 33:6) “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.“

2)         (Genesis 1:31) “And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.“

b.      In God’s creation, there was no suffering or death.

1)         All the creatures that God created originally lived in harmony with man, vegetarian, including the dinosaurs.

2)         There was no death or suffering of any kind until after Adam and Eve sinned. All was VERY GOOD!

The third fact that we must ponder is that …

3.     Satan’s Revenge Caused Suffering and Death

a.      Satan rebelled against God.

1)         Two Old Testament scriptures describe Satan’s fall.

2)         Turn with me to (Isaiah 14:12-14) “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.“

3)         See also, (Ezekiel 28:12-15) “Son of man, take up a lamentation upon the king of Tyrus, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty. Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold: the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created. Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.“

4)         Because of his rebellion, God removed Satan from his high position in heaven.

b.      Since Satan could not be God, he plotted revenge.

1)         He knew that if humans lost their innocence, they could not glorify God and commune with Him as He created them to do. He also knew that it would corrupt God’s entire creation.

2)         He tempted Eve to sin and Adam joined her.

3)        His revenge succeeded. He ruined God’s perfect creation and caused suffering and death. This is the sole reason that bad things happen and there is suffering and death today.

4)         Both Satan and sin are to blame!

The fourth fact that we must ponder is that …

4.     God is Showing Us How to Overcome Satan’s Plot

a.      God is using this time to show humans their need for Him.

1)         Sin has made humans independent of God. Satan wants us to rebel against God, as he has, so that we cannot give God any glory.

2)         An overview of the Bible reveals about seven dispensations. During each of these periods, God gave man additional information to help him see how much he needs God.

a)         1. Innocence — Adam. 2. Conscience — After man sinned, up to the flood. 3. Government — After the flood, man allowed to eat meat, death penalty instituted. 4. Promise — Abraham up to Moses and the giving of the Law. 5. Law — Moses to the cross. 6. Grace — The cross to the Millennial Kingdom. 7. Millennial Kingdom — A 1000-year utopia reign of Christ on earth.

b)         Even in a perfect utopia, man cannot overcome sin and glorify God. He needs God’s help.

b.      God sent His Son to provide eternal redemption for sinners.

1)         (Galatians 4:4-5) “But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.“

2)         God offers His redemption to every sinner who will repent of his sinful way of life and trust Christ’s payment alone.

3)         Christians can overcome Satan’s rebellious plot because Christ set us free from the bondage of sin. (Romans 6:18) “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” (Revelation 21:7) “He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.“

The fifth fact that we must ponder is that …

5.     One Day, God will Restore All Things to Perfection

a.      Satan will be doomed and evil will cease.

1)         God will send the deceiver to the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:10) “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.“

2)         Sadly, all whom he has deceived into rejecting God and Christ’s atonement will join him in the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 20:15) “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” (See Rev. 20:11-15).

b.      God will one day make all things new.

1)         God will eternally quash all evil. (Revelation 21:4) “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.“

2)         Once God restores perfection, all suffering and death will end forever (cf., Romans 8:22-23).

Conclusion: The next time something bad happens, don’t blame God; blame Satan. As you struggle with the bad event, draw near to God. Remember, it hurts Him too! Receive His comfort. Rejoice in the fact that one day God will restore all things to perfection, and you can be part of that perfection for all eternity. If you have not yet trusted Christ’s atonement for your sin, do so without delay.

Song: When We See Christ, 149