Bible Reading:
Genesis chapter 18 verse 25

Conflict and Suffering

There has been a tremendous amount of conflict and suffering down through the years. There have been awful examples of violence and cruelty. People have sought to impose their will on other people by every means at their disposal. The terrorist attacksaround the world in recent years have been horrendous in the extreme. The terrible injuries inflicted on all those poor people and the loss of loved ones to so many families defies description. Many people, seemingly harmless and pleasant people, suffer so much when these things happen.

How often do we hear people accusing God of wrongdoing when events such as these take place? People challenge God. They say, " How can a God who is supposed to be loving allow such things? "

The question arises how often such people think about God at other times. Are such people thankful to God when they receive good things and God looks after them? Often people use these events as an excuse to go their own way and to do as they please. They want to ignore God and His truth so they try and justify themselves in their way of life.

So why do such things happen? We know that God is in control of all things. Why does God allow these things that seem so terrible to us, if He is in total control?

The first thing we must understand is that EVERYTHING God does is good and righteous and perfect. Genesis 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right? God is so infinitely greater than we are we cannot begin to comprehend Him. The Bible explains that God is so great that He is worthy of our trust - even when we cannot understand what His purposes are.

One of His reasons for allowing the things that happen is that God is showing us the result of sin in the world. God has withdrawn some of His restraint on evil to show us how things get when sinful ways that we choose are allowed to continue. Sinful men and women have spoiled creation. There is conflict between us and God because we have all rebelled against Him. The terrible events we hear about, and that have even happened to some of us, are the outward result of a conflict that has been going on in men and women's hearts and minds, not just for a few years, but since almost the beginning of time.

I say "almost" because there was a time when nothing like the events we hear about regularly these days would have even been imagined by anyone in the human race. Those days must have been truly wonderful. All the people were kind and loving to each other, both of them were totally right with each other - not a cross word, not a single harmful deed came between them. They were days of peace and harmony.

When sin began it brought suffering and trouble and death. Imagine if it had not bought death - just suffering. The world would be filled with everyone ever born, all declining, getting ever older and weaker but never finding any deliverance. The violent aggressive people would all give everyone else a horrible time and there would be no escape for anyone.

BUT God has allowed death as well as suffering so this life on earth will end for each of us and then we begin eternity. Our sin deserves an awful eternity. Sin is rebellion against our God who has done so much for us. He is worthy of our love and devotion but by nature.

God has done more than anyone could have expected Him to do to grant deliverance from suffering and the effects of sin.
How many of us got blown up today? Did anyone get run over by a big lorry? God has kept us from these things today not because we deserve it but because He really is kind and gracious and merciful. So today He has already done good to us when we are sinful and deserve His anger and judgement.

Far more than temporary care in this life God has opened up the way for sinful people like you and I to have that wonderful peace and harmony restored that existed before sin spoiled everything. 2 Peter 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. God has promised a new creation one day. It will be perfect, just like the first one only this one will be sin-proof. Nothing will be allowed to enter to spoil it. Everything evil will be cast out into outer darkness - into hell itself. There will be a great barrier between the new creation and hell. Nothing will ever cross over.

Once in the new creation a person will be forever safe. They will be in Gods very presence forever. They will see The Risen Lord Jesus on His throne with all His glory and all the mighty angels praising Him. It will be a place free of suffering and full of happiness and joy. 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.

People who accuse God of not caring. People who say He is wrong because of things that happen are the ones who are wrong. It is because of the wrongness in the world that these things happen. It is sin that causes all the suffering. Sometimes it is something a person has done that brings suffering upon that person, but not always. Much suffering is caused by sin in general. Sin is harmful just because it exists in the world and people are affected by it.

How can we escape the effects of sin? How can we be delivered from sin and allowed into a place that is totally happy and free from sin if we are all rebellious sinners? Surely we'd spoil such a place by our sinfulness?

We all need to have our sin washed away. We need to be made clean. God has made a way for that to happen. The Lord Jesus died in the place of all His people to deliver them from God's anger at their sin. The Lord Jesus suffered in the place of all His people so they could be free from condemnation and able to spend eternity in heaven with Him and to restore the wondrous relationship with God.