138. What is God doing about all the suffering and death in the world?
A. God does not allow evil to have the final word. He daily brings forth new life in the midst of and in spite of all the sin and death in the world.
Genesis 8:22 While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.
Acts 14:16-17 In past generations He allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet He did not leave Himself without witness, for He did good by giving you rains from Heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.
B. On the cross, Christ took all of our suffering into Himself. By His death, Christ overcomes our suffering and death. In His resurrection from teh dead, Christ gives eternal life to all who trust in Him, even to those who are suffering.
Romans 5:8 God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Isaiah 53:3-4 He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide thier faces He was despised, and we esteemed Him not. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.
John 11:25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection adn the life. Whoever believes in Me, though he die, yet shall he live."
C. God is working out all things for His gracious purpose and for the well-being of His Church, even though we cannot always see this.
Genesis 50:20 As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.
Romans 5:3-5 We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Romans 8:28-29 We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose. For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Note: "God in His purpose has ordained before the time of the world by what crosses and sufferings He would conform every one of His elect to the image of His Son. His cross shall and must work together for good for everyone, because they are called according to God's purpose. (See Romans 8:28, 29, 35, 38, 39)" (FC SD XI 49).
D. When Jesus returns, God will free His children from all suffering, and with them, the entire creation.
Romans 8:18-21 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
Revelation 21:4 He 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.
Eventual commentary
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