Jeff Schreve - How Could A Good God Allow So Much Suffering
Summary:
The preacher shares the heartbreaking story of Charles Templeton, a gifted evangelist who abandoned faith due to doubts fueled by suffering—exemplified by a photo of an African mother grieving her dead child during a drought—concluding God must not exist if He allows such pain. Addressing the classic problem of evil (theodicy)—how a good, all-powerful God permits suffering—he outlines four key perspectives: evil presupposes good, which requires a moral law and thus a moral Lawgiver (God); the dilemma overlooks God’s wisdom and eternality, as He will ultimately eradicate evil; true love demands free will, making moral evil possible; and God’s redemptive plan uses suffering for growth, testimony, and future glory, culminating in Christ’s overcoming victory. The message affirms that while suffering is real and mysterious, trusting God’s character leads to hope, illustrated by Annie Johnson Flint’s hymn of enduring grace amid lifelong pain.
The Story of Charles Templeton
A new ministry began; it was called Youth for Christ. It was an evangelistic ministry that went out into different cities and places to share the gospel. Hundreds and hundreds of young people came to know Christ as a result of Youth for Christ. The ministry had two very well-known speakers; one was Billy Graham, who wasn’t well-known at the time but obviously became very famous. The other was probably their premier speaker, their number one speaker, Charles Templeton.
Charles Templeton was greatly gifted in the pulpit. He and Billy Graham were friends, but Templeton had a problem that Graham didn’t have. Templeton began to question the Word of God; he started to harbor doubts in his heart about it. As he heard about science, he started to wonder if Genesis was not true. Then he thought he needed more training and went to a liberal seminary, which only confused him further. Templeton told Graham he just couldn’t see how the Bible was true when compared to science and what scholars were saying. He said the thing that really broke it for him, the straw that broke the camel’s back, was when he saw a Life magazine picture. It was an article about a drought in northern Africa, and there was a picture of a woman holding her dead baby in her arms, looking up to the heavens with the most painful, forlorn expression.
Templeton said that when he saw that picture, he felt all the grief and pain on that poor mother’s face and thought to himself, «Why couldn’t a loving God have sent rain?» He could not send rain, but God could. Why did He not meet her at the point of her need? Why did He not come in and rescue that situation? He said he couldn’t reconcile that, so he bid farewell to God. He concluded that God must not exist. Did you know that when people think about the issue of pain, suffering, and evil in the world, some come to the conclusion that there must not be a God because they see so much pain, suffering, and evil? Some reach that conclusion, but all of us have to wrestle with the issue of a good God and evil, pain, and suffering. In theological circles, this issue is called theodicy, the defense of God’s character and nature—His goodness and omnipotence—in view of the existence of evil.
The Problem of Suffering
Theodicy refers to the justification of God’s justice even though evil exists. The question of how a good and loving God could allow so much suffering has been asked for thousands of years by people far smarter than I. When it comes to that question, we all have to step back and admit it is a difficult one; there are no easy answers. We can talk about evil and suffering in general. We read about the Holocaust, which was horrific, with six million Jews exterminated by Hitler in gas ovens and death camps. However, most of us—perhaps the majority, even all of us—do not know any of those people. As one man said, «When one person dies a tragic death, it is a tragedy. When a thousand die, it’s a statistic.» It’s just too big to wrap our brains around.
So, when we look at pain, suffering, and evil on a global scale, we feel distanced from it. But when it hits home, when it affects our lives or our loved ones, then it’s a completely different ballgame. It’s like surgery; there is such a thing as minor surgery, but when I have it, it feels major. I may think, «Oh man, that’s a big deal! Everybody pray because I have to go in for this!» So when tragedy hits home, it changes the narrative entirely. We have all asked the question: How could a good God allow so much suffering?
As for the existence of pain, suffering, and evil in the world, there is really no debate about it. Jesus himself said in John 16:33: «These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation.» The Greek word for tribulation is «thlipsis, » which means pressure, affliction, anguish, trouble, distress, trials, and sorrows. That is what you have in the world; Jesus made that clear, and nobody was arguing with Him. Jesus experienced elipsis—pressures, distresses, troubles, and sorrows. He was a man of sorrows, acquainted with grief. However, He goes on to say, «But take courage; I have overcome the world.»
Now, how can we answer the question of evil, pain, and suffering? Those of us who say, «I don’t reject the idea of God because of the existence of evil, but I really don’t know how to explain it, » we are left in a quandary. So today we want to look at four aspects of this question to gain a better understanding of the answer. Just know upfront that no one has ever provided an answer that has satisfied everyone. The Bible talks in 2 Thessalonians 2 about the mystery of iniquity, the mystery of lawlessness, and there is mystery surrounding evil. But we’ll try to look and gain a better understanding as we delve into this question.
Aspect 1: Evil Presupposes Good and a Moral Lawgiver
Four aspects to this question:
1. The question is often used to argue that God must not exist. «How could a good God allow so much suffering?» Some people say this like it’s a trump card, like skeptics pulling that card to say, «I just couldn’t believe in God.» Just like Charles Templeton, they wonder how a good God does not intervene. There is so much suffering and pain. If God really loved people, then He would swoop down and rescue them, but He doesn’t do it. Therefore, they conclude there must not be a God.
The reasoning goes like this:
— God is all-powerful.
— God is all-loving.
— Evil exists.
So, because God is all-loving and all-powerful, but evil exists, how do you reconcile that? An all-loving God would swoop in and rescue us, as would an all-powerful God. Thus, God is either not loving, not powerful, or maybe He is not even both. Many come to the conclusion that since evil exists and they cannot reconcile how that fits with God, He must not exist. That is the reasoning many people give, including Charles Templeton and Larry King, who would default to being agnostic because he couldn’t believe in a God who would allow so much evil to exist.
Something important to remember is that evil only exists against the backdrop of good. Evil is not a thing that exists on its own; it exists in contrast to good. Think about it this way: metal can rust, and rust is like evil. Metal is like good. If you take rust away from metal, the metal is good, but if you take away the metal from the rust, then the rust doesn’t exist. If you cut your finger—and we’ve all had a paper cut or some kind of gash at some point—a cut on your finger is not good. If you take the cut away from your finger, your finger is whole again. Conversely, take your finger away from the cut, and the cut does not exist. Evil can only exist because of good; it exists against the backdrop of good; it doesn’t exist alone.
Ravi Zacharias, used by God in many ways, spoke on this subject of suffering and evil. Early in his ministry, a man stood up in the back of a classroom and said he couldn’t believe in God because there is just too much evil in the world. Ravi said to him, «Okay, sir, if there is evil in the world, that must mean you think there is also good.» The man agreed, «Yes, there is good and evil.» Ravi said, «Okay, but if you say there is evil, then there must be a moral law that differentiates between actions—whether good or evil.» The young man didn’t want to concede that point but was backed into a corner.
Ravi asked, «Wouldn’t you say there has to be a standard that tells you this is good and this is evil?» The young man eventually conceded there was a moral law, and Ravi proceeded, «Now, if there is a moral law, that means you need a moral lawgiver. Where does a moral law come from if you don’t have a moral lawgiver?» He continued, «If there is no God, there is no moral lawgiver. If there is no moral lawgiver, there is no moral law. If there is no moral law, there is no good, and if there is no good, there is no evil. So what is your question?»
The young man looked at him and said, «Then what am I asking you?» Ravi replied, «If you don’t know, I can’t help you.» But do you see how that works? Evil only exists in the context of good. Want to jot this down: evil means there has to be good, and good means there has to be a moral law, and moral law means there has to be a moral lawgiver. Moral law doesn’t just appear on its own.
Bertrand Russell, the atheist, has argued about a moral lawgiver. He agreed there is a difference between good and evil, but he was asked in a debate how he differentiates between good and evil. He said, «The same way I differentiate between green and blue.» The person debating him said, «You differentiate between green and blue through sight. How do you differentiate between good and evil?» Russell replied, «By feeling.» The debater said, «Really? By feeling? That’s interesting. If you differentiate between good and evil by feeling, there are people in this world who feel it’s important to love their neighbor, and other cultures believe it’s good to eat their neighbor. Which one should we choose to side with? It can’t just be feeling; it has to be something outside of subjective feelings.»
Atheists are being backed into a corner today. If there is no God and everything is merely blind chance, random selection, and survival of the fittest, then where do you get a value system? Where do you obtain the concept of what is morally good and what is morally evil? Morals would not exist. Richard Dawkins, a famous atheist, said, «The universe we observe has no design, no purpose, no evil, and no good—nothing but blind, pitiless indifference. DNA neither knows nor cares. DNA just is, and we dance to its music.» That is one of the leading atheists, and it is consistent with atheism. There is no good; there is no evil. How can there be good and evil if there is no God, no moral lawgiver, or moral law? Therefore, there is no good, and there is no evil.
Ravi recounts being at a meeting at Oxford when a student challenged him and agreed with Dawkins. He said to the student, «If I took a one-year-old baby and carved it into two pieces for my pleasure, would that be morally wrong?» The young man started making shapes with his toes on the carpet and then looked up at Ravi and said, «Mr. Zacharias, I wouldn’t like what you’ve done, but I couldn’t say that it is morally wrong.» The audience gasped. How could it be morally wrong if there is no God? If there is so much evil and suffering in the world, and therefore I can’t believe in God, that question is rooted in the fact there is a God, for there would be no evil without God.
Aspect 2: Considering More of God’s Nature
2. The question not only argues that God does not exist but does not consider key facets of God’s nature. It focuses mainly on two aspects of God’s nature: that God is all-loving and God is all-powerful. If we say God is all-loving and all-powerful yet evil exists, we struggle because we think a loving, powerful God would intervene. Wouldn’t He send rain in North Africa so that woman didn’t experience the drought causing her baby’s death? Wouldn’t He have come to the aid of the Jews when Hitler was in power? Wouldn’t He intervene in your situation or mine when evil and suffering come upon us?
We get into a dilemma: Is God all-loving but not all-powerful, wanting to help us but unable? Then that’s a problem because He is Almighty God. Or do we say God is Almighty but not loving because if He were loving, He would intervene? Many of us fall into this category. We think, «God must not love me.» Both perspectives put one in a tough spot because we know evil exists.
Atheists can deny it, but we know that evil exists. There are disasters, diseases, murders, rapes, robberies, and all sorts of atrocious and abusive acts. All of us perceive that evil exists, as Jesus referred to and said, «In the world, you have tribulation.» So, if we limit our understanding to just these two aspects of God’s character, it becomes extremely difficult to reconcile the situation. But why stop there?
Let’s add a third aspect of God’s character: God is all-wise. He is all-loving, all-powerful, and all-wise, yet evil still exists, and God knows what He is doing. The wisdom of God is like the Pacific Ocean. Our wisdom is merely a teacup in comparison. Solomon might have had a grande understanding of wisdom, but against God’s wisdom, it’s local.
We acknowledge God’s wisdom, His love, His power, but evil still exists. While this may leave us confused, let’s add another characteristic of God: God is eternal, and evil exists in time. He is all-loving, all-powerful, all-wise, sovereign, and eternal. From everlasting to everlasting, He is God, and evil exists within time, not eternity.
Many of us say, «If God were really God, then He would have done away with evil.» God is going to do away with evil; just because He hasn’t done it yet doesn’t mean He won’t. Evil brings pain and suffering; obviously, just because He hasn’t yet means nothing about His promise to act.
It’s like reading a mystery novel. If you read halfway through and say, «This book stinks. This guy is cheating, killing, lying, and getting away with everything, » someone may remind you, «You are in the middle of the book!» Once you finish, you find out, «Hey, that guy gets his comeuppance.» The outcome will align justice against evil.
Revelation 21 talks about the eternal state, saying, «He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will no longer be any death, mourning, crying, or pain. The first things have passed away.» That’s a good point to say, «Praise the Lord!» God will do away with evil. When you think, «I want Him to do it now, » you should consider that maybe you would have wanted it done in 1979, but if He had done it then, many wouldn’t have had the opportunity for salvation today.
2 Peter 3:9 states, «The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some perceive slowness, but is patient towards you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.» If God deals with evil today, people will miss their opportunity for salvation.
Hopefully, by the end of this service or maybe next week, some could be saved. If He acted immediately, many would stand lost, while God has patience. Just because He hasn’t acted yet doesn’t mean He won’t. We don’t know the ways of God, and His ways are not our ways.
Aspect 3: Understood in Light of Love and Free Will
3. The question must be understood in light of love. 1 Corinthians 13:13 says, «But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.» The supreme ethic of the world is love. Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, and He replied, «It’s to love God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind and to love your neighbor as yourself.» Everything rests on these commandments.
In order to have love, God must grant us free will. Love requires free will because, without it, there can be no genuine love. For us to love God freely, we must be able to choose not to love Him. Without options, we are merely robots. God didn’t create us that way; He wants us to love Him freely, genuinely, and voluntarily.
Proverbs 23:26 says, «Give me your heart, my son, and let your eyes delight in my ways.» God desires our hearts, love, and devotion and does not force us. He invites us. If God had made Adam and Eve without free will, they wouldn’t have sinned because they couldn’t sin, but they also couldn’t genuinely love God. They must have the option to obey or not, as anything less is mechanical.
In the Garden of Eden, God gave one commandment: «Do not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For in the day you eat of it, you will surely die.» The rest of the fruit trees were available for eating because God is a good God. However, the devil came and deceived Eve, who ate the fruit and gave it to her husband. When God arrived, they hid from Him. Their eyes were opened, and they knew things they wished they hadn’t learned. They had knowledge of good and evil, but they could not understand it like God, who is holy, holy, holy.
God knows the difference based on His holiness. Everything that doesn’t align with His holiness is evil. When He says, «Don’t lie, » He isn’t being arbitrary; God is truth, and lies are against His nature. Therefore, God evaluates everything against who He is. A human cannot do that since we are not holy.
Adam and Eve were innocent before they sinned, but once they did, they could no longer compare good and evil objectively. Romans 5:12 states, «Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, so death spread to all men because all sinned.»
They didn’t take long to observe the effects of sin when Cain killed Abel. They lamented at Abel’s grave, knowing why these tragedies happened. They recognized their disobedience led to such suffering.
We now live as children of Adam and Eve in a fallen world filled with devastation, all because God created man with free will. Although that free will could yield evil, true love also demands it.
Aspect 4: Understood in Light of God’s Redemptive Plan
4. The question must be understood not only in light of love but also in light of God’s plan. God has a plan. Through one man, sin entered the world, bringing death and suffering. Yet through the God-man, redemption, life, and salvation entered the world. Jesus, who suffered alongside humanity, is familiar with grief. In the garden, He sweated blood while praying, «Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me.» The cup contained the sin of the world—past, present, and future—concentrated.
He made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us so we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus took on the wrath of man and the wrath of God. Revelation 13:8 says the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world. God knew creation would sin against Him, and He would have to send His son to die on a Roman cross to redeem man.
Many ask, «If God knew all this, why create the world?» He envisioned a family of people choosing to love Him and determined it was worth it. The Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world because He knew the end would be worthy.
Jesus underwent suffering to redeem our sin. Hebrews 13:12 states that «Jesus, also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate, » on a hill called Calvary. Never think Jesus is impervious to your suffering, unaware of the pain; He understands it deeply.
He bore the wrath of God alongside all human suffering, being the man of sorrow acquainted with grief. Think about the times Peter denied even knowing Jesus; the Bible recounts that «the Lord turned and looked at Peter.» That look conveyed wounded love; imagine being betrayed by one of your closest companions with a kiss—how that would hurt.
He knows pain intimately. He experienced the utmost suffering so He could redeem us from sin.
When we encounter suffering, we often express a desire for it to fade. «Why must we endure this?» You might sing, «Through it all, I’ve learned to trust in Jesus, I’ve learned to trust in God. If I never had a problem, I wouldn’t know that He could solve them. I wouldn’t know what faith in God could do.»
Consider a girl with a rare disease that prevents her from feeling pain. Her mother prays for her to experience pain; it may seem unusual, but having a body that doesn’t feel pain is perilous. If she touched a hot stove, she wouldn’t know, and her flesh might burn. She could step on a nail without recognizing the injury, potentially leading to severe, untreated infections.
God uses pain to reveal dangers and issues. We certainly wouldn’t want to exist in a world where our bodies don’t feel pain. God utilizes suffering and problems, even evil things inflicted upon us or by others, to teach and grow us.
In 1 Peter 5, Peter writes to believers undergoing suffering and persecution, «Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren around the world. After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.»
How does God achieve that? Through suffering. How does the silver refiner purify silver? By increasing heat and scraping away impurities. God does this in our lives. We dislike it, but we need it.
The greatest testimony for Jesus Christ arises when we go through trials and maintain praise. Anyone can praise God when all is well; that garners no notice. However, when adversity strikes and you continue loving and serving God, everyone takes note.
When Paul and Silas were beaten and put in stocks, they sang praises around midnight, praying and praising God, and the prisoners heard them. You get attention when you trust during hardship.
Paul said to the Lord, «I have a thorn in the flesh. Please take it away!» He prayed three times, and the Lord responded, «Paul, my grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness.» Paul rejoiced, stating, «Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.»
God uses suffering to teach and grow us, using our testimony for Him. Ultimately, our suffering will one day be swallowed up in glory. Romans 8:18 states, «For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not even worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed to us.»
2 Corinthians 5 proclaims this truth. We need to start living with eternity in mind. If we focus only on our snapshot of suffering, without a thought for what lies ahead, we can fall into despair. This leads us to align with Mrs. Job, cursing God and dying.
Closing with Annie Johnson Flint’s Hymn
Let me close with a story about a lady born on Christmas Eve in 1866, named Annie Johnson Flint. A poetess and hymn writer, she endured a hard life. Her mother died when she was three; her father passed not long after. She and her sister were taken in by the Flint family, who raised them in the ways of the Lord, but they lost those parents too. Left alone without much money, Annie developed rheumatoid arthritis that took over her body.
She taught for a short while before being confined to a wheelchair or bed for 40 years; she had cancer and many ailments. Yet, when she wrote the words of this hymn:
«He giveth more grace as our burdens grow greater;
He sends us more strength as our labors increase.
To added afflictions, He adds His mercy;
To multiplied trials, His multiplied peace.
When we have exhausted our store of endurance,
When our strength has failed ere the day is half done,
When we reach the end of our hoarded resources,
Our Father’s full giving has only begun.
His love has no limits; His grace has no measure;
His power has no boundary known unto men.
For out of His infinite riches in Jesus,
He giveth and giveth and giveth again.»
Jesus stated, «In the world, you have tribulation,» but take courage; He has overcome the world.