EVIL & SUFFERING 1 | PHYSICAL EVIL

1. Why does God allow Evil and Suffering?

a) The reasons why a loving God would allow so much evil in the world are a mystery and a stumbling block to faith for many people. Why do good people sometimes suffer terribly while evil people live lives of ease? These are very difficult things to understand, but the Bible does give some clues. 

2. Physical Evil

a) Illness, pain, earthquakes, floods, and other natural disasters are examples of physical evils. God may use physical evil to chastise individuals or nations and lead them to repent (Isaiah 45:7, Genesis 6:13, Acts 13:9-11). 

b) Some physical evil may be the result of the original sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12-14). 

c) God may use physical evil for a higher purpose: to test us and prepare us for glory (1 Peter 1:6-7, 5:10, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9), or to make us more compassionate (2 Corinthians 1:3-6). 

d) The suffering we endure now will be more than compensated by the glory of eternal life (2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Philippians 1:21-23). 

e) Physical evil is one means God uses to accomplish His work on earth (John 9:1-3). 

f) It is very difficult to see any value in pain, suffering, loss of a loved one, disability, etc. However, these temporary evils are insignificant on the time scale of eternity, and they may just be a testing and preparation for better things to come.

g) Despite all this, the reason for most physical evil is simply unknown to us. Sometimes, we just have to put our trust in God and accept the fact that we can't understand why we have to suffer (Psalms 23:4, 31:7, Lamentations 3:31-33):

@1. "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9 )