Why?
Written by Administrator Saturday, 28 April 2007 19:00
The tragedy on the campus of Virginia Tech continues to weigh on our hearts and minds. The pain and suffering has been relentless. And even if the daily demands of life and the passing of time should somehow dull our senses or give us momentary escapes, lingering in many minds will still be the question, “Why?”
For the past two weeks in our series Tough Questions – Honest Answers, we have struggled with the issue of evil, pain and suffering. God’s Word openly acknowledges these questions. (See Psalms 10:1, 13; 22:1; 42:5, 9; 43:2; 44:23-24; 74:1, 10-11; 79:10; 88:14.) But four themes provided perspective on our journey for the truth. We can see …
1. God’s Justice through SufferingEvil is in the world because of man’s failure to follow God’s ways and to listen to His warnings. A “perfect” world was spoiled and corrupted by the choices that were made by our ancestors. Now our world is filled with trouble every day (cf. Matthew 6:34). And we earnestly pray as Jesus instructed us, “Deliver us from evil” (Matthew 6:13).
2. God’s Grace in Suffering
But when evil and suffering surrounds us, we can rest assured that we are not alone and not without help. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses … let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace in the time of need” (Hebrews 4:15, 16). “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).
The Lord has also has provided THE answer to suffering through the suffering and death of His own Son. “You know that [Jesus] appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin…. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:5, 8). If the real problem is sin (and it is), then sin had to be conquered. If evil is the outworking of the devil (and it is), then he must be defeated. Christ accomplished both when He died on the cross to pay sin’s penalty and to free us from the threat of evil.
4. God’s Triumph over Suffering
You say, “Yes, Christ has died, but we still suffer. Is there any hope for an ultimate triumph?” Absolutely. A day is coming when “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:9). We have “a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:3-4). The world will be renewed and God “will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore …” (Revelation 21:4).
And until THAT DAY … may we “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions” and “live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:12, 13). -- Sparky