God and Suffering
1 - the earth as paradise
2 - the origin of the evil
3 - the fall of man
4 - Satan
5 - the devil's target
6 - the consequences of apostasy
7 - the death
8 - the bondage of sin
9 - the redemption
10 - victory over satan
11 - the end of all suffering
12 - back to God
__________________________________
1 - the earth as paradise
"Then God saw everything
that He had made, and indeed
it was very good."
The Bible: Genesis chap. 1, verse 31
For many people, the fact that there is so much suffering and injustice in the world is incompatible with a good and just God. In particular, painful personal experiences such as a serious illness or the loss of a loved one cause many to doubt God's love and good nature. Some blame God for the injustices on this earth without questioning their own responsibility.
The Bible testifies that the world was very good when God created it. In this once flawless world, described as paradise, the first humans lived in peace and harmony with their Creator and his creation, enjoying the carefree life they had in the beginning. However, if we look at our world today, which is characterized by illness, death and violence, we realize that it is anything but paradisiacal. Now the question arises, how can all the suffering we see every day be explained in light of an originally perfect creation? God's Word gives us the answer.
2 - the origin of evil
"For with You is the fountain of life;
In Your light wesee light."
The Bible: Psalm 36, verse 10
God is the origin of all life. At the same time, God is the source of love and all goodness. The connection to our Creator is the light that gives our lives meaning and direction. It gives us humans an identity and is the basis for a fulfilled life of peace, security, and prosperity. From the fact that everything was created by God, some conclude that God must also have created evil. But the truth is different. Just as darkness remains without light and cold without warmth, so too, if we remove God, the source of love, from our lives, nothing but darkness and emptiness remains. Evil is therefore nothing other than the absence of good—namely, God. It is the product of our separation from God. Just as a cut flower without roots withers after a short time, so too will a person sooner or later perish without a life-giving relationship with God. In other words: where the connection between creature and Creator is missing, neither peace, nor joy, nor life are possible (See: Who is God?).
Most people feel this lack, even if they are often unaware of the reason. This lack affects all areas of our lives. The consequences are fear, addiction, loneliness, depression, as well as unrest, selfishness, malice, and meanness of every kind. People try to compensate for this lack in various ways; for example, through work and hobbies, through pleasure and entertainment, through friends and social contacts, or through alcohol and other intoxicating substances. In truth, however, there is nothing and no one in the world who can permanently fill the inner emptiness within us except God. Even interpersonal relationships can in no way replace our bond with our Creator. Without a relationship with God, our existence remains meaningless....
3 - Satan and the fall of man
"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying,
"Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat;
but of the tree the knowledge of good and evil
you shall not eat, for in the day that you
eat of it you shall surely die."
The Bible: Genesis chap. 2, verses 16-17
Humanity's painful history began in Paradise, when the first humans transgressed God's commandments. The Bible refers to this event as the Fall of Man. The Fall marks the beginning of man's rebellion against his Creator. God's Word describes how mankind's betrayal came about. In this context, the Bible mentions a being called "Satan," also called the "Devil" and the author of sin. Many people consider the devil a fantasy figure. But in truth, Satan is a real being. The Bible describes Satan as a fallen angel. Angels are heavenly beings with supernatural powers whom God created to serve Him and us humans. The Bible describes various types of angels. In addition to ordinary angels, the Holy Scriptures also mention princes of angels. Satan, the Devil, who once served God, was one of them.
But Satan's heart was lifted up. His glory and beauty made him proud and led him to seek his own honor rather than that of his Creator. Eventually, his pride led him to consider himself equal to God. His increasing lust for honor and power drove him to incite all the other angels to rebel against God. Satan succeeded in winning about a third of them over to his side. Thus a battle ensued in heaven, in the unseen world, which later continued on earth. For mankind also became Satan's target. Although God could have destroyed Satan and his allies instantly for their rebellion, God permitted them to remain so for a certain time so that all would see that Satan's intentions were truly evil and selfish.
4 - Satan's plan
"Then the serpent (Satan) said to the woman,
“You will not surely die. For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
The Bible: Genesis chap. 3, verses 4-5
Satan's goal is to divide people from God so that they will do his will. Satan will use any means to achieve his goal. Above all, Satan exploits people's pride by causing them to place themselves above God and transgress His commandments. When people become guilty as a result, Satan can hypocritically accuse them to God. In this way, the devil has already sealed the fate of millions upon millions of people. For this reason, the Bible calls him a "murderer." Satan also brought down the first humans. Instead of trusting God and heeding his warning, they allowed themselves to be seduced into disobedience by a lie of the devil. By transgressing God's commandment, people recognized evil. The personal experience of guilt led to a separation of man from his Creator. Thus, the earth became the new battleground for Satan's rebellion. In this war, which continues to this day, the sole question is who we want to serve: God, our Father, who loves us and wants the best for all people? Or Satan, whose reign has brought nothing but injustice and death to the earth?
By disobeying God's will, people automatically acknowledge Satan as their ruler. This is what Satan intends. That's why the Bible calls him the "god of this world." To this day, most people follow Satan's example by striving to be independent of their Creator. In doing so, they consciously or unconsciously make themselves willing tools of Satan and his evil agenda. The destruction of God's created order is also part of Satan's agenda: This includes, among other things, the abolition of marriage as a sacred bond between man and woman, the destruction of the traditional family consisting of father, mother, and children, and the perversion of sexuality....
"(...) for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light."
The Bible: 2nd Corinthians chap. 11, verse 14
To carry out his diabolical plans, Satan uses, among other things, politics and the media, as well as industry and science. Fun and entertainment are intended to distract people from God. Certain types of music and films, which have a strong influence on people, serve Satan to manipulate people's thinking and subtly indoctrinate them with his ungodly agenda. All religions that worship false gods (=idols) are also Satan's invention. Satan convinces some that God doesn't exist and that how we live doesn't matter. In others, Satan sows doubt and distrust of God by questioning God's good intentions. To do this, Satan skillfully uses lies to mislead people while concealing his true goals. It is not for nothing that the Bible calls him the "father of lies."
The Bible further states that Satan disguises himself as an "angel of light." He wants people to believe that the evil Satan intends is good and right, and that the good God desires is actually evil and unjust, and that it would be better if everyone could determine their own lives. Although Satan claims his intentions are for the good of humanity, in truth, he is completely indifferent to our well-being—unlike God. After all, for Satan, people are nothing more than a means to an end. Anyone who stands in the devil's way will be fought with every means at his disposal. Satan also uses political and religious persecution to silence his enemies—who primarily include God-fearing people (see: true and false church).
5 - The consequences of apostasy
"although they knew God, they did not
glorify Him as God, nor were thankful,
but became futile in their thoughts,
and their foolish hearts were darkened."
The Bible: Romans chap. 1, verses 18-32
The further humanity distanced itself from God, the more its greed for power and prestige became prevalent. Instead of honoring God as Creator, most people strive to be worshipped and idolized by others. Separated from God and his love, arrogance and selfishness, as well as greed and envy, determine human thoughts and actions. The renegade people elevated themselves above one another, so that ultimately the strong ruled over the weak. Thus, this paradisiacal world became increasingly filled with hatred and violence. A few also claimed all of the earth's goods and raw materials for themselves. While some people lived in abundance, the number of those affected by poverty and material hardship steadily increased. The invention of money further exacerbated this injustice. Social inequality among people is now greater than ever before. For many people, almost everything revolves around business. Furthermore, money often serves as a means to exercise power and control over others and to influence events in the world for one's own benefit.
Since most people were unwilling to change their attitudes, God left them to their own will and the corrupting desires of their hearts. Instead of submitting to God's righteous rule, humanity seeks to rule on its own. The result is war, poverty, injustice, disease, terror, moral decay, and a devastated planet. The Fall also had a massive impact on the animal and plant world (see: scientific myths).
6 - the death
"And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life."
The Bible: Genesis chapt. 3, verses 17-19
Because of their disobedience, God banished humans from paradise. Furthermore, God pronounced a curse on the earth, with the result that the climatic conditions on the planet changed and the plants no longer produced the abundant yields they had before. This was intended to keep humanity aware of their dependence on God and seek closeness to Him so as not to permanently lose their connection with their Creator. Furthermore, this measure was intended to make it clear to humanity that an unlimited life in paradise, such as humanity had in the beginning, is only possible with God. Although humans became mortal through sin, they would still enjoy life, produce offspring, and populate the earth. Furthermore, God announced the coming of a Savior who would defeat Satan and thus bring humanity salvation from death. Through Him, the paradisiacal state of the earth would be restored forever (See: The way to redemption).
With the expulsion from paradise, mankind began to decline physically and spiritually, a process that would sooner or later result in death. Disregard for God's commandments and ordinances, particularly with regard to sexuality, led to the emergence and spread of various diseases. Since the beginning of industrialization, mankind's boundless greed for profit has led to the mass extinction of tens of thousands of animal and plant species that once enriched the earth with their diversity. This is accompanied by the ruthless exploitation of humans and animals, which is particularly evident in intensive animal farming. Globalization and mass production have accelerated this development many times over.
Many people who reject God often also show little appreciation for nature. This is evident in the reckless way humans treat our unique environment. In doing so, humans not only destroy their own livelihood but also disregard the responsibility God has given them to protect and preserve nature. But as in everything, humankind's selfish actions take their revenge in the form of increasing natural disasters and epidemics worldwide, which claim dozens of human lives every year....
7 - the bondage of sin
Jesus Christ says:
"Whoever commits sin
is a slave of sin."
The Bible: John chap. 8, verse 34
As a result of their separation from God, man became increasingly enslaved to his own impulses. At the same time, his conscience and his sense of what is right and wrong, or natural and unnatural, became increasingly dulled. To this day, humanity remains under the influence of Satan, trapped in the bondage of sin, the consequence of which is death. Sin has destroyed humanity morally and physically for generations, robbing it of its dignity as the image of God in whom we are created. Sin has dehumanized humanity in the truest sense....
Man's pride blinds him to the truth and prevents him from recognizing God. Driven by his self-destructive desires, man continually desires more; but his soul finds no rest, and his longing is never satisfied. Ultimately, man's selfishness brought all the unspeakable misery upon this earth that humanity laments to this day. Instead of understanding the true causes, however, many blame God for the world's suffering, which we ourselves cause through our rebellion against our Creator and our disregard for His commandments. Man has elevated himself to the measure of all things and has fallen deeply in the process. If God did not constantly intervene, humanity would have wiped itself out long ago in its megalomania. All the evil that humanity suffers is the result of sin in a world that refuses to know anything about God and in which love is growing increasingly cold. It is not God who is to blame for the state of the world, but man, who places himself above God and thus follows Satan's path. This fact is the true cause of illness and suffering. And so, in its defiance, blinded humanity steadfastly treads the path to its own destruction....