The Problem of Evil and pain (3)

[1] Answering the Problem of Evil

• The Answer to Moral Evil: The Free Will Defence
• When God created man, He gave him free will, a reflection of being made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26–27).
• Free will means the ability to choose between good and evil.
• God cannot create a genuinely free creature who is incapable of choosing evil that would make man a programmed machine, not a moral agent.
• A world where only good exists by necessity, and not by free choice, would remove real love, moral growth, and accountability.
• If God constantly intervened in every human decision to prevent evil, it would require billions of miracles every second, effectively removing freedom from human beings.
• Freedom necessarily entails the possibility of evil.
• God may often prevent evil without our knowledge, but He allows some suffering for reasons that may be beyond our understanding.
• God designed us with the ability to feel pain, which serves as a protective mechanism.
• For example, leprosy impairs pain sensation, leading to serious injury without the patient realizing it.
• A loving God does not mean a God who removes all discomfort; rather, like a wise father, He allows his children to face challenges that shape their character.
• Sometimes, God allows suffering to get our attention.
• [2] S. Lewis writes: “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

 The Defence of Human Depravity and Sin

• God created everything good (Genesis 1:31), but sin—starting with Adam and Eve—introduced evil, death, and corruption into the world.
• Humanity’s disobedience is the origin of moral evil, and its ripple effects are seen across history and nature.

 The Defence of Greater Good

• God is omniscient; He sees the entire picture, while humans see only part.
• Evil and suffering may appear senseless from our limited view, but God can use them to accomplish a greater good.
• Just as the reverse side of a hand-woven tapestry appears chaotic, the front reveals perfect beauty.
• The crucifixion of Jesus is the ultimate example: from the greatest moral evil (killing the Son of God) came the greatest spiritual good, the salvation of mankind.

The Defence of Hope

• Evil will not win; God has promised to defeat it.
• Christians may experience temporary suffering, but they look forward to eternal peace, justice, and restoration.
• In the end, God will judge or redeem all things, putting everything in its rightful place (Revelation 21:4).

 The Defence of the Cross

• God is not distant from suffering.
• He entered human suffering through the person of Jesus Christ.
• God used the evil acts of men (betrayal, injustice, execution) to fulfil His redemptive plan.
• From the cross came atonement for sin and salvation for the world
• This the ultimate proof of God’s justice and mercy

The Defence of Faith and Trust

• While the problem of evil is difficult, the Bible gives clear foundation that: God is good, God is sovereign
• God is trustworthy, even when we do not understand.

[1] https://coldcasechristianity.com/?s=Christian+responses+to+the+problem+of+evil+and+suffering

[2] https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/1180-pain-insists-upon-being-attended-to-god-whispers-to-us