Hey, podcast listeners! Thanks for streaming today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes.
Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory, why does God allow suffering and evil in the world?
Think about this. If God were constantly intervening, overriding natural laws, or the natural free will of people, there would be no such thing as human goodness. Where freedom exists, there will always be the possibility of evil. Welcome to Pathway to Victory. With author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress.
If you've ever suffered from a serious illness or struggled through a season of financial hardship, you've probably asked yourself, if God is good, why does He allow bad things to happen? Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress helps us reconcile the reality of evil with the certainty of a loving God. Now, here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.
Dr. Jeffress? Thank you, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. Over the last 12 months, we've seen some shocking images on our computer and television screens. It's impossible to get accustomed to watching people in shouting matches, declaring their heartfelt opinions pitted against those who take a completely different position. And in some parts of the world, these debates escalate into war.
These images are confusing. Naturally, people are asking obvious questions. Where is God in all of this? Does God really care?
And if so, why doesn't He put a stop to it? Well, perhaps you're feeling a bit shaken in your own faith right now, questioning your personal beliefs in a way you haven't before. Our current teaching series is designed to help you. In addition, I've written a best-selling book for you that's called How Can I Know? Answers to Life's 7 Most Important Questions. Listen, your questions are important to me and to the Lord, and you deserve practical and compassionate answers. Please, while there's still time, request your copy of my book How Can I Know? It's yours when you give a generous gift to support the growing ministry of Pathway to Victory.
Now, let's get started. This next question in our teaching series is included in my book, and the wisdom from God's Word applies directly to the worldwide conflicts unfolding before our very eyes. I titled today's message How Can I Know God is Good with All the Suffering in the World?
Lee Strobel, our friend and best-selling author, once commissioned a national survey that asked one question. The survey said if you could only ask God one question and knew that he would answer, what would you ask him? The number one response, why does God allow suffering and evil in the world? It's a question that baffles believers, unbelievers, and even doubters. Perhaps you've wrestled with that question as well. That's why today as we continue our series How Can I Know, we're going to talk about for a few moments how can I know God is good with all the suffering in the world. John Stott, the renowned theologian and pastor, said that suffering represents the greatest single threat to Christianity in the world today.
Why would he make such a claim? I mean, have you ever heard anybody ask the question, how can I know God is good with all the porcupines in the world? I mean, porcupines do not represent a threat to the goodness of God, but the existence of evil in the world does.
Why is that? It's because evil seems to contradict everything else we know about God. I put down on your outline some of the things most of us believe about God. God exists. How many of you believe that? How many of you believe God is all powerful? How many of you believe God is good? How many of you believe evil is a reality in the world today?
How do you put all that together? David Hume, the pagan philosopher, said you've really only got three possible answers. Perhaps God is impotent. He'd like to stop evil, but he lacks the ability to do so. Another possibility is God is evil. He doesn't stop evil because he really enjoys evil. The only other possibility is God does not exist.
Well, actually, there is another possibility, and we'll get to that in just a moment. But first, let's talk about some of the ways people try to reconcile a loving God with suffering in the world. Some people say suffering is just an illusion. That is, there's no such thing as real evil. It's just our perception. By the way, that's a common belief of Christian scientists.
They don't believe in the reality of suffering or the reality of sickness. It's all an illusion. But the reality that we see around us of suffering and evil can't be denied.
It even can't be diminished. A second possibility is that the God of the Bible really doesn't exist. Some people say you can't reconcile it. Therefore, the God of the Bible doesn't exist. They don't want to say God doesn't exist.
They don't want to discount the idea that there could be some force out there, some intelligent being. But it's certainly not the God we read about in the Bible. There's no way to reconcile him with suffering. A third option is to say God is limited.
That is, there is a God. He's a loving, good God. He hurts when you hurt.
He weeps when you weep. He would love to intervene, but he can't intervene. Because of the laws of nature or the law of free will, God cannot intervene. That was the conclusion of Rabbi Harold Kushner after losing his young son to a disease. He said God would like to keep evil in check, but he just can't do it.
Why? He said, I recognize God's limitations. He's limited in what he can do by the laws of nature and by the evolution of human moral freedom. Have the laws of nature kept God from intervening and preventing evil?
Can God be controlled by the laws of nature? Remember when Job was going through his period of suffering, he cried out, God, why don't you do something? What did God say in Job 38 verses 4 to 8?
He said, you little pipsqueak. Well, that's in the original Hebrew. It doesn't appear in your Bible, but it's basically what he says. He says, where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me if you have understanding. Who sets the earth's measurements?
Since you know, or who stretched the line on it? And for the next verses, God doesn't answer. He explodes, as one writer says. He doesn't answer the why question, but he answers the who question. He says, I am in control. God does not serve nature. Nature serves God. No, he's not limited by the laws of nature, nor is he limited by human freedom. Some people would say, well, God just can't intervene and contradict man's free will. Yes, God gives man and God gives woman the ability to make certain choices, but sometimes God overrides those choices.
Human beings are free until they're not. Now, we've said, here are some ways to reconcile suffering with God. You can say that suffering is just an illusion. You can say that the God of the Bible doesn't exist. You can say God is limited in what he can do.
There's actually another explanation, the biblical explanation we're going to get to in just a moment. But let me point out something to you that I hope will help you, especially when you talk to people who are asking, why doesn't God intervene in my situation? Why does God allow suffering? When people question God's sovereignty in light of suffering, they're not talking philosophically. I have found this out after 40 years of pastoring.
They're not asking an abstract question. They're not so much interested about suffering in the world as they are about the suffering in their own life. Usually it is some heartbreak, some disappointment with God that makes them question God.
It may be the infidelity of a mate, the abuse of a parent, a bad report from the doctor. There's something that causes them to doubt God. And when that happens, you can always say, I don't have the answer to your question, but one thing I know for sure, Psalm 34 18, the Lord is close to those who are brokenhearted. We need to always assure people of the love and the control of God over their life.
But then you might consider using this illustration. Many years ago, Amy and I were driving in West Texas back to our home in Wichita Falls. It was nighttime. There was a blinding rainstorm. You couldn't see two inches in front of you. And then the headlights of our new car, brand new car, went out.
There was a malfunction in the electrical system. So there we were traveling in darkness. I could have pulled over to the side of the road, but I was afraid somebody would hit us in the blinding rainstorm. I noticed in my rear view mirror, there was an 18 wheeler following us. So I slowed down, allowed the 18 wheeler to pass us. And then I focused on those red tail lights.
And as I focused on those tail lights, they gave me the direction to follow until we got home. You know, Psalm 119 105 says that God's word is a light into our path. And I would suggest to you that when you are going through a storm in your life, and what you can't see in front of you, you don't know what's going to happen. You're looking for answers. There are some lights you can focus on that come from God's word.
Four truths you can count on when going through the tunnel of suffering in your life. Number one, God is good and God is all powerful. God is both good and all powerful. You know, we read horrendous stories of evil that people commit against one another and say, how could a good God allow that? But scripture tells us in Exodus 34 verse six, the Lord, the Lord God is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in loving kindness and truth.
Exodus 34 verse six, even outside of scripture, we can see the goodness of God all around us. Yes, floods and earthquakes do come and kill thousands of people sometimes. But most of the time, rivers stay within their banks.
Most of the time, the tectonic plates don't shift and cause the earthquakes. Yes, we read of horrible crimes that people commit. But the reason they make news is because they're the exception, not the rule of the way things are. But Robert, if God has the ability to stop it, why doesn't he stop evil? Some people try to limit God's authority, God's power and say God would love to help, but he's powerless to do so. But does that really bring any comfort to people? Do you want to think of yourself as a victim in which circumstances or other people can do whatever they want to do? Do you want to live in a world in which any one of a trillion cells in your body could suddenly on its own start to multiply and create cancer and bring death?
Do you want to live in a world in which any stranger could do whatever evil he wanted to just by his own choice? No, the fact that God is sovereign and is in control, even though we don't understand, should bring great comfort to us. Job said it this way in Job 42 verse 2. In the midst of a storm of his own suffering, Job cried out, I know that you can do all things and that no purpose of yours, God, can be thwarted.
I think about Chuck Swindoll's quote. He said, the sovereignty of God does not answer all of my questions, but it does relieve me of all of my anxiety. God is good and he's all powerful. Secondly, a second light you can focus in on is this, and that is that evil and suffering are not attributable to God. Most of the things we blame God for are actually man's fault.
Let me explain what I mean. Theologians categorize evil into two categories. There's natural evil, think earthquakes, tsunamis, cancer. And then there's moral evil, think murder, genocide, injustice. Both natural and moral evil ultimately come from man. For example, think about natural evil that's described in Romans 8 verse 20.
That reminded us that because of the fall of man in the garden, it affected all creation. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it in hope that the creation itself will one day be set free from slavery to corruption into freedom. What's the futility he's talking about?
He's talking about the futility. We call it the second law of thermodynamics. And that is everything in the world is moving from order to disorder.
Everything is running down. Everything's in the process of becoming chaotic. And it's that reality of the natural evil that explains everything in our world from earthquakes to the aches and pains of old age. All of that is because we live in a world that is infected with sin. This is not the world the way God planned it to be. Likewise, moral evil, for the most part, is the fault of man.
C.S. Lewis said it this way. Most of the evil in the world can be attributed to men with guns, bayonets, and bombs. That's true when you think about it. It's not God's fault.
It's man's fault. And yet, somebody would say, well, even if God doesn't directly cause evil, if he has the power to stop it, isn't he somewhat responsible for it? I mean, think about a school shooter. I mean, does God have the power to jam his gun? Yes. Does God have the power to change his heart and keep him from doing that?
Yes. Does God sometimes do that? Occasionally, he does intervene.
But think about this. If God were constantly intervening, overriding natural laws, or the natural free will of people, there would be no such thing as human goodness. What we call human goodness would be mere programming by the head programmer, God himself.
No, we do have free wills. And most of the time, evil can be attributed to those free wills. Where freedom exists, there will always be the possibility of evil. A third light we can focus on when going through suffering is the reminder that God can use suffering and even evil for good. Sometimes, we call such things evil because we don't have the full picture. We don't understand everything.
Think of it this way. Imagine you knew nothing about heart transplants. But one day, you're at the hospital and you stumble into an operating room. And you see a man with a mask on. And once he gets the chest cavity open, he reaches in and takes out a beating heart. What would you think? You'd think you had witnessed the greatest sign of torture and evil possible.
But you would have made your judgment too soon. If you stay a little longer, you can watch that man with the mask pick up another beating heart and place it in the patient's chest cavity. It's the same way with evil. Sometimes, evil, suffering can be a precursor to good. That's true with pain. We think pain is evil.
But think of this. Many times, it's pain that keeps a child from touching a hot stove. It's pain that alerts somebody to a malignancy that needs to be removed. And of course, the greatest illustration of pain and suffering as a precursor to good is the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The crucifixion of Jesus was evil. Jesus endured suffering. It caused him to even question his Heavenly Father, crying out, My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And yet, three days later, from the perspective of an empty tomb, what appeared to be evil was in fact good. In Acts 2 23, just a few weeks after the resurrection, Peter, preaching the sermon on Pentecost, said, This man Jesus, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed him to the cross by the hands of godless men and put him to death.
Peter was preaching to the very people who had crucified Christ. He said, What you did was evil, but God is bigger than you are. And he was able to take your evil deeds for what you're responsible and create good from it.
God can create good from evil. You know, whenever I think about that, I think of the story of Joni Eareckson Tada, a friend of our church and our ministry. She was 17 years old, and she dove into the Chesapeake Bay and hit her head on a rock, became a quadriplegic, and has been in a wheelchair for over five decades.
She's the one who famously said, I would rather be in a wheelchair with God than able to walk without God. Now, just think about it. If God had asked Joni when she was 17 years old, How do you feel, Joni, about this plan I have for you? You're going to hit your head on a rock.
You're going to be paralyzed the rest of your life. How does that sound? I doubt she would have chosen that plan for herself.
No 17-year-old would, no 67-year-old would. But fortunately, God doesn't solicit our approval for the plan he has for us. He has a plan for our lives, and that plan includes evil and suffering. As Joni says, God permits what he hates to achieve what he loves. God can use evil and suffering for his purpose. And the fourth and most important truth to remember is God will ultimately defeat evil and end suffering. You know, I've over the years been called in to give commentary when there's some great national tragedy or some horrific act that's taken place and asked that question, why would God allow that?
I used to try to give detailed answers and so forth in three minutes or less. I've come to understand the best response when people ask about the evil in the world and I used to say, we do not live in the world God originally created. Suffering, murder, injustice were never part of God's plan for the world. We're not in the world God has planned, but thank God we will be one day. There is a new world coming.
This is only temporary. And the best way to defeat evil, as somebody said, is to create a world in which evil no longer exists. And ladies and gentlemen, that world is coming. God promises a new heaven, a new earth, where there will be no more crying or pain or death for the first things will have passed away.
Until that time, suffering, pain and evil are a very real part of our lives. Philip Yancey is a gifted Christian writer. His father was a gifted Bible teacher and yet toward the end of his life, isn't it funny sometimes toward the end you suffer the worst things in your life? He was struck with a debilitating illness, confined to a bed. He had to watch his adult daughter suffer some severe consequences of diabetes. He experienced crushing financial pressure. He began to question many of the things he once believed and taught from the Bible to be true.
Toward the end of his life, he wrote his adult children a letter. He was very honest. He said, I am starting to question many of the things I taught you, many of the things I believe, but there are three things I'm still absolutely sure of. Life is difficult. God is merciful.
Heaven is for sure. Good truths to remind yourself of when you find yourself in a storm of suffering. Well, I hope today's pathway to victory has piqued your curiosity and motivated you to learn more. Let me urge you to take some next steps and deepen your understanding of God's goodness. As I mentioned earlier, I've written a book that complements my teaching series called How Can I Know? This book addresses seven relevant questions, including the one we discussed today.
How can I know God is good with all of the suffering in the world? And you can request your copy when you give a generous gift to Pathway to Victory. And the book comes with my deepest thanks for your support. You might have children in your household or older kids in college who've begun to question their Christian heritage. Let me assure you, our students are being bombarded with attacks on their beliefs. Most students are afraid to ask questions of their professors for fear of getting tagged as a Christian.
In today's climate, getting called a Christian or an evangelical is meant to be derogatory. Our young people deserve to have credible answers to these seven common questions I answer in my book. And when you give a generous gift today, be sure to request my book titled How Can I Know?
When you respond today, I'm going to include a bonus booklet called Is Christianity the Only Right Religion? David will give you all the details again, and thanks for your generosity supporting this ministry. Your partnership with Pathway to Victory is making a difference in the lives of those who hear.
David? Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. You're invited to request your copy of the best-selling book by Dr. Jeffress, How Can I Know? when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, or when you join our team of Pathway partners. Just call 866-999-2965 or visit online at ptv.org. And when your investment is $75 or more, we'll also send you the complete unabridged collection of audio and video discs for the How Can I Know? teaching series.
These newly updated sermons would make the perfect subject for your small group Bible study or Sunday school class. And here's the phone number to call, 866-999-2965. Again, that's 866-999-2965, or go to ptv.org.
You could write to us if you'd like. Here's that mailing address, P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222.
Again, that's P.O. Box 223-609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins.
Wishing you a great weekend? Then join us again Monday when Dr. Jeffress answers the question, How can I know how to forgive someone who has hurt me? Right here on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. Embark on the spiritual journey of a lifetime on the Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise, May 5 through 16, 2025. Enjoy 11 days of fellowship, relaxation and spiritual refreshment while sailing aboard a luxury cruise ship. You'll visit sought after island destinations like Santorini, Mykonos and Crete.
And amidst all the natural beauty, you'll seek the one who created it. To book your spot on the 2025 Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise, go to ptv.org. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in his word. To become a Pathway partner, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
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