Bishopdown Baptist Church

Minister: Gavin Walker
An Evangelical Baptist Church in Salisbury, UK

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Gavin Walker: 27th March 2011

Evil and Suffering

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If God is sovereign and good, how can evil and suffering happen?

Response 1: There is no god.
But in a world without God:

• There is no justice or judgment, no good or evil.
• There is no future for us, death is the end.
• There is no significance to human life.
• Suffering is meaningless.

Response 2: God is not good.

• But the Bible teaches that God is good. God is perfect, holy and loving.

Response 3: God is not sovereign.
The argument runs like this:

• All suffering is caused by humanities sin (true).
• God is never blamed for sin, suffering and evil (true).
• Therefore God is not sovereign (false).

The Bible teaches that God is sovereign over everything in the world, good or bad.

Response 4: God is there, God is good, and God is sovereign.
We can trust that God is working for good, even in evil and suffering.

• That God is glorified.
• That God is working for his people's good.

In suffering, we must return to the cross where Jesus died, and his resurrection, that promises hope beyond suffering.