There are two ladies who keep showing up at my door. Today they gave me a pamphlet with an article entitled "Are You Disappointed in God?"
I read through the article with curiosity. What would they have to say that would give someone hope? There were several headings in this article.
1. Did God intend for people to suffer?
Basically, the conclusion was that since Deut. 32:4 says that God is never unjust and that he is righteous and upright, then God would never intend that humans should suffer or that he would use calamities to punish or purify them.
So apparently, then, it is unjust and unrighteous for God to ever bring calamity upon people. Let's see how that stands up to Scripture.
I form the light and create darkness, I make peace and create calamity; I, the Lord, do all these things.’
Hear, O earth! Behold, I will certainly bring calamity on this people— The fruit of their thoughts, Because they have not heeded My words Nor My law, but rejected it.
And they shall know that I am the Lord; I have not said in vain that I would bring this calamity upon them.”
If a trumpet is blown in a city, will not the people be afraid? If there is calamity in a city, will not the Lord have done it?
2. Why is there suffering?
The article says there is suffering because Satan induced Adam and Eve to reject God's standards of right and wrong as represented by the command for them to refrain from eating of the "tree of the knowledge of good and bad." Satan implied that mankind would be better off without God's rulership. And so, I guess, this article is saying this was the cause of suffering.
While this is partially true, they are missing a vital piece. The cause of human suffering is due to God's judgment on man for his sin because of man's rejection of God's command. God's judgement is completely ignored in this article.
Genesis
16 To the woman He said:
“I will greatly multiply your sorrow and your conception;
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”
In pain you shall bring forth children;
Your desire shall be for your husband,
And he shall rule over you.”
17 Then
to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and
have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall
not eat of it’:
“Cursed is the ground for your sake;
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
In toil you shall eat of it
All the days of your life.
18 Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you,
And you shall eat the herb of the field.
3. How God Resolves the Issues
The article tells me that God resolved the issues by deciding to allow humans to rule themselves for a time and let the results prove whose rulership is superior. The miserable condition the world is in today is proof that human rulership has utterly failed.
The article goes on to say that one day God, through His kingdom will remove all causes of suffering.
Then the article quotes a bunch of Scripture promises that state suffering will be a thing of the past.
Really? Is that all there is?
4. Overcoming Disappointment
This section of the article tells the story of a person who had an accident. He tells how he never blamed Jehovah God because he realized the accident was not a punishment from God. Through prayer to Jehovah and reading Eccl.9:11; Psalm 145:18; and 2 Cor. 4:8-10 he kept his spirits up.
The wrap up goes like this:
"Keeping in mind the reasons why God has permitted suffering and how its effects will soon be undone helps us to overcome any feeling of disappointment in God that we may have. We are assured that God is "the rewarder of those earnestly seeking him." No one who rests his faith on him and His Son will be disappointed. Hebrews 11:6; Romans10:11."
This all sounds good and lovely, but it misses the point sadly.
As we saw above in Genesis, God judged the earth for man's sin. Yes suffering began in the Garden with Adam and Eve's sin. The suffering is God's judgement against man for his sin.
How did God resolve the issues?
Since our sin separates us from God, a perfect sacrifice had to be made to satisfy God's wrath against sinners.
[ God’s Wrath on Unrighteousness ] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,
God devised a plan of salvation.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
It was through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that we can be saved. He paid the price to save us from God's wrath against sinners. It was through no works of our own that He saved us.
Titus 3:4-6New King James Version (NKJV)
4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior,Now this gives me hope. Yes, there is suffering in this world, but I know and can look forward to the day when God calls me home and I will leave all this suffering behind. My sins have been paid for by the precious blood of Jesus when He died for me on the cross. Don't let anyone take that away from you. When they come knocking at the door and hand you their literature, don't be fooled by their false gospel (which is no gospel at all).
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