Goals

  1. Equip you and answer your questions.

  2. Help you be confindent in your faith.

  3. Remove Objections as you share the gospel

  4. Go make disciples

  1. Evil is the absence of Good

  2. Everything was created good, with a capacity for rebellion

  3. God planned redemption

  4. The Bible agrees Evil is a problem

  5. Every system has to answer this question

  6. God suffers with us

Free will argument- For agents to have free will they have to have the real choice

Think about it- if love is forced is it really love?

Thus God MUST make it this way

Objection- Well you only believe that because you were created to believe that

If God could make the world any way, He could make a world where there is no free will and we would all love it

NO Free will argument- God is completely sovereign and everything is predetermined

If He is an infinite God who created, how could it be anything else other than predetermined?

Thus God MUST make it this way

Objection

Culpability- if it all predetermined and no one has free will then there is no good or evil, there just is. There is no good or bad choices because there are no real choices

If I think there is evil or suffering then the one who created suffering would be culpable

In this scenario- God is evil for creating

This was the gnostics take

Soul Making- argues that God intentionally created an imperfect world filled with challenges so humans could freely develop moral and spiritual maturity. 

Objection

Well that works when there is not ubiquitous meaningless suffering

What if it crushes me not just making me better

Greater Good

Everything has a greater good behind it

Objection

This can be used to justify horrendous evil, because it can be justified as part of a greater good. 

Matthew 25:41

41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels


Colossians 1:9-14

9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 being strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; 12 giving thanks[d] to the Father, who has qualified you[e] to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. 13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 

Revelation 21:1-8

21 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place[a] of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people,[b] and God himself will be with them as their God.[c] 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

    1. Do you have any questions or thoughts from this lesson and what stood out to you most?

    2. How do you personally respond when God doesn't answer one of your "why" questions?

    3. What stands out to you about the difference between Satan's rebellion and humanity's fall?

    4. How does Revelation 21 reshape the way we view today's suffering?

    5. If a skeptical friend asked you, "Why do you still believe in God despite all the suffering in the world?" how would you answer?

    6. How do we tangibly live this lesson out?


    1. How was your emotional and physical health this week?

    2. What is a serious stressor in your life?

    3. How has your personal time with God been this week?

    4. Would you like to share your personal temptations and how can we help you overcome them?

    5. Is there anything that we need to discuss that we have not already?

    6. How can we pray for each other this week?

    Pray for one another, invite each person to pray even if it is just a few sentences.