On January 24, I presented a sermon entitled “Engaging the Enemy” that called us to understand better the evil in the world and where it comes from.  Terminology used often by the media and even insurance companies is to call the devastating damages and loss of life of an earthquake, a hurricane, volcano, and the like “an act of God.”  If these are “acts of God,” our logic leads us to conclude that such suffering and death come from God.  When we watch on TV the death and suffering resulting from the earthquake in Haiti, it is easy to rightly conclude that this is evil.  Our logic continues that if this evil and it is caused by an “act of God,” then God is not good.  If God is not good, then how can I put faith in him or trust him?

I contend that there are deeper Biblical insights that give us a more accurate view of God and the evil and suffering in the world.

Insight:   Human sin opened the door to evil and suffering in the world.

The explanation of the human situation in Genesis 3 makes it clear that “the curse” or consequence of human sin influences the serpent, the man, the woman, animals, plants and all creation.  Decay and death are loosed God’s creation.

In Romans 8:21-22 Paul tells us that when the work Christ came to do is complete   “The creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.  We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”

The earth is decaying and that decay causes all sorts of natural disasters. Jesus came to earth to   rescue us from this fallen world.  Sin sets destruction in motion.  Jesus came to save. It is popular today to excuse our sin and make light of its consequences. Roman 6:23 reminds us, “The wages of sin is death.”  Sin opens the way to suffering and death.

Insight:  There is a devil whose name is Satan. His role is that of tempter, accuser, and deceiver.

The purpose of Satan is to “steal, and to kill, and to destroy.”  John 10:10  Satan’s agenda is suffering and pain in this life and eternal destruction by separating us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. Satan is real.  He is malicious and cruel.  He will inflict the most horrible suffering.  The agenda of Jesus is, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more   abundantly.  I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”  Jesus is not about harming people.  He is about giving us quality life now and forever.

One of Satan’s most powerful tools is to get us to blame God for the suffering.  Where does the evil come from?  It is the result of  human sin and Satan’s work.  Beware that you do not blame God for it.  Such blame will separate you from God and open you to suffering.

Know your Enemy: Ephesians 6:12   For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Jesus Tempted: The devil took him (Jesus) to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. "All this I will give you," he said, "if you will bow down and worship me."  Jesus said to him, "Away from me, Satan! For it is written: 'Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.'"  Matthew 4:8-10  Jesus recognized the enemy.

Jesus said,  “I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me”   John 14:30   Satan attacked Jesus with extreme suffering and death, but he could not destroy Jesus.

The Sovereign God may allow Satan to inflict suffering and death on the children of God as he did on his own Son.  God shows us in Christ that he is able to bring extreme good out of  Satan’s extreme evil.

Haiti:  Did God cause the earthquake and thereby the suffering and death of so many?

No! Human sin and the “prince of this world” (Satan) is the source of the killing and

destroying.

See God in the compassionate sacrifices of giving people that are coming from around the world.  Starkly seeing such evil has awakened the good in people to act to relieve the suffering.

Ron Stoner