Why Is There Suffering In the World?

Genesis 3:17-19 " Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it,all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you and you will eat the plants of the field.By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken. for dust you are and to dust you will return."

James 4:1-3 "What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don't they come from your desires that battle within you" You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet but you cannot have what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you do ask, you do not receive because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures"

Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death..."

Habakkuk 1:2-4 " How long, O Lord, must I call for help,but you do not listen? Or cry out to you,"Violence" but you do not save. Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife and conflicts abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous so that justice is perverted.

Christians Suffer in This Life...........

....sometime just because they are Christian

Romans 8:28 "For we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him.."

Romans 16:7 "Greet Andronicus and Junias, my relatives who have been in prison with me.."

I Peter 1:6 "In this you greatly rejoice though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials"

1 Peter 2:18-20 :Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it. But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God."

I Peter 3:9 "Do not repay evil with evil, or insult with insult, but with blessing because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."

I Peter 3:14 " But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed"

I Peter 4:12-19 "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that can participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed for the spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal or even as a meddler.However, if you suffer as a Christian do not be ashamed but praise God that you bear that name. For it is time for judgement to begin with the family of God and if it begins with uswhat will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God. And, 'If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,, what wil become of the ungodly and the sinner?' So then, those who suffer accordinbg to God;s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good."

i Peter 5:10 "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while..."

II Timothy 2:3 " Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus"

II Timothy 3:12 " In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted"

II Timoty 4:5 "But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship.."

James 1:2,3 " Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds because you know that the testng of your faith develops perseverence"

James 1:12 " Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him"

..... and sometimes just because we live in a fallen world

II Corinthians 1:3-7 " Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort who comforts us in all of our troubles so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

Acts 7:10 "Because the Patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave to Eqypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles..."

I Corinthians 10:13 "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, he will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so you can stand up under it."

...and sometimes true believers are disciplined when they sin

Hebrews 12:6 "The Lord disciplines those he loves and punishes everyone he accepts as a son"

2 Timothy 2:19 " "The Lord knows who are His and everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness"

Psalms 80:5 "You have fed them with the bread of tears and you have made them drink tears by the bowlful"

Isaiah 48:10" See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction"

Psalms 66:10, " For you, Oh God, tested us, you refined us like silver"

So what are we to make of all of the suffering in the world? The world fell into sin and corruption because of the act of Adam and Eve. But, it is very probable that anyone of of us would have done the same thing. God gave us free will and intellect and along with that comes pride. Our own pride, as well as that of Adam, would have coerced us into eating that apple. For Christians and non-Christians alike, pain and suffering come with citizenship here on earth. The day is coming when all of that will be done away with, but for the time being, that is our situation. For the Christian, the pain and suffering in this world will still be present, but we have a hope for better things to come and faith that our Savior is always with us, regardless of circumstance. Things will not automatically 'fall into place' when you become a Christian. You will not necessarily become immune to the pain of this life. In fact, your faith may bring more hardship and suffering. Tens of thousands of Christians die for their faith every year and have so since the beginning of the church. Many thousands more suffer imprisonment, torture, separation for family, ridicule for their faith, and so on. We can look to scripture for examples of this and for encouragement. Sometimes Christians suffer to prepare them for helping others facing similar situations. Remember, the Christian walk is IN the world, not floating above the chaos and pain of it. But we have a hope that shines through all difficulties for others to see. Our strongest testimony to non believers around us will be how our faith carries us through any circumstance. One more point though. Christians who persist in sin can be disciplined by God. Why? To bring them back to the faith, to correct their path. So, if you are in difficult times and are a Christian how do you know if whether or not this is discipline coming from God. The only way to know is to ask. Ask God ...James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God , who gives generously to all without finding fault and it will be given him". Examine your life..is there sin in it. Seek guidance and help from a mature Christian you can trust and with whom you are comfortable.