Suffering perplexes all of our minds. Some of us have strong doubts due to suffering. We ask ourselves as believers, agnostics and atheists. How can a loving God permit so much pain and suffering? Most have honestly struggled with this question. And it has even caused many to loose their faith. What if there was no free will to sin, but obey, then there will be no suffering? But if there was no free will, there will be no love. God knew without free will His creatures would be like robots. Created to act on pre -programmed responses. Designed to react and respond to certain stimuli without a love, care and appreciation for its own purpose and the purpose of others. Free will was given from a God of love. He wanted His creatures to willingly want to love Him and others, which He had created. To have a knowledge, understanding and an experience of love. So obedience would be a free and loving act to Him, knowing it can come with a great risk. The risk of choosing the opposite of His will. But He was always prepared to take this heavy risk upon Himself.
The cross of Jesus Christ was that risk. He was God manifested in the flesh, and died to preserve the right for us to freely choose. To freely choose life through Him. By taking our place, death would no longer have dominion over us because of sin. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And all like sheep has gone astray, turning to their own way.
If God constantly intervened to imply force, restricting wrong choices then we wouldn’t have free will. Our choice bears moral obligations and consequences. Effecting ourselves and the people around us. E.g. Lucifer, and Adam and Eve. Lucifer made the choice to become the devil. His choice effected a 3rd of God’s angels and caused pain to the remaining angels in heaven, and grieved the heart of God. Lucifer’s choice also effected Adam and Eve through the serpent. Causing Adam and Eve to sin against God, and as a consequence they became fallen creatures, and sin entered the world.
God presents 2 choices. Life or death, and lovingly says, choose life. It’s either to choose life through Jesus Christ or death by the sins of this world, under the governance of the prince and power of the air. There is no middle ground between them. If we choose life then the people around us can have hope, but if we choose death then despair can surround us. Thus, whenever we contemplate on our pain, we should always remember, without God’s love pain would be meaningless; and therefore because of His love, He allows absolute freedom, and the freedom to choose despite detrimental consequences.
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