As we saw in the first part (click here to read it), suffering exists because God has given us free will. This free will came with the possibility of choosing to do good or bad. Humanity has chosen a bad course that has brought upon itself a great amount of suffering. Nonetheless, we found out that God doesn't want to leave us in our suffering even though we are responsible for it. Instead, He offers us a gift: the possibility of coming back into harmony with Him. He gives us grace and free pardon for our sins through the blood of Jesus! If we accept this gift and choose to follow God, we are promised that one day we will be in heaven where suffering doesn't exist! But what about this earth? Will suffering exist forever while we live happily in heaven? Take a look at God's plan in all of this.
God's justice
Surely, God's grace is amazing news for us. It gives us an opportunity to be brought back into harmony with God without even deserving it.
God's love is that amazing.
But it's important to understand that God's love is also perfectly balanced. Although He has great mercy and does all He can to save us despite us constantly rejecting Him, God is also a just God and will not allow suffering to exist forever.
As people witness outrageous crimes and are victims to terrible injustices, they wonder where God's justice is in the world. More and more we see the limits of what sin brings. Every time you think you've see a new low in human suffering, something else is brought up. Sin continually bring us to newer depths of depravation. But God will not let sin reign forever as the devil would like to have it. Justice is coming. This means that judgement [justice] must come upon this earth. As a good judge, God needs to pronounce a sentence upon humanity. Upon those who have brought suffering to this world. Because we have transgressed His good and Holy law, we are being judged in the heavenly courts. God is love and gives us free will but if we use our free will to do bad, we will be judged accordingly and in due time.
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23
Don't we do the same as parents?
In a proper functioning family, once our children are mature enough to make conscious decisions, we give them the choice to listen to us or not. They have freedom to make decisions. Does this mean that if they make a bad decision they are free from consequences? Of course not! They need to be taught that in life, in society, when they do something wrong there are consequences. If they steal, they can go to prison. If they lie, they can lose their jobs. Those are called boundaries. So even though children are given freedom of choice, even though we are given freedom of choice, this doesn't mean we are free from the consequences of those choices. And so as our children receive consequences for their acts, God's children will receive consequences for their acts. Justice will be served. Look at what the Bible has to say about the judgement:
"And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead." Acts 10:42
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." 2 Corinthians 5:10
"because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained." Acts 17:31
"Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing." 2 Timothy 4:8
So even though children are given freedom of choice, even though we are given freedom of choice, this doesn't mean we are free from the consequences of those choices.
In fact, God is so just in His judgement that even though He loves us, He couldn't clear us from consequences when we transgressed His law. He didn't bypass His own law just because He is God. The price for sin had to be paid. The only way we are actually saved is because someone paid the price for our transgressions. The prophet Isaiah prophesied this about Jesus nearly 800 years before He was born:
"But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities [sins]; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity [sin] of us all"
(I really encourage you all to read the whole chapter, it foretells exactly what will happen to Jesus)
Jesus's death is what pays for our consequences, if we accept it. Our sins were laid on Him as a replacement. Through Christ, we are justified. We are defended in the courts of heaven. The Bible tells us:
"My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus" Romans 3:23-24
So despite the judgement that is coming, God offers us a way out. As someone being judged in court, we are currently under investigation. Our sentence is not yet given and there are only two verdicts: guilty or innocent. God still gives us time to choose to accept the sacrifice of His son on our behalf. We mentioned the good news that even though God could have left us in this suffering we created, He offers to redeem us from our sinful condition.
But, even better, He promises that one day there will be justice for all the harm done on this earth.
Those who have chosen not to accept God's gift will have to pay the penalty for sin: death. Not just death here on earth but a second death, after Jesus comes back. The Bible tells us that "the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" Romans 6:23. Rather than living eternally in heaven, they will be destroyed forever by fire. Justice is going to be served for all the evil that was done on earth. All those who have taken a role in hurting God's creation will pay for their actions.
But before that happens, God in His great love and patience is giving us time to turn away from our wrong course. To accept the sacrifice of His Son and reconnect with Him. To start trusting in Him as our babies trust us to guide them in the best paths. He loves everyone on this planet, even those who commit crimes we can never think of and He is trying to reach everyone before it's too late. But if we willingly choose to disregard his gift to us and continue in our sins, we will suffer the consequences of that choice. God will never force His love upon us.
The end of the story
Jesus tells us in Revelation 22:12-14 (the last book and last chapter of the Bible):
"I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.” Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city."
Once Jesus comes back, all people will have taken their decision and chosen whose side they are on in this great battle between good and evil. Between God and Satan. At that point, Jesus tells all: "He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still." Revelation 22:11 . Those who will have accepted Christ's sacrifice will be considered righteous, or justified, in God's eyes and those who refused will remain unjust and left to pay themselves the price for their sins.
The day of judgement is coming quickly and once all have received their sentences we are told that "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" Revelation 21:3-5. Suffering will not exist forever. What a beautiful promise to those who choose the company of God! We will live forever in heaven where there will be no more pain or death ever (including on earth). We will finally see our dear God who loves us and cares for us so deeply. I can't wait to be there. I look forward to the great day when Jesus comes back to make an end to all of this.
»» I want to be justified by Christ, do you?««
As you contemplate this question, I want to encourage you not to be afraid of what's coming ahead of us. Yes, judgement can sound scary, especially when we know we haven't always been good. But God wants us to focus on the solution, not the problem. He wants us to be happy that we have a way out of this life of sinfulness we've been living. God understands what you are going through and is more than willing to help you along the way if You just let Him. I leave you with this verse:
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment [judgement]. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. 1 John 4:18-19
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for being perfectly balanced between mercy and justice. This is what makes your government so perfect. Please help us to see that really all You want is what's best for us. Help us to make the right choice in this battle against evil that we may be reconnected back to You, the source of pure love, joy and peace. In the name of Jesus, Amen.
Thank you all so much for reading! For those of you wondering why hasn't justice come yet considering all the evil that has been taking place on earth for thousands of years, the next post to be published is just for you. It will be called: God's purpose in suffering. This will answer why God hasn't judged the world yet and what's His purpose in that.
May God bless you all as you get to know Him and His plan better 🙏
Much love and smiles,
Nahisha 😊