Common Questions

There are many questions raised when it comes to God's existence.

Why is there evil? Why is there suffering in this world? Why would a loving God send people to Hell? These are only a few of the most common questions that come to mind.

This page has been designed to hopefully answer some of these questions. 

Be sure to leave a comment at the bottom of the page if you have any more questions. Also, any ideas of questions to add to this page would be greatly appreciated. 

Why is there evil and suffering in the world?

Image from the book, 'Birthing the Miraculous' by Heidi Baker, 2014

One of the most common questions that people will ask concerning God's existence is the fact that evil and suffering, disease and war exist in the world. You may ask, why would God allow this? Why is there evil and suffering in the world?

1. God did not create a world with suffering. We read in Genesis 1:31, that 'God saw all that he had made, and it was very good'. In the beginning, everything was perfect, there was no evil or suffering, it was 'very good.'

2. Sin entered the world when humans misused their gift of free will and disobeyed God. God gave us free will, He did not create us as robots forced to love and obey.

The whole of creation has been affected because of the sin that entered the world. This is why there are earthquakes and other natural disasters. 'We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time' - Romans 8:22

3. We cannot blame God for the evil that humans choose to do with their gift of free will. 

4. God can use suffering to do good. When going through pain and trials, it should not be a time to run away from God. In fact, it should cause us to run to Him and can help us to learn to lean on God more and more and trust fully in Him. When people go through suffering, often what the enemy meant for harm, God can use for good. It might end up bringing them to know Jesus as their Lord and Saviour, suffering can help us realise our need for God.

5. The testing of our faith produces perseverance, it can make us much stronger than we were before. 'Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.' - James 1:2-4

6. God has promised to never leave us or forsake us. Although there will be trouble while on this earth, God promises to guide us and save us, all we have to do is trust in Him. When Jesus was praying to the Father He said, "My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one."

Jesus said, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33

There will come a day when the Lord Jesus will return and cleanse this world of all sin and all suffering.

"And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away" - Revelation 21:4

Why would a loving God send people to Hell?

This can be a tough question for most Christians to answer.

1. The first thing we must understand is that God did not create Hell for humanity. It was created for Satan and the other angels who disobeyed.

2. If God let everyone away with their sin, then would He be a just judge? In a court of law, a just judge will always convict the person who is found guilty. We have all sinned and fallen short, we are all deserving of punishment because of our sins.

'We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way' - Isaiah 53:6

3. God is so rich in mercy and love that He has provided a way out. The wages of our sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus Christ paid the price for us when He died on the cross. Jesus took our place, there is no greater love than this. He was completely innocent without any sin, yet chose to become sin for us so that we could be reconciled back to God.

This shows the seriousness of our sin, our sin is so serious that it causes us to die and be separated from a holy and perfect God. If we choose to stay separated from Him then we will also be separated from light because God is light and in Him there is no darkness. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world, whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life" - John 8:12 If we choose to stay separated from God then we also choose to be separted from love because God is love.

The wrath of God was satisifed when all of our sins were paid for by Jesus Christ our Lord. As with any free gift, we still must choose to recieve it by turning to God in repentance and trusting in Jesus as Lord and Saviour of our lives. Find out more about why we need Jesus - Why Jesus?

What about babies and young children who die?

Of course we all know that babies and young children are unable to understand the Gospel and how to be saved. How then could they possibly be condenmed?

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." - Matthew 19:14

Jesus explains in this verse that the kingdom of Heaven belong to 'such as these', therefore we know that Heaven belongs to those like children. We know that God is just and fair and will have mercy on them, so they will go straight to be with Jesus when they die. This also can apply to disabled people who are not capable of understanding how to be saved, they can't be held accountable for something they don't understand. We can take comfort in knowing that our God’s plan is always perfect, He always does what is right and just.

In the Bible David understood that when he and Bathsheba lost their baby, the baby could not  come to them but he would go to him. David seemed to know with certainty where the baby would go because he said in 2  Samuel 12:23 that “now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him,  but he will not return to me.”

Why couldn't God just forgive (why did His Son have to die)?

This is because legally a debt had to be paid.

We broke God's law, so we would have to pay the fine. Otherwise it would not be fair. God is a just judge and He cannot let liars, murderers, rapists and thieves get away with their sin. Even if we have hated someone, Jesus considers this murder at heart!

Sinning against an Eternal, Holy God is a very serious crime;

- The wages of our sin is death,

- Yet God in His great mercy sent His one and only Son Jesus to die for us,

- Jesus stepped in and paid our fine with His sinless, spotless blood. Only someone without sin could pay that fine,

- Now God can 'just forgive' all who recieve His free gift of salvation. This is God's amazing grace, available to all who will humbly repent of their sins and come to Jesus for forgiveness.

Why did God put the fruit in the garden if He knew we would sin?

Akiane Kramarik ~ Forbidden Fruit, painted at the age of 10.

If God had not allowed the opportunity for us to sin, then we would have all been programmed robots forced to love and obey.

God put the fruit in the garden as a test, to allow us to have a choice to obey or disobey.

He knew we would disobey (as He is all knowing) but put it there anyway. Love always involves choice, otherwise it's not love.

God planned beforehand for Jesus to come and rescue mankind. We cannot blame Adam and Eve as we all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).

Despite our sin and rebellion, Jesus Christ came to this earth from Heaven. 'For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.' (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Why the Christian God out of all the other religions/gods out there?

- Only the Christian God of the Bible has revealed Himself to us physically on this earth - Jesus Christ came down from Heaven to this earth.

- Only the Christian God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has been actively involved in the lives of mankind, since the beginning of the world. For example, He rescued the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and parted the Red Sea for them. He gave them manna (special bread from Heaven) to eat and water from a rock.

- Only the Christian God of Israel has healed people, delivered them from addiction, set them free from sin and changed their lives. Millions of people all across the earth have had their life impacted by Jesus Christ.

- There are approximately 2,000 prophecies in the Bible which have been fulfilled.

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