[vimeo 1933281]
“If God is a loving God, why does he allow people in Africa to starve? Or why does he allow man to suffer from disease and die?” These are valid questions that need answering. Unfortunately, many times believers aren’t equipped with the proper answer and don’t know why these things happen and can’t give a good response. But the answers are in the word of God. And knowing the answer to these questions is key to understanding God’s great love for us. In fact, we deemed this issue so important we created an entire episode around explaining the answers to this question. Please view a clip at:
Why do people suffer? Well the answer is at the beginning of creation. When man and woman were created they were without sin. They were created in the image of God and placed into a garden, Genesis 2:1-18. They were told they could eat of any tree, except the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Genesis 2:17 “But from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die." Then later in Genesis 3:5 the serpent comes to Eve and says, “You surely will not die! For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." This is where it all goes bad. Adam and Eve both ate the fruit and their eyes were opened. They knew good and evil right then and there and rebelled against the command of God. They died spiritually, which also caused physical death. There was a curse and a corruption upon earth from that day forward, and we are children of that fallen man.
Now some might ask why did God even give man a choice? Why did he allow man to choose? Because love must always be chosen, never forced. God did not want to create man as a lemming, or a creature that had no free will. He created man to have freedom to choose his own path, no matter what that path would be. Man chose death. Sin then entered the world. Romans 5:12 “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.” Adam chose death and it entered us all because we come from his seed, making us all fallen men with a sin nature. Disease, sickness, famine, hunger, war…death, they are all a part of our lives because of that first choice. They are not exclusive to one person or peoples, but to all mankind.
So where is the hope in all of this? Romans 5:19 “For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous.” This is the love of God! He sent His only son to die for our sins, to set right what the first man had done. This is why Jesus came to the earth and died on the cross. Praise God!
So in conclusion we know the world is under a curse of sin and it leads all men to death. No matter if it is a person in Africa dying of hunger, or a person in the United States dying of cancer. Death is the end result because it is what the first man chose. But like the first man we also have a choice of our own. Do we accept Christ and become a new creation in Him, or do we choose death? The decision is ours, because love must always be chosen…never forced.
Travel the Road was created to bring the message of new life in Christ to all mankind. We believe it is choice everyone should have. There is no greater calling to any generation than that of the great commission. We respond to that call and we thank you for your support, for without it we wouldn’t have the means to reach these lands or encourage the church to be active in missions. We ask that you would continue your support in prayer and finance and together we are making a difference!