Q10. How does the great controversy explain the mystery of suffering? JTLD 214

Picture: Q10. How does the great controversy explain the mystery of suffering? JTLD 214.1

The first step is to understand that evil did NOT originate with God. He who loves righteousness and hates lawlessness is not to blame for the world’s misery. Satan, a fallen angel, is responsible for cruelty and suffering. We can better understand violence, hate, calamities, pandemics, suffering, and death when we see them in the framework of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, good and evil—which culminates in the destruction of Satan and his trail of woe. JTLD 214.2

Two great truths regarding God’s authority emerge from centuries of this cosmic conflict: JTLD 214.3

1. A governing authority based on love will always govern unselfishly in the constituents’ best interests. A love-based government’s laws, requirements, and restraints bring greater joy, health, and meaning to life, drawing one into greater connection with the Lawgiver.
2. In contrast, authority motivated by selfishness ultimately exploits and ruins its subjects, despite promises of pleasure, freedom, and prosperity.
JTLD 214

The cosmic controversy shows that the Creator brought into existence sinless angels and human beings, some of whom exercised their free will to rebel against a good, just, and merciful Creator. Consequently, the earth is filled with the terrible results of rebellion. The righteous, as well as the unrighteous, suffer the effects of sin’s reign, including death. However, the believer is the recipient of God’s redeeming grace and comforting promises of the blessed hope of Christ’s return, the resurrection of the just, and the end of the controversy. JTLD 214.4

• Bible Discovery: Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 1:9; 1 John 3:8-10; 4:7, 8
• Further Reading: Ellen G. White, The Great Controversy, p. 499.1
JTLD 214