Article 2 of 14 | Honest Questions
by Dr. Timothy Mann
The story of suffering is not finished. Romans 8:18 says the sufferings of this present life are not worth comparing to the glory still to come, and Revelation 21:4 promises a day when death, sorrow, and pain themselves pass away. That promise does not erase present grief, but it means the grief is not the final word.
This is the second half of the answer to one of the hardest questions a person can ask: if God is good, why is there so much suffering? Part one established two truths: the world was not made this way, suffering is the consequence of a good creation broken by human freedom, and God has not stood at a distance from that brokenness, He entered it Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. What follows is the third truth, the one that reaches furthest into the future.
The Story Is Not Over
The third truth, and this is where the Christian answer to suffering is most distinct from every other framework, is that the story is not over. Paul says in Romans 8:18 that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed. That is not dismissing the suffering. It is placing it in a context larger than the present moment.
The Christian faith is fundamentally forward-looking. It does not say suffering does not matter. It says suffering is not the final word. There is a day coming, the Bible calls it the day of the Lord, the return of Jesus Christ, when everything broken will be made right. When every injustice will be answered. When every tear will be wiped away. When death itself will be swallowed up in victory.
“And 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 21:4, NKJV)
No more pain. No more death. No more grief. These are not the words of wishful thinking. They are the words of a God who has already demonstrated His power over death by raising His Son from the dead, and who has promised to bring that same resurrection power to bear on the entire created order.
For someone in the middle of suffering right now, the promise of future redemption can feel cold. It can feel like telling a man drowning in the ocean that the weather will be beautiful next week. That reaction is understandable, and future glory is not offered here as a reason not to grieve now. Grief is right. Jesus wept, and so can you.
But this much can be said: your suffering is not meaningless. It is not the end of the story. It is not evidence that God has abandoned you or that the universe is fundamentally indifferent. It is a chapter, a painful, real, costly chapter, in a story that God is writing toward a conclusion better than anything we can currently imagine.
Romans 8:28 says that all things work together for good to those who love God. Not that all things are good; some things are genuinely terrible. But that God is working in all things, including the terrible ones, toward an ultimate good that will make sense of what is currently senseless. That is not a cliche. That is a promise from the God who entered the suffering to redeem it.
A True Answer, Not a Comfortable One
If God is good, why is there so much suffering? The world was not made this way; suffering is the consequence of human freedom and human sin breaking a world God made good. God has not stood at a distance; He entered the suffering in the person of Jesus Christ, experienced it fully, and absorbed its ultimate cost at the cross. And the story is not over; there is a day coming when every broken thing will be made right, every tear wiped away, every injustice answered.
That is not a comfortable answer, but it is a true one. And true answers are the only ones worth having when the suffering is real.
APPLICATION & REFLECTION
If you are in the middle of suffering right now, consider the God who entered it with you: not a distant deity offering explanations, but a present Savior who has promised to bring you through. What would change in your grief this week if you let it be honest and hopeful at the same time? Where do you need to trust that God is working, even when the good is not visible yet?
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If you missed the beginning of our series “Honest Questions” find the article links below:
Article 1: If God Is Good, Why Is There So Much Suffering? (Part 1)
FAQ
Q: Does God promise suffering will end?
A: Yes. Revelation 21:4 promises a day when God wipes away every tear, and death, sorrow, and pain pass away permanently. This is grounded in Christ's resurrection, which is the proof that God has power over death.
Q: How can suffering work together for good?
A: Romans 8:28 does not say all things are good; it says God works in all things, including genuinely terrible things, toward an ultimate good. Suffering is not meaningless, but its meaning is often not visible until much later, if at all in this life.