Ten Essentials for New ChristiansSample

#9: Show Compassion

Because of the great compassion God has shown to us, we have the responsibility to show compassion for others. Notice how Paul summarizes this relationship between the compassion of God, the sufferings of Jesus, and the privilege we have to bring comfort to others:

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. For the more we suffer for Christ, the more God will shower us with his comfort through Christ." (2 Corinthians 1:3-5)

Q&A

Why Does God Allow Suffering?

Through this study, we have been looking at how much God loves the world and how much he loves you. That’s why a question like this is a difficult one to answer. For one thing, it concerns the issue of suffering and why there’s so much of it in the world. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to be. God created a perfect world without sin and suffering, but it was a world where choice existed. God could have created us without the capability to choose or do wrong, but what good would that have been? God wants us to love him because we want to, not because we’re forced to love him. You could say that by creating the world that way, God was demonstrating his love.

Because humanity chose to disobey God, sin entered the world, and with it suffering and evil. That’s the other part of the answer to this question. Because God is altogether holy, he is not capable of causing suffering, but he does allow it. While that may seem harsh, think of it this way. If God did not allow suffering and evil, he would have to destroy everything evil that causes suffering, including us! But out of his great love and mercy, God allows us to live, and he has given us a way to get back into a right relationship with him." (Romans 5:6-11)

That’s the good news! While we were still sinners, God reached out in love and sent Jesus to live with us, die for us, and be resurrected as an example of what is waiting for us. Someday, Jesus will return to earth to gather those who have believed in him so they might forever be with him in a place with no more suffering, evil, and death. We will be at perfect and eternal peace with him.