Living in a Fallen World

Overview

Have you ever wondered, “If there is a God, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world?” This is an important and universal question. Everyone, at some point, asks it. And the answer one reaches has significant consequences for our view of God. Does God not know about evil and suffering? Does He not care? Is He unable to do anything about it? Is God evil Himself? Does He control evil and suffering for some purpose we cannot fathom? Suffering cannot be avoided. It is a fact of life for fallen people living in a fallen world. It has been said that if you are not suffering at this moment, you will be, so you should use the present opportunity to prepare for that inevitability. This Section dives into a biblical worldview that accounts for suffering and provides a hope to not only endure but grieve, hope, and even grow through experiences of suffering as we look forward to a future glory that is to be revealed.

In this Journey Section you will:

• Be helped to understand how evil and sin came to exist in the world
• The extent of the consequences of sin in our lives and the world
• How to deal with sin and temptation in a God-honoring way
• Develop a biblical view of suffering
• Consider how to respond to suffering in your life with the hope of the gospel
• Think about how to live as a follower of Christ in a fallen world

Author: Randy Pope

Randy Pope is the founding pastor of Perimeter Church in Johns Creek, Georgia. He is in his 53rd consecutive year of discipling a few men. His personal passion and commitment is to make and train disciples of Christ. He is the founder and President of Life on Life Ministries, an organization committed to establishing life-on-life missional discipleship in churches worldwide.

In addition to training church leaders throughout the world, he has been a guest lecturer at numerous universities and graduate schools. He has written books specifically for pastors and leaders, The Intentional Church and Insourcing. He has developed resources used around the world that include: The Journey, a gospel-centered resource for discipleship, and Express Your Faith, a relational way to help others investigate Christ. He has also developed resources for those exploring Christianity that include Life Issues and Next Steps booklets. For other resources and works from Randy Pope, visit LifeonLife.org.