These are some of the Bible passages that ground what I’ve been saying about God’s love, human freedom, sin, a broken creation, suffering and God’s promise to put things right.
Bible quotations on this page are from the New International Version (NIV).
God is love
“God is love.”
Nothing is beyond God’s power
“Nothing is too hard for you.”
Human beings were given a real choice
“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil…”
Sin and death entered what God had made good
“…sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin…”
Creation itself is broken
“We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
Suffering is not proof that God is punishing the person suffering
“Neither this man nor his parents sinned…”
God entered human suffering himself
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.”
God can redeem suffering without calling suffering good
“…suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
God will finally remove suffering and death
“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain…”
Put together
God is love and nothing is beyond his power → God created human beings capable of real choice → humanity rejected God and sin entered the world → human beings hurt each other and creation itself became subject to brokenness and death → God entered that suffering in Jesus → God can redeem what suffering does without calling suffering good → Jesus rose from the dead → God will finally bring justice, resurrection and a restored creation.
If you want to keep digging
Genesis 1:26–31 — God creates human beings in his image and describes the creation he has made as very good.
Genesis 3:1–24 — humanity rejects God’s authority and the consequences of sin enter human life and creation.
Luke 13:1–5 — Jesus discusses people killed through human violence and others killed when a tower collapsed, challenging simplistic assumptions about suffering and individual guilt.
Romans 8:18–25 — creation groans under decay while waiting for the freedom and restoration God has promised.
Romans 5:1–5 — suffering, perseverance, character and hope, and how God can work within suffering without making suffering itself good.
Hebrews 4:14–16 — Jesus understands human weakness and suffering rather than observing it from a distance.
1 Corinthians 15:20–26 — Jesus’ resurrection is the beginning of the resurrection still to come, and death itself is described as an enemy that will finally be destroyed.
Acts 17:30–31 — God promises a final judgement in which justice will be done, with Jesus’ resurrection given as the assurance that this will happen.
Revelation 21:1–5 — the final restoration of creation, where death, grief, crying and pain no longer exist.