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If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil

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It seems a fair question, doesn't it? If God is truly good, as Christians insist, then how can there be so much suffering in the world? Since ancient times this question has led skeptics to believe that God cannot, must not, exist. Even today's so-called New Atheists show how little is really knew when they use the existence of suffering and evil as a linchpin of their arguments against God's existence. Quite simply, they say, if suffering and evil exist, then God must not. Yet though people have wrestled with this question and allowed it to drive them from the faith, many more have wrestled with it and have come to the conclusion that God does exist despite suffering. They have found that suffering is God's invitation to trust in him and to hold out hope for a better world to come.

If God Is Good is the latest book from Randy Alcorn's who is probably best-known for his last major release, Heaven, which has sold well over a half million copies in hardcover. From my experience, Alcorn primarily writes three types of books: novels, very small books and very large books. If God Is Good, like Heaven before it, fits squarely in the final category. Weighing in at 512 pages, this is a good-sized hardcover that offers a thorough examination and defense of faith in the midst of suffering and evil.

The topic Alcorn deals with in this book is a particularly difficult one. Humility and practicality, trademarks of his ministry, are evident in the books earliest pages. "If I thought I had no helpful perspectives on the problem, it would be pointless for me to write this book. If I imagined I had all the answers neatly lined up, it would be pointless for you to read it." He seeks to get right to the bottom of the subject and, as we learn, a sound theology of suffering touches upon many different areas. This leads him into theology that is increasingly foundational, plunging into deeper and deeper waters. He looks to the source and nature of evil, human depravity (advocating total spiritual inability), free will (arguing for compatibilism), divine omniscience, omnipotence and omnibenevolence, the existence of Heaven and Hell, justification, sanctification and so on. What area of the Christian life remains untouched by this great question of suffering? In what area of life or theology is evil not an unfortunate consideration?

Throughout the book Alcorn's style is stridently didactic, bearing shades of Heaven. But where Heaven depended heavily on questions and answers, If God Is Good leans upon bolded headings followed by explanations. The style is unique in all the books I've read, but quite effective. These are headings that cannot be skipped over as they are integral to the flow of the book. So choosing a page at random, we see a heading of "Free Will in Heaven." Immediately below that is a bolded sentence saying, "Free will in Heaven will not require that we be capable of sinning or that humanity may fall again." There follows seven or eight paragraphs of explanation and then another bolded sentence to delineate the next few paragraphs: "We will have true freedom in Heaven, but a righteous freedom that never sins." And so it continues throughout. This writing style fits well with the way I learn, though I did discover to my chagrin that I tend to skip over headings and often had to backtrack to ensure that I was not missing important content.

As we would expect, Alcorn's teaching is interlaced with stories of grace through suffering. Some of these come from the author's own life while others come from family or friends or strangers. More than supplementary material, these examples show how God has acted in grace toward his people as they have suffered. Though the size of the book may warn some away (then again, this has certainly not proven the case with Heaven) the book is in no way an academic treatise. To the contrary, it is written with a general audience firmly in mind and, because it never gets bogged down in detail, anyone should be able to read and to enjoy it. In fact, though the book does teach some profoundly important theology and though it is concerned with doctrine, it is always pastoral in its tone. This is not theology for the sake of theology, but theology that brings true peace and comfort. Where firmness is required, Alcorn provides firmness, but where gentleness is best, he is gentle.

Writing to those who may see little need to read such a book he says, "We shouldn't wait until suffering comes to start learning about how to face it any more than we should wait to fall into the water to start learning how to scuba dive." To those skeptics who are convinced that the existence of suffering must mean the non-existence of God he challenges, "This is one of the great paradoxes of suffering. Those who don't suffer much think suffering should keep people from God, while many who suffer a great deal turn to God, not from him." And for those who know suffering all too well he encourages, "Our present sufferings are a brief but important part of a larger plan that one day will prove them all worthwhile."

There can be a fine line between exhaustive and exhausting. In the case of If God Is Good, Alcorn has succeeded in writing a book that is long and thorough but not at all tiresome. And though this book enters quite a crowded field, it offers a depth, a thoroughness, a pastoral spirit that set it apart. I very much enjoyed reading it and trust that you will too. I am glad to give it my highest recommendation.

"If God is Good" is an excellent God-focused, Scripture-based book. It gives a comprehensive and balanced look at what the entire Bible says about evil and suffering. If you have any question about why an all-good, all-powerful, all-knowing God allows evil and suffering, this book thoroughly answers it. Some parts got a bit heavy and a few chapters weren't as convincing as others (like chapter 20), but most of the book was excellent and very easy to understand.

The major drawback to this book is it's sheer size. Five hundred pages is daunting enough for the average reader. When I realized that the small font makes this book equal to about 850 normal pages, I began to wonder who the target audience was. Most people I know wouldn't have the time or interest in reading such a large book, no matter how good the material. This is too bad since the information is excellent.

Part of the length problem is that there was a lot of repetition. In each section, he answers the question of evil and suffering from a slightly different angle and often repeats previous material in the argument. Yet you can't skip any part without potentially skipping the bits of excellent new material woven into it.

If you get into debates about evil and suffering and need to know all of the possible questions and answers, this is an excellent book to read. If you want to understand the idea of free will better, this is an excellent resource. If you're a pastor or ministry leader, you owe it to those you lead to know the information in this book. However, if you're suffering deep sorrow, I'd highly recommend "Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow" by Nancy Guthrie. It gives many of the same points in a sympathetic, caring manner and with much fewer words.


Reviewed by Debbie from ChristFocus Book Club

In my ministry career there have been a handful of events that have occurred where I had to throw out completely my lesson plans for the week and deal with the fears and questions each event brought with them.

After 9/11 I can remember sitting with the teens and college students in the class room- all of us seemed shell shocked and confused. "How could this have happened?"

After Katrina ripped into New Orleans and the Gulf Coast I gathered with some students in the gym as we tried to make sense of what we were witnessing on television. "What can we do?"

After the Virginia Tech massacre I struggled to help my students process through why something so senseless could have happened. "Why?"

Asking questions about evil and suffering when world events happen is one thing. But how do you deal with pain and hurt and cancer and evil and suffering and death when they strike closer to home?

Many have wrestled with the question: "If God is good why does evil and suffering happen?" As a minister I wrestle with find a resource out there that will help me walk alongside someone as they struggle through personal pain, agony, and questions. Unfortunately, finding the right resource has been next to impossible. There are just way too many mixed messages out there.

Typically books concerning the nature of evil and suffering in this world and whether or not an all-powerful God can do anything about it typically fall into three categories: 1) They are written from the perspective of an atheist and therefore write off any discussion about God and faith, 2) They are a sugary sweet devotional book that can be summed up with a pithy "Trust God and it will all work out" finale, or 3) They are deep philosophical treatises that often take readers, who are desperately seeking answers now, months to work through (if they finish).

If God Is Good by Randy Alcon is decidedly much different and, rather than adhering to these categories, charts a brand new course. Alcorn does a tremendous job discussing the problem of suffering and evil in a way that is both personally engaging and full of scriptural integrity. This book is filled with personal stories of those who have been subjected to the worst that evil and death could throw at them. Some of these stories will tear your heart open. Make no mistake, this is no warm and fuzzy devotional book meant to rest on your bed side table. This is an engaging, thoughtful, well-reseached, and challenging book that will give you answers and hope in the middle of whatever storm you are facing.

Alcorn finds his hope within the pages of scripture. He writes in the opening section that, as believers, we can deal openly and honestly with the problem of pain and suffering because God's Word deals openly and honestly with it. He writes, "The Bible never sugarcoats evil." Alcorn takes on false arguments, false gospels, and false expectations that all seek to distort, confuse, and destroy the faith of millions who face suffering and true evil. One recurring theme in his book is that it seems that those who have only dealt with suffering in the philosophical realm have walked away from their faith while those who have experienced real suffering draw closer to God and have found meaning and purpose in his loving arms.

As a resource, I love this book. Alcorn has meticulously studied this subject and each chapter includes generous footnotes. There is a helpful Scripture index as well as a topical index that make this a user-friendly book about a most difficult subject. Every minister should read this book and keep it at close reach on their desk. Evil and suffering will strike sooner or later. With If God Is Good by Randy Alcorn you will be prepared to minister to those left in its wake.

Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my seventy-five years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness, whether pursued or attained. ~ Malcolm Muggeridge

My dad survived throat cancer and dealt with a lot of suffering from the chemotherapy. When he first became ill I remember asking God why he would give my dad throat cancer when my father is a preacher and missionary and has served God for most of his life. To be frank, I felt it was unfair. Now that his cancer has returned and is in his lungs he is again going through chemotherapy. As many have experienced, I again questioned God and also felt overwhelmed with the world's suffering which mostly seems born of the evil actions of mankind. So with this happening in my life I read "If God Is Good" with a troubled heart.

While many have found this book comforting, I found it unsettling. Each time the author mentioned another person suffering or another individual being murdered or abused I felt myself becoming angry. Then Randy Alcorn would explain the reasons for the tragedy and I'd feel a little better. This went on through the entire book right up until the last chapter. I literally had to force myself to read this book because it dealt so deeply with things I have been thinking about recently.

If you wish for a peaceful world some of the realities in this book will frustrate you as they did me. Randy Alcorn presents case after case of evil's destructive influence. Then Randy says: "If God allowed less evil in the world, there would also be less good." While this is hard to believe at first it does start to make some sense as you finish the book.

So while reading this book did not put my mind at ease, I have lots to think about. No matter what anyone says about evil and suffering I've decided that the only thing we can really do is to accept that bad things are going to happen and that somehow we have to trust that God knows what he is doing when he allows illness, early death and grief.

When I look back at my own short life there were many times when I suffered emotionally and I can truly say it was for the best. Through suffering I've become a better person even though at the times I was in pain I thought nothing worse could ever happen to me. In retrospect, all the bad things I thought were happening to me actually turned out to be the best things that could ever happen. If I had married the man I thought I was supposed to marry my life would have turned out rather different. So while the rejection made me feel like the world was ending, now I am totally thankful for what happened. When you are in a bad situation you may think the pain will never end, but it does eventually even if it takes years.

~The Rebecca Review

If God is Good by Randy Alcorn is a stunning must read. Recent years have seen several books attacking Christianity, and much of the arguments against the existence of God are based upon the presence of evil and suffering within the world.Alcorn spent years pulling together materials to support his thesis that of course God is good, and that He has a reason for the suffering we face. Through liberal usage of Scripture as well as commentaries by lots of theologians, he offers case after case for the goodness of God. I kept a pen and pad of paper next to me while reading this book, because there is an astonishing amount of wisdom here. For Christians struggling with this issue themselves, this offers answers. For those suffering, it offers hope, and for those who question God on this basis, it will force them to question their certainty. This is a book you truly need to read for yourself because it is certain to become a pivotal book in Christian theology.

My latest book to read and review was If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn. I was really looking forward to this book because I have always admired Alcorn's work. He's always biblically and theologically sound while at the same time dealing with real questions that real people ask. This book was no exception.

This book is a huge volume - 494 pages. However, the chapters are short enough to be read and digested in one sitting. They are also comprehensive, covering just about any topic or question someone might raise about the questions of evil and suffering. Alcorn has done his homework on this topic. The reader can tell that these are questions that are important to the author. He wants to present a biblically sound answer to the questions that rock the faith of believers and present real challenges to the faith of unbelievers. Alcorn is also honest enough in his presentation to show that the lack of real faith in unbelievers actually helps to increase their frustration with God on this topic. His purpose in this book is not only to show what Scripture has to say about evil and suffering, but to show that the Christian faith presents the best defense of these issues and the only real basis for hope in the midst of the pain. He does not try to be a public defender for God. He allows God's word to speak for itself.

Alcorn's book is the best I have ever seen on this sticky subject. Most of the books I have seen either present a mushy defense that is heavily weighted on a loving God or read like theological defense with about as much readability as a the congressional tax code with little compassion for the deep questions and pain that people experience. Alcorn uses a lot of relevant stories of suffering and how those who experienced them found real hope in the Christian faith. This book should be on every pastor's shelf and should be the basis for a relevant sermon series on this topic for his flock.

The first thing you notice about this book - If God Is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil - is its size. Weighing in at 512 pages, it's far from the small books that you sometimes find in Christian bookstores. Books this size are usually either novels or academic works. Not this book, though. It's theological, but not just academic. It's written for anyone who is wrestling with the question of how evil and suffering can coexist with a God who is both good and powerful.

If you've wrestled with this question, you know it's a theological one. There are all kinds of issues to work through: the nature of good and evil, divine sovereignty and human choice, for example. The theodicy question is not an easy one, and it takes some skill to navigate the issues.

But this question is also a practical one. If evil and suffering only presented an intellectual problem, it would be one thing. But what do you say to a rape victim, or a parent whose baby has died, or to a cancer patient who is facing death?

If God Is Good is one of those rare books that manages to be both theological and practical at the same time. Of course, this is how theology is supposed to be, but not every book pulls it off. Alcorn deals with all the theological issues, but also offers stories that illustrate how others have confronted suffering. He also writes as someone who has clearly experienced suffering himself, and as a result the applications he offers are both practical and helpful.

"I hope you are finding help from reading If God is Good," he writes, "but I also hope it's clear that I'm not proposing shrink-wrapped answers. There are none."

I would recommend this book to someone who is suffering and looking for biblical insight. It's theological and helpful and avoids glib answers to complex questions. It's a little big for someone who is not a reader, but it's clearly organized so that someone can find what they need in the book even if they don't read it all the way through.

But I would also recommend this book in general because we all need to grapple with these issues. Alcorn writes, "Those without a biblically grounded theology of suffering are always just one accident, disease, disability, natural disaster, or combat fatality away from losing their faith."

I'd also recommend this book to pastors. There are tons of helpful illustrations and resources in this book. I've made references in the back to help me find illustrations and quotes on the topics covered in this book.

Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. We all know others who are suffering. Randy Alcorn helps us confront the questions of suffering in a theologically accurate and practical way. I highly recommend this book.

I would highly recommend Randy Alcorn's "If God is Good: Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil." I was fortunate enough to receive a copy in a special pre-release. This book is available at Amazon.com for under $17.00 a piece (http://www.amazon.com/If-God-Good-Faith-Suffering/dp/160142132X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253895665&sr=8-1). [...].

One of my favorite chapters was dedicated to the topic of "A Deeper Consideration of What Our Sin Nature Does and Doesn't Mean." The author explored sins of omission. One biblical author described such an idea when he said, "So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin" (James 4:17, ESV). We too often focus on what we are not supposed to do and fail to actually notice what we are supposed to do. God is not interested in us being good as he is us being godly - thinking, feeling, acting, and talking like Jesus Christ. The book illustrates this point by sharing the tragic story of "The Saint Louis." This was a boat that was full of Jews who were seeking sanctuary in a nation that would be willing to protect them from the evil policies of Nazi Germany. The nations of Cuba, United States, and Canada all denied their entrance by citing standing immigration policies. They responded this way even though they were fully aware of the danger in forcing these groups to return to a continent which had erupted in war and genocide. Many of these individuals later died in concentration camps as they were invaded and thus captured by Hitler's forces.

The author writes, "We speak of Germany's evil but both the United States and Canada didn't care enough about these defenseless people to open their borders to them, and as a result many of them died. Had Germany not threatened Europe and our own country, but simply executed millions of Jews within its borders, would we ever have come to their defense? We like to to think we're made of better stuff, but we are all part of the same fallen race" (Alcorn 75). Evil is a shared responsibility. I pray that the church, I pray that my church, I pray that I will further God's Kingdom here on earth by bringing grace and justice.

The author warns, "Apart from Christ, we are different from every notorious murderer and ruthless dictator only in degree, not in kind (Alcorn, 75)." I can't read those words without becoming greatly troubled . . . not because I know them to be untrue but because they are completely true. Every time I measure myself against someone worse than me I am lying to myself. Every time I wish ill on another human being , every time I secretly hope that "they get theirs", every time I want justice to be served - I am forgetting that if it was not by the grace of God I could have done the exact same thing - I could have been that type of person. Shouldn't my response then be to show them that same grace - to give them what they do not deserve as well? Does it trouble me to think that God loves that terrible individual as much as he loves me? That I would be in that same company?

The moment we drift from the grace of God is the moment that we begin to grow comfortable with the evil in our own life. We quickly forget that we are not yet holy. That we are not yet sanctified. That we are still sinners. Rebels . . . who have been reconciled, restored, and are being renewed. We must still be on guard that there are temptations and tests ahead. The target is still very much on our back. We must respond with a humility and an honesty - with a heart of repentance and wisdom. Our goal is not to face temptation as it is but instead to run from it. Flee. Believe it or not, Christ is most honored when we remember how much we have been forgiven. Our response is then one of gratitude and worship - we adore God for who he is and for what he has done rather than for who we think we are and what we feel obligated to accomplish. We also then will begin to believe again that God's grace is enough for those that we have been guilty of hating the most. Wasn't Peter once a racist? He became a revolutionary. Wasn't Paul a terrorist? He became a missionary. Why not your enemy? Don't focus on what you are not supposed to do as much as on what you are supposed to do - love God and love others - seek and save that which is lost.

Official Description: Every one of us will experience suffering. Many of us are experiencing it now. As we have seen in recent years, evil is real in our world, present and close to each one of us. In such difficult times, suffering and evil beg questions about God--Why would an all-good and all-powerful God create a world full of evil and suffering? And then, how can there be a God if suffering and evil exist? These are ancient questions, but also modern ones as well. Atheists such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and even former believers like Bart Ehrman answer the question simply: The existence of suffering and evil proves there is no God.

In this captivating new book, best-selling author Randy Alcorn challenges the logic of disbelief, and brings a fresh, realistic, and thoroughly biblical insight to the issues these important questions raise. Alcorn offers insights from his conversations with men and women whose lives have been torn apart by suffering, and yet whose faith in God burns brighter than ever. He reveals the big picture of who God is and what God is doing in the world-now and forever. And he equips you to share your faith more clearly and genuinely in this world of pain and fear. As he did in his best-selling book, Heaven, Randy Alcorn delves deep into a profound subject, and through compelling stories, provocative questions and answers, and keen biblical understanding, he brings assurance and hope to all.

Official Biography: Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspectives Ministries and a bestselling author. His novels include Deadline, Dominion, Edge of Eternity, Lord Foulgrin's Letters, The Ishbane Conspiracy, and the Gold Medallion winner, Safely Home. He has written eighteen nonfiction books as well, including Heaven, The Treasure Principle, The Purity Principle, and The Grace and Truth Paradox. Randy and his wife, Nanci, live in Oregon and have two married daughters and four grandsons.

Randy Alcorn has become a world-class theologian!

You know those questions that niggle in the back of your head, and you hope nobody asks you?

» Why is there evil in the world?
» Why does God allow suffering?
» What's with a good God sending people to Hell?
» What about senseless evil? If God is all powerful, why doesn't He stop it?
» How can life make sense in light of all this guck in my life?

Randy Alcorn has written If God is Good to answer all these questions, and many more, in language that average people like you and I can understand.

I am seriously not good at reading theological tomes. If God is Good is just about the deepest theological book I've read in years, but it isn't heavy - Randy will delve into a theological topic by starting with a representative story, explain the topic, and give good reader relief with appropriate supportive real-life and/or biblical examples. His approach is loving and full of grace.

Definately a must-read.

This is a very helpful book, but there is a lot to take in, so don't try to read it fast. It would be great as a reading group project also. It is divided into 11 sections:

1. Understanding the Problem of Evil & Suffering
2. Understanding Evil: It's Origins, Nature & Consequences
3. Problems for Non-Theists: Moral Standards, Goodness & Extreme Evil
4. Proposed Solutions to the Problem of Evil & Suffering: Limiting God's Attributes
5. Evil & Suffering in the Great Drama of Christ's Redemptive Work
6. Divine Sovereignty & Meaningful Human Choice: Accounting for Evil & Suffering
7. The Two Eternal Solutions to the Problem of Evil: Heaven & Hell
8. God's Allowance & Restraint of Evil & Suffering
9. Evil & Suffering Used for God's Glory
10. Why Does God Allow Suffering?
11. Living Meaningfully in Suffering

There is a lot of scripture quotes and personal stories that help to explain everything clearly. I found this book to be very interesting and I had quite a few 'a ha!' moments.