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I believe the entire universe exists to display the greatness of the glory
of the grace of God. I might have said more simply that the entire uni-
verse exists to display the greatness of the glory of God. That would be
true. But the Bible is more specific. The glory of God shines most
brightly, most fully, most beautifully in the manifestation of the glory of
his grace. Therefore, this is the ultimate aim and the final explanation
of all things—including suffering.
God decreed from all eternity to display the greatness of the glory
of his grace for the enjoyment of his creatures, and he revealed to us that
this is the ultimate aim and explanation of why there is sin and why there
is suffering, and why there is a great suffering Savior. Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, came in the flesh to suffer and die and by that suffering and
death to save undeserving sinners like you and me. This coming to suf-
fer and die is the supreme manifestation of the greatness of the glory of
the grace of God. Or to say it a little differently, the death of Christ in
supreme suffering is the highest, clearest, surest display of the glory of
the grace of God. If that is true, then a stunning truth is revealed, namely,
suffering is an essential part of the created universe in which the great-
ness of the glory of the grace of God can be most fully revealed.
Suffering is an essential part of the tapestry of the universe so that the
weaving of grace can be seen for what it really is.
Or to put it most simply and starkly: the ultimate reason that suf-
fering exists in the universe is so that Christ might display the greatness
of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in himself to overcome our
suffering. The suffering of the utterly innocent and infinitely holy Son of
God in the place of utterly undeserving sinners to bring us to everlast-
ing joy is the greatest display of the glory of God’s grace that ever was,
or ever could be.
The Ultimate Biblical Explanation for the Existence
of Suffering
of Suffering
I believe the entire universe exists to display the greatness of the glory
of the grace of God. I might have said more simply that the entire uni-
verse exists to display the greatness of the glory of God. That would be
true. But the Bible is more specific. The glory of God shines most
brightly, most fully, most beautifully in the manifestation of the glory of
his grace. Therefore, this is the ultimate aim and the final explanation
of all things—including suffering.
God decreed from all eternity to display the greatness of the glory
of his grace for the enjoyment of his creatures, and he revealed to us that
this is the ultimate aim and explanation of why there is sin and why there
is suffering, and why there is a great suffering Savior. Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, came in the flesh to suffer and die and by that suffering and
death to save undeserving sinners like you and me. This coming to suf-
fer and die is the supreme manifestation of the greatness of the glory of
the grace of God. Or to say it a little differently, the death of Christ in
supreme suffering is the highest, clearest, surest display of the glory of
the grace of God. If that is true, then a stunning truth is revealed, namely,
suffering is an essential part of the created universe in which the great-
ness of the glory of the grace of God can be most fully revealed.
Suffering is an essential part of the tapestry of the universe so that the
weaving of grace can be seen for what it really is.
Or to put it most simply and starkly: the ultimate reason that suf-
fering exists in the universe is so that Christ might display the greatness
of the glory of the grace of God by suffering in himself to overcome our
suffering. The suffering of the utterly innocent and infinitely holy Son of
God in the place of utterly undeserving sinners to bring us to everlast-
ing joy is the greatest display of the glory of God’s grace that ever was,
or ever could be.
