The problem of suffering has haunted humanity since the dawn of time. Who’s responsible? Many lay the blame at the feet of God—if He is good and all-powerful, why does He permit so much pain? Others shift responsibility to Adam, the first man, whose disobedience brought sin and death into the world. Still others reject both and embrace modern frameworks like the Neo-Marxist oppressor-oppressed paradigm, casting themselves as victims of systemic evils beyond their control. But the truth of Scripture—and of human nature—reveals a more complex, sobering, and ultimately hopeful answer. This post will examine, through the Christian lens, who bears the blame for our suffering, what role our own choices play, and how suffering can be redeemed for our good and God’s glory.
The Blame Game: Adam, God, or Ourselves?
The Apostle Paul affirms in Romans 5:12 that “sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (ESV). Adam’s original sin opened the floodgates for suffering, toil, pain, and death. In that sense, blaming Adam for the human condition has some validity. But Paul doesn’t stop there—he adds, “because all sinned.” We are not passive victims of Adam’s rebellion; we are active participants in the same rebellion.
What about God? Some, in despair or anger, hold God accountable. But Scripture resists this conclusion. James 1:13 declares, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God,’ for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one” (ESV). The book of Job presents a righteous man afflicted by Satan under God’s sovereign permission, but never with God as the author of evil. God permits and, in fact, ordains suffering in a fallen world for reasons tied to justice, mercy, and sanctification—but He is never the villain.
In truth, we must also look in the mirror. Our own sins, both individual and collective, contribute to the suffering we endure. Selfishness ruins marriages. Greed fuels economic disparity. Bitterness estranges families. Sin is not merely something done to us—it is something that lives within us. We are both sufferers and sinners.
Man’s Default: Blame Others, Excuse Self
From the beginning, humanity has played the blame game. Adam blamed Eve—and implicitly God—for his sin: “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12, ESV). Eve blamed the serpent. Cain blamed his circumstances. This reflexive blaming of others persists today, intensified by ideologies that paint people as either oppressors or oppressed, never responsible moral agents before a holy God.
But Jesus said, “Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander” (Matthew 15:19, ESV). The problem isn’t merely external oppression—it’s internal corruption. We suffer not only because others are wicked, but because we are. And often, we make foolish, destructive decisions that compound our pain. True healing begins when we own our sin and turn to Christ.
The Neo-Marxist Twist: Victimhood Without Responsibility
Neo-Marxism, with its rigid dichotomy of oppressor and oppressed, offers a half-truth: history is filled with injustice and power abuse. Empires rise and fall on the backs of the exploited. Racism, slavery, war, and tyranny are facts of our fallen world. But this worldview fails to acknowledge one central truth—we’re all villains at some level. As Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote, “The line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.”
This distinction is crucial. Neo-Marxism encourages people to see themselves as righteous sufferers and others as systemic demons. Christianity offers a far more balanced (and humbling) picture: we are all fallen and in need of redemption. Our sufferings are real—but so are our sins. We are both oppressed and oppressor, sufferer and cause. Only the gospel can address this dual condition.
How Believers Experience Suffering
For the unbeliever, suffering often appears meaningless, arbitrary, and cruel. It drives many to nihilism, bitterness, or escapism. But for the believer, suffering takes on new meaning under the sovereignty of God. As Paul wrote in Romans 8:28, “for those who love God all things work together for good.” The Christian endures suffering not as cosmic accident, but as divinely permitted and ordained trial for growth, testing, and sanctification.
James echoes this, saying, “Count it all joy…when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness” (James 1:2–3, ESV). Suffering may hurt, but it also hones. It strips away false hopes and idols, exposing the sufficiency of Christ. Believers suffer with purpose. That doesn’t make pain easy—but it does make it meaningful.
Suffering as a Furnace for Sanctification
Pain refines. God’s people have always learned this. Joseph, betrayed and imprisoned, told his brothers, “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20, ESV). David, hunted by Saul and grieving over sin, penned Psalms that still comfort millions. Paul, afflicted with a “thorn in the flesh,” learned that God’s “power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9, ESV).
Sanctification through suffering isn’t just individual. When believers suffer, others suffer with them—and grow. The church matures when it weeps with those who weep. Suffering bonds believers in prayer, humility, and love. It removes pride and builds compassion. It forces us to depend on grace, not self./
False Teachers: “No Suffering for Christians!”
Some modern aberrations of Christianity claim that faith guarantees health, wealth, and a pain-free life. Prosperity preachers twist verses to promise “your best life now.” But Scripture promises the opposite. Jesus said, “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, ESV). Paul declared, “Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22, ESV).
Any teaching that denies suffering as part of the Christian life is not just misguided—it is anti-biblical. It leaves believers disillusioned when trials inevitably come and turns suffering into a sign of failure, rather than a call to deeper faith.
What the Bible Says to the Sufferer
To the sufferer, the Bible speaks with compassion and truth:
- God is near: “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” (Psalm 34:18, ESV).
- Jesus understands: “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses…” (Hebrews 4:15, ESV).
- Hope is alive: “This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17, ESV).
- Endurance bears fruit: “Let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:4, ESV).
- We do not suffer alone: “Blessed be…the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4, ESV).
Suffering is real. But so is grace. The sufferer need not despair, because the One who bore the worst suffering—Christ on the cross—has walked this path before us, and walks it still with us.
Conclusion
So who’s to blame for our suffering? In one sense, Adam. In another, ourselves. Other people contribute to our suffering sometimes.
But never God, in the sense of being the author of evil. In fact, he is the Redeemer of the evil we choose.
While Neo-Marxist ideology finds partial truth in the reality of oppression, it fails to grasp the deeper truth—that every human being bears the guilt of sin and the need for salvation.
For the believer, suffering is not the end, but a tool in the hand of the Master. God ordains our suffering and it is never without purpose. It humbles, purifies, and conforms us to the image of Christ. It draws us into deeper fellowship with God and His people. And it reminds us that this world is not our home.
In the end, suffering cannot be wished away or denied. But it can be redeemed. And in Christ, it will be.
S.D.G.,
Robert Sparkman
rob@basedchristianity.org
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Francis Schaeffer, Tom Ascol, Allie Beth Stuckey and Nancy Pearcey have some valuable materials related to cultural matters, as well.