Why Does Death Exist in a World Created by a Loving God?

By: Brian G. Chilton | September 4, 2022

Death is a reality of life in the world in which we live. But if God is loving, why would he permit death to exist in a world that he created? Most of us know that sin brought death into the world (Rom. 5:12–21).[1] But that does not necessarily settle the question of why a loving God would permit death in this world. Because of God’s infinite foreknowledge of future events, God knew the fateful decision Adam and Eve would have made in the Garden of Eden from eternity past. So, if God holds the knowledge of all things past, present, and future, then we must ask why God created a world where death would exist.

In his book The Existence of God, Richard Swinburne offers a few reasons why a loving God would permit death to exist in the world. This article will investigate some of those reasons while adding a few of my own. We will see that a loving God does have good reasons for allowing death into this world that he created.

Death Exists in a World Created by a Loving God Because of the Importance of Trust

The great Richard Swinburne explains that “if all agents are immortal, there is a certain kind of bad action … that agents cannot do either to themselves or to others—they cannot deprive of existence.”[2] He later explains that God entrusted individuals with the creative power to judge evil. In a real sense, the ability to take life is a matter of trust that the Creator gives human beings. Unfortunately, individuals often break this trust. But it may be said that a loving God would entrust the people of his creation with a great deal of responsibility in a world where death is possible.

Death Exists in a World Created by a Loving God Because of Sacrifice

Swinburne continues by noting that a loving God may have a good reason to permit death in the world to provide a means by which individuals exemplify the highest form of love—a love of sacrifice.[3] Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13).[4] If everyone in this world was immortal in our current state, then no one could know of the significance of the ultimate form of love. Furthermore, the sacrificial atonement provided by Christ would be impossible. Taking Swinburne’s argument to its logical end, salvation afforded by the atoning sacrifice of Jesus would be impossible. Additionally, the emotional sacrifices in works of fiction, such as in Marvel comics, would hold no value.

Death Exists in a World Created by a Loving God Because of Rectification

Swinburne also mentions the importance that death brings to emphasize the importance of rectification.[5] Acknowledging that a person only has around 70 to 80 years on average to make up for past transgressions convicts a person of his or her need to resolve problems before it is too late. If death did not exist in the present world, a person would be forced to live with the consequences of his or her misdeeds for all eternity.

Death Exists in a World Created by a Loving God Because of the Freedom to Grow

If birth existed in the world with no death, then, as Swinburne rightly contends, the “young would never have a free hand.”[6] Youth would always be under the advisement of their elders without the ability to become the elders and leaders of the community in their own right. The Lion King song “The Circle of Life” comes to mind. If death were not present in this world, younger generations would never know what it is like to be free to live as they pleased. In like manner, their children would suffer to a greater degree. This would continue with each subsequent generation to ad infinitum. In a strange way, God uses death as a means to grow future generations for leadership. Remember, it was after Moses died that Joshua assumed his leadership role and led the Hebrews into the Promised Land.

Death Exists in a World Created by a Loving God Because of the Limitation of Suffering

In what is perhaps one of his strongest arguments of all, Swinburne concludes by noting that “there must be a limit to the suffering that one agent can inflict on another.”[7] If people were immortal and lived in their current state of sin, this world would become hell on earth. Dictators, narcissists, and bullies would have limitless power to inflict harm on other individuals for eternity. Furthermore, diseases would continue to perpetrate pain on people without any hope of respite. Can you imagine life being immortal while existing in a bedbound state without any hope of recovery? Again, that would be hell on earth. A loving God permitted death as a blessing to delimit the time of oppressors and to allow present sufferings to lead to greater glories (Rom. 8:18; 1 Pet. 1:6–9).

Death Exists in a World Created by a Loving God Because of Redemption

The last two points are my own. First, God had a reason to forbid Adam and Eve from eating from the Tree of Life in their fallen state (Gen. 3:21–24). If they had eaten of the tree and become immortal in their state of sinfulness, then all of humanity would have been condemned without the hopes of salvation. While sin brings death (Jms. 1:5), a state of sinfulness without death leads to an eternally condemned state of being. As it was mentioned earlier, without God’s allowance of death, even the death of Jesus on the cross could not have occurred.

Death Exists in a World Created by a Loving God Because of the Glories of Heaven

Second, and perhaps most importantly to me, death allows us to experience the glories of heaven. We referenced Romans 8:18 earlier. The text reads, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18). In another passage, Paul writes, “But as it is written, ‘What no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has conceived—God has prepared these things for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9). Humanity is designed with heaven in mind. We were built for fellowship and love. In a saved and purified state, immortality and eternity become heaven. John writes about this final state in the penultimate chapter of the Bible, describing heaven in the following:

Then I heard a loud voice from the throne: Look, God’s dwelling is with humanity, and he will live with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them and will be their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away (Rev. 21:3–4).

Living a pure life with the Creator of the cosmos will be heavenly, indeed. But this would not be possible if it were not for God’s active and transformative impact in the believer’s life.

Conclusion

Death is never easy, especially when we lose a loved one. In my current role as a hospice chaplain, I am around death every day. But I have observed that the passing of a saint of God transfers the person from a state of physical suffering to an eternal existence of peace. In many ways, this life prepares us for the eternal, heavenly world to come.

Often, I hear people talk about the need to preach about hell. While the topic of hell is important, I think the hope we have is found in our future heavenly existence. Contrary to the popular urban legend, my studies have led me to conclude that Jesus preached on heaven far more than we realize, particularly when realizing that his kingdom messages were heavily eschatological. As such, let us be thankful for something that may sound strange. That is, we can be thankful for physical death, as we acknowledge that death leads to ultimate life in Christ Jesus.

About the Author

Brian G. Chilton is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Theology and Apologetics program at Liberty University. He is the host of The Bellator Christi Podcast and founder of Bellator Christi. He received his Master of Divinity in Theology from Liberty University (with high distinction); his Bachelor of Science in Religious Studies and Philosophy from Gardner-Webb University (with honors); earned a Certificate in Christian Apologetics from Biola University and plans to pursue philosophical studies in the future. Brian is a member of the Evangelical Theological Society and the Evangelical Philosophical Society.

Brian has served in pastoral ministry for nearly 20 years and currently serves as a clinical hospice chaplain and interim pastor for a local church in Northwestern North Carolina. Additionally, he serves as an editor for the Eleutheria Journal. At the prompting of the Lord, Brian established Bellator Christi Ministries in 2012. The ministry is aimed to provide readily available resources in theology, apologetics, biblical studies, and philosophy to those who want to know what Christianity teaches and why it should be believed. In 2019, Brian published his first book entitled the Layman’s Manual on Christian Apologetics. After finishing his Ph.D., Brian intends to publish more books. His areas of expertise include early NT creeds, near-death experiences, biblical reliability, the blend of divine sovereignty and human freedom, and the need for empathy in modern ministry.

https://www.amazon.com/Laymans-Manual-Christian-Apologetics-Essentials/dp/1532697104

Notes

[1] For those who hold to Old-Earth Creationist views, death would have come to humanity because of sin but not necessarily other life forms. Death would have already been prevalent in the animal kingdom prior to the arrival of the human species. For Young-Earth Creationists, death came to all species because of the rebellion of Adam and Eve.

[2] Richard Swinburne, The Existence of God (Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2004), 229.

[3] Ibid.

[4] Unless otherwise noted, all quoted Scripture comes from the Christian Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman, 2020).

[5] Swinburne, Existence of God, 229.

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.