On Suffering, Sin and Death

This essay ventures into the heart of the Orthodox Christian understanding of suffering, unearthing its transformative potential to not only lead believers toward salvation but also facilitate a profound encounter with God. However, our journey begins at a crossroads, confronting the problem of evil and its intricate relation to sin and death, foundational elements that shape the Orthodox narrative of redemption and grace.

In the shadow of sin and the looming specter of death, questions emerge about the nature of God's world and His benevolence. The Orthodox tradition offers a perspective where these elements—often perceived as markers of divine absence or wrath—are re-envisioned as the very context in which God's mercy, love, and ultimate purpose for humanity are most vividly revealed. Before delving into how suffering serves as a crucible for spiritual refinement and a gateway to divine intimacy, it is imperative to understand the theological backdrop against which the Orthodox discourse on evil, sin, and death unfolds.

The ontology of sin and the problem of evil

Orthodox theology posits that sin lacks ontological status, akin to how darkness, which has no ontological existence, is merely the absence of that which exists—namely, light. Similarly, evil has no ontological status or positive existence. We can see this when examining the Genesis account of Creation. Upon completion, God declared His creation to be good. This observation underscores that God, faithful to His character, where goodness is one of his many energies, cannot be the source of anything evil. St. Maximus the Confessor, in Ambiguum 7, explains that when we turn our will away from God, we orient ourselves “towards non-being in an absurd way.” This orientation occurs due to the fact that God alone is the fullness of being and the ultimate source of all goodness and life. Therefore, evil consists in the violation of God’s will, the commandments of God, and the moral law which is written in the conscience (Pomazansky, 152). The violation of God's will causes man's suffering, which springs from the disharmony of his spirit with God, Who is the "Law" of our existence (Osipov, 75).

On God's goodness, St. Anthony the Great writes:

"God is good and does only good; He does not harm anyone and is always the same. But when we are kind, we enter into communion with God according to our similarities. When we are evil, we are separated from Him according to our dissimilarity. In living virtuously, we are God's, but when we become evil, we are rejected by Him. However, this does not mean that He is angry with us, but rather that our sins do not allow God to shine in us and unite us instead with the demons. If we later seek out remission of our sins through prayer and good works, this does not mean that we have won favor with God and changed Him, but rather that through such actions and our turning to God, we have healed the evil within us, and we again become capable of tasting God's goodness. So, saying that God turns away from evil is like saying that the sun hides from those who are blind." – The Philokalia (Moscow, 1905), vol. I, 90, § 150 (Russian). 

Icon of Saint Anthony The Great (Source: DamasceneGallery)

From this perspective, death, pain, and suffering entered the human experience as a consequence of sin, not because they have an independent ontological status, but because turning away from the Source of Life necessarily entails moving towards non-being or away from God. This movement away from God—understood as a violation of His will, commands, and law—is, therefore, identified as sin. Thus, when we sin, we distance ourselves from God; as a consequence, we lose life, and therefore, we encounter death.

Encountering God in Suffering

For the Orthodox faithful, suffering is not an insurmountable barrier to God or a simple characteristic of the human condition, but rather a way through which one may draw nearer to Him and begin one true spiritual life. In other words, according to Fr. Seraphim Rose, suffering might produce something genuine that helps the heart to receive God's revelation (God's Revelation to the Human Heart, 29-30). The Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian provide a rich and profound insight into the relationship between suffering, salvation, and encountering God.

In his Ascetical Homily 51, St. Isaac reflects upon the mercy of God and the role of afflictions in leading the soul to repentance. Furthermore, suffering through afflictions can strip away illusions and pretenses, revealing our utter dependence on God. In moments of suffering, the faithful are often most acutely aware of God's presence and providence as He sustains and guides them through their trials. In the profound stillness of deep suffering, we encounter a God of gentle strength who does not coerce obedience to His will but instead reveals to us the paradox of beauty emerging from suffering's grip. Even amidst its apparent ugliness, He assures us that suffering can give birth to profound beauty, demonstrating that the potential for grace and transformation lies within every trial. This transformation is called repentance, and the effect of it is purification. This intimate encounter with God in the midst of suffering is pivotal for spiritual growth. It teaches the believer about divine love — a love that enters the depths of human pain and transforms it from within. Thus, suffering becomes not only a path to knowing God more deeply but also a means of participating in the life of Christ, who suffered and died out of love for humanity.

The ultimate purpose of suffering within the Orthodox faith is its potential to contribute to the work of salvation. This is a process of healing and restoration, in which the believer, through participation in the sacramental life of the Church and the practice of virtues, gradually conforms to Christ's image. In other words, this process of healing is the goal of man's earthly life and consists of his preparation for eternity (Osipov, 76). Suffering can break the illusion of self-sufficiency and reveal our inherent need for God, drawing us into a deeper communion with Him. St. Isaac writes extensively on how the purification that comes through suffering can lead to a profound experience of God's mercy and love, suggesting that through our pain, we can come to know the heart of God, who is close to the brokenhearted.

This understanding is rooted in the very nature of God as revealed in Scripture and the teachings of the Church Fathers. God is described as "slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness" (Exodus 34:6). His long-suffering is not a passive attribute but an active expression of His love, seeking the return of His wayward children. The narrative of the prodigal son, as recounted in the Gospel of Luke, beautifully illustrates this aspect of God's character. The father's eager acceptance of his repentant son upon his return home is a metaphor for God's merciful embrace of sinners who turn back to Him, even after they have wandered far.

Icon of the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Source: Uncut Mountain)

Suffering as a gift from God

St. Isaac the Syrian speaks of suffering as a merciful gift from God, a means through which the soul is purified and awakened to its need for God. He emphasizes that in our suffering and death—both spiritual and physical—God does not abandon us. Instead, He draws nearer, using our pain and mortality as instruments to reveal His love and salvation. This is the ultimate demonstration of God's mercy: He uses even the consequences of our rebellion as opportunities for redemption.

The most profound expression of this divine principle is found in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through His crucifixion, Christ entered into the fullness of human suffering and death. On Christ suffering, St. Maximus the Confessor writes:

"If God suffers in the flesh when He is made man, should we not rejoice when we suffer, for we have God to share our sufferings? This shared suffering confers the kingdom on us. For he spoke truly who said, ‘If we suffer with Him, then we shall also be glorified with Him’ (Rom. 8:17)." – Four Hundred Texts on Love 1.24, The Philokalia: The Complete Text (Vol. 2).

Icon of Saint Maximus The Confessor (Source: BlessedArt.com)

Yet, through His very act of suffering and self-emptying love, death was defeated, and life eternal was made available to all. In Christ's resurrection, we see the clearest manifestation of God's ability to bring life out of death, to transform ultimate despair into eternal hope. This divine mystery underscores that God's presence in our lives is most profound when we face suffering and death. For the Christian, death is not the end but a passage to a more profound union with God. As St. Paul writes, "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain" (Philippians 1:21). This is because, in death, the faithful are not separated from God but are brought into closer communion with Him, experiencing the fullness of life in His presence.

Suffering always reveals the God who is always present, working to bring good out of our pain and life out of our death. In these moments, God works to bring about a transformation that leads to new life. This is the heart of the Christian message: through death, God brings life, transforming our deepest sorrows into the joy of eternal communion with Him.

-GP