What do Christians believe about suffering? and What do Christians believe about God? ~ Jayde

Christians are supposed to believe what God through the Bible has instructed mankind. Though the questions are too broad, basic answers can be provided without too much difficulty.

Suffering first made its entrance into this previously Edenic world as a consequence of sin. Following the sin of Adam and Eve, God punished the first pair and parents of the human race by introducing suffering as a consequence to human rebellion and sin. God introduced labor pain to birth in Genesis 3:16, and he introduced laborious effort to grow crops, that from then to the present must compete with thorns and thistles (Genesis 3:17-19). Also, physical death (as well as spiritual death or separation from God) came upon humanity as a direct result of the sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:19). Though the rest of humanity does not bear the guilt of the sin of Adam and Eve (Ezekiel 18:10), all of humanity nevertheless experiences the consequences of sin by the first pair. This is not the same world that initially greeted Adam and Eve before they sinned. Furthermore, God made additional changes to this world, most notably during the universal flood of Noah's day (Genesis 6-8). Suffering is an ever present reminder of the imperfect world in which we live, imperfect because of not only the sin of Adam and Eve, but the sins of the rest of humanity (Romans 3:10, 23). Though suffering often is not the direct result of someone's sin today (e.g., innocent children often suffer because of other people's sins), suffering is in the world as a consequence of human sin.

Christians who turn to the Bible for instruction believe what it teaches about God. God is "everlasting" or eternal (Genesis 21:33; Romans 16:26). God knows all things or is omniscient (Psalm 147:5; Matthew 6:8). God is holy (1 Peter 1:15-16). God is impartial (Romans 2:11). God is everywhere or omnipresent (1 Kings 8:27; Jeremiah 23:24). God is invisible as a Spirit being without a body (Job 9:11; John 4:24; Luke 24:39). God is love (1 John 4:8, 16). God is all-powerful or omnipotent (Isaiah 26:4; Matthew 19:26). God is Sovereign over all (Acts 17:24-26; Romans 14:11; 1 Corinthians 10:26). One could search throughout the Bible and glean a nearly inexhaustible list of the attributes of God.

God will bring all of humanity to Final Judgment at the end of time. While we yet breath this earth's air, we must prepare ourselves to meet God (Amos 4:12). Become a Christian (Mark 16:16) and remaining a faithful Christian (Revelation 2:10) will result in eternal life rather than eternal torment (Matthew 25:46).