“who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.” 1Peter 2:23-24
It is hard to believe that God is in control of all things when there is so much evil in the world. There is evil in the world, this is an undeniable fact, how it got here leaves us with only two choices. First, God is sovereign and there is an ultimate and glorious purpose for sin which is to reveal the love and holiness of God, and second, God is not in control but evil men have ceased control for a time. The second choice for understanding why there is sin in the world does not understand God as God, but something less than God.
The biblical understanding of sin is that God in His divine sovereignty permitted it, and thereby willed it, but in His love dealt with it in a most severe way. First, God created hell to punish sinners for eternity; second, God placed upon His only begotten Son the sins of all those chosen to receive His grace and mercy. The revelation of God is costly and it was most costly to the Son of God.
Some will say, ‘how is it most costly for Christ when men will spend an eternity in hell?’ What is being considered in the previous statement is quantity not quality. Men are evil; therefore, they want no part of God, His holiness, law, love, character, and especially Lordship. Christ is the God/man who as the Son of God loves the Father with a love perfect and far-reaching as infinity. Now imagine, as if we could, One with such love and devotion toward God cursed by Him. Only infinite love can know infinite suffering.
The Christian is one who considers the sufferings of Christ infinitely worse than his own, and appreciates them as undeserved, and as a substitute for his sinful rebellion and hatred of God!
This is the transforming love of Christ!