Thank you for sharing that with us. 61:3). 10. God is causing your suffering because ______. True followers of Jesus are spared from suffering. The tendency is to blame God for these conditions, but Contact Us. For the Christian, then, there is one final reason why God allows our suffering: to point us back to the sufferings of Christ. His work is perfect. Sir Peter, we look at different cases from different angles and backgrounds. Why Does God Allow Suffering? - Christianity All three companies are registered in England & Wales with a registered office address of Unit 6 April Court, Sybron Way, Crowborough, TN6 3DZ . A. I agree with everything that you said, Blessing. One of the reasons why does God allows suffering is because you see God tried to give us a life of perfection. Because of this, some people will get angry with God, believing He did nothing to stop the sin that unfolded. God allows evil to a great extent for the complete and ultimate destruction of evil and end of sin through Jesus Christ ( Col 2:1315 ; Heb 2:1418 ; 1 John 3:8 ). How about in such a case where a mother is pregnant with a child and she drinks alcohol in a heavy dosage during her pregnancy even though her doctor has warned her many times that she needs to stop drinking. Local: 704-401-2432 (2) God is evil, in which case there again is ultimately no good reason for suffering and death. Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen But this leads to a sense of entitlement and ungratefulness. Of course, God is too big and too wise for us to fully comprehend Him. Suffering does not create character, it reveals it. 7. Tim Keller (1950-2023): The evangelical statesman was a pastor first, The hated Peter Hitchens on pessimism, divine grace and burning his Bible, I was abused by a deacon in my church. (a)Why has Jehovah allowed suffering to continue for so long? Honestly, the two most likely explanations are that either (a) God simply doesnt exist, or (b) God exists, but never intervenes in our lives in positive or negative ways; Hes just an observer. Let me offer three ways God was at work amidst Paul's suffering, in hopes of helping us see some reasons why God allows suffering in our lives as well. And if we study Gods Word, then of course its going to give us at least some understanding of the author, and the author is God. WebThis is why Isaiah 55:8-9 says: For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,. It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.Jeremiah 10:23. Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen 3 reasons why God allows suffering - Premier Christianity 18 Some might wonder, Could all this suffering have been prevented if God had created Adam and Eve in such a way that they could not rebel? To answer that question, you need to remember a precious gift that Jehovah has given you. For proper remembrance. The world was blemished. When we suddenly bear an affliction, our pride, impatience, and unbelief will often surface. God Suffers With Us In Our Suffering. 3 Reasons Why God Allows Suffering. He exalted himself, imagining he could And why do you tolerate oppression? problem of evil and suffering If you can program a robot or computer to have human-like learning capabilities, then it raises some interesting questions like: As you can see, the line gets blurry when you ask if a machine can think on its own (i.e. That I loved him. Many question the existence of God by bringing up the problem of evil. Here are 4 Reasons Why. Why does God allow natural disasters Should God stop that married porn-watching man from committing adultery? You might not think that some of the things that you do are evil, but by Gods standard, they are. WebSCRIPTURAL STUDY OF WHY GOD ALLOWS ADVERSITY AND TRIALS . Even after yielding our will to gods (thy will be done) he guarantees people will have suffering in life, God also helped him to get a clearer understanding of matters and to gain greater faith. As for me, nope, Im not Catholic, Lutheran, or Baptist. By the first sin and the judgment of the law, all flesh became weak and sinful unto death (Romans 3:1920; 5:12, 17, 19). 61:3]. Since that day (and with Jeremy now a healthy, boisterous 5-year-old) I have often thought about the way that experience could be compared to the way we are often unable to recognise the purposes that may accompany suffering in our own lives. But I think a lot of times we tend to misunderstand God, so thats why we come to faulty conclusions about His goodness. Why Does God Allow Suffering? 5 Good Reasons He Allows Job 42:2-4, I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. If we have a problem giving Him some respect, does this mean that we expect and accept disrespect from our children whom we dont create anyway? WebThese quotes may give you some insight into what suffering does to Christians who follows Jesus. Jared Wilson, in Gospel Deeps, writes that while we may not be satisfied with what God has revealed about his purposes in suffering, we cannot justifiably say he has not revealed anything about his purposes in suffering. This question can only be answered by a Christian from within their own worldview, and means we must expand our perspective to a cosmic scale. The world is a confusing place right now. What issue was raised in the garden of Eden? To remind us of the severity of the impact of Adams (and our) sin. true. Atheists, skeptics and other critics of Christianity often argue against God on the basis of the reality of evil and suffering. To say that He is good means that God always acts in accordance to what is right, true, and good. 5 Biblical Reasons Why God Allows Suffering - Beliefnet We may not have the answer we are laboring for, but we do have a wealth of answers that lie in the same field.. B. Essentially, the argument is that a deity, who has the attributes of omnibenevolence, omnipotence, and omniscience, cannot exist, since evil both natural and moral exist. Sometimes God has to allow tragedy to enter a life in order to get someone to look to Him for Salvation. Choices that can make us feel pain when we make the wrong choice. Whatever the origin, the result is a world that is not as it should be. We do well to remember that Jehovah is almighty. One reason why God allows suffering is because of the free will He has given us. We believe, then, that the whole created order is in some sense out of kilter at a cosmic level. (b)How does Jehovah feel about wickedness and suffering? Rejoice. For some, suffering leads to an abandonment of belief in God, but for many the opposite is true it causes them to seek God in a world that seems absurd without him. To pick up one theme of suffering in Scripture is to miss the entire picture. We, like Cain must battle our fear, insecurity, shame, resentment and anger. 3,4. Suffering that results from human choices 2. So that Christ will get the glory in being our strength [John 9:3; 2 Cor. WebFive Purposes for Suffering. But pain insists upon being attended to. God is all about suffering (take up your cross & follow me)he created suffering. top of page. Of course not. That is one reason why there is so much suffering. God sometimes allows sin and/or Satan to cause The bible says the devil is an accuser of the brethren accusing them before God day and night. Remember that the rebels in Eden were not the only ones involved. Human rule has now been shown to be a failure. And we know He has a merciful and loving plan to replace this world of evil and suffering with a world of righteousness and peace. The Lord is sovereign and He controls all adversity in our lives. God Be Sovereign and Good and Allow Suffering God will thus use Jesus to break up the works of the Devil. (1John 3:8) Jehovah will bring all of this about at just the right time. From the spiritual part of a case where a child is born with a defect; it is not impossible that the sins of the ancestors and or parents contributed, because God certainly does not intend that anyone should be disabled because according to my understanding, that would contradict Jeremiah 29:11. While yeah, that might be true, but Gods standard of righteousness and morality is way different than yours and mine. (Proverbs 27:11) You too can do that by choosing the right course of life. 1. That is why he couldnt kill Job because Job was still connected to God. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways. If he throws the rebels out of the class, what will be the effect on the other students? WebThe Bible calls us to test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:21), and we can do that because our faith is grounded in fact and well-reasoned thought. People often hold only one view of suffering; however, the Bible does not have one approach to suffering but many. Why Does God Allow Suffering Gospel Deeps: Reveling in the Excellencies of Jesus, Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall Is No Longer a Fairy Tale, The Reformers Were Not Innovators: An Interview with Matthew Barrett, Confessions of Faith and the Baptist Tradition, Giving It All and Getting It All: Puritan Women and Their Spiritual Practices, Sneak Peek Interview: Women & Work with Courtney Moore. The Buddhists have other reasons for why we suffer mentally. Have you ever wondered about these things yourself? When we disobey God and go our own way, it often leads to pain and heartache. Consider how God answered a man who suffered more than most of us: Job. What will Jehovah do about all the harm that has resulted from the rule of humans and the influence of Satan? Sometimes pain increases a persons dependence on God, leads them to draw near to him more, and causes them to study the Bible and pray more. One of those effects is injustice and seemingly senseless suffering. In this discussion, the number 430 crops up, Exodus 12:40-41. But suppose that the teacher allows the rebel to show the class how he would solve the problem. WebHere are 3 REASONS that answer, why does God allow bad things to happen.Subscribe for Bite-S Why does God allow Suffering? Web3 Reasons God Allows Us to Suffer. If there are covenants that the ancestors entered into with the devil, unless they are broken through a sound relationship with God and spiritual warfare prayers; it will affect that family from generation to generation. All of Hi Blessing, so are you saying that a child born with a defect may be born that way because of sins that his mother or father committed? No, we are glad to have the freedom to make choices about what kind of person to become, what course of life to pursue, what friendships to form, and so on. Lewis. In this article, we will be providing 7 Reasons Why God Allows Suffering In Our Lives. Hes a well-known sci-fi author, and he wrote a bunch of novels before passing away in 1992. WebNowhere in the book is it suggested that God allows the tragedy of chs. When a member is down and discouraged, the church is called to lift that person up. God Allows Suffering 21 You have the opportunity to put the marvelous gift of free will to the best possible use. 1:5, 4:11]. To test us. WebSometimes when bad things happen, they empower us to act and serve. Yet Paul includes the promise that one day the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God (Romans 8:21). Suffering prepares us in a way that a life without suffering never could. Is the student more qualified than the teacher? Personally, I dont agree with your interpretation of 2 Corinthians 12:7. If you assume that God is all-powerful, then how come Hedoesnt stop bad things from happening, and end all suffering? They make God rejoice because they take an active part in proving Satan a liar and a miserable failure as a ruler. Phil H6f Why God allows Evil Acts 14:22 They need someone to sit and weep with them, not to present a three-point sermon on why God allows evil. Millions of angels were watching. We learn that God has chosen to partner with humans to deliver communities from suffering, and that he chose to enter our pain by becoming human himself. Now, before we dig into why He doesnt use His supernatural prevention abilities 100% of the time, lets take a look at one key attribute about God. Yes, God Allows Suffering. These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. One of my favorite C.S. Jehovah will end all suffering 4 Did Jehovah scold the faithful prophet Habakkuk for asking such questions? They want to know why such tragedies befall them. Lewis quotes comes into play as you realize God allows you to suffer: We can ignore even pleasure. Share Theyre three compelling reasons, in my opinion, of why God does not stop or prevent all suffering from happening to you, to me, and in the world. We must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God, they said. Some theologians trace this to human rebellion an outworking of the fall which acts both forwards and backwards in time. Thankfully he was also very open about his struggles. How do you make sure that all people who are working on artificial intelligence projects actually program these three laws into their robots? The next step 3. 7,8. On a related note, I have to take issue with Deuteronomys assumption that God is good and just. Why does God allow suffering They came as a result of mans disobedience to God, beginning back in the Garden of Eden; see Genesis 3:16-19. Instead, God included Habakkuks sincere words in the inspired Bible record. few spiritual reasons why God would allow sickness The loving God that we have come to know must have a good reason.1John 4:8. A clever but rebellious student claims that the teachers way of solving the problem is wrong. Five Purposes for Suffering | Desiring God 5 Greatest Reasons Why God DOESN By the same token, it can be argued that meaningful moral and spiritual growth as human beings requires a world where some suffering exists. Law #2 is that a robot must obey a human being unless it conflicts with law number one. 11 Adam and Eve rebelled against Jehovah. So in essence, is that robot more than just a machine since its exhibiting human-like qualities? Why does God allow suffering? We believe that faithful proclamation of the gospel is what our hostile and disoriented world needs. 11. So the world, under his influence, is full of hatred, deceit, and cruelty. He is not responsible for the wars, the crimes, the oppression, or even the natural disasters that cause people to suffer. Why Does God Allow Suffering The argument from evil addresses both natural evil and moral evil. When someone in the church is in need, we are to come alongside them to help them through their suffering. We can be glad that he has not acted sooner, for his patience has given us the opportunity to learn the truth and to serve him. To Test & Build Your Faith. Hmm, you raise some great thought-provoking questions, Ed. Because of their fathers death, the two sons came together. Five Truths for Sufferers from the Book How may we use the gift of free will in the best possible way, and why should we want to do so? Why Does God Allow Suffering? - Billy Graham Evangelistic Hi Laura, yes, I am familiar with some of those verses that you are referring to. How dare dirt question the all powerful loving? Creator of the universe. What Is a Woman? God can Often, the response is that suffering is Gods will and that he long ago determined everything that would ever happen, including tragic events. Five Purposes for Suffering. (Isaiah 55:8,9) Why, then, is there so much suffering in the world? Share WebThere is a fifth reason why Gods children suffer, and that seems to be some lofty purpose of God that He does not always reveal to the believer. Yeah, some of your choices will be good, and some of your choices will be evil. 15 Why, though, has Jehovah allowed suffering to go on for so long? This was an attack on Jehovahs sovereignty, his right to rule. God can never be the author of evil ( James 1:1317 ). According to my understanding and in agreement to be the post; if God is to prevent all bad things from happening, it is either he will kill all of us like the author said, or He will wipe off sins from being in existence because every bad thing that happen is a result of an evil sins, directly or indirectly. (Read 2Peter 3:9,10.) Web1 of 13 Photos in Gallery Provided by Equipping Godly Women. Sinful humans tend to struggle for dominance, and this results in wars, oppression, and suffering. Web Habakkuk 1:3. You learned that truth in Chapter3 of this book. Yet, before we present any apologetic on pain, its important to remember that people who are actually going through suffering need our love, not our logic. God is good, and everything He does is good ( 1 John 1:5 ). You can join the millions who have taken a stand on Jehovahs side. [] CCC, 324. The Bible doesnt diminish our experience of suffering. In the end, it serves a purpose which works out for our good. One is for righteousness sake and brings us nearer the Kingdom of God. Evil is a cause of human suffering. For example, the prophet Habakkuk asked Jehovah: Why do you make me witness wrongdoing? (Job 38:7; Daniel 7:10) How Jehovah handled the rebellion would greatly affect all those angels and eventually all intelligent creation. The great gift of freedom and love that God has given us comes at the cost of the evil that people freely choose to carry out in the world. We must ask the question what does a loving God want for the human beings he created?. Many people have counted pain and suffering as a crucial part of their journey towards Christianity. And so God gave Satan permission to test Job with great suffering. Logical Problem of Evil You cant have it both ways, otherwise hes not all-powerful. Bible Verses-Why Does God Allow Suffering In fact, it is probably the number one reason why people have issues with God today. To tie everything together, Gods primary concern in this world is not to stop all the evil things from happening. By BGEA Staff June 1, 2004 Sometimes they will argue that God may exist, but perhaps He is a weak god, an incompetent one or even an evil one! Job 16:7-17 (ID: 2163) The Christian is not immune to the human experience of pain, suffering, and evil. Moral evil is considered to be suffering caused by either an action. (Proverbs 30:24) Man has made some robots that can be programmed to follow every command. | 5 Reasons God Allows Pain And Suffering. Suffering that results from hurricanes, tornadoes, disease, etc. When you put your faith in Jesus and trust in Him to get you into heaven, then you become born again. We live in a fallen world, and we experience the effects of the fall. ( Matthew 23:3724:2) Since then, however, God does not single out any ethnic group for special favor or for punishment. Copyright 2023 The Gospel Coalition, INC. All Rights Reserved. Beliefnet is a lifestyle website providing feature editorial content around the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news and entertainment. Thats because these laws will prevent the robot from evolving into a bad agent that can harm people. They are a silent testimony of healing and wholeness that enable one to invite God to be present in the pain of another. Why, after ten years of talking with atheists, I'm still a Christian, Click here to request a free sample copy of Premier Christianity magazine. Why As long as we keep faith the suffering will stop, and better things will happen and develop. Of course, you would want to do that, and I would like to also. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away (Revelation 21:4). (a)How does the world reflect the personality of its ruler? Thats also why God does not remove all those people who commit evil acts, because that would mean the removal of you and me. That is why God does not give you artificial intelligence. God allows it because Adams decision brought with it all the consequences These passages seem to say Israel sojourned only in Egypt declares the Lord. Rather, Satan questioned Jehovahs right to rule. If you had the choice to end all human suffering, would you? Well, consider two things that the teacher in our illustration would not do. To remind us that the world is broken and groans for redemption [Rom. (1) There is no God; there is ultimately no reason for suffering and death. Why God Allows Suffering God allows pain in the life of a believer, so they will know him better. PRIVACY POLICY No one has paid more dearly for the allowance of sin into the world. The Bible is providing answers to lifes big questions for millions of people around the world. So, what has Jehovah done? The Bible describes several instances when physical suffering was caused by Satan and his demons ( Matthew 17:14-18; Luke 13:10-16 ). The question of why God doesnt end all suffering has consumed the minds of many people all over the world. 5. Its hard to understand why God allows it. WebChrist has redeemed us to be a light that directs others to Him. WebBe the Bee is a video series about finding God in everything, everyday. What is needed is an experience of deliverance from affliction, comfort in grief and restoration in brokenness. Paul writes, This light of momentary affliction is preparing us for an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look to the things that are not seen but the things that are unseen. In Gods view, there is no difference between Jews and Gentiles.. Sickness can also be the result of a demonic attack. What Does the Bible Really Teach? Canaan was also a place of affliction especially considering the mocking and persecuting of Isaac by Ishmael, Genesis 21:9. Tim Keller's Answer to it can learn), then does that machine have free will or free choice? ( John 1:29 ). I will click on it and check it out. Why did Jesus have to experience so much suffering Rom 5:3-5 This will be explained in the next chapter. Others point to the existence of an earlier rebellion in the angelic realm that sparked a cosmic fall (hinted at in Revelation 12:9). Here is the second reason why the skeptics argument against God (using suffering) doesnt really accomplish what the skeptic thinks it accomplishes: 2. Someone might say that God should simply have destroyed the rebels and made a fresh start. Thank you too Sir. Are you for real?. These machines are capable of learning these types of things all on their own. One, God allows trials in our lives so that we will grow up spiritually, he said. We are now able to judge God? Why Does God Allow Suffering? - FamilyLife Web10 Reasons Why God Allows Suffering BLOGS 10 Reasons Why God Allows Suffering Justin Taylor | October 12, 2012 More By Justin How Three Friends Dropped Out of God has made countless animals, and these are driven largely by instinct. Why However, Satan, one of the angels, chose to go against this and make his own way. Laurie said there are five reasons why God allows trials. Here are five powerful, biblical reasons why God Why Does God Allow Suffering 7 Ways to Maintain Your Faith in Chronic Illness or Pain. Hey Two, would you consider yourself to be a Calvinist? WebPeter understood the significance of the suffering of people who live righteously in the light of Jesus Christ and His suffering. If you've never received the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, then God wants you to see your need to do so. What makes this experience complex is the fact that when suffering comes, several of these types of suffering are often involved which can take a major toll on our spirit. Now think of it: God, in his sovereignty, could cause idle saints to be industrious. He spoke about wanting to return to the religious traditions of his African ancestors. reasons God allows I know that thats what I used to think when bad things happened in my life, and God didnt stop them from happening. Would you like to be one of them? Jesus said that in this world you will have trouble ( John 16:33 ). In 1 Thessalonians 5:14, Paul says, We urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all ( 1 Thessalonians 5:14 ). In doing so, He set aside His glory and lived a human life. Why does God allow sickness John Piper. Promoting them, while claiming their Why Does God Allow So Much Suffering and Evil? by John In the world you will have tribulation; {#2347} but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." God is perfectly powerful and good. Scripture tells us, We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2 Corinthians 4:8-9). [12] : 2 According to Loke , theodicies might have a therapeutical use for some people, though their main purpose is to provide a sound theistic argument rather than to succeed as a therapy. Now just so you understand the point that Im making here, these robots arent built with all the words of a language, or all the names in the world, or all the different ways that someone likes to eat their eggs. If you read the creation story in Genesis 1 and 2, you will notice that God had the same thing to say at the end of every day: And God saw that it was good (Genesis 1:4, 9, 12, 18, 25, 31). Should God only stop gang members if theyre about to murder someone? Suffering is deafening. Through free will, we have the freedom to do what we want and whatever pleases us. God Is Good As shown in the Psalms, which follow after the Book of Job, prayer is shown to be communication with God that is deep, intimate, and honest. So that we will long more for heaven and less for the world. 3 Reasons God Is Allowing You to Struggle So the question is, How will you use the free will that Jehovah has given you? The accusations are simply the things we do that are sinful and which the devil sees and seizes to have as reasons to obtain permission to do us harm. When asked, biologists can explain why the human body breaks down and dies. 4. It was exactly as God wished it to be. 2 Why does God allow suffering? The difference is that compared to Haiti, the US is a rich and prosperous country with the necessary resources for earthquake-proofed buildings, emergency services and infrastructure. 12:6-7]. Reasons Why God Allows Evil and Suffering The Bible teaches that Satan is the author of sin. I had to go to Wikipedia to see what a Calvinist wasso, I suspect Im not one. Has God caused the suffering in the world?