A further word must be said concerning the blessing we may be to others by suffering well. This message can help you and give you what belongs to you as Gods people." Earth will fully receive her King when Christ comes again, to reign and to rule.. The comfort which we should experience, the comfort which the Father of mercies bestows upon us, is not something we are to hoard but something we are to share. Who Is God, What Does He Value, and How Can We Approach Him? It might be terrible. God loves you. (CEV), John 14:26"But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you." It is not certain whether he ever arrived there, and, if he did, we are not told what kind of reception he received. Dont rely on the fact that you come to church or youve gone through some sort of religious ritual in the past. "Everything in the Scriptures is God's Word. A true believer goes beyond this. So much of the worlds suffering results from the sinful action or inaction of ourselves and others. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Help My Unbelief!" Several years ago, I heard J. Oswald Sanders speak on the subject of spiritual leadership. No epistle describes the afflictions of this great apostle more clearly than 2 Corinthians. He even informs us that such sufferings will be experienced in abundance (verse 5). Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the unique Son of God. Words cant describe the joy and the delight and the fulfillment!, And if they said, But didnt you have a tough time before you got here, youd probably think back and say, Well, yes, its true that those days were painful, I cant deny that. Question Two: Is There Any Secular Evidence to Support the Bibles Claims? God is sovereign, so all that happens must have at least been allowed by Him, if not directly caused by Him. Why does God allow good things to happen to bad people? Lee has graciously given us permission to post it here on Bible Gateway. (CEV), 1 Peter 1:23"Do this because God has given you new birth by his message that lives on forever." Perhaps we could view it this way. Most Relevant Verses Genesis 25:22 Verse Concepts But the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it is so, why then am I this way?" So she went to inquire of the Lord. Why now?" That "why" question goes back thousands of years. Note the texts in 2 Corinthians which indicate the sufferings of Paul and his associates: 12 Now when I came to Troas for the gospel of Christ and when a door was opened for me in the Lord, 13 I had no rest for my spirit, not finding Titus my brother; but taking my leave of them, I went on to Macedonia (2:12-13, NASB). According to the Bible, one reason bad things happen is because the whole world is under the control of the evil one (1 John 5:19). What a comfort to know that both our suffering and our comfort come from a loving Father: 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. Pauls words concerning his suffering should call into question a great deal of teaching popular today, teaching about health, wealth, and prosperity. Related Topics: Suffering, Trials, Persecution, Robert L. (Bob)Deffinbaugh graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary with his Th.M. In other words: look at your hand. But if God is not the author of tragedy or evil or death, where did they come from? But unfortunately, we humans have abused our free will by rejecting God and walking away from Him. And the Bible says that the story of this world isnt over yet. Paul focuses on this group in chapters 10-13. Scripture speaks of God as loving (1 John 4:8), merciful (Ephesians 2:45), and caring for even the tiny sparrow (Matthew 10:29) or the livestock (Jonah 4:11). But the song also reminds us that Christmas isnt over; the promises of Christmas are not yet fulfilled. Because it was through that cross that Jesus conquered the world for us. Another reason why bad things happen in our lives is because of our disobedience. But we can find hope in God's promise that one day, evil will end. Through his Spirit God empowers us to war against the enemy by following Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior during good times and bad times. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Even Billy Graham couldnt fully explain it. What we do know is that when bad things happen, we should not rage against God. The problem of pain doesnt rest on God, it rests squarely on the shoulders of sinful mankind in rebellion against their Creator. Privacy Policy and Christians believe that this life on earth is only the land of shadows and that real life hasn't yet begun. Rom. In verses 1 and 2, Paul greets his readers, reminding them of his apostleship which is by the will of God. 3. God's creation reflected His nature-perfect. 9 And He has said to me, My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Billy Graham: Why Does God Allow Suffering? . According to the Bible, one reason bad things happen is because the whole world is under the control of the evil one ( 1 John 5:19 ). But I am not ashamed! Listen to me that is not to deny the reality of your pain in this life. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Atheism and its inherent teaching of evolution cannot provide a satisfactory answer to the problem of good and bad because they have no ultimate standard upon which to make such a distinction. Pauls suffering is not just unto death; it is a suffering he believes is certain to lead to a horrible death. Is goodness having things that make us happy? 3 giving no cause for offense in anything, in order that the ministry be not discredited, 4 but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses, 5 in beatings, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in hunger, 6 in purity, in knowledge, in patience, in kindness, in the Holy Spirit, in genuine love, 7 in the word of truth, in the power of God; by the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and the left, 8 by glory and dishonor, by evil report and good report; regarded as deceivers and yet true; 9 as unknown yet well-known, as dying yet behold, we live; as punished yet not put to death, 10 as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing yet possessing all things (6:3-10, NASB). 8, 9). Encouragement Verses; Faith Verses; Healing Verses; Inspirational Verses; Love Verses; Books/Printables; Blog. 'These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.'" He provides us with the tools to keep our eyes on Him when bad things happen. No, in my case theres no way God can cause any good to emerge.. If a saint is suffering, then it must be due to unconfessed sin. We were once again presented with the strange contrast of Christianity: as we celebrate life, we simultaneously mourn death. When we see the unjust, the unfair, the painful, and the excruciating, we can know that Jesus himself experienced that same pain on our behalf out of his deep love for us. The following message was delivered on July 22, 2012 by Christian author and apologist Lee Strobel, just days after the deadly theater shooting in Aurora, Colorado. God created us because He loves us. 6, p. 121. Many of those whom our Lord healed also came to faith in Him as their Savior. We had the sentence of death in ourselves (I. Those questions you've been wrestling with come from a belief system theologians call "retribution theology.". It is important to understand that God doesn't punish people. This is why we have evil today. His affliction is such that he loses any hope of surviving the ordeal. His intelligence (or at least his wisdom), his homiletical skills, and his apostolic authority are challenged and sometimes mocked. Christians who hold to either of these views run into severe problems when it comes to the problem of pain. 8 Concerning this I entreated the Lord three times that it might depart from me. In fact, the word excruciating literally means, the pain of crucifixion. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts." 9 Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live? "Why Do Bad Things Happen to God's People?" With Dr. Joel Muddamalle Five different times his back was shredded when he was flogged 39 lashes with a whip; three times he was beaten to a bloody pulp by rods. 29 Who is weak without my being weak? Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. Second, we find revealed in his second epistle to the Corinthians the most human Paul we shall find in the New Testament. Our comfort comes at the highest cost, a cost paid by the Son of God and by the loving Father who sent Him. He stays there for 18 months, founding the church at Corinth (see Acts 18:1-18). How Can We Model the Love of Jesus by Showing Compassion? For all the things it leaves us confused about, one of the truths it clearly illustrates is that life is so fragile and short. Why is being a good person not enough to get you into heaven? Why does God let bad things happen to His children? His sufferings were also those which the Father willed (see Matthew 26:39) and were thus prophesied in the Old Testament (see Isaiah 52:1353:12). 31 The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, He who is blessed forever, knows that I am not lying. Now, the third point of light: The day is coming when suffering will cease and God will judge evil. 25 Whom have I in heaven but Thee? 28 Apart from such external things, there is the daily pressure upon me of concern for all the churches. 8 For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life. Read more. Because love always involves a choice. neither are your ways my ways, declares the, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9, What is sin? He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.To me, thats evidence of a loving God, that He would care that much for you. There was 9/11 and now the Syrian slaughters, and on and on. He had been in and out of hospitals his whole life and yet he made the astounding comment that he thinks God is fair. Salem Media Group. Why Does God Allow Bad Things to Happen? - New Found Faith God is our Father, who comforts us in all our affliction. For as the heavens are higher than the earth,so are my ways higher than your waysand my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9. Yet this is what brings us comfort, that although we mourn, we do not mourn as those with no hope. Where, O death, is your victory? Suffering as saints enables us to know God as we would not otherwise know Him. NIGHT OF OPEN HEAVEN || DAY 46 [100 DAYS FASTING & PRAYER - Facebook (5) Suffering is a bonding experience for believers. How blessed our afflictions will be to us in heaven, if they have been a means by which we have come to the end of ourselves and have cast ourselves upon the mercy and grace of God in the Person of Jesus Christ. To maintain this way of life, God instructed the first man (Adam) to avoid doing one thing: eating fruit from a certain tree in the Garden of Eden where he lived. Then next New Years Day someone asks, So, how was your 2012? Youd say, It was great; it was wonderful! And theyd say, But didnt it start out bad? You had an emergency root canal at the dentist and the ran out of pain-killers. God doesn't will evil to anyone. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). - Jeremiah 29:11. Billy Graham explains in this 1-minute clip. Sanders told of the time he first began to preach when he spoke in a very small church. 8 I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, 10 That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death (Philippians 3:8, 10). Death and weakness from disease and mutations is a must for bad genes to die out. Even Billy Graham couldn't fully explain it. I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:25). There are no words to describe the anguish being felt by those who are suffering today; our heart and prayers have and will go out to them. Jesus stepped into history as the God-man, lived a life in perfect obedience to God (something we have failed to do), and chose to die on the Cross for our sin. If it were not for suffering, we would not know Gods mercy, compassion, and comfort. 21 When my heart was embittered, And I was pierced within, 22 Then I was senseless and ignorant; I was like a beast before Thee. Lesson: Why Do Bad Things Happen? (Tough Questions Kids Ask #3) He later remarried and eventually nursed his second wife until she died. Is goodness found in the absence of pain, or in the absence of fear? Suffering is divine when it is the suffering of the saints for living righteous lives. The key to seeing suffering as we should is found in the Person and work of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. (NIV), Numbers 14:8"If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us." In times of suffering, the righteous are comforted by their fellowship with God, and this intimacy lasts for all eternity: 16 When I pondered to understand this, It was troublesome in my sight 17 Until I came into the sanctuary of God; Then I perceived their end. For one, they put Pauls sufferings in a whole new light. Bible Scripture For Support When Bad Things Happen. Matthew 5:45 notes, "For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Acts 14:17 adds, "Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness." Second, we often only see the good that . If we fail in our suffering, doubting Gods goodness and questioning His infinite wisdom and mercy, then we shall also fail to experience the comfort God has for us. 5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Rom. Why all of this if theres a loving and powerful God? http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/kjv/towb-2.html, http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/meod.html. sickness made me feel tired, frustrated, and less able to serve the Lord)." Open a discussion about what we should do when bad things happen and get input from the students. He didnt resolve all the issues with the characters. Id say, Hey you only read half the book!. 77 May Thy compassion come to me that I may live, For Thy law is my delight (Psalm 119:73-77). But those who dont start with Gods Word have a difficult time providing a satisfactory answer to this important and often emotionally charged question. 1:1-11) 1 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints who are in all Achaia: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. The suffering of one member of the body affects all (1 Corinthians 12:26). In the evolutionary tale, death is the hero of the plot. You're almost done! 16 Bible Verses About Why God Allow Suffering - Assured Faith I dont see with Gods eyes. If your suffering has brought you to the point of acknowledging that you are helpless, and that your only hope is God, you are well on your way. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful." 5 For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Why Should Teolology Matter to Christians? In this view, humans are on this planet because of millions of years of death, extinction, disease, carnivory, and suffering. But God, out of His love for the world He had made (John 3:16), provided a solution to our problem. On his second missionary journey, Paul comes to Corinth with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why do bad things happen to good people? | Bibleinfo.com Judges 6:13 Verse Concepts We know there was a riot in Ephesus incited by those whose incomes were derived from the worship of Artemis (or Diana). Yet it is in this new life that Paul finds true joy, and it is there that we find it as well. 10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The picture could not have been more bleak for the apostle at this moment in time. He nursed his first wife until she died. He began to comprehend that the ancient deceiver, Satan, had used lies to distract him from the reality of God. We suffer because God has willed us to suffer. Let me give you an analogy. I started this talk with part of what Jesus said in John 16:33. When we experience Christs sufferings and share in Gods comfort, we are being equipped to minister to others who will experience similar afflictions: 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; 4 who comforts us in all our affliction so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Maybe we should rethink our benchmarks of spirituality and success.. 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. Once Leslie and I were driving from Chicago to Door County, Wisconsin, which is that thumb-shaped peninsula that juts into Lake Michigan. The suffering and affliction which come to us because we belong to Christ are those sufferings which are righteous, for which we can expect abundant comfort (verse 5). The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple." He promised us adversity, rejection, and suffering because we have trusted in Jesus Christ. So rather than shun death, we should thank death for getting us here. 12 So death works in us, but life in you (4:8-12, NASB). This epistle we know as 2 Corinthians. Its this disobedience that caused sin and death to enter the world, and mankind to be separated from God. They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! A true believer understands that while there is no way man can ever earn eternal salvation, there is but one way which God has provided whereby we can be saved, and that is by faith in the sacrificial death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord, by which our sins are punished in Christ, and Gods righteousness in Christ is given to us (John 1:12; 3:16, 36; 14:6; Romans 3:21-26; 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; 1 John 5:11-12). Few are introduced by telling of their sufferings, rejection, opposition, or weaknesses. He is a merciful Father, the Father of mercies. By The Bible says Gods ways are not our waysand Gods ways are always best. The devil is a liar (John 8:44) and wants us to believe that God is blameworthy. We see how God brought calamities upon the lives of Jews while they left him and followed after the idols. The 364 terrific days far outweigh the one bad day.