Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why suffering? 9/11 Katrina, friends going through extremely difficult times.
Why would God allow this? What benefit is evil and suffering? What is the point?
God does not exist for our human happiness. God exists because God exists. We’re funny as humans, we think God owes us answers, we think He owes us happiness.
Think about it…for a being that powerful…to even look our way and acknowledge us would be an unbelievable blessing!
The Bible doesn’t shy away from the problem of evil and suffering. This isn’t just a problem for the Christian worldview…every worldview must answer this.
The atheist must hold that evil proves God does not exist, the pantheist must why evil is not ultimately ‘real evil’…and the Christian must wrestle with this question as well. Evil and suffering…what’s the point?
If evil exists…good must exist…if that’s the case, there must be a moral law to differentiate the two…therefore, there must be a moral law giver.
What do you say to the skeptic that says…there is no God because if there was, he would never allow this evil and suffering. He’d clean everything up.
John 9…some skeptics ask Jesus weather a blind man is blind because of his own sin or his parents sin…Jesus answered them…Neither, but that the work of God might be displayed.
You simply can’t understand the blindness of the soul until you’re humble enough to know that only God can bring healing.. .Jesus is saying this… the real tragedy is not the blindness but the tragedy of those who thought they actually could see…but were blind.
Suffering gives us a measurement and an appreciation of good. Why do good things happen to bad people?
We need to remember…suffering is not just a by-product of evil…good often comes out of it.
Suffering is indeed at the heart of the answer for the Christ follower. The center piece of Christianity…the cross. Christs answer to defeat evil, was to suffer it into submission. Wickedness was at its most visible when pure love was crucified.
With the cross at the center of this question…the focus shifts dramatically. The problem of evil is first an internal issue before it’s a cosmic one.
Suffering has a way of reminding us life is finite. Suffering refines us. Some say suffering is the cause of meaninglessness. But I’ve known too many people who have NEVER suffered who claim life is empty.
Video this weekend…Frankie and Kele…tragedy brought stronger faith.
In your life…suffering/tragedy…no matter how big or small….how has Gods goodness and mercy shown as a result of that?
How can something great/eternal/good come out of so much evil and suffering?
We need only to look to the cross …..to answer that question.
