Jesus said, "No one is goodexcept God alone" (Luke 18:19 NIV). Why Does God Allow Evil? The pastor said with astonishment, "And you think that is fair?" God Wants to Prepare You For A Future Position or Mission in Your Life Are We Alone in the Universe? Subscribe to receive weekly updates about fresh articles, videos, and resources. My mom had said, David, you stay back from that bank! Of course, you can guess the direction I wanted to go each time I was in the back yard. (Luke 9:23), What does it mean to be a New Creation in Christ? They hid their faces from him as if he were a leper. God's Purpose Behind Your Problems: Spiritual Life in God Of course, if you know the story, you know that God was positioning him to be raised up as second in command of Egypt. The Bible shows us very clearly that God is good and ultimately does not want people to suffer but that suffering is nevertheless a reality in this life. God has the last word! Everyone in this room is somewhere in the midst of these levels of faith. The key word there is learn. God Allows Problems in Order to Test Our Hearts 5 Surprising Reasons God Allows Adversity - David Jeremiah Blog The persistence test asks the question, How will you handle your commitments? Life is about making commitments. But not Joseph. Who would have blamed him for giving up on God? Competitions that allow it will increase the risk to athletes' health, render competition even more unfair and threaten to . 3. But in certain situations, God may use our problems so that He may achieve His will and His purpose in our life. (NAS), Listen to these verses in one of the more contemporary versions: Friends, when life gets really difficult, dont jump to the conclusion that God isnt on the job. Genesis 1:31 says: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.". A Life of Sin Is the Reason for Your Problem With that said, lets look at James 1:2-4, Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. Is Sexting, Cybersex and Phone Sex a Sin? Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way (Msg). Time magazine puts your photo on its cover as "The Person of the Year." Is it possible that God is protecting you right now from something you dont see? Living a sinful life or making sinful choices can cause problems in your life. He wont have an answer. These are so important we are going to spend some focused time on each one. Verse 7 says, "Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. Because you knew there was also the potential for tremendous joy and deep love and great meaning. Of course, I'm referring to the classical problem of the existence of evil. Get the best from CT Pastors editors, delivered straight to your inbox. Subject: Bible Biblical Worldview Problem of Evil Plagiarism scanner Do the Check Writing help Ask for Help Read my essay Go to Read John Hick and the Problem of Evil I am writing on John Hick's piece entitled There Is a Reason Why God Allows Evil. Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? Now, as a follower of Jesus you will find yourself at one of three levels of faith. Let's say that on the first day of 2012, you had an awful day. ", And maybe that's a good analogy for heaven. If the rough spot doesnt fall off, he just gets a bigger hammer or a sharper chisel. Justice will be served in a perfect way. God uses them to develop your faith, to develop your trust in Him. Problems promote spiritual maturity. I sometimes question whether I have ever learned anything except through the rod. It is called judgement. All Rights Reserved. I nearly stepped right in it! The other hunter stepped through the fence and came over to see what it was that was so interesting. Yes, God allows evil. Ive been looking for him and cant find him. Well, as a matter of fact, yes, a white goat just came running by us a minute ago out of nowhere and jumped into that hole right there. The farmer replied, Oh, well, that couldnt have been my goat. Let the words of 1 Corinthians 2:9 soak into your soul: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him.". 1. Weak faith believes that something is a sin when the Bible says its not. But before you take off and leave God, consider the alternative. People who have overcome abuse, a tragedy or any type of problems are more effectively able to comfort, empathize and counsel a person who is going through similar circumstances. Charles Spurgeon looked back upon dark hours in his own life and said: I bear willing witness that I owe more to the fire, and the hammer, and the file, than to anything else in my Lords workshop. [1] Unlike a defence, which merely tries to demonstrate that the coexistence of . Should Christians Compromise With The World? This answers the question you hear so often: "Why didn't God merely create a world where tragedy and suffering didn't exist?" Saul of Tarsus was a Jew who hated Christians. He didn't resolve all the issues with the characters." From start to finish, it was like the title of that children's book: Alexander & the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. And for every trial you face, God is faithful and He will provide a way for you to escape and be victorious. Jesus was sleeping and the disciples woke Him up because they thought they were going to die. God uses problems to DIRECT you - Sometimes God must light a fire under you to get you moving. What does it mean to Contend for the Faith? For example, do you follow God just for what He can give you, or do you follow God simply because He is your loving Creator? NIGHT OF OPEN HEAVEN || DAY 57 [100 DAYS FASTING & PRAYER - Facebook I want to introduce you to four tests that you should expect and it should be no surprise when it happens. If you know the story, you know that God restored his sight and he became a champion for the Christian cause, the great Apostle Paul who wrote two-thirds of your New Testament. As a wise man once said to me, "God's ultimate answer to suffering isn't an explanation; it's the incarnation." Why Doesnt God Care About the Starving Children in the World? God warned Adam saying, But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die (Genesis 2:17, NKJV). The reason being that these test our faith and help us to grow even to the point of becoming complete, and lacking in nothing ( James 1:2-4 ). James then goes on to explain how we can deal with these problems and gain the growth. Suffering is in our lives because we are living in a broken world. Because if you look carefully at things like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes or even viruses, many of these natural occurrences and even hazards are to some extent necessary for the wellbeing of life on earth. I dont know for sure, but I think it has something to do with being centered on ourselves and our own things while we tend to ignore God and His things. Here is a question for you: If youre having problems right now (remember they are for our testing), what are they revealing about you? Read more. These are my notes from a sermon series I did through the book of James. So God comes along with a problem, the same way a diamond cutter would with a chisel and hammer and works on that part of your life. So as we ponder the mystery of pain and evil, we need to be mindful that God did not create them. I have conquered the world.". Then one day my mom caught me at the edge. After all, any close friend can do that. He just lays them on us. However it is important to learn from Jeremiah 29:11 that God does not purpose in His mind to harm you. Here are sixteen Bible passages that help us understand why God allows the presence of evil and suffering in the world: God has a purpose in everything he allows. Browse 60+ years of magazine archives and web exclusives. He cant say, like a Christian can, God is using this problem to give me direction or God is testing me right now to see if Im ready for something bigger and better, or God saw that I, as one of His children, needed a little discipline, so that is what Hes doing. The unbeliever cannot say, like the believer can, God is protecting me from something down the road that I cant see right now. He cannot say, like the Christian, God is making me grow in my character for life now and life to come. No, the unbeliever can say nothing of the sort. That "why" question is not a new one; it goes back thousands of years. Saint Basil the Great, an influential Christian of the 4th century, offers an answer to the "problem of evil", saying "No one who is in this world will deny that evils exist. "Why? Every believer has saving faith, this means you trusted Jesus to save you, forgive you, and you believed that what Jesus did on the cross was for you. The same is true in understanding why there is tragedy and suffering in our lives. Proverbs 20:30 in the Good News Bible says, Sometimes it takes a painful experience to make us change our ways. When I was little I was fascinated by the embankment that was at the edge of our back yard. In the fire, you will be challenged to trust God in some areas and you will be stretched by God in other areas. The Lords Supper Is a Multiethnic Love Feast, Nondenominational Churches Are Growing and Multiplying in DC. Problems prove integrity. God had to redirect him, so he sent him on a little submarine cruise. You will be tested in your persistence in the things that really matter. For what children are not disciplined by their father?" It is therefore important to understand that challenges and problems are not always present so that they may destroy us. (5) Suffering is a Process. Sickness can also be the result of a demonic attack. He makes the solemn pledge that he will take the bad circumstances that befall us and cause good to emerge if we're committed to following him. iOS 16.5.1 (c): You Should Download This iPhone Update Now 5. But God intends and allows it for good! Nature versus nurture. The gold already exist, the fire helps to determine the quality of that gold while at the same time improving the golds quality. The devil is trying to get you to do one thing: quit. What is Sleep Paralysis? He was resold in Egypt to an owner whose wife tried to seduce him. It all happened just 21 miles from where we're sitting. Has God ever used a problem to test you? Any close friend can sit beside you and comfort you and empathize with you. (Joseph said to them, Do not be afraid, for am I in the place of God?
Woodhill Country Club,
Truman Baseball Schedule,
Fox College Pta Program,
Articles W