Why do bad things happen to good people? Or more specifically, why do Christians suffer? Humans live in a world of suffering, plagued by disease, loneliness, and pain of every imaginable sort. The question, “Why is there suffering?” is not limited to philosophers and ethicists—every thinking person ponders it! Even if one arrives at the answer “Because there is sin in the world,” that only leads to a further line of questioning. For instance, one might ask: “How did this evil come to exist in the Universe? Did God fashion it this way?” The Bible leaves no doubt that the cosmos was not always as we see it now. Upon completing the Creation, God pronounced it “good.” (“Very good” described His assessment of His handiwork after the formation of Man.) Sin, which at root is rebellion against God, began in the Heavenlies. It did not emanate from God, but rather from Lucifer and numerous angelic beings. A thoughtful person might then pose the question: “If evil originated in heavenly places, how was it transferred to this planet?” Once more the Bible provides the answer: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and thus death passed upon all men, because all have sinned.”(Rom.5:12) Generally speaking, we may thereby explain the existence of evil in the world. While this explanation is helpful regarding the general aspects of sin, it still does not answer our first interrogative.
It is impossible for any finite being to accurately account for every single bad situation that occurs in someone’s life. That is to say, I cannot necessarily tell you specifically why God has allowed something bad to happen to you at a given point in time. Some things one will not know on this side of Eternity. Armed with the Scriptures, however, one may draw some conclusions about God and His dealings with His Creation that can help account for the calamities that befall His children.

To read the entire article, click on the title.

Why do bad things happen to good people? Or more specifically, why do Christians suffer? Humans live in a world of suffering, plagued by disease, loneliness, and pain of every imaginable sort. The question, “Why is there suffering?” is not limited to philosophers and ethicists—every thinking person ponders it! Even if one arrives at the answer “Because there is sin in the world,” that only leads to a further line of questioning. For instance, one might ask: “How did this evil come to exist in the Universe? Did God fashion it this way?” The Bible leaves no doubt that the cosmos was not always as we see it now. Upon completing the Creation, God pronounced it “good.” (“Very good” described His assessment of His handiwork after the formation of Man.) Sin, which at root is rebellion against God, began in the Heavenlies. It did not emanate from God, but rather from Lucifer and numerous angelic beings. A thoughtful person might then pose the question: “If evil originated in heavenly places, how was it transferred to this planet?” Once more the Bible provides the answer: “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and thus death passed upon all men, because all have sinned.”(Rom.5:12) Generally speaking, we may thereby explain the existence of evil in the world. While this explanation is helpful regarding the general aspects of sin, it still does not answer our first interrogative.
It is impossible for any finite being to accurately account for every single bad situation that occurs in someone’s life. That is to say, I cannot necessarily tell you specifically why God has allowed something bad to happen to you at a given point in time. Some things one will not know on this side of Eternity. Armed with the Scriptures, however, one may draw some conclusions about God and His dealings with His Creation that can help account for the calamities that befall His children.
To read the entire article, click on the title.