Could a God Who Allows Suffering Really Be Good?

 

[Could a God Who Allows Suffering Really Be Good? by Chris Russell] "And as for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive. (Genesis 50:20)


"The passage...is really an amazing display of God’s plan that was set into place before the universe even began. Joseph had to go through incredible heartache as a result of the horrible sins that his brothers committed toward him. They hated him with a perfect hatred. They sold him into slavery hoping never to see him again. From man’s viewpoint, it appeared that there was no hope that Joseph would ever again be happy.


However, God was able to take an event even as terrible as this and use it for something beautiful. Through Joseph’s slavery, God was able to rescue the entire family of Jacob, which eventually became the great nation of Israel. Wow! What a plan!


There is no such thing as random pain. Ultimately, we know that suffering can be traced to its roots in human sin, which originated in the Garden of Eden. And yet, God has a divine purpose for everything, and He can often accomplish things through suffering that He would not be able to accomplish in any other way.

Because God is omniscient (He knows everything), He truly sees the big picture and knows what’s best. He knows what will bring the ultimate good for the godly, and He allows suffering at times to bring about that ultimate good (Romans 8:28).


As a parent, I occasionally have to do the same thing with my kids. My daughter may not understand why we would have to take her to the doctor to get a shot, but that medical treatment would be for her ultimate good. I can see the big picture in a way that she does not fully understand, Yet, she will probably understand at some point in her life.


One thing you can know for sure is that God loves you dearly. The suffering that you experience is directly related to the presence of sin in the world, but keep in mind that God can use this because of His love for you—this can only be completely understood as it is seen from His eternal, “out-of-this-world” vantage point." Could a God Who Allows Suffering Really Be Good? Russell. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2010/05/21/god-allow-suffering

 

Response to comment [from an atheist]:  [Quote:  One thing you can know for sure is that God loves you dearly.] "And if I asked you to prove it, you would say...what, exactly?"

 

Ro 5:8.

 

[Quote:  Suffering that you experience is directly related to the presence of sin in the world] "And if I asked you to prove it, you would say...what, exactly?"

 

Isa 59:2.

 

"[M]ankind can only see from our "non-eternal," "of-this-world" vantage point. When all the arguments for the existence of suffering fall apart, there's always the old "God works in mysterious ways" explanation. What a load."

 

God doesn't act as you would have expected?  You must be god. 

 

Response to comment [from a Christian]:  "Tradition/classical is not always true/biblical/logical. Lewis was not hyper-deterministic so does have some things of value to say. He was not a theologian nor right about everything (like all of us)."
 

That's right. You can skip chapter three in his book four of Mere Christianity: Beyond Personality: Or First Steps in The Doctrine of the Trinity (in fact, he graciously suggests it himself). He's wonderful-- love him to death (I'm dying for the new Narnia movie ) but these "Almost certainly God is not in Time... (pg. 167)." comments--no.

Is it rude to mark big "X"'s all over my books?

 

Response to comment [from a Christian]:  [Could a God Who Allows Suffering Really Be Good?] "Not if the suffering is eternal."

 

One sin is eternally offensive to a holy God (Ro 6:23).  God has provided a way to be saved from wrath to come (Ro 10:9).  We must appreciate God's holiness and the exceeding sinfulness of sin.

 

Response to comment [from an atheist]:  "How would you feel if you saw someone who was able to prevent suffering do nothing?"

 

Are you sure he does nothing? Isa 43:2.
 

"It costs the invisible sky spirit nothing..."

 

It cost him everything (Ro 5:8).

 

Response to comment [from a Christian]:  [Equally capable, godly believers come to sincere, but different conclusions on any given issue or verse. Using your logic.] "And there it is, cliche of the day."

 

You both make good arguments.  Don't you think that was a fair question, Saul'P?  This question used to bother me.  I asked Enyart about it--Why is it that two Christians who love the Lord and who listen to the Holy Spirit come to two different conclusions on a matter?  In my case, Jn 6:37 was at issue.

 

Response to comment [from a Christian]:  "Listening to the Holy Spirit" is a false system..."

 

Wonder what that still small voice is? 1 Ki 19:12  We listen to the holy spirit.  He guides us into all truth (Jn 14:26; 16:13).  He reveals the things of God (1Co 2:10,13).

 

"Wisdom comes through study and reading of the Word, not through commentaries of man..."

 

That's not a good plan (Ro 10:14).

 

"The Holy Spirit works with and through our perception of the text..."

 

Cults and isms tweak this "perception".  Be specific Bob.  The Holy Spirit take the word of God and makes it real to the believer.  You are not claiming that things can only be known through our five senses are you?

 

"Sometimes it takes awhile for comprehension of specific verses and sometimes they remain a mystery."

 

The Holy Spirit parks us at a verse for a while sometimes, sure (Jn 14:26).

 

"The Bible was given so that we understand who Christ is and how to live for Him. Not to spend hours reading and listening to man's interpretations or trying to figure out what each verse means as a single thought."

 

Don't listen to bad Bible teachers, agreed. :thumb:  Check everything everyone says by the word of God (Ac 17:11).  

"Maybe that does not quite fit into what makes people feel good..."

 

You lost me at "feelings".  Unfortunately, we have become a "feelings" culture.  We live in an age of narcissism.  Emotions are fine but we do not make decisions on emotion.  Liver quivers do not make you a Christian. 

 

"Most people don't like to take the time it takes by just reading and praying for understanding."

 

Prayer meetings--:doh: love the pious platitudes.  Is that your way of never getting out and doing anything?  That's what David did--he had prayer meetings (1 Sa 17:26). :rolleyes:

 

Response to comment [from a Christian]:  [You don't think Godrulz is a Christian?] "He may be in the Body of Christ, but he currently proclaims a false gospel."

 

He isn't a Christian if he proclaims a false gospel (Ga 1:8). Could you bottom line me, Crabsy? What apostate church does he belong to? What false gospel does he preach according to you?

 

Response to comment [from a Christian]:  "Just ask him if Jesus Christ bore his sins and died for his sins."

 

You're at bat Godrulz.  Was Jesus born of Adam in sin?  (Sin comes from the father, in Adam.  Jesus was born of a virgin.  Mary's ovum was fertilized by the Holy Spirit.  Jesus was sinless.  He did not die for his sin but for ours.)

 

And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God [Luke 1:35].
"No man had anything to do with the birth of Jesus Christ. We are told in the Book of Leviticus that the birth of a child caused a woman to be unclean because she brought a sinner into the world. Mary is told that she is not bringing a sinner into the world; He is holy. The union of man and woman can only produce a child with a sin nature. By the Virgin Birth is the only way God could get that “holy thing” into the human family. In Psalm 51:5 David said, “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.” Mary’s Son would be different. He would be virgin born.
You can deny the Virgin Birth if you want to. If you are an unbeliever, I would expect you to deny it. If, however, you write and tell me that you are not a Christian but you believe the Virgin Birth, I will be terribly upset. If you are not a Christian, of course you don’t believe it. However, you cannot say that the Bible does not teach the Virgin Birth, because it does.
Do you know why this Baby is going to be called the Son of God? Because He is the Son of God. Remember that Dr. Luke approaches his gospel from the scientific point of view. He states that he examined Jesus of Nazareth, and his findings are that Jesus is God. Luke came to the same conclusion that John came to in his gospel, but his procedure and technique were different. Dr. Luke has used plain, simple language to present his findings and if we cannot understand his message, we need to go back and learn our ABCs again."
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 4:247-248

Response to comment [from a "Christian"]:  "Brothers SDove and McGee...Some feel that the virgin conception was necessary for Jesus to be sinless. I believe this is not the case...Sin is moral/volitional, not genetic/substance/metaphysical...Jesus was sinless because He never sinned."

Sin comes from the father.  The source of sin comes from Adam’s transgression (Rom. 5:12, 16) and natural birth (Ps. 51:5).  The virgin birth is of course essential Christian doctrine.  Every human being after Adam (Ge 3:6,7; Ro 5:12) suffers under the curse of sin (Ge 5:3; Job 15:14; 25:4; Ps 51:5).  Man is born in Adam and therefore in sin (Ps 51:5).  No man is without sin (1Ki 8:46; Ec 7:20).  Christ alone was without sin (2Co 5:21; Heb 4:15; 7:26; 1Jo 3:5).

More on that. http://vananne.com/serpentdove/GodrulzSaulPdiscussion17Jul10.htm

Could a God Who Allows Suffering Really Be Good?