WHY DOES GOD ALLOW BAD THINGS TO HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE?

This is a real difficulty, but atheism is certainly not the answer, and neither is agnosticism. While there is much evil in the world, there is even more that is good . This is proved by the mere fact that people normally try to hang on to life as long as they can. Furthermore, everyone instinctively recognizes that “ good ” is a higher order of truth than “bad”. We need also to recognize that ourvery minds were created by God. We can only use these minds to the extent that He allows, and it is, therefore, utterly presumptuousfor us to use them to question Himand His motives. “Shall not the Judge of all the earthdo right ?” ( Genesis 18:25 ). “Shall the thing formed say to Himthat formed it, why hast Thou made me thus?” ( Romans 9:20 ). We ourselves do not establish the standards of what is right. Only the Creator of all reality can do that. We need to settle it, in our minds and hearts, whether we understand it or not, that whatever God does is, by definition, right . Having settled this by faith , we are then free to seek for ways in which we can profit spiritually from the sufferings in life, as wellas the blessings . As we consider such matters, it is helpful to keep the following great truths continually in our minds. There is really no such thing as the “innocent” suffering. Since “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” ( Romans 3:23 ), there is no one whohas the right to freedom from God’s wrath on the basis of his own innocence. As far as babies are concerned, and others who may be incompetent mentally to distinguish right and wrong, it is clear from both Scripture and universal experience that they are sinners by nature and thus will inevitably become sinners by choiceas soon as they are able to do so. The world is now under God’s Curse ( Genesis 3:17 ) because of man’s rebellion against God’s Word . This “bondage of corruption,” withthe “whole world groaning and travailing together in pain” ( Romans 8:21-22 ), is universal, affecting all men and women and children everywhere. God did not create the world this way, and oneday will set all things right again. In that day, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death , neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain” ( Revelation 21:4 ). Learn about how much Jesus Christ suffered The Lord Jesus Christ , who was theonly truly “innocent” and “ righteous ” man in all history, nevertheless has suffered more than anyone else who ever lived. And this He did for us! “ Christ diedfor our sins ” ( I Corinthians 15:3 ).He suffered and died, in order thatultimately He might deliver the world from the Curse , and that, even now, He can deliver from sin and its bondage anyone who will receive Him in faith as personal Lord and Savior . This great deliverance from the penalty of inherent sin , as well as of overt sins, very possibly also assures the salvation of those who have died before reaching an age of conscious choice of wrong over right. With our full faith in God’s goodness and in Christ’s redemption , we can recognize that our present sufferings can beturned to His glory and our good. The sufferings of unsaved men areoften used by the Holy Spirit to cause them to realize their needs of salvation and to turn to Christ in repentance and faith . The sufferings of Christians should always be the means of developinga stronger dependence on God anda more Christ-like character, if they are properly “exercised thereby” ( Hebrews 12:11 ). Thus, God is loving and merciful , even when, “for the present,” He allows trials and sufferings to come in our lives. “For we know that all things worktogether for good to them that love God , to them who are called according to His purpose” ( Romans 8:28 ).