This is essentially part 2 to my sermon What is God?
Let me know if you have any reaction/feedback/cursing/etc.
Providence: God Works All Things Together for His Glory & the Good of His People
I was feeling affliction and tension from staring at that tie for 38 minutes…
… 
very thought provoking message. Thanks for sharing it.
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No depravity that can change God’s mind. That’s reassuring. Many now prefer the axiom If saved, always saved.
Thanks for taking on the tough stuff. More to come, but it’s late and I’ll get incoherent.
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One of the most common objections to Christianity is, “If God is such a loving God, why does he allow suffering”? In your teaching, I believe I heard this issue addressed without it being asked directly.
From what I gathered, your answer is, “We don’t know and we’re not supposed to know”, at least not yet.
I can live with this, when it is paired with Romans 8:28. (Good point about “All things work together, {not all things work out}, for those who love the Lord.”
This especially hits home when I think about losing our daughter in 2009. For years, all I could ask over and over was why? (I still ask this occasionally). And at times, I would still really like a more definitive personal answer about how losing her did, or is going to, work together for good. (In reference again to Romans 8:28).
So, to repeat, I can live with the “why we suffer” question, though I wish I we given more insight.
And, I’ll add one more Bible verse to maybe add some substance. 1 Corinthians 13:12 amplified - For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].
When I meet the Lord, and am reunited with my daughter, my questons may be of no concern at all. PTL!
Ben, that was difficult stuff you taught on, and there are probably many pastors who would prefer to preach on the warm, fuzzy stuff. So thank you. For reasons quite clear, it touched me personally.
Jack
Teaser Alert: Job 38 is a great reference for this also. It’s almost like God gave Job the smackdown, so he would get it through his thick head. That’s a whole new subject, but there is some subject matter related to the Constellations Orion and Pleiades there that will blow your mind.
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Jack, thank you so much for this feedback! I’m so, so sorry to hear about your loss. I’m so thankful that we have a good God who can be trusted. One day when he shows us, I think we’ll see that the way he brought everything to pass could not have been done any better.
Yes, there are so many passages I could have and wanted to go to, but I didn’t have the time. Perhaps one day!
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Agreed. 
"If God is such a loving God, why does he allow suffering”?
Let me attempt to answer and build some tension here. I mean, if you can handle it… 
This is like a prisoner who is punished for a just cause turning around and questioning the fairness of a legal system that it is unfair he is punished! For the children of Israel, the applicable law/rule in general was this: There shall no evil befall thee if one were to dwell in the “secret place of the most High” (Psalm 91:10). Or else evil would befall! By default, Gentiles were all under curse - whether sinned or not - hence were hopeless. Evil could strike at will. In the new Testament period, hope is provided for all and the In-Christ domain is this secret place where law of Spirit of life is under operation (Romans 8:2), for both Jews (Hebrews 2:2) and Gentiles alike.
If you see things to the contrary to this law, the rule is this: Let God be true and man be liar (See Romans 3:4, and also Psalm 51 for reference to David’s honesty in declassifying a “classified secret” to show God right.).
That said, God is Love, God is Holy, and God is Just. These attributes are inseparable from God. After making man realize that man is incapable of meeting God’s standards for righteousness after Adam’s fall, God demonstrated these virtues by setting forth His only begotten son as a propitiation for our sins through faith in Jesus’ blood (Romans 3:24,25). This blood is freely available inside Christ. In order for one to come in to Christ, God has to deliver one from the power of darkness to have a free mind to Repent and Believe. Therefore generally it requires one who is sent being endowed with power for deliverance to lead someone to repentance.
Repent of what? Man was created of Jesus, and through Jesus and for Jesus. (Romans 11:36). Sinful man was no longer of him or through him and for him. I believe today mostly Christians are for them in the name of Him, a problem situation!! So a person has to express this desire to God for repentance.
Believe in what? Believe in Jesus to hear him in ALL things WHATSOEVER he shall say unto you. Acts 3:22,23. Whatever Jesus said is found in the Gospels. You don’t try to obey, as it is established that you would fail, but just turn your ears to the scriptures (I tell you it is going to be hard unless you have repented) to know/understand what it is and the word will sanctify you to fulfill/keep it.
Today, there is goal post shift for repent and believe. When that is the case, it casts doubts on whether one is really in Christ to have reaped the benefits of his salvation (redemption from curses and consequences of sin). His yoke (commandments) is easier than what you have through otherwise for not thus being in Him. Or else a weak believer has to depend on able leaders in the church. If they are of faith and are truly God’s appointees, they should be able to deliver the church members from evil. As the truth is, gates of hell shall not prevail against His Church.
I hope this sheds some light on why evil strikes one.
Treble,
By suffering I thought you meant evil and hence my response. But if it is a suffering due to persecutions or tribulations etc, that is different. Such suffering would be for a moment, and it is part of Christians life for testing of faith, to show that we are overcomers etc. There is also suffering you take it up like his disciples did or Paul did for His body’s/people’s sake based on the grace provided to oneself.
- John