We get sloppy about sin. 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. We all wrestle with the difficult age-old questions, Why do the wicked prosper? and Why do the righteous suffer? It is especially hard when you have done right and you get penalized, while the guy who did wrong got ahead. However, Jesus always walked with His spiritual eyes open. Be honest. 16:4) God's wrath is righteous. Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Why does God allow evil? 17But if they will not obey, then I will uproot that nation, plucking it up and destroying it. It is a declaration of Adonai. The Problem of Evil: Why Does God Allow Evil to Exist? - Christianity The word might is mentioned twice in John 10:10 because we have a choice. Some did, but others didnt. Read more. Your judgments are on high, out of his sight; As for all his adversaries, he snorts at them. Some are even ready to cast away their faith in God because He allows evil doers to prosper, while believers suffer (Psalms 73: 3). Why does God allow evil? Why God Allows Wicked Rulers - Grace Evangelical Society How should a Christian process disappointments with God? Its our choice whether we experience the abundant life as it says in the Amplified Bible translation. They had to endure the oppressive rule of the wicked Antiochus Epiphanes, as well as the Roman occupation. Its a choiceits ours to make by the decisions we make in following after and believing God. That is not the life we live. . One part of the scripture they would actually activate in the lives. Billy Graham explains in this 1-minute clip. Why Does God Allow Persecution The providence that permits the good to suffer persecution at the hands of evil men has caused perplexity to many who are new in the Christian faith . The people in Malachis day were saying, Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and He delights in them (2:17). If there is a God of justice in heaven, why doesnt He do something about all the injustice in the world? The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Part 1. 1. What, then, do we say? We want to see Him. So, youre looking for Him? So we need to check our thoughts when they run in this direction. It has been called the Achilles heel of the Christian faith. It was hard to understand why God would allow Josiah to be killed by the Egyptian army in that he had instituted many much-needed spiritual reforms in Judah ( 2 Chronicles 34-35 ). The answer to why resides in the very first book of the Bible, where God created the first man and woman. Why does God allow evil things to happen and evil people to prosper He responds to evil in the world and within ourselves because He loves us. He considered the contempt and abuse and shame [borne for] the Christ (the Messiah Who was to come) to be greater wealth than all the treasures of Egypt, for he looked forward and away to the reward (recompense). There are potholes and ruts, with rocks strewn all over the place. You didnt use to worry about pleasing God with your use of time and money, but now you feel guilty for squandering those things. When evil prevails, dont challenge God. Were in this for the long haul. We need not live in slavery to our sinful inclinations ( Romans 6:16-18 ), though we still battle against our sinful desires ( Romans 7:14-25 ). Why does God allow the innocent to suffer? | GotQuestions.org For whatever a man sows, that and that only is what he will reap.. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. When bad things happen in the world, God is often blamed. Jesus! Short term gain versus long-range reward. And I know that even now, when I dont understand all the answers, I have You with me, and that is all that matters. . He began to envy these people and even to question God as to why He would allow such a thing to happen! Then, Sir, why did you let that man have your taxi?, Brother John smiled and said, I dont know him personally but he is working for me., A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.. Did you wonder why they have a new car when youre driving a refuge from the salvage yard? Its time for everyone to be totally honest. But here they were, back in the land for over 100 years after the captivity, and things were not all that glorious. Are vultures circling all around her? All whom He saves, He purifies so that they may present to Him offerings in righteousness, that is, the true worship of yielding our lives as living sacrifices to Him (Rom. Scripture also speaks directly to evilness in the following passage. After that, its payback timefor rejecting Jesus as their savior. Isaiah 45:6-7 in the Amplified Bible says: That men may know from the east and the rising of the sun and from the west and the setting of the sun that there is no God besides Me. These desires give birth to sinful actions. Such theodicies have covered the gauntlet between a simple explanation that evil comes as a direct result of human free will or to more complex philosophical attempts such as that offered by the philosopher Leibniz. God raised up the Persian king Cyrus in order to accomplish all that God pleased ( Isaiah 44:28 ). Youve prayed a lot, but rather than getting better, your problems seem to grow worse. Why does God allow good things to happen to bad people? Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. August 3, 2021 They are growing, bearing fruit. Evil Men Prosper Besides, Job knew that frequently evil men prospered, and apparently escaped the evils that come upon so many. And I think rather than really a problem for Christianity, evil is one of the greatest strengths of Christianity because we believe in a savior who will redeem a fallen world. Five Psalms to Pray When the Wicked Prosper | Open the Bible So be ashamed of your harvest,because of Adonais fierce anger. Im afraid that many people fail to feel the serious weight of this burden of explanation. The old folks were not sitting in the streets watching the children play securely The land was not yielding abundant produce. So we should put the problem of evil into perspective and realize that it may not be as much of a problem as people sometimes think. I hope that youve never said such things, but I know that you have thought such things. I have given the beloved of My soulInto the hand of her enemies.8My inheritance became to Melike a lion in the foresther voice roared against Me! Is it worth it to follow the Lord?. Your abundant wealth has rotted and is ruined, and your [many] garments have become moth-eaten. The chapter break is misplaced here, in that 2:17, the peoples complaint, goes with 3:1-6, which is Gods answer. They are growing, bearing fruit. The young man threw his briefcase in the back seat while barking orders to the taxi driver. We all have. Why God Allows the Wicked to Live Long, and the Righteous to Die Young When used with the article, as it is here, it always refers to God (A. R. Fausset, A Commentary Critical, Experimental, and Practical on the Old and New Testaments, with Robert Jamieson and David Brown [Eerdmans], pp. Harry Truman and others like him who had ignored the warnings perished. Those who swear falsely covers everything from bending the truth in our personal relationships to perjury under oath in court. God has given us free will, and we can be encouraged by that truth in spite of the evilness we create or endure. She was not the center of the earth, with the nations flocking to Jerusalem with their wealth. If God knew that Satan would rebel, why did He create him? . Read Hebrews 12, which assures us that Gods discipline stems from His love for us as His children. This article shares five Psalms that teach us how to pray when the wicked prosper. But did they leave? .. The simple presence of free will is not enough to explain the origin of evil, in as much as we still must ask how a good being would be inclined freely to choose evil. God does not force a change in their hearts or minds because He has blessed us with free will. How God discerns between what He wants to happen and what He does not is unclear. The gaping hole in between is sin. Supposing that God allowed us to prosper instead of our enemies, it would be our enemies who would be asking this very same question. We live in a day when even the church is joining the culture in abandoning Gods moral absolutes. Is it wrong to complain to God? Evil cannot be defined as a thing or as a substance or as some kind of being. When you see evil prevailing and you long for that new heavens and new earth, in which righteousness dwells (2 Pet. Good question, says Geisler. You may unsubscribe from Bible Gateways emails at any time. For I was envious of the arrogantAs I saw the prosperity of the wicked. There are people today who do not subscribe to the faith. "All things working together" includes both positive and negative experiences. English Standard Version Righteous are you, O LORD, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. If Gods nature is all-good, then naturally everything He creates is good also. In His time, His promise to send His Messiah to judge the earth will be fulfilled. 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. If there are no punishment for disobeying God, if there are no evils as rewards of sin, I guess very few people will obey the commandments of God. Matthew 5:45 in the Amplified Bible says: To show that you are the children of your Father Who is in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and makes the rain fall upon the upright and the wrongdoers [alike]., Therefore, as sin came into the world through one man, and death as the result of sin, so death spread to all men, [no one being able to stop it or to escape its power] because all men sinned.. So He graciously sends His messenger to proclaim, The Lord is coming! Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering? - Bible You thought that when you trusted Christ, He would give you an abundant life and relief from some major problems. But, the remarkable thing about Gods answer is that He did not send His Messiah in the lifetimes of the people in Malachis day! The imagery of preparing the way before the Lord came from the custom of clearing the road and preparing a town for the visit of the king. Heres what the verse says. We shouldnt be amazed when the heathenthe ungodly experience financial success because they been utilizing scriptural principles. But theres another choice we might makewhether to spend eternity with Jesus. But I think the main thing to say about the problem of evil is that we believe in a God who has actually done something about the problem of evil. .theyre working for you. Imagine two cliffs facing each other. By submitting your email address, you understand that you will receive email communications from Bible Gateway, a division of The Zondervan Corporation, 3900 Sparks Drive SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49546 USA, including commercial communications and messages from partners of Bible Gateway. Contact Us. I have forsaken My inheritance. Why Does God Allow Tragedy and Suffering? - Bible Gateway Blog The reasons why a loving God would allow so much evil in the world are a mystery and a stumbling block to faith for many people. Jeremiah 27:6 ). bbc sermon 7-30-2023 with god, there's protection, joy, and love Nevertheless, He also ordains whatsoever comes to pass. These experiences God will make right in the end. Each is a distinct Person, not just a different manifestation of God. In Mark 10:31-33 we read where Peter tried to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem. The young man was insistent, indignant and somewhat rude. Today we hold to that same definition. If you are secure in a land of peace,how will you do in Jordans thickets?6For even your brothersyour fathers houseeven they will betray you,even they will shout out after you. We can chooseto experience the abundant life now. None who ignore this warning will escape! Do you say to yourself, Yeah, sure! I know that Jesus is coming, but He hasnt come for almost 2,000 years. This young man was wearing an Armani suit and as Brother John said a pair of alligator shoes so fresh they were snapping as the man ran through the puddled water., The doorman said, Sorry, sir, this taxi belongs to this gentleman, if youll be patient Ill call a taxi for you.. They were under the thumb of the Medo-Persian Empire, which was godless and yet prosperous. Although the coming of the Messiah is sudden, it is not without warning: Malachi is referring here to Isaiahs prophecy, A voice is calling, Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; make smooth in the desert a highway for our God (Isa. Set them apart for the day of carnage. Did you wonder why they have a new car when you're driving a refuge from the salvage yard? 1. The temple belongs only to God, not to any man. One of the most important approaches to the problem of evil is that set forth originally by Augustine and then later by Aquinas, in which they argued that evil has no independent being. >>Why do people suffer and die? He will destroy mighty men and the holy people. This does not mean sin should be ignored. This verse is all the more encouraging when we consider not just the negative experiences that occur by our own faults, but also the devastating situations outside of our control. Physical Evil New Living Translation LORD, you always give me justice when I bring a case before you. Indeed I would discuss matters of justice with You: Why are all those who deal in treachery at ease? We naturally see positive experiences as making us better because we often feel good about ourselves. He would keep skimming it off until he could see his face clearly reflected in it. Why does God allow natural disasters? Jesus admonished. In contemporary days, this problem has been resolved by simply denying both evil and good. He did not force them to do this though and there were many people who did not follow Christ. . They made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness. How would you answer a person who says, My God is a God of love; He doesnt judge anyone?