We had a great comment to the last post on whether God allows (or causes) bad things to happen to His people and why. I am really thankful for the comment as it has opened the door for a more definitive explanation on my part. I do appreciate the response and encourage more.
I think that God tells us in His Word that He does cause bad things to happen for good. Salvation is a purpose, but not the only purpose. I think the over arching purpose for God allowing or causing bad things to happen to His people is his glory. His being revealed as God to those who do not know Him and for growth for His people. We do not usually think of the ways that God disciplines or prunes us as joyful or pleasant.
God hardened Pharoah's heart in order that His glory and power might be shown in the exodus. Exodus 4:21 God says specifically (ESV) 'But I will harden his heart, so that he will not let the people go.' Now, I think this is a direct admission on God's part that He is causing (not just allowing) something bad to happen to His people in order for His purpose. And that purpose includes them turning back to Him but not only that.
Job 1-2 describes Satan coming to God for permission to kill his servants, his sheep, camels, and even his children. Now, not to be condescending but this is bad stuff not good stuff. Later God allows Satan to strike Job with sores on his body. And it is God alone who is responsible for this bad stuff happening to Job. Now, Job is already a believer it is not for his salvation that the bad is happeneing. In fact the story seems to imply that it is for God's glory, not for anyone's salvation that this was allowed. Not to say that someone might not have been saved out of this, but the story does not seem to give this as a reason. Job spends his time praising God through this tragedy, this would support the idea of God's glorification. If you still question God's involvement or cause in this story see Job 42:11. The ESV says 'And they showed him sympathy and comforted him for all the evil that the Lord had brought upon him.' There is no question here that God is the one who caused this, not just allowed it.
Amos 3:6 says 'does disaster come upon a city, unless the Lord has done it?' (ESV)
Several definitions on 'suffer' are available some of them are (1) to endure death, pain, or distress (2) to sustain loss or damage (3) to be subject to disability or handicap. So having cancer could be suffering. Now Paul says in Rom 5:3-4 that suffering produces other good things in us. But whatever is causing suffering is not considered good. Cancer is certainly not a good thing but can be used for God's glory.
Some people will say that because of God's love He cannot cause harm and it is the sinful man that brings about all pain and suffering. Here is why I disagree with that statement. Certainly man is sinful and we bring about alot of the pain and suffering that is caused. However, we as humans typically see jealousy as a bad thing. Webster.com defintes jealous as 'hostile toward a rival'. This is something we as humans do not thing of as good in other humans. We tend not to tolerate jealous siblings, we look down upon jealous relationships, etc. But God freely admits He is jealous (Exod 20:5; Zech 1:14). God cannot commit sin yet He does things that we could not do. Take this line of thinking and apply it to the idea that God can and does actually create bad things to happen to His people for their good.
1 comments:
Good follow-up. I do not believe that we disagree. The comment on the last blog was with specific reference to Romans 8:28. Taken in its literary context, the verse appears to be talking specifically of God's purpose of salvation.
The preceding verses talk about the hope of salvation (v.18-25) and the verses immediately following also are talking of salvation (29-30).
So, while there can be further application of the Scripture and there are certainly other Scriptures that provide additional insights into God's character, in this specific passage, Romans 8:28, I believe that the immediate context suggests interpreting the purpose of God as salvation, at least for this verse.
What are your thoughts?
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