Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

Why did God take my baby?
Why did God take my daddy?
If God is all powerful, then why doesn’t He do something about the evil in the world?
If God is a loving God, then why does He allow the innocent to suffer?

The lists of valid complaints could go on and on. This is a difficult topic for most people and it is probably one of the most common excuses for rejecting God.

I believe for most people, this will always be a problem until they come to a realization of the irony of the question. If there is any good in this world, it can always be traced to the influence of God. Yet we who believe we have any measure of fairness and justice in our hearts, which origin can only have come from God find ourselves in an arrogant position of judging God. This doesn’t necessarily answer the question, but I would hope it would bring us to a more humble perspective.

It is difficult to find an answer to a question if you are predisposed to reject every answer that you are unable to understand. Understanding cannot come without an open mind and you cannot know the Truth without an open heart.

And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
(Matthew 19:17)

Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
(Romans 5:12)

As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
(Romans 3:10)

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
(James 1:17)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
(1 Peter 5:8)

The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
(2 Peter 3:9)

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
(John 3:16-19)

A harden heart will always be unable to accept the Truth but yet it shakes its hands in anger against a God it refuses to know. We might be surprised to find out what we blame God for is also what God holds us accountable for. You might even consider why God would teach us to pray the following prayer?

Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
(Matthew 6:10)

The problem with getting a satisfactory answer to this question is that there is a misdirection of blame. I am not saying the the innocent are to blame for the evil that befalls them, but we may want to consider why the devil needs to seek whom he may devour.

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
(Luke 13:34)

The voice of Wisdom in Proverbs 8:36 makes a bold statement. I would actually recommend reading the whole chapter.

But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.
(Proverbs 8:36)


I do not consider myself to know everything, but I do love to consider knowing Him who knows everything.

Clay in the Hands of the Potter.

A Misconception about Salvation

I feel compelled to continue with the topic of salvation, but this time I will try to present you with what I consider to be a common misconception about salvation. I believe that most divisions of what the bible teaches are because of unreconciled perspectives. This in turn usually creates misconceptions and misunderstandings. It is like arguing over what a penny looks like but not realizing one is describing the head’s side of the coin while the other is describing the tail’s side of the coin.

The main part of the misconception is that being saved only has one side to it. When we believe and receive the Gospel of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ we are saved both present and future. That is we are saved present by Faith and Future by God's fulfillment. Let's use the penny again to help us understand this.

Salvation = Penny
Saved Present = Tale's Side
Saved Future = Head's Side

We can touch the penny and partake of the value of the penny, but we are unable to lose the penny since the penny has not fully left His hand yet.

The misconception of Salvation is in our perspective of Salvation. We tend to evaluate scripture from our limited perspective, but if we allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us God's perspective, then we may find there is much more to be seen. Let us get some perspective from God's word.

First off, let us see how scripture contrasts the Head’s and Tale's side of Salvation.

For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?
(Romans 8:19-24)

Notice that it says we are saved by hope. Now let us compare this statement in scripture with another.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
(Ephesians 2:8)

If you reconcile the statements in both scriptures you hopefully will see an amazing truth. Faith is God’s tool for us to partake of what has yet to happen. Grace is God’s open door that Faith uses to lay hold of God’s promise. Hope is intangible by itself because it is reaching for the future. Let us look at another scripture that ties it all together.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1)

One of the amazing signatures of God is in how scripture intertwines the Truth throughout the whole bible. I would hope to emphasize that our journey in salvation should never be taken lightly because salvation has not yet fully left God’s hand. The security of our salvation is in His faithfulness, not ours, but it would be a dangerous thing to come to end of our journey to find out we have lost our faith. Salvation is always available to the faith of the living, but is it available at the end of the journey without faith?

Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
(Matthew 25:1-12)

Clay in the Hands of the Potter.