Why Does God Allow Tragedy and Suffering?

[B-A-C]

God is not the creator of evil and suffering. Yes He created everything. He created us. Some of us are evil.
Not because He created us that way, but because we choose to be that way.

Guns kill people, car's kill people, people kill people. Hmmm...
Can a gun or a car kill someone without a person making it happen?
Ocassionally this happens by accident (I forgot to set the parking brake, the throttle got stuck, the brakes went out)
But even then, this was because person didn't do what they were supposed to do. (proper maintenance, etc..)
I didn't build the car or or the gun to kill people, but yet it happened.

God didn't create people to be murderers, adulterors, fornicators, but yet it happens.
It happens because we choose to do these things, not because God makes us do them.

 

[rag4aCrown]

God raises vessels of honor; and He also raises vessels of dishonor...
All things work together for the good of God.
the goodness of God brings a soul to repentance. True repentance CRYS OUT to God; their life isn't so sweet when they are. They are facing tragedy, or a death of loved one, or some kind of wickedness from others or within themselves.
God uses the deeds of unrighteousness and wickedness to keep His believers seeking Him more diligently.

 

[rag4aCrown]

Romans 1:18,19 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven...

God created ALL things... Colossians 1:16
amen

 

[Chad]

blessings to you... so God is not the creator of evil and suffering? that was the first point made. so that means Colossians 1:16,17 is a lie?

@rag4aCrown

That's disrespectful to GOD's Word to insist something of His Word is a 'lie'. Not cool, so let's have a mature discussion and bible study here.

Where in Colossians does it say He created evil and suffering? Do you have a study bible you use? Are you insisting that GOD *is* the author of evil and suffering? In other words, all evil is His cause and responsibility?

Here's some bible study notes

1:16 all things were created through him and for him. Because He is both agent and goal of creation, Christ is Lord of all that is, even of the angelic hierarchy which the Colossians think they must placate or revere.
1:17 A strong restatement of the temporal priority and universal significance of Christ, this verse makes explicit what was implicit in v. 16: Christ existed before all creation. He is Himself not created. Nor can it be said, as followers of Arius (c. a.d. 250–336) later maintained, that “there was a time when he was not.” The thought that Jesus is the moment-by-moment sustainer and unifying power of the universe is echoed in Heb. 1:2, 3.

Matthew Henry's Commentary

For by him were all things created, which are in heaven and earth, visible and invisible, Col. 1:16. He made all things out of nothing, the highest angel in heaven, as well as men upon earth. He made the world, the upper and lower world, with all the inhabitants of both. All things were made by him, and without him was not any thing made which was made, John 1:3. He speaks here as if there were several orders of angels: Whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers, which must signify either different degrees of excellence or different offices and employments. Angels, authorities, and powers, 1 Pet. 3:22. Christ is the eternal wisdom of the Father, and the world was made in wisdom. He is the eternal Word, and the world was made by the word of God. He is the arm of the Lord, and the world was made by that arm. All things are created by him and for him; di autou kai eis auton. Being created by him, they were created for him; being made by his power, they were made according to his pleasure and for his praise. He is the end, as well as the cause of all things. To him are all things, Rom. 11:36; eis auton ta panta. (4.) He was before all things. He had a being before the world was made, before the beginning of time, and therefore from all eternity.

 

[rag4aCrown]

Greetings in the Lord,
I meant no disrespect brother to you or to God, He knows. I stand in all good conscience with God.

For by Him, were ALL things created...
Tthere is One God. There is no power but of God. God is above ALL, because He created ALL, and all things are below Him. ALL things work together for the good of God.

God created ALL things; the good, the bad, the ugly, the indifferent, and inbetween. Amen

 

[Chad]

Thanks for clarifying.

So if I'm understanding your stance, GOD created all the angels (including the ones who became 1/3 of the fallen angels following Satan), and of course created Lucifer who became known as Satan, the devil? I agree on this for sure. But does GOD cause all these sufferings and responsible for them? I'd say no in a quick heartbeat. We have free will. In every book in the bible we're told to turn away from sin (or theme of the book is of that nature).

GOD created things, but does not cause people to sin in other words. Every person is responsible for their own choices. The school shootings in the OP for example, who's fault. Surely not the Lord. It was the perpetrator who then committed suicide. Sad world we live in, but take heart as Christ says. He's overcome the world. Soon, all this will pass.

John 16:33
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 

[rag4aCrown]

brother, so you believe Satan had the power to create himself, alone, before he was created by God?

 

[Chad]

Hi @rag4aCrown

I'm not sure why you ask this because I never once stated that in this thread. I said the opposite as a matter of fact.

My previous post said this:

GOD created all the angels (including the ones who became 1/3 of the fallen angels following Satan), and of course created Lucifer who became known as Satan, the devil? I agree on this for sure.

 

[rag4aCrown]

yes brother, we are in agree and i agree with all you have said.

Born again beleivers is not the ones going about killing people with guns, and if we are, we may want to check ourselves.

Simply put, could we all agree, the reason for tradgedy and suffering in the world is because there is little of God left in the world. He is alive in the world if we believers carry Him into all the world. Sure is quiet out side.

Has God failed? certainly not. God's people? hum... Be ye doers of the Word, not hears only. God's people are too busy being about their business in the world (just like the rest of the sinners of this world) than being about the Lords business in this world. I am quilty too. Amen.

We, believers, have fallen down, not God. However, God is lifting up a chosen few, a royal preisthood, a peculiar people, to gather His sheep. These chosen few are preparing the way, making the path straight, for His return. Amen

 

[TaylorDonBarret]

Please do not tell me I don't get it when you are assuming that tragedy could not have befallen man if not for sin.

I don't know where you got that scripture from but I just looked it up and it says nothing about because of his sin death and suffering entered the world.

Check it out=
"Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned" (Romans 5:12)

God created ALL things; the good, the bad, the ugly, the indifferent, and inbetween. Amen

I would say that ultimately, God is sovereign. It makes sense to say, in regards suffering, that "Satan meant it for evil, God meant it for good". Look at the story of Job. God never denied that He was the one who brought calamity down upon Job - however, it was actually Satan who did it. God just allowed it. So this is a complex issue. Ultimately God is in control.

 

[rag4aCrown]

greetings in the Lord;
yes, I know, God is in control. He raises vessels unto honor and unto dishonor; just as the Word says. Amen.
He is the Potter, we are the clay.
People make it complex; God is actually very simple. We want to justify our own actions; why we did, what we did. He is the only one that can justify anyone. What is born of the flesh is flesh; what is born of the Spirit is spirit.
God and Satan have the same agenda; they both want to use us. Choose this day whom you will serve and do it. Amen.
What is consuming our hearts?
God is ALL, and in you ALL.

 

[Valleyofash]

God puts us through the worst situations imaginable, sometimes it seems as if he is displeased with us. But it's not so, the Lord puts us through hell so we grow stronger and can fight that cancer whenever it rears it's ugly head.

 

[Chad]

Suffering in Scripture.

Romans 8:28
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 5:3-5
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

1 Peter 5:10
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

1 Peter 4:12-19
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. ...


And finally the reward...

Revelation 21:4
He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”