Why Does God Allow Bad Things To Happen?

The common question: If God is all-powerful and so loving, why doesn't he stop all this suffering and disease and death that is going on in the world? Let's look at the implications of God intervening to prevent all forms of suffering, disease, and death:

1. If I felt like hitting you, God could:
   1. take away that feeling I have
   2. keep you from hurting when I hit you
   3. other?
      
2. If I didn't feel like eating right, God could:
   1. change the things I ate into the right foods after I ate them
   2. make my body work with things I felt like eating
   3. other?
      
3. If I wanted to take drugs, God could:
   1. make the drug harmless to my body
   2. erase those desires out of my mind
   3. other?
      
4. If I wanted to lie to someone else, God could:
   1. remove the lie from my mind
   2. keep the other person from hearing me say it
   3. other?
      
5. If I wanted to take credit for things God did, God could:
   1. ignore me
   2. remove that foolish thought
   3. other?

It sounds like God would have to have a robot world if he intervened to stop all forms of suffering, disease, and death. But God does not make robots. For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; while it is said, Today, if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation (Heb.3:14,15). Why would God say "if" if there wasn't some decision to make? Robots cannot make moral decisions. We are forced to make moral decisions. That is our job as intelligent human beings: to make decisions when given a choice, and God does present us with choices.

"But God allows evil to happen, therefore it is his fault."

This excuse again puts God in the role of the great manipulator. The scripture often misquoted is 1Co.10:13. You may hear "God will not tempt you more than you are able." Let's look at the actual scripture:

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape. 1Co.10:13

God is the one that is faithful! God is the one that makes the way to escape! He does not play with us as a cat does a mouse. God does NOT do the tempting! James says "God cannot be tempted with evil, NEITHER TEMPTETH HE ANY MAN" (Jam.1:13). The tempter is the devil (Mat.4:1). Peter says (1Pt.5:8,9), "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." The devil is out to devour life. We must be sober and vigilant. God does make a way to escape, always. Our faith in God and his word will keep the devil from devouring our life.

The Way To Escape:

So, the way to escape is to be obedient to God's voice and to mix our faith with his power of grace to cast out the evil that's within our minds (Heb.4:2). God's voice may come to us by way of his written word, by his ideas being spoken to us, by his angels "clicking" and "checking" us (giving us hunches), or by our conscience.

The "common question" really comes from an evil spirit that wants to point the finger at God and blame him for all the suffering, disease, and death rather than have the finger pointed where it needs to be pointed, at the devil, his angels, and those that are unwilling to fight his influence. The devil is the one with the power of death (Heb.2:14). The devil is the murderer (Joh.8:44). Oppression is of the devil (Act.10:38). The devil causes physical infirmities (Luk.13:11,16). The enemy is the devil, not God (Mat.13:39). So, scripturally, there is a source of suffering, disease, and death, and the source is NOT God, it is the devil.

Some ask, "Why doesn't God just zap the devil and his angels out of existence?" But wouldn't that be killing those entities? Do you think that God takes life? You say, "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away." Have you ever read that scripture and noted who said it and why? Turn to Job 1:21:

"And (Job) said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."

Point #1: Do you believe Job when he said he was going to return naked to his mother's womb? Of course not!

Point #2: Had the LORD taken anything away? Read verse 12:

"And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD."

There it says those things belonging to Job were now in Satan's power. Satan took them away, not God. Job was wrong again!

• In Job 32:1 we read that Job was "righteous in his own eyes."
• Job 34:35 "Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without understanding."
• Then, in Job 42:3, Job finally confesses to God, "therefore have I uttered that I understood not; things too wonderful for me, which I knew not."

It is interesting that so many people turn to the book of Job when they suffer. People say Job was so patient through his suffering. Job 6:8,9 "Oh that I might have my request; and that God would grant me the thing that I long for! Even that it would please God to destroy me; that he would let loose his hand, and cut me off!" Are those the words of a patient man?

People also say that their illness or suffering is the cross they must bear to show they are Christ's disciples. Jesus did NOT instruct people to get sick or suffer to show they were his disciples. He healed their sicknesses and relieved all those that were oppressed of the devil (Act.10:38). If sickness was their cross to bear, Jesus was keeping them from bearing their cross. But the message of the cross is the message of getting rid of sin out of our lives, getting rid of all the devil's works in our minds (Heb.9:14). That will be a hard work and the devil will put up a fight and we will feel some suffering all right, but God is not causing that suffering. God does not cause illnesses or suffering or death. That is the devil's work.

Whether Job actually lived or not, he certainly is a good example of how self-right spirits work through people to blame God for what happens to them. Job did not understand that God is unable to work with those that are proud and righteous in their own eyes. Pride is of the devil. That was the sin he was condemned for (1Ti.3:6). God says our righteousnesses are as filthy rags (Isa.64:6). God even rebuked Job's three self-right comforters, "for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right" (Job 42:7). When we decide to do the devil's work, God has to back off and give us our choice. "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble" (Jam.4:6). Only when we recognize that we need some help from the Almighty God and are willing to honor him and his ministry, will God be able to deliver us out of the bondage the devil has us in (2Ti.2:26). God did help Job when Job repented and confessed on his wrong.

God's messenger, Elihu, said this of God: He (God) looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; he (God) will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light (Job 33:27,28). Peter said, 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 (2Pt. 3:9). This shows that God wants mankind to turn from evil, to do an "about-face", to make a choice to live instead of perish; but God cannot make that decision for people -- he cannot manipulate our will.

Some say those that suffer and die are getting what they deserved because of something they must have done. Notice this account in Luk.13:1-5: "There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." We must remember, the whole world lieth in wickedness (1Jo.5:19), and that we all need to repent and find out what God's will is for our lives.

Some say, "Bad things happen to good people." Jesus said not to judge by the outward appearance (Joh.7:24). Just because we see outward hardships or know of physical infirmities, God looks on the condition of the soul. Where is the person's faith? The body does not choose or reject God; it is the soul that sins and dies or that believes and is sealed or saved. If people have faith in God's truth, the plane crash or car wreck or cancer does not destroy the soul. That soul is remembered by God (Mal.3:16). Yes, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Rom.3:23); so all need to become aware that "Today if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts" (Heb.3:15). Today we can find out what the sin really is and overcome it with God's power of grace (Zec.12:10; 13:1).

What "bad" things happen to "good" people? What about early death? Remember, God does NOT take life and, if a soul has faith in God, the devil cannot destroy that soul. The physical body may be killed, but the soul can either be remembered by God (Mal.3:16) or continue living as an angel (Luk.20:36), depending upon their spiritual growth and calling. All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Rom.8:28). What about disease and hardship? Do people blame God and fall into Job's self-righteous trap? The Devil is cruel and tormenting and wants to rob us of our faith and hope. He uses the tactics of disease and hardship to accomplish his goals. He makes it appear as if those who do evil are promoted while those that try to do right are cut off. God knows "the soul that sinneth, it shall die" (Eze.18:4). He also knows that "the engrafted word ...is able to save your souls" (Jam.1:21). It is the condition of the soul that is important to God.

What about little babies that have not sinned yet? No human soul will go out of existence that has not had an opportunity to choose God. Are they born with defects and diseases because their parents sinned? Sometimes, yes and sometimes, no. On the "yes" side, the men can engage in certain harmful practices (e.g. drugs, promiscuous sex) that either damage the sperm or infect them with disease that is passed on to the baby by way of the mother. The mother can engage in certain harmful practices (e.g. poor nutrition, drugs, promiscuous sex) that can damage the child in development or at birth. Beyond the parents, poverty may keep the mother from proper medical care. Ignorance may cause for poor decisions. Overcrowded hospitals, careless staff, overworked doctors, etc. may promote the spread of disease and/or poor judgments. Greed may cause companies to cut corners in their manufacturing process that bring about inferior products that end up harming the child. Misunderstanding may try to treat all kids alike and not realize each child is a unique creation. Child abuse occurs in many forms. They are all evil set-ups causing people to sin. Those sins affect the children physically, mentally, and emotionally. But the same rule of judgment holds true with God: "the judgment of God is according to truth" (Rom.2:2). Only when a person has an opportunity to hear truth and accept or reject it is judgment passed. Their own choice determines their reward (Gal.6:7,8).

On the "no" side, many defects and diseases are a result of the earth being in a degressed condition. How did it get this way? Because of the choices two people made. A brief history will get us to that point:

The Almighty God that is from everlasting and to everlasting wanted to share his life with other creatures. He first made angels, spirit creatures with the capacity to communicate thought and feeling. As with all intelligent creatures, God made them decision makers, able to choose from God's smorgasbord of good thoughts and feelings to feed their unique spiritual body as they grew to maturity. There was no evil to choose. God had no evil in him and therefore could not produce anything evil. It was only when his first created angel completed his spiritual growth and was equal with God that the angel tried to do what he saw God doing: taking glory to himself for all that came from him.

It was not wrong to think and feel what God thought and felt except in this point. God was the source of all life and the source of all the thoughts and feelings working in the angels. No angel or creature could rightfully receive glory from another angel or creature for sharing whatever had been given to them. The glory must go back to the source, to God Almighty. God said, I will not give my glory to another (Isa.42:8). That top angel (Lucifer, Isa.14:12), in trying to emulate his Father was out of order when it came to taking glory to himself. God warned him, but glory feels good, just like honey tastes good. By taking the glory to himself, Satan made himself sick just as eating too much honey makes us sick (Pro.25:27,16). This caused his own good spirit to become perverted, corrupted.

What should God have done at this point? He had set up this angel to be the top teaching angel with knowledge comparable to God's in its depth. This angel had never experienced being cut off from God's life flow. Should God stop giving more life to Lucifer? That would not put him out of existence until the life he already had ran out. Should God zap him on the spot? That would have violated God's own teaching order, law of love, mercy, judgment, and righteousness. God decided to give him a chance to repent.

However, when Lucifer would sow out lines of thought to the other angels, some of that perverted spirit would be passed on with it and, just like a sexually transmitted disease, it would start to grow and multiply in whoever received it. In this way, Lucifer not only caused many angels to sin, he also, later, succeeded in getting God's earthly creatures to sin.

Adam and Eve were not yet fully mature, not yet complete in their spiritual growth. God had lovingly warned them about taking anything from this angel Lucifer. God said they would die if Lucifer passed his disease on to them. It was a serious warning. God did not want to see his earthly creatures become diseased and die spiritually any more than he had wanted to see his angelic creatures become diseased and die spiritually. But the woman was tricked by the Devil and her mind became corrupted (2Co.11:3). The man was not tricked; he willingly took in the diseased information and now his mind was also corrupted (Rom.5:19).

What should God have done at this point? Would anyone care to be his counselor? Should he have zapped man and woman out of existence and started over? Where is the learning? Where is the mercy? Where is the righteousness? Did Adam and Eve have any idea what death was? They had never experienced degression. Did Lucifer have a right to their life because he succeeded in getting them to sin? Do you know God is righteous, even with the creatures that pervert his ways? His law is summarized in Gal.6:7-9: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh (carnal mind) shall of the flesh (carnal mind) reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit (God's mind) shall of the Spirit (God's mind) reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."

God, the life giver, gives us a certain measure (quantity) of life. We have the capacity to make choices as to what to do with this gift. If we carelessly spend it, it will run out and our life will be over. If we invest it in more of God, he will give us more life. Adam and Eve were careless and their life would run out. They gave up eternal life for some diseased knowledge. They disobeyed God's commandment of life and chose death. They did not drop over physically, but they did die spiritually in trespasses and sins (Eph.2:1). And when their breath of life was fully spent, they died physically.

At this point God cursed Lucifer above the other evil angels. Lucifer could no longer use his deep knowledge of God to pervert God's creatures, he could only pervert what they had already been taught. The other evil angels could continue to plant their deeper perversions and manipulate whatever physical order God had already established (including weather, reproduction, etc.). God let Adam and Eve know what was in store for them and their offspring in their diseased and degressed condition. God's holy angels would not deposit the quantity of spirit to mankind, as they had been depositing to Adam and Eve, until another human qualified for it.

God also cursed the ground which was a reflection of the condition of their minds. This meant that these same holy angels would also refrain from depositing to the earth the things it needed to make it a completed work. Degression had set in due to personal choices. We see the result today in depleted soil, pollution, atmospheric imbalances, drought, volcanoes, earthquakes, thorns, disease, deformities, infections, cancers, hatred, envy, murder, strife, lies, greed, fear, etc.

God did NOT know Adam and Eve would choose evil. God did NOT know that the offspring of Adam and Eve would become so totally overcome by evil that he would consider starting over again. The wickedness was so great in the earth that it repented God that he had even made man (Gen.6:5,6).

As God was counseling with himself to destroy man, Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. God gave Noah some instructions. Noah was obedient and followed them. Noah and his family and the animals God drew into the ark lived through the flood. All else that lived upon the dry land perished. The quantity of life given to mankind at conception was cut down from 1000+ years to 120 years.

God continued to send commandments to mankind. Disobedient spirits continued to rule in the majority of people. God did not twist arms. He did not force people to serve him and get life. When people chose evil over God, God had to back away and allow the evil angels to take what they wanted. Yes, God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2Pt.3:9); however, God does not force people to choose him. You cannot force someone to love you. God wants people to serve him because they love him, not because they are afraid of him. God's mercy is always there for the ignorant and the repentent.

Degression physically and spiritually continued. Man's life was further shortened from 120 years to 70-80 years. That meant less life for the evil angels to get when they succeeded in getting people to be disobedient, but enough life to be able to seek after God and find him.

Finally, someone qualified to receive deeper deposits from the holy angels. After Jesus started getting these deposits, he was sent by God with a power (grace) working through his ministry to free people of sin and uncleanness. Sin is in the spirit realm, the mental part of mankind. The thought of foolishness is sin (Pro.24:9). Uncleanness is in the spirit realm, unclean spirit, evil spirit. Sin and uncleanness are the same thing. At the time of the early church, only a remnant chose to go through the process required to complete the work. As they qualified to receive deeper deposits from holy angels, God sent them with the power of Christ in their ministries to free other people of sin and uncleanness. People have now, once again, qualified to receive deeper deposits from holy angels and God has once again sent "Christ" with a power to free people of all sin and uncleanness. But, as the scriptures say, only a remnant will choose to go through the process to complete the work.

Mat. 5:6 "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." We have to hunger after God and put on his armour to keep the devil from overcoming us (Eph.6:10-18). Paul said, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good" (Rom.12:21).

It may sound impossible for you to be able to do this and, it is true, that with man alone this is impossible, but with God, all things are possible (Mat.19:26).

Why do bad things happen?

1. Lucifer sinned.
2. Other angels sinned.
3. Mankind sinned.
4. oly angels could no longer deposit to the earth or mankind.
5. Mankind continued to yield their minds to disobedient spirits.
6. Evil angels continued to manipulate physical conditions.
7. Evil angels continued to manipulate mankind's mind.

How is God going to turn this around?

By presenting us with choices:

1. To be absolutely honest and strictly obedient to God. (Luk.8:15; Rom.13:13; Heb. 5:8; 2Co.10:5)
2. To accept deposits of spirit from holy angels sent from God. (Heb.1:14; 13:1; Joh.3:34; Gal.4:14; 2Pt.1:5-11)
3. To cast out all sin from our minds. (Mat.9:6; 10:1; Luk.10:19; 1Jo.1:7-9; Eph.4:22-24)
4. To judge the evil angels out of existence. (1Co.6:3; 2Pt.2:4; Jud.6; Rev.12:7)
5. To honour God & keep his commandments. (Ecc.12:13; Mat.4:10; 22:37; 1Jo.5:3; Gen.26:5)

Some of God's commandments are: Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and with all thy strength...and...thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself (Mar.12:29-31). Love thinks no evil (1Co.13:5). The wages of sin (evil thoughts) is death to the soul, but if we choose God and his blueprint for life, we (the soul) get eternal life (Rom.6:23). It becomes our choice.

If we choose to abuse God's blueprint for life, we will be out of God's order and we will perish. But, as people choose life, evil is continually cast out of their minds and out of existence. Finally, the last evil angel will disintegrate and the last evil spirit will be cast out. The battle against evil will be won. Those that become overcomers will appreciate the God that has delivered them and will love him deeply as he loves them. They will have no desire to pervert God's perfect order.

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Rev.21:4-7