Classic Question

[Mike2000]

I know everyone here must of heard this question a thousand times. This is good because I'm looking for the answer. The classic question is.

Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

I was also wondering if any denominations believe in reincarnation and if maybe these "good" people are paying for bad things they did in another life.

 

[ClementofRome]

Q1...read Habakkuk

Q2...no

 

[Dad Ernie]

I know everyone here must of heard this question a thousand times. This is good because I'm looking for the answer. The classic question is.

Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

I was also wondering if any denominations believe in reincarnation and if maybe these "good" people are paying for bad things they did in another life.

Greetings Mike,

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

There is no such thing as "reincarnation".

As Moses told the Hebrew, so today God let's evil come to "people""

Deuteronomy 31:29 For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands.

Jesus was once asked "Good Rabbi...?" and Jesus responded: "Why do you call me "good", there is only one that is "good" and He is the Father in Heaven." (paraphrased.)

Blessings,

Dad Ernie

 

[ps139]

Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

For His creatures to have true free will, evil acts must be permitted.

I was also wondering if any denominations believe in reincarnation and if maybe these "good" people are paying for bad things they did in another life.

No, reincarnation is not compatible with Christianity. Our Lord Himself clearly speaks of eternal destinies in Heaven or hell. No apostles mention reincarnation. You never hear of it in the early Church.
My bet would be that the first time anyone tried to put reincarnation into Christianity was shortly after the West met the religions of the East.

 

[PaladinValer]

You never hear of it in the early Church.

Except for the heretics

My bet would be that the first time anyone tried to put reincarnation into Christianity was shortly after the West met the religions of the East.

Historically, it was probably the Gnostics, as most of their schools taught reincarnation (if not all of them). Since Gnosticism adopted Christian ideas practically as soon as they ran into (ie: middle 1st century), there would be those "Christians" who believed in reincarnation.

In addition, most manicheans wouldn't be bothered by reincarnation either, and they are basically a varient of the Gnostics (since manicheanism can act as an umbrella term).

 

[Cliff2]

I know everyone here must of heard this question a thousand times. This is good because I'm looking for the answer. The classic question is.

Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

I was also wondering if any denominations believe in reincarnation and if maybe these "good" people are paying for bad things they did in another life.

Good qusetion, not very hard to answer.

It is all to do with the "sin problem"

Had God destroyed the devil when he rebelled in heaven it would not have solved the "sin problem" at all.

God had to let the unfallen worlds see just how evil the devil was.

Even to the point of letting the unfallen angels and those in the unfallen worlds see the results of sin when God's Son was nailed to a tree.

Now the "sin problem" will never again raise its ugly head when Jesus comes back again and takes home His believers.

Today it is not the devil who is hurting good people, not God.

 

[GenemZ]

I know everyone here must of heard this question a thousand times. This is good because I'm looking for the answer. The classic question is.

Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

I was also wondering if any denominations believe in reincarnation and if maybe these "good" people are paying for bad things they did in another life.

I am not going to go into much detail here, only to introduce the concept.

First of all, what we call "good people", is not necessarily good people to God. People can be good by human standards, yet be rejecting God's will for their lives. Jesus stands at the door and knocks. That knocking is discipline to the believer failing to accept God's will for their life.

Revelation 3:19-20 niv
"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me."

Another reason for good people suffering, can be like with Job. Satan wanted to prove to God that Job was no better than himself. That if made to suffer, that Job would curse God to his face. Apparently, this was an issue with Satan of importance. And, just as we know from Scripture that God disciplines those he calls sons, and that angels being "sons of God"...angels must have been made to hurt as discipline as a means by God, in attempt to get the rebelling angels to repent. Satan apparently refused to repent and cursed God to his face. Job's love for God proved that Satan was not justified in his evil towards God. That suffering is no excuse for cursing God.

Hebrews 12:4-6 niv
"In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons:

“My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”



Job was put under undeserved suffering of a most high order, and he refused to curse God.... this humiliated Satan who is always attempting to justify himself to God in proving his justification for his rebellion. Job's example proved Satan a liar. In doing so, Job glorified God's integrity (holiness).

Grace and peace, GeneZ

 

[SPALATIN]

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. So there is no such thing as a good person in Gods eyes. Only his son was seen as good and his son became the final sacrifice and atonement of sins. So if we are in Christ God sees us through his son. If we are not in Christ we are seen as the sinful people we really are and though one might appear to be good on the outside, it is his heart that matters..

 

[ClementofRome]

Mike2000.
I apologize for my comments above. It was last night and I was feeling smart-aleky. It was a smart-aleky comment. I know that you were looking for more than what I offered. I am sorry.

 

[FreeinChrist]

Hard question.....


Mat 5:44 "But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

Mat 5:45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on {the} evil and {the} good, and sends rain on {the} righteous and {the} unrighteous.

We have to live with the sin committed by others around us, and we all benefit by the good around us.

We cannot control all that happens to us but we can learn from the bad things and the good - so I believe one purpose behind letting the 'rain' fall on the righteous is for the santification of the rightreous, giving wisdom.

see my signature...

 

[Brain Damage]

Why does God let bad things happen to good people?

Who's good ?

 

[ClementofRome]

none!

Thanks for reminding ME of that.

 

[gord44]

is God in control of everything???? I mean if we have free will and start doing some crazy stuff would God put a stop to it or because we live in a world of sin he has to let us be??? I think people who have the Spirit have a link to God and He can help us navigate through this world of sin while if you don't you will feel lost and temptation will overcome you and stuff can go wrong.......I know God's whole plan is pretty much impossible for our brains to fathom....if someone kills a bunch of people is it God's plan or satans influence?? thanks

 

[ClementofRome]

...I mean if we have free will ...

Do we? That is an assumption, no?

 

[inrsoul]

.......Yet in all these we are more than conquerors in Christ Jesus who loved us......

 

[33ad]

Had God destroyed the devil when he rebelled in heaven it would not have solved the "sin problem" at all.

God had to let the unfallen worlds see just how evil the devil was.

Cliff,

Good answer, but be careful with the EG Whiteism's. "Unfallen worlds" is something invented by EG White, and is nowhere proved by scripture.
It's something we can only conjecture about, it's not a proven Biblical fact.

Kolya

 

[gord44]

Do we? That is an assumption, no?

Are you saying we don't have free will?

 

[GenemZ]

Do we? That is an assumption, no?

Do you mean we have no choice but to disagree with one another?

That God makes us debate?

That God makes some find the truth, and makes others to be apostate?

Its all God's fault?


We have free will within the domain God has assigned us to. Just like police have jurisdiction over their precinct, but not beyond. God will not push us beyond our precinct.

1 Corinthians 10:13 niv
"No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it."

That way our free will is not over ridden! We are always working within our assigned domain of having viable free will.

Grace and peace, GeneZ

 

[ClementofRome]

Do we? That is an assumption, no?

I was just raising the question. A question, mind you, that had been asked throughout the ages...even the Christian ages:

Augustine v Pelagius
Luther v Erasmus
Wesley v Whitefield

and that is just a drop in the bucket. YES, free will is an assumption and not a given.

 

[ClementofRome]

We have free will within the domain God has assigned us to. Just like police have jurisdiction over their precinct, but not beyond. God will not push us beyond our precinct.

Interesting analogy. I prefer the "hallway" analogy: God's will places us inside a locked hallway...we can choose to sit in the left front corner, or the back right corner...either way...God's will be done.