It defies all logic, doesn't it?

Over the past week I've seen and read several attempts to answer the question of why evil exists in the world and how God can be good if He allows such tragic things to happen.  If we normally understand God to be loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful, the problem of evil seems to require at least one of those three attributes to be false.  Reason seems to dictate that if God foreknew twenty-eight people, including twenty children, were about to be killed and He had the power to stop it before it occurred then He cannot be loving because He did not stop the murder.  Or He is loving and all-knowing but was not powerful enough to stop it.  Or He is loving and all-powerful but He did not know it was going to happen ahead of time.  Something has to give, right?  Yet God's love, omniscience, and omnipotence are at the heart of his divinity.

It's worth recalling that in the Garden of Eden God created a tree called "the tree of the knowledge of good and evil".  "And the Lord God commanded the man [Adam], saying, 'You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.'" (Gen 2:16-17)  Shortly thereafter, the serpent Satan tempted Eve by distorting God's command and making her distrust God's motives: "But the serpent said to the woman, 'You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.'" (Gen 3:4-5)  Yet, as soon as Adam and Eve ate from the tree their eyes were opened and they indeed knew good and evil.  Now we all know evil.

This is a case study in how Satan works.  He tempts us to distrust God.  He sows distrust in our hearts and minds by undermining God's good intentions in order to destroy our faith in God.  We are justified by trusting God (faith) (Romans 5:1) precisely because distrusting God is the root of all sin in the world.  This is the front-lines of spiritual warfare.  Tragedies like what occurred in Newtown, Connecticut are used by Satan to sow distrust in the hearts and minds of people.  They give us all opportunity to distrust God by tempting us to diminish his divinity or deny His divinity altogether by saying He doesn't exist.

So why does God allow such bad and evil things to happen?  I do not offer an answer tritely.  It is a hard and difficult question.  But I feel compelled to grapple with it.  Indeed, we all must deal with it at some point whether consciously or subconsciously.  And though it is a difficult question, I believe the Bible answers it.  So I will offer one reason which I believe is shown over and over again throughout the Bible:  God allows evil things to happen because God's faithfulness is most clearly displayed when his children have faith in him under the worst imaginable circumstances.  God allows suffering because God's faithfulness is most clearly revealed when his children have faith in the midst of their suffering.  This is evident throughout the Bible, but perhaps none more clearly than with Job.  God allowed Satan to inflict Job with immense suffering simply because Satan accused Job of having fake righteousness.  God asked Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?" (Job 1:8)  Satan responded, "Does Job fear God for no reason? Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face." (Job 1:9-11)  So the Lord told Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand; only spare his life." (Job 2:6)

After Satan brought punishing suffering upon Job and his family, Job's own wife played the role of faith-destroyer.  She said to Job, "Do you still hold fast your integrity? Curse God and die." (Job 2:9)  Still, even after God permitted Satan to kill Job's children, steal his possessions, and inflict him with devastating sickness, Job's response was "Though he slay me, I will hope in him;" (Job 13:15a)  I hope you will meditate on those words, at least briefly.  "Though he slay me, I will hope in him."  Job understood the sovereignty of God.  Satan may have been the one inflicting Job, but Job understood that nothing could happen to him unless God's sovereignty permitted it, and so Job attributed his suffering to God's will.  Yet he never cursed God or blamed him of wrong.  Instead, he blessed God. "Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked shall I return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1:21)

How do you hope in the one who is slaying you?  How do you praise the one who is taking from you?  It defies all logic, doesn't it?  It does, unless your hope is not in the temporary things, but in the eternal things.  God is so faithful even if he slays us today, he will still fulfill his eternal promises to us.  As Peter encouraged us, "let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good." (1 Peter 4:19)  We may very well be slayed, but that doesn't invalidate the promises, nor the One who promised.  Only God can take a tragedy Satan meant to destroy faith and use it instead to magnify God's faithfulness.

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

'For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.'

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:35-39)

James, the Lord's brother

I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord’s brother.  Galatians 1:19

Consider this:  James, the brother of Jesus Christ, was a believer.  After growing up with Jesus, if anyone had reason to doubt his divine nature it was James!  And yet, he didn't.  So why would we?

The benefits of growing in knowledge of Christ

On "Olsen, Piper, tragedy and theodicy"

I'm a believer in God's sovereignty even over the evil and sin in the world.  Not only do I see overwhelming Biblical evidence of this, purely pragmatically I'd rather evil and sin be purposeful in accomplishing ultimate good than pointless--even if that ultimate good must for a time be awaited in faith.  That said, I do sympathize with people who have a difficult time grappling with God's sovereignty over the "bad things" in life.

I very much agree with the perspective of the author found in the blog post "Olsen, Piper, tragedy and theodicy" (http://blog.founders.org/2007/09/olsen-piper-tragedy-and-theodicy.html) and hope you'll take a few minutes to read it.

I want to highlight one comment on that blog post which impacted me immensely for the better.  I hope it will encourage you as well.

How to know if I am a Christian

The only way I know I am a Christian is that I have faith in Christ. The only way I know I have faith in Christ is that I bear good fruit.  Which means, if I look and do not see good fruit in my life I need to take heed that my faith is lacking.  If this scares me, good!  It is a healthy reminder to seek the Lord and ask Him for more faith-building grace.  If this does not scare me, then I have reason to be really scared.

When someone suggested to Dietrich Bonhoeffer that he should join the Nazi-run "German Christians" church to fight the regime from within, he replied, “If you board the wrong train, it’s no use running down the corridor in the opposite direction.”

The sovereignty of God

God works all things according to the counsel of His will.

also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,  Ephesians 1:11

The fall of a sparrow.

Are not two sparrows sold for a cent? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  Matt 10:29

The rolling of dice.

The lot is cast into the lap,
But its every decision is from the Lord.  Proverbs 16:33

The decisions of kings.

The king’s heart is like channels of water in the hand of the Lord;
He turns it wherever He wishes.   Proverbs 21:1

The authority of our leaders.

Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”  John 19:11

The failing of sight.

The Lord said to him, “Who has made man’s mouth? Or who makes him mute or deaf, or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the Lord?  Exodus 4:11

The sickness of a child.

So Nathan went to his house. Then the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was very sick.  2 Samuel 12:15

The loss and gain of money.

“The Lord makes poor and rich;
He brings low, He also exalts.   1 Samuel 2:7

The suffering of the saints.

Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.   1 Peter 4:19

The completion of plans.

Instead, you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that.”  James 4:15

The persecution of Christians.

4 You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; 5 and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons,

“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
Nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,
And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?   Hebrews 12:4-7

The repentance of souls.

24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth,  2 Timothy 2:24-25

The gift of faith.

For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,   Philippians 1:29

The pursuit of holiness.

Not that I have already obtained it or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:12

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.  Philippians 1:6

The growth of believers.

1 Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God permits.  Hebrews 6:1-3

The giving in life and taking in death.

The Lord kills and makes alive;
He brings down to Sheol and raises up.  1 Samuel 2:6

The giving and taking away of blessings.

He said,
“Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord.”   Job 1:21

The places we live and the length and time of our lives.

and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,  Acts 17:26

The calamity of people.

If a trumpet is blown in a city will not the people tremble?
If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it?  Amos 3:6

The well-being of people.

The One forming light and creating darkness,
Causing well-being and creating calamity;
I am the Lord who does all these.  Isaiah 45:7

The sanctification and glorification of his children.

28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29 For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30 and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified.  Romans 8:28-30

The crucifixion of his Son.

27 For truly in this city there were gathered together against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose predestined to occur.  Acts 4:27-28

"For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake" Philippians 1:29

Which is more shocking, that God would grant us to believe in Christ, or that God would grant us to suffer for Christ?

The difference Christ makes

I'm a very opinionated person.  My wife will confirm it.  I am overly inclined to debate or argue with someone about topics I'm interested in.  This is not always a good thing.

There are various reasons to debate and some are noble.  But I've asked myself, why do I need to persuade other people that I am correct?  What is the my underlying motivation?  Theologically we are all in a search for truth.  Some might argue that truth is relative--that there is no absolute truth--but even they will still search for that truth which exists relative to them.

I've found embedded in debating is a search for credibility.  How do we know what is true?  We attain information from credible sources.  This holds whether I'm talking about politics, my health, theology or any other topic.  When a friend recently had a scary health issue they called me and asked what I thought their problem was.  I told them, "I'm not a doctor, why would you ask me?  Go see a doctor."  I didn't tell them what I thought because my opinion on the matter had no credibility.  I've never studied medicine, and I've never had a similar medical experience out of which I could advise.  They should seek the opinion of someone who has knowledge and experience because their opinion would be more credible than mine.

If we are able to persuade someone else we are correct then it lends credibility to our view.  If you think I'm right then I must be right.  If you think I'm wrong, let me try to persuade you that I'm right.  When people agree with us it vindicates us.  When a political party wins an election, even by just a few votes, they feel empowered.  "The people have chosen," they exclaim.  Even if 49% of the population disagreed, the majority view is vindicated.

Here's the rub:  though I am wired to be opinionated and argumentative the gospel through the Holy Spirit frees me from the need to vindicate myself--and therefore frees me from the need to argue and debate.  I no longer need people to agree because I no longer feel threatened by being wrong.  The world is all about attaining power, but the gospel is all about surrendering power to Christ.  The world is all about who's right and who's wrong, but the gospel is all about who's godly.  Being right or wrong has nothing to do with being godly.  I can be right and be in sin and I can be wrong and be godly.

This raises the question, does truth matter then?  Absolutely!  It matters to everything I think and do.  Truth shapes worldview--and I wholeheartedly believe there is absolute truth.  The gospel exclaims I should be willing to die for truth but I should never be willing to kill for truth.

I'm not saying debating or arguing is innately wrong.  But debating and arguing must be motivated by love and not self.  The apostle Paul eagerly debated the Lordship of Christ in synagogue after synagogue because he knew the message had life and death consequences.  Yet people were so outraged at his message at one point he was stoned and dragged outside the city once the people thought he was dead.  His response?  He got up and walked back into the city.  (Acts 14:19-20)  Sharing the truth was that important to him.  Before Paul knew Christ he killed for truth, after Paul knew Christ he was killed for truth.

C.S. Lewis on Progress

"We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive." (C.S. Lewis)