From experience we know that bad things happen to Christians as well as all other men. Trying to make sense of the suffering of mankind at what would appear to be the hand of a God of love seems an impossible tasks. A task our best theologians have for the most part left unanswered, depending on faith to carry the day, and leaving the complete answer within the veil of the "mystery of God."

I don’t believe God left us in total darkness here. The verse most of us point to at such times as the answer is Romans 8:28 where we read "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." We add that we must accept this and by faith believe that even the worst events in life indeed have a purpose in God’s plan and we must trust God that the truth of the Bible will stand as His final Word and we will find comfort in the exercise of the faith given to us by God. There is a truth at the core of this advice and it does have a place in our lives. However I believe we must reconcile this with the knowledge that God is sovereign as we read in Ephesians 1:11 for example, "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who works all things after the counsel of his own will."

We are created in the image of God which I am sure includes the ability to reason or exercise intellect. Exercising faith is not a call upon mankind by God to set aside reason and blindly follow. We have His Word, and the experience of life itself as two witnesses to these truths of the Bible and His continued presence with man. In belonging to God there are many promises given to the believer by God. If these promises are true, then how can a God who has adopted us as His children "deliberately" allow even outside forces to cause harm, when by the same will He could prevent such events? "Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began," (2 Timothy 1:9 AV).

God gave us the answer to this question that has plagued the believer from the beginning in the same source document we so readily turn to for help and to know the sureness of our salvation from. "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:" (1 Peter 4:12 AV). St. Francis observed, "We only know the depth and breadth of our faith when we hit the pot holes in the road of life." Note that the very first act of Jesus Christ after His "public" baptism was to be led of the Spirit into the desert where He was tempted of the devil. Later in the Jesus narratives of the Gospels we will see Christ further tempted, even by the devil making use of His own disciples to make suggestions that would have violated the will of God the Father.

Pay attention to how Christ resisted the temptations and particularly note He did not condemn Satan, or go on a demon hunt so to speak. He remained in the Word of God and established His righteousness by complete obedience to the Law of God.

Even as our Lord was tested so is each and every believer before and since tested. We are told to resist the devil and he will flee from us. Never in the Bible are we told to seek out the forces of darkness and destroy or "bind" them. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand" (Ephesians 6:12-13 AV).

The Assembly at Westminster stated that God often left the very elect to wallow in their sins for two reasons. First as punishment for past sins, in other words they are forgiven for the sin against God but must still pay the consequence of the sin. Second, to teach them how depraved their own heart is and how inadequate their own strength to resist the evil of the flesh.

Lest we enter into error and see all such events that "appear" bad or evil to the believer as punishment for sin, we need to understand the dichotomy of life on earth for man. In the creation God set into place a natural scheme of things whereby time was created and as a minimum since the fall this time (history) will see the decline or decay of all things natural. Thus death entered the world, meaning both physical and spiritual death. As citizens of the world and in the flesh we are a part of this process, and though the sovereignty of God is established over all things, we will as believers be included in this natural process. Add the desire of Satan to corrupt all of God’s creation and by temptation lead man astray and mortal man has no hope. However in Christ we have hope of the next life and that eternal along with the enabling power of the Holy Spirit to resist and by the Word of God overcome our adversary.

Such events are a necessity for the "person" of man to develop and as noted in the opening verse from Psalm 119, our afflictions then serve a most valid purpose whereby they validate our hope in Christ. Thus it is the same event that will cause the non-believer to curse God or even deny there is a God, will drive the believer into the arms of God so to speak as he seeks the safety of his heavenly Father.

There now being no condemnation to the believer, our eternal life secure in Jesus, we do not then see these trials as evil or bad things happening to good people, but the proof of our salvation in Christ. They become part of life to be embraced and even enjoyed in the sureness of the next life. It is such events that prove not only our faith, but build character and personality.

God having thus addressed this very area of life as man on earth, we need to quit asking childish questions and move forward in the victory over death we have in Christ and live this life to its fullest. God is God, He is in control, and our lack of understanding doesn’t change this. God will use these events as He providentially opens and closes doors before His people as He purposefully leads them through this veil of tears and into the courts of heaven.

Consider: "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;" (James 1:2 AV). "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:" (1 Peter 1:6 AV). "The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:" (2 Peter 2:9 AV). Indeed God is in control and our hope is in Christ and our faith made complete through afflictions, and our hope established through temptations (Romans 5:1-6). The book has been written, we know the end of the story and our victory in Christ is assured. Let us then be about living life, and that more abundant as we exercise the faith which too is the gift of God. "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:" (Ephesians 2:8 AV). God has never required of man that which He did not first give to man.

Thank you Father that life is in your hands, your control, and that in your hands I can know peace and that eternal. Teach me Father to seek the safety and rest of your Word in the season of trial. Thank you Father for life.

Amen

By:  Dr. Chuck Baynard