IS SUFFERING GIVEN TO HELP US REPENT OF SIN? (6)
Is Suffering Given to Help Us Repent of Sin? (6)
Series: Wisdom - Suffering, Thinking, Loving, and Living Authentically
Patrick Edwards
Job 32:1-37:24
Introduction
Why is it, or what do you think it is, that causes us to always want to be able to give an answer or explanation? Like we aren't content to just stay silent or to say I don't know, but when tragedy arises, either globally or personally, we feel this need to explain it or at least to say something. Whether it's giving an explanation of why something happened or trying to show the silver lining in the midst of suffering, how often as human beings, especially as Christians, we just have to say something.
I've mentioned before that when we got back here from the hospital after my strokes, how many family members, friends, sometimes strangers tried to tell me why my strokes had happened or at least what good would come of it. I didn't mind, other than some of the comments were a little insensitive, but I knew that people were well-meaning; many just felt for some reason or another that they needed to give some sort of explanation.
I think it stems from our compulsive need to defend the innocence of God. Whether we've had to defend the faith against non-believers or because we ourselves are insecure or unsure on the topic of evil and suffering, we feel the need to show why God allows bad things to happen. Often we adopt what is called by philosophers to be a greater-good theodicy, meaning a defense of God based upon the argument that God is intending to accomplish some greater good by allowing this immediate bad. We'll use the story of Joseph as evidence for this: ''As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.'' We argue that whenever there is evil it is there because God has a higher and greater good in mind.
This is certainly true sometimes. The best example of God using evil to accomplish a ...
Series: Wisdom - Suffering, Thinking, Loving, and Living Authentically
Patrick Edwards
Job 32:1-37:24
Introduction
Why is it, or what do you think it is, that causes us to always want to be able to give an answer or explanation? Like we aren't content to just stay silent or to say I don't know, but when tragedy arises, either globally or personally, we feel this need to explain it or at least to say something. Whether it's giving an explanation of why something happened or trying to show the silver lining in the midst of suffering, how often as human beings, especially as Christians, we just have to say something.
I've mentioned before that when we got back here from the hospital after my strokes, how many family members, friends, sometimes strangers tried to tell me why my strokes had happened or at least what good would come of it. I didn't mind, other than some of the comments were a little insensitive, but I knew that people were well-meaning; many just felt for some reason or another that they needed to give some sort of explanation.
I think it stems from our compulsive need to defend the innocence of God. Whether we've had to defend the faith against non-believers or because we ourselves are insecure or unsure on the topic of evil and suffering, we feel the need to show why God allows bad things to happen. Often we adopt what is called by philosophers to be a greater-good theodicy, meaning a defense of God based upon the argument that God is intending to accomplish some greater good by allowing this immediate bad. We'll use the story of Joseph as evidence for this: ''As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.'' We argue that whenever there is evil it is there because God has a higher and greater good in mind.
This is certainly true sometimes. The best example of God using evil to accomplish a ...
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