Why God? “Why Did God Let That Happen?”

 Why God?
Why Did God Let That Happen?
5/10/26
Pastor Mark England

God is good (All the time)
All the time (God is good)

Why Did God Let That Happen?

Evil and suffering are not to the story of the Bible.
Evil and suffering are to the story of the Bible.

The Bible does not avoid , and . 

Christianity makes , gives to, and offers a for the evil and suffering we experience.

Psalm 73:11-14 (CSB) The wicked say, “How can God know? Does the Most High know everything?” ¹² Look at them—the wicked! They are always at ease, and they increase their wealth. ¹³ Did I purify my heart and wash my hands in innocence for nothing? ¹⁴ For I am afflicted all day long and punished every morning.

If God is , why would He allow ?

If is a choice, is a possibility.
If it’s possible to , then it’s possible to .

The only way is possible is to have a choice. (Free will)

Free will is the .
Love/Hate. Right/Wrong. 

Galatians 5:16-17 (CSB) I say, then, walk by the Spirit and you will certainly not carry out the desire of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want.

Why did God give us ?
It is the only way can be possible.

God didn’t want a rock or a robot.
God wants a real with you.

When we choose evil, we choose .

Sin leads to and .
Pain and suffering exist in our world because exists in humanity.

Romans 5:12 (CSB) Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.

Where there is , pain and suffering .

For God to remove evil and suffering, He would have to remove our to or remove completely.

Suffering is not evidence of a .

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Romans 3:23 (CSB) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

1 John 1:8 (ESV) If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Matthew 27:46 (CSB) “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Jesus came and with us.
Jesus felt more than we could ever experience.
Jesus did it so we could be from eternal suffering.

So why does God allow suffering?
We may not know the on this .

What I do know…
Suffering in this life is because He doesn’t love you.

John 3:16 (CSB) For God loved the world in this way:  He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 8:28 (CSB) We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

1 Peter 5:6-10 (CSB) Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, ⁷ casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. ⁸ Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. ⁹ Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. ¹⁰ The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while.

Something is coming!

Revelation 21:4 (CSB) He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.

God knows that it takes a to have a .
God knows it takes a to have a .
God knows it takes a to have a .

For those who use their to follow and experience pain and suffering in this life know something too…
That something is coming.

Romans 8:18 (CSB) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us.

Heaven is the place where there is…
No more .
No more .
No more .
No more .
No more .

Something is coming, but we’re not there .

Psalm 73:16-17,26 (CSB) When I tried to understand all this, it seemed hopeless ¹⁷ until I entered God’s sanctuary. Then I understood their destiny. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart, my portion forever.

Genesis 50:20 (CSB) You planned evil against me; God planned it for good to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.

Don’t lose sight of .
We aren’t there yet.  And something is coming!