IF GOD ─ Why Bad Happenstances?

… Why does evil exist?

 

Many say, “If there is a God … why do bad things happen? Why does He not prevent atrocities? …or… bad occurrences prove there is no God … or … He made us imperfect … or … He created us to do good and bad … or He created good and evil ...”

 God made us in His image, not machines by giving us free will to do right or wrong … to positively or negatively be creative or destructive … to choose to be like Him & pursue fellowship with Him or not. Even if we know God, it is possible to consistently make wrong decisions until we no longer know Him, even if we believe in Him or even finally deny His existence. If we do not know God, it is possible through consistently doing right to draw ourselves toward God to the point that He reveals himself to us. However, it is important to understand good & evil are defined by our Creator just as an instruction manual is  determined by the developer not the product or the user of the product. Also, there is no excuse because sensitivity to right & wrong is programmed into our conscience … doing right sharpens this awareness … doing wrong dulls this awareness, eventually to the point of calling right, wrong & wrong right or to such confusion as to not know right or wrong.  So, free will bears responsibility & consequences individually & collectively.  

If God fixed all of our mistakes we would not learn & become worse, making God an enabler. He does selectively by His good nature fix or minimize the consequences of some of our wrongs according to His ominous wisdom when the overall end result is what is best in the overall picture of all concerned … if we cooperate even our mistakes benefit us sooner or later.  

Suffering is only temporary for the righteous. From the creation of the earth to its destruction will be approximately 7,000 years … as 7 days to eternal God … each of our lives but a moment in time. We will have the same perspective in eternity … after we are with God on the new planet … or in hell with Satan … for eternity. Our time on this imperfect earth serves only to determine whether we will serve God … or ourselves, thereby serving Satan. In the afterlife our own conscience will reveal that any extension of time in this life would not have changed anything. 

In this life we live with free will & an imperfect mind not knowing the perfect will of God being constantly tempted by Satan, demons & the will of others … verses what is right to God. If we enter into eternity with God we will still have a free will but with a perfect mind, knowing the perfect will of God & with all the tempters in hell … we will always choose to do right. Doing wrong will seem as stealing a peanut butter sandwich when you are allergic to peanut butter. So this life is a testing ground to see who God will be able to trust for eternity not to mess up the new earth. 

Why hell? Firstly, Hell is not a place where God tortures people but rather a place totally void of God’s goodly presence … therefore, it is a place full of Satan’s tormenting presence & all the evil ones who served him … where persons will remorse for eternity because they wasted their opportunities & it is too late.  When God created us He gave us each a part of His eternal Spirit that can not die. Though our body dies our spirit can not, consequently it must reside in one of two places … with God … or with Satan … whoever we followed … knowingly or not because it is ultimately a matter of choosing right or wrong.  

However, you can only serve God knowingly! 

How do you know? If God sees in a person the capability of following Him, He will reveal himself through the saving grace of Jesus Christ of Nazareth … & present the opportunity of being born again spiritually into His eternal family by being baptized (cleansed/forgiven of our sins & receive the Holy Spirit to live in us & teach/guide us). 

God favors those that go to hell unknowingly by letting them die in ignorance knowing that even if they knew Him they would not have submitted & consequentially their suffering would be worse. The worst suffering will include those who knew God’s will & did not do it to completion … to the end of their life. 

Nobody goes to hell by mistake or lack of opportunity. If a person would be all alone on an island & God saw in their heart that if they knew Him they would do His will … He’ll crash a Christian on their island … send them a bible in a bottle … give them a vision or dream … send an angel … appear to them. However, Jesus made it clear that the vast majority will choose the wide highway to hell rather than the narrow path to heaven … which will not be floating in the clouds as little cupids … but in perfect human bodies on a new perfect earth with him … a tropical paradise forever. Although, He also said, we need to endure to end … not just part way.  

Since the vast majority is going to hell we can not evaluate ourselves by comparing ourselves to others … we must compare ourselves to Jesus … which only shows our immense need of God’s help … hence, turn to God’s Word for directions. When all else fails … read the instruction manual. 

Satan, his demons, evil persons, bad circumstances & other temptations are permitted to exist as catalysts in our lives to expedite our choice to go God’s way or Satan’s. Without these catalysts we would eventually in eternity make the same choice but it would take longer to manifest. The catalysts do not determine the outcome, just speed up the process causing the time of suffering of the creation to be shorter. 

God loves the person but hates their sin but their sin is also an extension of them, so consequentially, if they do not change their ways, since they are also an extension of their sin God will inevitably hate them, appropriately, removing them utterly from His presence … in hell, where being totally devoid of God’s presence, there is only the bad, evil experiences of their god, Satan who they were following knowingly or unknowingly. Unknowingly, if they neglected to listen, agree & do the truths that would have drawn the gospel of God’s truth to them or avoided the gospel itself in its true & complete context. Knowingly, if they rejected these truths. 

When people make Satan their god by following his influence & things go sour, their issue is with Satan not God.  

Death only appears to be devastating … the only important issue is where are we going to spend eternity … Satan loves to deceive people into thinking death is the end … if they end up in the wrong place they can change it when they get there … God thinks like them, bringing God down to their level, instead of truly submitting under God … their behavior compared to others isn’t so bad when the vast majority is unfortunately going to hell, so how can they safely compare themselves to them, etc., etc., … instead of believing God who says that death is only the beginning of eternity in His presence or Satan’s. Thus, taking God seriously, truly showing respect by investing legitimate time & effort  in truly finding out what God says & thinks, not what they or others think … just as we appreciate others getting our perspective from us, not from others, especially when there are contradictions. We do not appreciate others being wrong about us because of presumption or any other reason. God feels the same way, but with better reasons than us. That’s why He tells us to “study what He says,” to show ourselves approved unto Him not to ourselves or others. He says, our eternal destination is determined by what we thought & did before death, not after. 

So, in God’s incredible wisdom, everyone who dies does so at God’s predetermined time … and they are happy forever in heaven, never to miss a moment of being here … or in that other place forever, God showing them that no amount of time or additional chances or consequences in this life would have permanently changed them enough to be eternally trusted not to rebel on the New Earth recreated when this one is destroyed … that the additional time would only lead to further disobedience and greater eternal consequences, therefore God was merciful cutting their lives short.  

As for children, that die before having enough time living to properly understand write & wrong … probably, determined innocent and mercifully permitted into heaven “early,” being spared the troubles of this life … perhaps being shown they would have been too good for this life and possibly would have incurred unreasonable rejection & persecution.  

A reasonable amount of remorse over a person’s death is appropriate. Excessive remorse is generally a selfish response due to our loss rather than the decease. It also indicates a lack of trust in God. Our main concern should be where they went. Even if they appeared to be on their way to hell … Jesus could manifest himself to them in their final millisecond of life … knowing that all they needed was that one experience & they would live the rest of their life for Him, so that not being necessary … at the last moment they are snatched from the devil & go strait to heaven. Also, some people look like they are going to heaven but God knows their hearts are not right … that they just hide their true nature well … play the role well … are just good deceivers … perhaps, even deceiving themselves. This is why God instructs us to discern who is doing right or wrong & what should or should not be done about it, according to His Word … but not who is ultimately going to heaven or hell … that is God’s judgment alone. We are not to worry about God’s judgment because it is impossible for Him to do wrong … He can only be fair & just. We can ultimately only determine where we are going … within God’s guidelines. Which way are you going !!! 

Isaiah 57 … ¹The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.   ²He shall enter into peace: they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.   [1] 

Revelation 14 … ¹³And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.  [2]