There is a fine line between “God cannot stop evil,” and “God, in love, allows us to choose, sometimes choosing evil.” God allows us to choose. He always planned to allow us to choose “from before the foundation of the world,” knowing we would choose evil, be rebellious and knowing, in His love, what that would cost him: death, even death on a cross. Praise God for the resurrection, for the promise that He will wipe away every tear. He doesn’t take away the pain. He wipes away the tears. He shares our pain, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He has shared and continues to share our suffering.
May we joyfully enter into His suffering, though it be a melancholy joy.
I'm thankful that you shared this & the other comment also; because I just grappled with this & wrote a small part questioning this IF God is omnipotent, in control, all powerful & still on His throne, how or why is He allowing ALL this to happen in our nation, in our government & in the world. I don't doubt God or that He's Love & loving but this helped me know it's not because God Can't Prevent Evil ... I cannot respond as you asked but I am reflecting because much suffering is happening & more is coming & I wonder how we respond to this crisis. This ties alot together for me this morning as I read & question & God just opened the door to you & your Substack, so I appreciate this as I go and read others that you've written. I don't /won't choose evil but it looks like WE are being given little choice. It seems like its being forced on us my the regime & this BIG b s bill unleashing more harm & enforcement like we see unjustly in LA, and soon in our communities. My heart is not just wounded but sickened but the devastation being done to the poor & middle class, just trying to live, work & press on - being robbed of their healthcare & so much more. Hell is being released ... and fear abounds but God's Word gives us enough verses for a full year on "fear". May we find courage to stand, defend & resist & lend our hands, not just our hearts to the unnecessary chaos & suffering being released on our nation & economic disaster. It's appalling & despicable what's befalling us & the world!
I’ve always had these questions. My dad explained it similarly. (In order for us to have free will, God had to put limits on himself not to interfere or therefore there would not be free will.) Since we have created God in our own image, we will never understand. When we surrender to the fact that we don’t know everything, come to the acceptance of what is and give ourselves to the reclamation of our true essence, love, we find freedom in the uncertainty. A paradox I know, but such is life.
Great stuff, Paul! I'd love to publish the whole series on the C4ORT website. Interested? If so, send me the whole document and headshot as an email.
There is a fine line between “God cannot stop evil,” and “God, in love, allows us to choose, sometimes choosing evil.” God allows us to choose. He always planned to allow us to choose “from before the foundation of the world,” knowing we would choose evil, be rebellious and knowing, in His love, what that would cost him: death, even death on a cross. Praise God for the resurrection, for the promise that He will wipe away every tear. He doesn’t take away the pain. He wipes away the tears. He shares our pain, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. He has shared and continues to share our suffering.
May we joyfully enter into His suffering, though it be a melancholy joy.
I'm thankful that you shared this & the other comment also; because I just grappled with this & wrote a small part questioning this IF God is omnipotent, in control, all powerful & still on His throne, how or why is He allowing ALL this to happen in our nation, in our government & in the world. I don't doubt God or that He's Love & loving but this helped me know it's not because God Can't Prevent Evil ... I cannot respond as you asked but I am reflecting because much suffering is happening & more is coming & I wonder how we respond to this crisis. This ties alot together for me this morning as I read & question & God just opened the door to you & your Substack, so I appreciate this as I go and read others that you've written. I don't /won't choose evil but it looks like WE are being given little choice. It seems like its being forced on us my the regime & this BIG b s bill unleashing more harm & enforcement like we see unjustly in LA, and soon in our communities. My heart is not just wounded but sickened but the devastation being done to the poor & middle class, just trying to live, work & press on - being robbed of their healthcare & so much more. Hell is being released ... and fear abounds but God's Word gives us enough verses for a full year on "fear". May we find courage to stand, defend & resist & lend our hands, not just our hearts to the unnecessary chaos & suffering being released on our nation & economic disaster. It's appalling & despicable what's befalling us & the world!
I’ve always had these questions. My dad explained it similarly. (In order for us to have free will, God had to put limits on himself not to interfere or therefore there would not be free will.) Since we have created God in our own image, we will never understand. When we surrender to the fact that we don’t know everything, come to the acceptance of what is and give ourselves to the reclamation of our true essence, love, we find freedom in the uncertainty. A paradox I know, but such is life.
I struggle with the fact children are being raped & murdered and God is standing by…I don’t see your explanation of Love fitting this ..
The vicious destruction & torture of the innocent is permissive .
What say you ?