On Sun, 16 Jul 1995 XXX wrote:
question:1. I think in the main you ARE correct--we ARE often inconsistent in this. If good occurs, it can very easily be the Evil One (tempting us with success, with money, with ease, with complacency) and if 'bad' occurs, it can very easily be God (disciplining us for our good--Heb 12; teaching us to focus on things that matter--2cor 12.7)...Many Christians attribute good events and fortuitous occurrences to God, divine intervention, and providence. But isn't it inconsistent to constantly say good things happened because of God but bad things did not? If good fortune occurs, we say it was God's doing. If evil enters, we don't blame God. Why?
2. we are probably correct in assuming that more 'good' than 'bad' will
occur in the life of a believer, AS LONG AS we understand that 'good'
does NOT mean 'pleasant'...
3. some of the bad we get comes FROM US! (Jas 1 -- 'you have not, because
you ask not' and my favorite: Prov 19.3-- A man's own folly ruins his
life, yet his heart rages against the LORD.
4. God does have a 'control element' on the 'difficult' that He allows
into our life -- I Cor 10:13--it is carefully calibrated to be matched to
our ability to endure (and to profit from the experience, cf. the
Psalmist, 119:71--It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might
learn your decrees. )
5. and the general passages on God's control of ALL events (Rom 8, Eph 1)
emphasize that we should be thankful in ALL situations (not just the good
ones)--cf. I Thess 5.18--"give thanks in all circumstances, for this is
God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
So, Christians ARE supposed to recognize that events in their lives are
'approved/allowed' by their Father--ALL of them, pleasant or
unpleasant...even though the local 'causes' of those might be many and
varied...(cf. Gen 50:50--You intended to harm me, but God intended it for
good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. )
hope this makes sense...
glenn
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