Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, Q&A session #1

I miss him. Dr. R. C. Sproul has blessed my life immensely. I could listen to his teaching all day. 😔🙏🏽❤️💙💚💜💚💝💖💯

I was diagnosed with a terminal illness at birth called life. Every sentient being has an appointment with life's first death of the flesh. And only by God's grace can we be saved ! I finally understand what Jesus meant when he said " my grace is sufficient. " And I thank God for even considering grace I certainly can't even hope to be given me by my nature. Thank God for his glory, Amen !

Thank you for this videos. They bring consolation to the grieving soul

A little girl is tortured and we ask, Where is God? He is there. He picks her up in his gentle arms and sings a love song. And when it's over, he wakes her up with no memory of the horrible experience. God keeps her close and when she grows into adulthood she begins to remember the experience and the pain she experienced. Her healing comes as she remembers the song and the comfort she felt in his arms. I am that girl.

RIP sir. Just found out of your passing. You gave me many different ways to view God. Thank you

The problem we have is the connection EVIL has with SUFFERING. Evil has real consequences on undeserving bystanders. There is evil both morally from people and evil in the world under which the creation continues to labor that was not originally there. We cannot accuse everyone who suffers as having committed some evil, as Sproul has pointed out with the example of the book of Job. Little doubt that all evil originally comes from unbelief of truth, but not every human who suffers has unbelief.

Evil exists because of sin! Genesis 3:17 ".....:cursed is the ground for thy sake;.... Sin is the immorality/disobedience of man against God. Evil is the result of the curse upon man's sin/immoral behavior against GOD.

Evil exist because of sin, sin exist because of the law, the law exist because of God.

Remember in the garden of Eden were trees for fruit, the tree of life and the tree of good and evil, the only tree which they were not to eat was the tree of Good and evil'

Evil comes from demons, our hearts and Satan. All three are bad. All things are His servants and tools. God uses are things as raw materials to build what he chooses. For example, kingdoms to discipline, deaths to change the course of history, martyrs to glorify himself and as a proof of their faith, etc.

both speakers seems to have a hard time trying to explain why we suffer, still I am thankful GOD that they both tried tto answer that as truthfully in relation to the Scriptures and to the Sovereign and merciful GOD.

Although Calvinist theology brings up some interesting points I still can't understand how God would not be the author of evil if he decrees and controls everything. When Joseph says "I know you meant it for evil but God meant it for good," if God decreed Joseph's brothers to perform an evil act how is that not God doing evil and then making something good come out of it? That makes God kind of sinister in my opinion.

I don't think anyone knows where evil comes from.

I have always been told that children under a certain age go to heaven. I can't even imagine that only elect infants go to heaven. That is ludicrous!

Look at Job.

Gods always present. The thing is He is in control of all things and all of us as his creation are under His rule. According to Jesus Christ himself there are no good or perfect individuals only God is holy and perfect and, Gods wrath/judgement is held back by his own will on a naturally rebellious and disobedient people. God if he would choose, would have all and only right to wipe the slate clean. But he hasn't. For reasons of His own pleasure for he is the only truly correct and perfect being not created but creator. Gods in control of all things including himself and he judges not on humanistic terms but on ultimate and eternal and personal aspects of his being which are never changing and wrath as also love and patience as justice are within his being. Jesus as God the son shows us a reason for even suffering. God has a purpose for all things past present and to come in our finite time. God gave us the opportunity to exist and ultimately to view His awesome power in times to come. We believe that were the ultimate but were just fooling ourselves. God does and has all and only right to do as he wants. All glory and power to the never changing loving holy righteous sovereign all mighty eternal true God. I did not choose to believe in Him I denied the mere concept of God from a young age. But now I believe because He opened my eyes I did and do not deserve salvation but judgement yet through Christ Jesus not through me I have pardon and everlasting life. I and all are law breakers deserving Judgement from the ultimate and perfect being yet he shows mercy to the enemy.

I have listened to sermons that all those aborted fetuses have a soul therefore the go to heaven!

Very rare for Sproul to be wrong. God created evil - ra. See Isa 45:7. This is the same word, ra, from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. God created it, but is not the source when people or dark spirits employ it. Both men mis-spoke, but not on substance. The same principle of capability to both bless and judge us applies. God created both good and evil and is fully sovereign over both.

It is true that God created Lucifer. However, God did not create evil. It is said that God is everything which is good. Evil is the absence of good. Lucifer CHOSE to be absent from God due to free will. He is incredibly narcissistic and that is what led him to think he was better than the Almighty God. Be humble brothers and sisters! And may God bless you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

oops....."you're" only talking about yourselves