Part 3: "If God Is So Good, Why Is The World So Bad?"

2. Part 3: "If God Is So Good, Why Is The World So Bad?"

3. “Whoever thinks he has the ways of God conveniently tabulated, analyzed, and correlated with convenient, glib answers to ease every question from aching hearts has not been far in this maze of mystery we call life and death.” ~ Vance Havner, reflecting on his wife’s death

4. Over 250,000 children die every week from malnutrition and related preventable diseases.

5. It would take about $30-40 billion a year to provide all people in developing countries with clean water, health care, and basic education… the amount we spend on golf each year. ~ U.N.Study

6. “We have met the enemy, and it is us.” ~ Pogo

7. “If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them! But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being.” ~ Aleksandr Solhenitsyn

8. “Everything’s supposed to be different than it is here.” ~ Simon (in Grand Canyon)

9. “One of the major causes of devastating grief and confusion among Christians is that our expectations are false. We do not give the subject of evil and suffering the thought it deserves until we ourselves are confronted with tragedy.” ~ D. A. Carson

10. “Pain makes people better or bitter.” ~ Unknown

11. “We are both complicitous in and molested by the evil of our race.” ~ Cornelius Plantinga, Jr.

12. “There is a kind of maturity that can only be obtained through the discipline of suffering.” ~ D. A. Carson

13. “God has no stereotyped way of doing what He does. He delivered Peter from prison but left John the Baptist in a dungeon to die. … I accept whatever He does, however He does it.” ~ Vance Havner

14. Though justice be thy plea, consider this: That in the course of justice none of us Should see salvation. We do pray for mercy, And that same prayer doth teach us all to render The deeds of mercy. ~ William Shakespeare

15. Alas! And did my Saviour bleed? And did my Sovereign die? Would He devote that sacred head For such a worm as I? ~ Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

16. Was it for sins that I had done He groaned upon the tree? Amazing pity grace unknown! And love beyond degree! ~ Isaac Watts (1674-1748)

17. “Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all the faithless live at ease?” ~ Jeremiah 12:1

18. “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.” ~ 1 Peter 4:12-13 (TNIV)

19. God is Great God is Good (But there is still evil in the world)

20. God is Great = God is all-Controlling God is Good = God is all-Sweetness (But there is still evil in the world) Therefore, such a God must not exist.

21. God is Great = God is all-Powerful God is Good = God is all-Loving Therefore, evil must come from another source, and this God calls us to fight against it.

22. “We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.” ~ 1 John 5:19 (NIV)

23. Omnipotence = Omni-control

24. “Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs—they want to please their commanding officer.” ~ 2 Timothy 2:3-4 (TNIV)

25. “I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” ~ Philippians 3:10 (TNIV)

26. “Even though you intended to do harm to me, God intended it for good, in order to preserve a numerous people, as he is doing today.” ~ Genesis 50:20 (NRSV)

27. “God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ.” ~ 2 Corinthians 5:19 (TNIV)

28. “Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” ~ Philippians 3:13-14 (TNIV)

29. “Love your enemies.” ~ Jesus

30. "If any brother or sister sins, rebuke the offender; and if they repent, forgive him. Even if they sin against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to you and says, `I repent,' forgive them.” ~ Luke 17:3-4 (TNIV)

31. SIN … -> REBUKE -> REPENTANCE -> FORGIVENESS -> ACCEPTANCE

32. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say, `Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from the other person’s eye.” ~ Matthew 7:3-5 (TNIV)

33. “We love because he first loved us.” ~ 1 John 4:19 (TNIV)

34. “Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven — as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” ~ Luke 7:47 (TNIV)

35. “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” ~ Romans 8:1 (TNIV)

36. “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me. If you want to save your life, you will destroy it. But if you give up your life for me, you will save it.” ~ Luke 9:23-24 (CEV)