Question One - How Can a Good God Allow so Much Suffering?
And... go!
And... go!
Romans 8:14-25
"For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."
Presently, the whole creation groans and travails in pain together, like a pregnant woman experiencing labor pains as she awaits the birth of her child, and that is because it was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Adam's sin which subjected it to the same, but in hope. In other words, the whole creation is looking forward to the day when it shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption, or, spiritually speaking, when the child shall be born and its labor pains shall cease, and that day pertains to a Christian's adoption, which is not yet complete, and will not be complete until he or she receives the redemption of their body at Christ's second coming (and not at some fake pre or mid tribulation rapture which is never coming). Similarly, Christians, who presently have the Spirit of adoption within them, yet not the fullness of their adoption, groan within themselves as they hopefully await the same.
Until that day comes, suffering will continue in some form or another. As Paul said, the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in Christians when their adoption is complete. Of course, seeing how the average Christian is completely clueless as to what Paul meant by the adoption, they have no idea what this glory truly is.
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