All the discussion about forgiveness and certain circumstances that have taken place in my life in recent time has me pondering this question: Why do bad things happen to God's people? You may wonder why the topic of forgiveness might cause me to wonder this, but forgiveness is intrinsically tied to the reason for our need of forgiveness - namely sin. Most theologians believe that sin was introduced into the world by Satan; thereby, causing the problem of evil in the world. All of humanity since Adam and Eve (with the exception of Jesus) has been infected with this problem of sin - hence the neeed for forgiveness. Once forgiveness is offered (and it has been through the cross of Christ) then why do bad things / sinful things continue to happen?
Because evil is present in the world and increasing in its scope and power, it is only logical to consider that God's people will be caught up in it to varying degrees. Christian people are not immune to the effects of sin. I wish someone would tell my favorite television preachers this. Ultimately, God vanquishes sin and reigns victorious over all creation. In real time, God gives his children whatever they need to endure hardship and overcome temptation that leads to sin. We live in a fallen world and we must wrestle with this question: Why do bad things happen to God's people?