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In Dr. Brand’s assertion, how much difference is there between the ideas that sometimes God causes the conditions of suffering and that sometimes God is merely using what has already happened?
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10 Replies
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I don’t believe God causes the suffering but like with Job, He will allow the suffering. But praise God, Romans 8:28 reminds us that God will use the suffering for good.
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I think that God uses everything for his glory. Sometimes, like in the case of Job, he allows the suffering to happen, but the purpose of it is always to point back to him and our reliance on our Creator.
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In my mind I do not think that there is much difference. Whether God causes or uses our suffering to get our attention, it is ultimately his plan for our lives and to bring us back to him. Either way we should be happy to know that God loves us that much that He is taking time to reach out to us and bring us back to him.
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I think there are times of divine judgement, where God causes conditions of suffering, such as with the children of Israel. And other times, because we have free will and choice, God allows the suffering to be used for our good, such as with Job’s suffering. God allowed what happened to Job, but did not cause his suffering. Romans 8:28 says that “all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
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I think that the only way God really “causes” our suffering is by giving us free will. He is able to use our suffering, and our joy, to point us closer to Him.
