Biblical Answer

Why Did God Allow This to Happen?

When faced with the question of why God allowed something to happen, it is essential to acknowledge that we cannot be certain of the reasons why God did not do something when Scripture does not explicitly tell us those reasons. However, we can suggest two possible answers. The first option is that God chose to allow humanity to have free will, which led to disobedience and the consequences that followed. This free will defense is based on the idea that God could have arranged our available choices in such a way that we would be more inclined to follow Him. However, He chose not to do so, allowing us to make our own decisions and choices.

The second option is that God's purposes of providence required Him to allow certain events to occur. This means that God's reasons for permitting something to happen might not be immediately apparent, but they are part of a larger plan that He is working out. In the case of the New Testament miracles, an adequate reason for God's actions can be found in the conquest of sin. According to the Christian view, mankind is under the curse of God's judgment, and God's actions are directed towards rescuing humanity from this curse.

Ultimately, the question of why God allowed something to happen is a mystery that we may not fully understand in this life. As Romans 11:33 says, "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!" In practical terms, this means that there will frequently be times when we will not be able to understand why God allowed something to happen. Then we have simply to trust Him and go on obeying His will, even when we do not fully understand His reasons. As the Bible says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight" (Proverbs 3:5-6).