Biblical Answer

Step 1: Understanding the Question

The question asks if God is still good if He lets bad things happen to good people. This is a classic problem of theodicy, which seeks to justify the existence of evil in a world created by an all-powerful and all-good God.

Step 2: Defining God's Goodness

According to the provided text, God's goodness is not the same as human goodness. While humans can be good or bad, God's goodness is rooted in His eternal character and cannot exist otherwise. God's goodness is not based on human actions or circumstances, but on His own nature.

Step 3: God's Sovereignty and Justice

The Bible teaches that God is sovereign over all creation and that He will ultimately administer perfect justice. This means that God will bring about good consequences for those who are good and evil consequences for those who are evil. However, God's plans for good are not always immediately apparent, and sometimes evil may seem to prevail.

Step 4: The Problem of Evil

The problem of evil is a common objection to the existence of God. Many people wonder why God allows evil to exist if He is all-powerful and all-good. However, the Bible teaches that God is not the author of evil, but rather that evil is a consequence of human sin. God's goodness is not measured by human standards of goodness, but by His own nature.

Step 5: The Long View

The Bible encourages us to take a long view of things, trusting that God will ultimately bring about good consequences for those who are good and evil consequences for those who are evil. This means that we should not judge God's goodness by our current circumstances, but by His eternal character and purposes.

Step 6: Conclusion

In conclusion, God is still good even if He lets bad things happen to good people. His goodness is rooted in His eternal character and is not based on human actions or circumstances. God is sovereign over all creation and will ultimately administer perfect justice, bringing about good consequences for those who are good and evil consequences for those who are evil.

The final answer is: There is no final numerical answer to this question. The answer is a comprehensive and organized response that addresses the question from a biblical perspective. The response is broken down into sections that explore the nature of God's goodness, God's sovereignty and justice, the problem of evil, and the importance of taking a long view of things. The response concludes by affirming that God is still good even if He lets bad things happen to good people.