Why does God tolerate so many bad people in the Bible?
From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham
Q: I’m told that if I want to be the right kind of person, read the Bible. And I do. The problem is that there are a lot of bad people in the Bible. I’m surprised that God would have allowed such terrible stories in His book as a way for people to live better lives. This doesn’t seem logical to me. – G.B.
A: The people God used to make His Word known (the Bible) never attempted to gloss over the realities of life. The sins of the great and the small are freely admitted, the weaknesses of human nature are acknowledged, and life in Biblical times is recorded as it was lived. The startling thing is that the lives and motivations of these people who lived long ago have such a modern flavor! As we read, the pages seem like mirrors held up before our own minds and hearts, reflecting our own prides and prejudices, our own failures and humiliations, our own sins and sorrows.
Truth is timeless. Truth does not differ from one age to another, from one people to another, from one geographical location to another. People’s ideas may differ and customs may change; moral codes may vary, but the great all-prevailing Truth stands for time and eternity.
The Bible has a single, clear, bold message for every living being – the message of Christ and His offer of peace with God. We also must remember that the only perfect Person to ever live is Jesus Christ. In the Bible we find holiness to be Christ’s supreme attribute, and this is the example we are to follow. When He came to Earth to die for the sins of mankind, He took our human nature upon Himself and showed us what we might become and what God intended us to be.
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(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)
©2024 Billy Graham Literary Trust. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
(c)2025 BILLY GRAHAM DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
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