Why Do Bad Things Happen? Exploring Sin, Evil and Grace

When people hear the word sin, it often brings to mind a list of moral failures.

But according to Karl Faase, the Bible paints a bigger picture.

“Technically it means missing the mark or falling short,” he said.

Rather than just behaviour, sin is about the heart. Drawing on C.S. Lewis, Karl pointed to pride as the root issue.

“Pride says I don’t need God. I’m in control of my life.”

From that perspective, many of the actions we label as wrong are really the outworking of a deeper attitude, choosing self over God.

Why the world feels broken

That idea helps explain why things don’t always go the way we expect.

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The Bible describes a world that was created good, but is now fractured. In Karl’s words, humanity has a built-in tendency toward selfishness, what one author describes as a propensity to mess things up.

“We live in a broken world… and if we’re broken people, we do broken things.”

That means much of the suffering people experience – conflict, injustice, harm – is often the result of human choices rather than something directly caused by God.

But what about suffering we can’t explain?

Still, some pain feels harder to understand – illness, tragedy, loss – things no one chooses. Karl acknowledged there are no easy answers.

“If you’re in it, there isn’t an answer that isn’t going to feel a bit shallow,” he said.

Jesus himself addressed this tension. When asked why a tragedy had happened, he pushed back on the idea that suffering was always tied to personal wrongdoing.

Sometimes, hard things happen not because someone “deserves” it, but simply because we live in a world that is not as it should be.

Not everything is random

At the same time, the Bible doesn’t dismiss suffering as meaningless. Difficult seasons can shape people in ways comfort never can.

“Most of us would say the things that made us who we are were the hard times,” Karl said.

This echoes a consistent theme in Scripture, that growth, resilience and deeper faith are often formed through challenge, even if we don’t understand it in the moment.

Is God punishing people?

It’s a question many quietly ask. Karl was clear that Christianity is not about karma or “getting what you deserve”.

Instead, the message of the Bible centres on grace.

That doesn’t mean our choices don’t matter, but it does mean failure is never the end of the story.

“God is a God of grace, love, redemption, fresh start.”

Facing evil honestly

The conversation also didn’t shy away from the reality of evil.

From injustice to violence, there are things in the world that go beyond simple mistakes.

“Evil does exist and we should stand against it,” Karl said.

But he also warned against seeing everything negative as a spiritual attack. Life is complex, and not every hardship has a single explanation.

Where hope is found

In the end, the Christian response to sin and suffering isn’t a neat formula. It’s a relationship.

A daily return to grace, to forgiveness, and to a God who meets people even in their lowest moments.

Karl pointed to a simple ancient prayer as a grounding truth:

“Lord Jesus Christ have mercy on me.”

It’s a reminder that while the world may be broken, the story doesn’t end there.

Listen to more honest conversations about faith, doubt and life on The New Christian podcast.

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