Why Does Bad Thing Happen to God's People?
Notes
Transcript
One of, if not the greatest objections have to the gospel has been called the problem of evil. It’s the been the source of discussion, debated, and argument among philosophers and theologians for centuries. Even before the advent of Christ, Epicurus, a Greek philosopher postulated upon the problem of evil.
Put simply, the problem of evil states that if a omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient God who acts in the world exists, then how can evil exist?
And if I’m honest, it is one of the most important questions that anyone must ask. It’s at the heart of the shipwrecking of the faith of many in their lives. If God exists, how can evil exist? R. C. Sproul calls this question “the Achilles heel, where all the arrows are directed to strike the fatal blow of the Christian faith, the origin of evil.”
So the question becomes how do we understand evil, and how do we answer the problem of evil.
First, before we get into and explanation of why bad things happen to good people, which is a popularized version of this question, let’s first recognize one truth:
The very question gives evidence of God’s existence. The ability to ask why bad things happen to good people precludes that we can define these terms.
As C. S. Lewis rightly noted, “A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing the universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such violent reaction against it? A man feels wet when he falls into water, because man is not a water animal: a fish would not feel wet. Of course I could have given up my idea of justice by saying it was nothing but a private idea of my own. But if I did that, then my argument against God collapsed too – for the argument depended on saying that the world was really unjust, not simply that it did not happen to please my fancies. Thus in the very act of trying to prove that God did not exist – in other words, that the whole of reality was senseless – I found I was forced to assume that one part of reality – namely my idea of justice – was full of sense. Consequently atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning: just as, if there were no light in the universe and therefore no creatures with eyes, we should never know it was dark. Dark would be a word without meaning.”
Lewis rightly noted that the very ideas of good and bad demand that there be something by which we compare goodness or badness. Rightness or evil.
So if there is evil, then there must be good, or these are just random categories that we put on things that have no more meaning than the name I gave my imaginary friend as a child. If there is no objective standard of truth, if there is nothing that is true, nothing that is good, nothing that it is no more right for me to raise my children than it is to murder them.
I want to be clear, at the end of the day, this is at the heart of the very moral revolution that we see raging around us. We hear people proclaiming that sex and gender are social constructs that have no intrinsic meaning. But at its heart is a core belief that there is no God and if there is no God then morality and rightness is just a made up construct that has no meaning.
But there is a God, and the question remains why does God allow evil. The question of why God allows evil comes down to a question of purpose. If God created the world for a purpose then evil either furthers that purpose or hinders that purpose. There’s no other way to look at it.
But can an omnipotent God truly be hindered? Ob answers that question:
“I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
So then, evil must be allowed by God to further his purposes. So what is his purpose?
The Westminster Shorter Catechism states
“What is the chief end of man? A: Man's chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.”
We exist to KNOW GOD
We exist to KNOW GOD
yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
All of creation serves one purpose, and that purpose is to know and glorify God. Everything in all of creation works towards this purpose.
The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.
The Book of Psalms Psalm 19: Tune My Heart to Sing Your Praise
Whereas Israel’s neighbors worshipped sun, moon, stars, and so on as divine beings, the poems of the Psalter stress that the Creator is one God and these natural phenomena are merely creatures whose true end is to praise the one God.
Suffering Reveals God to Us
Suffering Reveals God to Us
Suffering is the both the result of sin
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—
Suffering occurs because death entered the world. But even that suffering has a purpose:
The Lord has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble.
I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.
Suffering is one way that God reveals himself to his creation and accomplishes his purposes
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.
The God of the universe is not the author of evil, but in his sovereign mercy he allows evil to accomplish the purpose of revealing himself to all of creation.
Bad Thing Never Happen to Good People, because We Are Not Good
Bad Thing Never Happen to Good People, because We Are Not Good
The problem with the question is the implicit assumption at the core of the question. Let’s ask the question again, “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
We’ve already spoken about the first assumption, the assumption that we can call anything bad without God.
But what about the second assumption. We assume that we are good. The reality of scripture is that we are not.
as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one;
no one understands; no one seeks for God.
All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”
We are not good. But we belong to God. And in our text Paul does give us some encouragement on how we can face suffering. But I think a change to the question should be made, it’s not Why do bad things happen to Good people, but it should be
How Can God’s People Face the reality of Suffering?
How Can God’s People Face the reality of Suffering?
In our text. Peter gives four encouragement on how we should see suffering for the salvation of our faith and our souls.
Bad things happen to God's people, but this world is not the end. (v. 6)
Bad things happen to God's people, but this world is not the end. (v. 6)
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
Peter’s encouragement was a reminder that at the proper time, the time of Jesus’ second coming he will exalt his children.
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.
For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison,
as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Christian, there is pain and suffering in this world, but this world is not the end.
Bad things happen to God's people, but He cares for us. (v. 7)
Bad things happen to God's people, but He cares for us. (v. 7)
casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.
Peter then encourages us not to become anxious and not to worry. Why?
What’s the problem with worry?
Worry is pride. At it's core, worry "denies the care of a sovereign God." Instead of worry, we are called to believe in and rest in God's care for believers and God uses the things in our lives that seem the most tragic to accomplish his eternal, good ends.
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
The tragedy of Jesus' cross led to the glory of your resurrection.
Bad things happen to God's people, but he uses them to deepen our faith (v. 8-9)
Bad things happen to God's people, but he uses them to deepen our faith (v. 8-9)
Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.
Peter then gives the people a warning. As God’s representatives in a fallen world, we have an enemy who desires to shipwreck our faith. But God often uses these times of testing to grow and perfect his people.
for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Bad things happen to God's people, but he uses them to restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. (v. 10-11)
Bad things happen to God's people, but he uses them to restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you. (v. 10-11)
And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
God uses our affliction for greater service and ministry to others.
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