Why Bad Things Happen To Good People
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Introduction
Introduction
Greetings…
When Adam & Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, as we read about in Genesis 3, it isn’t long until we find that sin permeating almost all of mankind (Genesis 6).
This sin brought various kinds of suffering to man not just then but continues today.
One of the things noticed by the righteous of just about every generation is that, it can seem, that bad things happen to good people and good things seem to happen to bad people.
Jeremiah would ask of the Lord in Jeremiah 12:1…
1 Righteous are you, O Lord, when I complain to you; yet I would plead my case before you. Why does the way of the wicked prosper? Why do all who are treacherous thrive?
Job would declare in Job 12:6…
6 The tents of robbers are at peace, and those who provoke God are secure, who bring their god in their hand.
Later Job would ask this question in Job 21:7…
7 Why do the wicked live, reach old age, and grow mighty in power?
The Psalmist would ask a similar question in Psalm 94:3…
3 O Lord, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?
Even the martyred in the book of Revelation ask this question in Revelation 6:10.
10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”
I have no doubt that we have wondered, like these men, this very same thing, “why are the wicked allowed to prosper and why do bad things seem to happen to good people?”
The latter question we are going to answer this evening, “Why Bad Things Happen To Good People.”
If we answer this question the previous question is answered as well.
So, why do bad things happen to good people, to teach us that…
This World Is Not Our Home
This World Is Not Our Home
Humanity Is Attracted To This Sinful World.
Humanity Is Attracted To This Sinful World.
There is no doubt that sin brings with it a certain “pleasure” that we can desire.
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.
The problem with sin and “pleasure” is that is not sustainable.
24 By faith Moses, when he was grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin.
Sin is much like a drug that people keep going back to desiring a greater and greater “fix.”
But with each sinful action there is no sustainability in its pleasure, this is where suffering comes in for the ones living “godly lives.”
Therefore…
Suffering Stops An Attraction To This World.
Suffering Stops An Attraction To This World.
Suffering certainly helps us to not desire a friendship with this old sinful world.
4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.
First notice, if we have a friendship with this world we, have enmity with God which means we “hate God.”
Second observe, if we have a friendship with this world God becomes our enemy.
Summary
Summary
Suffering at the hands of this sinful world reminds us how truly fleeting and grotesque sin is.
It reminds us how damaging it is to us spiritually speaking if we follow the path of those living in sin.
Another reason bad things happen to good people is to teach us…
The Meaning Of Sympathy
The Meaning Of Sympathy
Sympathy Vs Empathy.
Sympathy Vs Empathy.
Many people often use these words interchangeably, however, they are dealing with two different types of sensitivity toward other’s hardships or sufferings.
Empathy is where we “feel for someone” but have not personally gone through something similar.
I cannot actually grasp the feeling of losing a parent but can have empathy for someone that has.
Sympathy is where we can “feel for someone” because we have gone through something extremely similar.
I can grasp what it means to bury a child and as such can have sympathy for those whose child has passed.
Why is understanding the difference between these two words important for our lesson?
Because…
Mutual Suffering Produces Sympathy.
Mutual Suffering Produces Sympathy.
Every child of God that lives for God i.e., lives a godly life will suffer persecution.
12 Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
Again, not some, a lot, or most, it says “all.”
This suffering or persecution that all the godly living go through creates the bond of sympathy.
This sympathy allows us each to “encourage one another” during these trials and tribulations and “comfort one another” as well.
13 But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 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.
Summary
Summary
Why do bad things happen to good people, because it allows us to have sympathy for others suffering for godliness as well.
It allows us to comfort them and encourage them to overcome.
Bad things happen to good people also to teach us…
To Prioritize What Is Important
To Prioritize What Is Important
Bible Importance Isn’t Based On…
Bible Importance Isn’t Based On…
What is the most popular, or expensive, or beautiful.
The world gets caught up in those things and if we are not careful so can we.
That is why suffering helps us…
Focus On The Most Important Things.
Focus On The Most Important Things.
When we are suffering it makes us dependent on our Creator and Sustainer.
1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
12 Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
Summary
Summary
Why do bad things happen to good, righteous people?
Because that suffering helps them to prioritize what is most important in their life.
It isn’t the most popular, expensive or physically beautiful things from this world but the steadfast love of God for us and us for him.
Lastly, bad things happen to good people to teach us…
To Value A Strong Prayer Life
To Value A Strong Prayer Life
People’s Prayer Life Can Be Weak.
People’s Prayer Life Can Be Weak.
By that I mean, many don’t have much of a prayer life before they experience sufferings.
How many have we known that never spent much time in prayer and then during a personal crisis, all of a sudden they start praying and asking God to relieve their suffering only to stop praying after the suffering passes.
For those that seek first the kingdom of God and love communicating with their God…
Suffering Strengthens Prayer.
Suffering Strengthens Prayer.
Knowing we are going to suffer for the sake of Christ and suffering for the sake of Christ allows strengthen what should be a “constant prayer life.”
17 pray without ceasing,
12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.
This is why James tells the church in James 5:13…
13 Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.
Summary
Summary
When the righteous or godly have bad things happen to them, they are reminded of the value of a strong prayer life.
How hard it is for the weak in prayer to go through the sufferings this world brings, not being able to properly communicate with God because of a lack of practice.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Why do bad things happen to good people? To teach them…
This world is not their home.
The meaning of empathy for one another.
To prioritize what is most important.
To value a strong prayer life.
There is great value for the child of God to go through suffering.
Invitation
1 Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.
17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent,
32 “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.