BAD THINGS GOOD PEOPLE - NYOBS 61.10

BAD THINGS GOOD PEOPLE

Why me Lord? – I keep your commandments – Balance the scales of justice.

First Word

·         Why do we see EVIL PEOPLE enjoying life, prospering and having fun? – Why would an all knowing and all powerful God allow that to happen? – CONUNDRUM; we bring an accusation against God; He is both not all-powerful and not all-knowing or He is just not ALL-GOOD.

·         We are experiencing painful circumstances, broken relationships, being falsely accused or maybe being fired from our job.  We have an illness, acute pain and physical problems. – How can a loving God allow such things?

·         Our struggle is the belief that because of our Faith in Jesus Christ we are guaranteed a good life on earth, and the Bible just does not teach that, rather it teaches that there will be a struggle on earth. – Bad things will happen to Good people.

·         Considering why BAD things happen to GOOD people, the Holy Scriptures say that there are NOT any good people, God alone is good. – End of Word Study. - 

·         There are people who we consider Good because they don’t lie, cheat or steal, they are honest, generous, compassionate and treat others well.  They are not perfect, but they are certainly trying to live out a Christian life.  Why does bad stuff happen to them?

·         My Friend Mitch Martinez took his whole family to the Dominican Republic to be a missionary.  When his daughter Ruthie finished college and returned to be a missionary also, she was killed in an automobile accident.  Why would God let that happen?

·         How good is good? Is there a line that you cross in doing good stuff that isolates you from the bad stuff?  Should a bad thing be stopped if it leads to a Good thing, or should we just trust God? – Our salvation is not based on our good works, but on His good grace.

·         This is going to be hard to accept, but ALL THINGS work according to the purpose of God’s Will; nothing happens without His permission. – When you complain about your circumstances, you are complaining against God.

·         Now that you are “in the pits” and have just learned that you are not deemed a “GOOD” person, you should reflect back over your lifetime and ask the question; why did so many GOOD THINGS happened to me that I did not deserve?

Romans 3:12 - No one does good, not even one
¹² All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; NO ONE does good, not even one.” (ESV)

Luke 18:18-19 – There is NONE GOOD except God
¹⁸ And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
¹⁹ And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. (ESV)

Ephesians 1:11 – Nothing occurs without God’s permission
¹¹ In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works ALL things according to the counsel of his will,

(ESV)

Romans 8:28 - All things work together for good for His Purpose
²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his PURPOSE. (ESV)

Why do we have Evil?

·         Misfortunes come in the form of bad people, bad luck and bad choices along with their inevitable consequences in a world of inflexible natural laws. - We can expect to have heartaches, disappointments, sorrow, suffering and tragedy, financial disasters, divorce, death, abuse, and illness. -  We must deal with Moral Evil as well as Natural Evil in this world.

·         Moral Evil – We chose to have two world wars, genocides, ethnic cleansing, betrayal, and crime. -  We chose to be hateful, abusive, uncaring, selfish, arrogant, and to tear up relationships.  These are all choices

·         Natural Evil – Wild fires ravaging houses; tsunamis flooding, destroying and taking lives; earthquakes, tornadoes and hurricanes. – There is Illness, injuries, death, famine, disease and Aids.

·         The Earth is cursed, but it was not that way at creation; in the beginning the earth was not just good, it was VERY GOOD. – It was Adam and Eve who rebelled against God’s ways and allowed corruption to enter into our world.

·         They mystery of Evil – God is not the creator of Evil and Suffering, but He DID create the POTENTIAL for evil through our FREE WILL. - Through Freedom of Choice, Sin was allowed in the world.  We can choose to do the greatest good or we can choose to do the greatest evil.

·         Your hand can be used to take someone’s life or to reach out and save a life, you can steal from someone or feed them; it’s a choice. - Although pain and suffering isn’t GOOD, God can use it to accomplish GOOD. – From the worst of tragedies, EVEN YOURS, Good can emerge.

Genesis 1:31 - Everything that God made was VERY GOOD.
³¹ And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was VERY GOOD. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. (ESV)

Genesis 3:17-19 – Earth became cursed with Thorns & Thistles
¹⁷ And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;
¹⁸ THORNS AND THISTLES it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.
¹⁹ By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

(ESV)

Romans 8:22 - All creation has been groaning even until now
²² For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now.

(ESV)

Romans 3:23 - All have sinned
²³ for ALL HAVE SINNED and fall short of the glory of God,

(ESV)

Romans 8:28 – God can use EVIL to bring about GOOD
²⁸ And we know that for those who love God all things work together for GOOD, for those who are called according to his purpose.

(ESV)

Satan is after your goods

·         You have promises of blessings that Satan is trying to prevent from reaching you. His greatest weapon is DISCOURAGEMENT, hoping you will give up on God.

·         God wants to bless you in the city and in the country; bless you with children and good crops, and increase of your cattle, your basket of supplies and you biscuit making bowl. – He wants to bless you when you leave and when you come back. – He will defeat your enemies before you.  – Your barns will overflow – He will give rain in its season and bless the work of your hands. – You will lend too many and not borrow.

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 – Satan is after your blessings
¹ And if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all his commandments that I command you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
² And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, if you obey the voice of the LORD your God.
³ Blessed shall you be in the city, and blessed shall you be in the field.
⁴ Blessed shall be the fruit of your womb and the fruit of your ground and the fruit of your cattle, the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.
⁵ Blessed shall be your basket and your kneading bowl.
⁶ Blessed shall you be when you come in, and blessed shall you be when you go out.
⁷ The LORD will cause your enemies who rise against you to be defeated before you. They shall come out against you one way and flee before you seven ways.
⁸ The LORD will command the blessing on you in your barns and in all that you undertake. And he will bless you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
⁹ The LORD will establish you as a people holy to himself, as he has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the LORD your God and walk in his ways.
¹⁰ And all the peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of you.
¹¹ And the LORD will make you abound in prosperity, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your livestock and in the fruit of your ground, within the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to give you.
¹² The LORD will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
¹³ And the LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you shall only go up and not down, if you obey the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you today, being careful to do them,
¹⁴ and if you do not turn aside from any of the words that I command you today, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

(ESV)

The Response

·         I just hate it when someone pats you on the arm and says “God is just trying to TEACH YOU SOMETHING”.  – (Well, what did you LEARN?)  - Or when they say “God is just TESTING YOU”.  – (Well, did you pass the test?) - When you are hurting, you don’t need a theological and intellectual response, what you need is relief and comfort.

·         Jesus said that in this world we WOULD have troubles and our understanding during these trials would be observed imperfectly; dimly as in a fog. – We will not understand. – His ways are past finding out.

·         God is not slack or slow in coming to your relief. – Just because He has not answered your petition for relief, does not mean that He won’t.

·         God does not change, but has LIMITED HIMSELF by the laws of nature, the human nature and man’s free will. -  The laws of nature will remain in effect until He returns.  The Earth is cursed and will remain cursed until He returns.  Our bodies are Sin bodies and are cursed with sickness and will remain cursed, until He returns, but in His mercy and grace, He provides for us A WAY TO ENDURE IT. – Pain awakens us to God.

·         In His Plan and in His Patience, He is waiting, giving a little more time for all to come to His saving grace, and He will make up for your time of sufferings with peace for eternity; we cannot imagine what He has already prepared - One day all our pain and suffering will cease. – It’s in the Book. –

John 16:33 - In the world you will have tribulation
³³ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (ESV)

1 Corinthians 13:12 - We see in a mirror dimly
¹² For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.

Ecclesiastes 8:17 – Man cannot find out the works of God
¹⁷then I saw all the work of God, that man cannot find out the work that is done under the sun. However much man may toil in seeking, he will not find it out. Even though a wise man claims to know, he cannot find it out. (ESV)

2 Peter 3:9 – God is not slow, He is patiently waiting for you
⁹ The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (ESV)

Revelation 21:4 – No more pain and suffering
⁴ He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (ESV)

1 Corinthians 2:9 – We cannot imagine what God has prepared
⁹ But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”— (ESV)

1 Corinthians 10:13 – God provides a way to be able to endure it
¹³ No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be ABLE TO ENDURE IT. (ESV)

Testing Learning Obedience

·         We should not be surprised at the troubles, afflictions and suffering that comes upon us as some trials may be a testing from God. – Job’s Testing was not for the benefit of Job or for God; but for those observing.  - It was for Satan, the Angels and Job’s friends. 

·         Your testing is not for God’s benefit, your life is the “EXAM” by which others can know the answers to the test.  It brings believers into prayer and dependence on Him.

·         Scripture says that Jesus learned obedience through suffering. - Jesus did not need to learn obedience as He was perfect, but He gave us the example to follow.  Reaching out with heart felt tears, prayers and supplications we can learn obedience through our suffering.

·         Because we are His, we can expect to be chastised and disciplined with Course Corrections for our lives.  It does not come in the form of punishment with sickness or tribulations, but comes as the results of the consequences of our choices.

·         When a hand grenade is tossed into a fox hole, some are killed, some are wounded and some walk away untouched; why is that? – Our Sin bodies are like that, they are all different.  My “straight walking” Grandson died at the age of 21 from a car accident; my “wayward” Granddaughter with tears in her eyes spoke at his funeral, asking God “WHY HIM”, that should have been ME – If we just knew the reason or purpose of a tragedy or disappointment, we could bear nearly any pain.  – But God’s ways are just past finding out.

·         Solomon, the wisest man in the world said; TIME and CHANCE happens to all of us.

·         If you have Cancer or Parkinson’s disease; it’s not God trying to teach you something, or test you or chastise you.  - You just live in a sin body, which some folks will die early, some will just get wounded and some will some walk away unharmed.

·         Satan is the one who comes to steal, kill and destroy; Jesus came to give us life and give it more abundantly. – God is as outraged at your calamity as you are, and He will make it up to you in eternity.

Hebrews 5:7-8 – Jesus learned obedience through suffering
⁷  In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence.
⁸ Although he was a son, HE LEARNED OBEDIENCE through what he suffered. (ESV)  

1 Peter 4:12 - Do not be surprised at the fiery trial
¹² 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.

Proverbs 3:12 - The LORD disciplines the one He loves
¹² for the LORD disciplines the one He loves, just as a father, the son he delights in. (HCSB)

Hebrews 12:6 The LORD chastises every son
⁶ For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.” (ESV)

John 10:10 – It is Satan that come to kill, steal and destroy
¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. (ESV)

Ecclesiastes 9:11 - Time and chance happen to all of us
¹¹ Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. (ESV)

Evil used for Good

·         Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, BUT God took what was meant for evil and turned it into Good.

·         Paul was whipped, beaten with rods, stoned, ship wrecked, adrift at sea, hungry, homeless, cold, rejected, imprisoned and in danger at every turn, but God’s power was made perfect in Paul’s weakness.  - We have his letters today to guide us in the way we should live our lives.  What was meant for Evil, God used for Good.

·         Jesus was despised, rejected, and held in low esteem, people hid their faces from Him, He was a man of sorrows, suffered with pain and was crucified on the cross. -  What was meant for Evil, God used to affect the entire universe for Good and gave us a way back to Him. God can take the worst negative circumstance IN YOUR LIFE and bring good out of it.

·         Paul said that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. - Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning

Genesis 50:20 – You meant if for Evil, God used it for Good
²⁰ As for you, you meant evil against me (Joseph), but GOD MEANT IT FOR GOOD, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.

(ESV)

2 Corinthians 11:24-27 – Whipped, stoned, hunger, cold
²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one.
²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea;
²⁶ on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers;
²⁷ in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

(ESV)

2 Corinthians 12:9 – In our weakness, His power is made perfect
⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (ESV)

Isaiah 53:3 – Jesus; despised, rejected, suffered with pain
³ He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

(NIV2011)

Romans 8:18 – Our sufferings cannot compare to God’s Glory
¹⁸ For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

(ESV)

Psalm 30:5 - Weeping for a night, But joy comes in the morning
⁵ For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.

(NKJV)

Victim or Player

·         Are you the victim of someone else’s choices or are you a player in part of God’s grand design which is beyond your understanding.

·         In spite of the sufferings, afflictions and reproach; continue and ENDURE with compassion toward others with confidence of your great reward. – God will make it all up to you for eternity.

Hebrews 10:32-36 – Endure suffering – Great reward.
³² But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you ENDURED a hard struggle with sufferings,
³³ sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated.
³⁴ For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.
³⁵ Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.
³⁶ For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

(ESV)

Turn Bitter or Turn to God

·         We must decide whether to turn inward with chronic rage, never-ending despair, become hardened, sullen, angry and bitter toward our circumstance or turn to God for courage and the peace to endure, becoming gentle, loving, tender, and compassionate, reaching out to bless others.

·         All suffering has the potential and opportunity for Good, but it is up to us to choose. – Run away from God or run to Him. – Jesus has told us these things in advance so that in Him we might have PEACE. – He has overcome the world.

·         Now that this has happened to you, the question becomes, what are you going to do about it? – Do you focus on the past, on the pain, on the sorrow and the blame, or do you focus on the future; living FOR something instead of AGAINST something.

·         Pain is inevitable, but MISERY is OPTIONAL. – Do we retaliate or forgive – Do we sink in selfishness and self-pity or do we rise to lift others up.

·         TRUST IN THE LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart.
COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD; trust in Him, and He will act.
BE STILL BEFORE THE LORD and wait patiently for Him.

·         Answers, Explanations and Closure seems good, but Ending Suffering is even better. - Stop looking for answers and start formulating a response. – Turn your righteous anger into a force for doing good for someone else.

John 16:33 - That in me you may have peace.  
³³ I have said these things to you, that IN ME you may have PEACE. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

(ESV)

1 John 5:13 – You may KNOW that you have eternal life
¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may KNOW that you have eternal life. (NIV2011)

Psalm 37:1-11 – Be still – Trust – Delight – Commit your ways
¹ Fret not yourself because of evildoers; be not envious of wrongdoers!
² For they will soon fade like the grass and wither like the green herb.
³ TRUST IN THE LORD, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
⁴ DELIGHT YOURSELF IN THE LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
⁵ COMMIT YOUR WAY TO THE LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
⁶ He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.
⁷ BE STILL BEFORE THE LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
⁸ Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
⁹ For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
¹⁰ In just a little while, the wicked will be no more; though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
¹¹ But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace. (ESV)

 Way of Escape

·         This scripture is quoted over and over “God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also PROVIDE A WAY OF ESCAPE”.

·         But there is more… He says; “that you may be ABLE TO ENDURE IT”. – You don’t escape out of your tribulation, you are given a way to ENDURE IT. – Can you say Hallelujah -

1 Corinthians 10:13 – God provides a way to be able to endure it
¹³ No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be ABLE TO ENDURE IT. (ESV)

Turn bitter or turn to God

Pain is inevitable, but MISERY is OPTIONAL

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha - Goodspeed

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible – NIV

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney