2 Cor. 1:8-11 When Bad Things Happen to God's People

When Bad Things Happen to God’s People

Comfort in Trouble

2 Corinthians 1:8–11

True Statement: God will never love you so much to where He would put you ABOVE suffering.

The number one question today among people is that “Why do bad things happen to good people?” Books are being sold all across the world with that question.

It has to do with the fact that people aren’t willing to recognize, first of all, that they’re sinful and secondly, that they live in a sin-cursed, sin-stained fallen world. They have such an elevated opinion of themselves, such a lofty view of who they really are that it’s somehow inconceivable to them that something bad might happen. After all, they would imagine themselves to be the good people.

Note: People think that as long as they are trying to live a good life that bad things shouldn’t happen to them. But it’s not how good you are but it’s about the sovereignty of God.

Even among Christians there are new books coming out almost monthly, a very popular new book recently having been written on this subject, addressing the same issue, why is it that bad things happen to good people. Or where is God in the midst of my trouble. Or how am I supposed to figure out God when everything I would assume to be characteristic of his treatment of His people is not happening.

Note: When we fill that God is not treating us right it’s at that same time God is trying to show us two things and do two things.

1st Trying to show us who He is

2nd Trying to show you who you are

1st Trying to bring you closer to Him

2nd Trying to Develop you

You would think that the answer to the question was obscure. You would think that trying to solve the problem was very difficult when in fact it isn’t. In fact, it would seem that you wouldn’t even need a whole book to answer the question, it could be answered rather briefly. Bad things happen to good people because of sin. We live in a sinful world and we ourselves are sinful people. And while that is an answer, it is not a satisfactory one because it doesn’t give us enough information to sort out some other things that certainly come into play in comprehending this issue. [ Let me help you out ]

Bad things do happen to good people. Let’s put it another way, bad things do happen to God’s people. Let’s even go further. God allows bad things to happen to His people. And the question is … why? I don’t think any of us is questioning that this indeed is true, all of us have experienced to one degree or another difficulties and trials and troubles. We know they happen. The question is, why? Why does God allow bad things, devastating things to happen to His people?

Let me give you a list of answers to that question that will sum it up.

Number one, God allows bad things to happen to His people to test the validity of their faith . That is to say, to determine if their faith is a lasting faith. To put it another way, to determine if it is a destructible faith. Because if it is a destructible faith, it is not a saving faith. Because saving faith is indestructible, saving faith endures to the end. Saving faith perseveres.

Hezekiah was being tested in 2 Chronicles 32:31 and it says, “God left him to test him that he might know all that was in his heart.” In other words, God abandoned Hezekiah so that Hezekiah could see what he was really like when left to himself. It wasn’t that God needed to know what he was like, God knows that. A true saving faith will pass that test.

Habakkuk had a dilemma that was beyond him. Terrible things were happening to the people of God, Israel. Indescribable things were happening. And the prophet Habakkuk was crying and crying to God and saying, “Stop this, turn it around, redeem Your people, show Your power, make them a righteous people. How long will I cry? How long will I cry?” And God gave him an answer that was just the opposite. God not only said I’m not going to bring a revival, I’m going to bring the Chaldeans who are worse than the Israelites and they’re going to act as the executioners of the Jews. And now his problem was infinitely more complex, problem number one … why doesn’t God revive His people? Problem number two, if God’s not going to revive His people, how in the world can He use a worse people to be their judge?

And when it was all in the midst of his mind and the chaos was overpowering him, he was reminded of a simple principle, “The just shall live by faith.” Trust Me. And at the end of that little prophecy of Habakkuk he says, “If everything in the world goes in reverse direction, if everything goes according to what everyone understands and comprehends as reasonable and normal,” he says, “yet will I trust in the Lord.” He passed the test. His faith endured.

And one of the things that God is doing in bringing these trials into life is testing faith. You say, “Why does He want to do that?” Not for His sake, I say it again for your sake, don’t you want to know whether your faith is saving faith? Don’t you want to know whether your faith is enduring faith? God is giving you the gift of security. He’s giving you the gift of confidence. He’s solidifying your hope by testing your faith. And when you pass the test, you have an objective affirmation that you are truly saved. It becomes for your assurance because true faith cannot die, no matter how severe the trial may be. So if your faith endures, you have a saving faith. What a gift from God it is to know you have a saving faith.