If God Is _______, Then Why Do We Experience_______?
Notes
Transcript
Doxology:
This is my Bible. It is God’s Holy Word. It is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and I will hide its words within my heart, that I might not sin against God. Amen!
Scripture Reference: Romans 8:28
We are going to break away from our series through the Gospels this morning. This last week, I have been thinking a lot about Hurricane Helene and the damage that was left in its wake, as well as other events like school shootings. I just felt like I needed to speak to you today on this topic.
28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Context
Context
Within the last couple of years, we have seen a fair share of these catastrophic events. We have witnessed several hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, tornadoes, and floods. We have also witnessed several acts of pure evil like school shootings, child trafficking, and other things of the like.
Each time one of these events, whether it is an act of nature or an act of pure evil, we are left with questions. They are the infamous “Why” questions. Some would argue that these questions come mostly from outside the church, but I am not so sure that is accurate.
If you do not believe in God, then you really don’t have much of a struggle with events such as these. If there is no God, then God is not to blame. Nature simply gets riled up from time to time, leaving behind devastation, and some people are simply bad to the core, resulting in horrific events like the murder of innocent children. There is no God to blame, so these events are simply chalked up as unfortunate.
If you have a very limited view of God, you also do not struggle with these events too awful much. If you view God as good and bad, then natural disasters are simply the result of God having a bad day. If you believe there is more than one God, as many throughout the world do, then these events are the natural result of those gods not getting along.
But for Christians, we do have a problem in times such as this. We preach and teach and that there is only one God, not multiple gods.
We also teach that this God is ultimately good, all the time; not good sometimes and bad at other times.
We also teach that this God is all-powerful, meaning that there is nothing He cannot do. Even nature itself obeys Him and gives Him praise.
We also teach that God is all-loving, and that He desires nothing more than to see all human beings saved and adopted into the His family.
But this is the challenge isn’t it? If there is only one God, and this God is perfectly good, all-powerful, and all-loving, then why do we experience so much evil, suffering, and devastation?
We are the ones who have to answer the question, not the rest of the world. It is up to us to attempt to make sense of all of this.
Unfortunately, there is no cookie-cutter answer to these very tough questions. I wish there were.
There are some answers, and we will discuss those in a few moments, but they are not quiet as clear and concise as we would like them to be.
Today, I want to address three common “Why” questions that we often hear in these scenarios:
If God is Faithful, then why do we experience Suffering?
If God is Good, then why do we experience Evil?
If God is All-Powerful, then why do we experience Devastation?
Content
Content
If God is Faithful, Then Why Do We Experience Suffering?
If God is Faithful, Then Why Do We Experience Suffering?
Let me say it another way: “Why do bad things happen to good people?”
You have probably heard this question at some point in your life, or maybe even asked it yourself. Truth is, most people have wrestled with this question at some point in their lives.
After all, did God not promise that He would never leave us or forsake us?
If God is faithful, then why does so much bad come to good people? It just doesn’t seem right!
There are a few things I want to bring out that will hopefully help us with this question:
The question itself is built upon false logic.
The first assumption this question makes is that there is such a thing as “Good people”.
17 Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one;
Truth is, there are no good people. We are all born into this life with a sin-nature. This sin-nature compels us to do those things that are contrary to God. We are all guilty of doing so. We have all done things that we know are wrong, and we have all refrained from doing things we know we should have done.
When we are saved, the Holy Spirit regenerates us into new creatures. We are no longer classified as sinners, but saints. We are now children of God. At this point we begin to live for God because of what the Holy Spirit has done within us. He is the One that is good, not us. He deserves the praise, not us. Every good thing within us is of God.
We are not good, but God sure is. I am so thankful that even in my sin, Christ died for me anyway.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
The second assumption this question makes is that they can discern “bad” from “good”.
2 My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
Many times, the things we call bad are not bad at all. This is not to say that we never experience anything bad, of course we do. But many times the things we perceive as bad are actually brought into our lives with meaning and purpose. It is those things that these verses speak of. These things may be mentally stressful, physically hurtful, or even emotionally tough, but they are brought into our lives to strengthen us and make us better versions of ourselves. Let us not call these things bad, or even be angry at God for bringing them into our lives.
God has proven His faithfulness time and time again.
Are we so quick to forget?
Can we all not look back at our lives and think of many times where God has been faithful to bring us through? Can we not all speak to the wonderful grace of God upon our lives? Sure we can. God has proven His faithfulness to us over and over and again. Are we so quick to forget?
We struggle because we live in the present. We are quick to forget the past and the future. When we are going through a tough time, our default mindset is to ask “Why me?” or “What did I do to deserve this?” But has God not already done so much? How much more must He do before we become satisfied? If salvation is not enough, what is enough? Are we to live in a constant state of peace and tranquility in order to call God faithful?
This is not reality. Jesus never promised that we would never suffer. Jesus never promised that the Christian life would be dandelions and daisies. Matter of fact, He promised right the opposite. He promised that if we truly followed Him, we would suffer in this world, because this world would not understand us or accept us. We would be outcasts. We would be pilgrims in this land, for this land is not our home.
Our home is in heaven with Him. Only then will we be full and complete, for that is what we are called to, a life of perfection lived in the presence of perfection. That will never be the case down here, for we are not perfect and this is not a perfect place.
Let us maintain the blessed hope in our home on high! Let us not forget that the rest of the story has already been written. Our place in that story is with our Heavenly Father.
So why do bad things happen to good people? They don’t. Bad things happen to all people, and God is faithful to be there with His children as they come.
If God is Good, Then Why Do We Experience Evil?
If God is Good, Then Why Do We Experience Evil?
This question forces us to go a little deeper. The first question we addressed was framed around false logic, but this question is framed in reality. God is good and evil does exist in the world.
When we say evil here, we are not referring to those things we already addressed, which may appear bad but are really not. We are speaking of actual evil. Works that are directly against the will of God.
Defining the Terms
What do we mean when we say that God is good?
When we say that God is good, we are saying that God is righteous. To be righteous, means that one will do what is right; not right in our eyes, but right according to the perfect standard of God’s Law. This means that He is consistent with His own Word and therefore perfect. God is good.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.
So God is pure, absolute light (or goodness) and in Him is no darkness (evil). God is good.
What do we mean when we say something is evil?
If “Goodness” is the fulfillment of God’s standard of righteousness, then evil is anything that goes against that. In saying this, we are claiming that we believe in moral absolutes, or objective morality.
A big debate within our culture today is whether or not there is such a thing as objective morality. Many are pushing against this belief and saying that morality is subjective, not objective.
Subjective Morality is the idea that morality is based upon personal beliefs, opinions, and cultural norms. It also says that what is considered right and wrong can vary from one person to the next.
Objective Morality is the idea that morality exists factually, and that some actions and beliefs are inherently good or bad, regardless of personal beliefs or cultural norms.
An example of Objective Morality would be murder. Regardless what culture you come from, where you live, what your personal beliefs are, etc. murder is wrong.
There is no version of history that justifies the Holocaust. Murder is wrong.
Here is the thing, if you do not believe in objective morality, if you do not believe that there is a standard of right and wrong that transcends personal agendas, personal opinions, and cultural norms, than you cannot classify anything as evil. If there is no moral absolutes, then who is to say what you believe is wrong is actually wrong. The next person can simply disagree with what you say is right and justify their actions.
As Christians, we do believe in moral absolutes, in objective morality. The standard of righteousness, the standard of right and wrong, is found right here in the Bible. God’s Law determines right and wrong. Who says murder is wrong, God does. Who says stealing is wrong, God does. Who says adultery is wrong, God does.
If we truly believe in the Word of God, as the Word of God, then we must acknowledge that His Word is the final Word on all things. Period. That is objective morality. That is moral absolutes.
So we have said that God is good and that according to our belief that the Word of God is the basis of morality, evil does exist in the world. Why?
Answering the Question
We live in a fallen world.
God created this world good. After the six days of creation, God looked at everything He created and said it was very good.
31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
After being in the garden for some length of time, man decided to go against the will of God, and evil entered our world. Evil has existed in this world ever since.
We live in a fallen world. We live in a world that was created by a perfect God with the purpose of experiencing perfect fellowship with God, but can’t because of the separation between us. Sin causes separation between us and God and so we cannot experience that perfect fellowship with Him as we were designed to.
Man has free will.
God implanted within each one of us the ability to make choices. We are faced with decisions every single day. Some people choose to make their decisions in line with God’s will, others choose to make their decisions against God’s will.
Because we live in a fallen world, this means that many decisions that are made will be against the will of God. This means that evil things will happen.
Why doesn’t God intervene and stop it?
God can use evil for good.
The case of Joseph
20 But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.
Without Evil, how would those who are living for God be proven?
If everything was good all the time, how would our faith ever be tested? How would we experience growth if we never went through some hard times?
It is the evil we persevere down here that instills within us the blessed hope for a home in glory. If everything was as we wanted it to be down here, why would we long for anything else?
There is coming a day, when all will be made right.
One day, every person will stand before God and give account for the actions they have committed. They will be judged by Him and judged accordingly. On that day, all things will be made right.
18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
If God is All-Powerful, Then Why Do We Experience Devastation?
If God is All-Powerful, Then Why Do We Experience Devastation?
God is Omnipotent (All-Powerful)
Creation - God spoke and the whole world leapt into existence.
God commanded fire to fall and it did for Elijah at Mount Carmel.
God commanded and the Red Sea parted so the Israelites could cross on dry ground.
Natural Disasters
Some of the Natural Disasters in Scripture were sent by God as a means of judgment.
The flood in Genesis 6.
Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19.
Korah, Reubenites, and families in Numbers 16.
During the tribulation period, there will be pestilence, famine and things of the like.
Famines, droughts, and other natural phenomenon used for judgment.
Other Natural Disasters in Scripture were not sent by God as a means of Judgment.
Famine in Genesis 43-47 was used to bring together God’s people and bring glory to God.
Famine in Haggai was used to bring the people to their knees in repentance.
The promise of devastation against Nineveh was used to bring their nation into repentance.
The raging storm on the sea of Galilee was used to showcase the power of Jesus before His disciples.
Truth is, Natural Disasters are a thing of God. I cannot tell you why God sends them. Maybe they are a means of judgment against a certain people group. Maybe they are used to bring the people together in times of absolute division and fighting. Regardless, I do know this, Just because we do not understand it, does not mean that God is any less than what He has proven Himself to be. There are a lot of things in life that we do not understand, but God has revealed Himself to us enough to prove His love for us, prove His faithfulness, prove He cares, and prove that He is just as much God today as He ever has been. He is a good God.
8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
All Natural Disasters provide an opportunity for us to show the light of God unto the world.
When they do come, it is opportunity for us to shine in the darkness. Bro. Gene is going out, as he told you, next week to serve in the disaster area. Maybe you cannot go, but maybe you can contribute in some other way. If you want to go, please talk with him after the service today and see what that looks like.
There is a good possibility that many of these people who have lost everything will have to completely relocate. Some of them may end up right here in Allons, TN. If they do, let’s show them the love of Christ as they get resettled. In the meantime, let us be faithful in doing whatever we can to support them now.
Commitment
Commitment