Why does God seem so unfair?

•Got questions?

•Why does God seem so unfair?

Hey That’s No Fair

As a Child

•When I was a child I remember complaining to my parents about bedtime. It seemed to me that my parents were putting me to bed way earlier than my neighbors and it was unfair. I felt I was being unjustly persecuted. My father would always quickly say, as sometimes I do..”lifes not fair”

Ways Life Isn’t Fair

Money

Talent

Friends and Family

Opportunity

Where you live

•Exp: Ways Life Isn’t Fair

•Money

•Talent

•Friends and Family

•Opportunity

•Where you live

There’s things we can do about it

Work harder and smarter

Practice your talents and seek more

Treat others with respect and love and often it is returned

Seek opportunity and when it comes take it

Move.

Throw temper tantrums, get depressed, mope around with a chip on your shoulder thinking the world owes your something

Why does God bless some and not others?

Be Careful – There is no concrete formula to receive blessing

There are some verses that help.

Matthew 7:7–11 NIV

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

• “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 9 “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

2 Corinthians 9:8 NIV

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

• 8 And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Correlations

.. You need to ask

James 4:2–3 NIV

You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

James 4:

2 Corinthians – he is blessing so that we can give it away

Malachi’s Tithing verses

Malachi 3:10 NIV

Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

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But I’ve done all that?

I’ve done all that an I have not received – or – I know people who have done that and have not received…

Matthew 5:45 NIV

that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Mt

Why The Blessing?

God did not necessarily bless you because of your close relationship with Him. There is a correlation, but you want to be careful that you do not reduce God’s blessings to a “relational proximity formula.”

Job 1:1 NIV

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.

Job 1:1

Paul was close to God, and someone cut off his head.

Joseph was close to God, and a tribe kidnapped him.

Moses was close to God and got exiled to the desert.

Stephen was close to God, and a mob stoned him to death.

Christ was close to God, and it was the Lord’s will to crush Him ().

Because He’s God

God blesses people because He chooses to bless people.

Filter your question through the word

Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9 NIV

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.

We are not Blessed because we are entitled or deserve it.

Romans 3:10–12 NIV

As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

• “As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”

• “All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Isaiah 64:6 NIV

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

Your blessing or cursing for that matter has nothing to do with how special you are. It’s His Grace + unmerited favor.

Deuteronomy 9:5 NIV

It is not because of your righteousness or your integrity that you are going in to take possession of their land; but on account of the wickedness of these nations, the Lord your God will drive them out before you, to accomplish what he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

Romans 9:16 NIV

It does not, therefore, depend on human desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.

Ro 9:1

Let’s Tackle a Couple Questions

What Is Blessing? Or What is Good?

To us Blessing is the good thing that happens to benefit us or others. (more money, more talent, more friends, etc.}

Paul saw all things–including disappointments–working together for good

Romans 8:28 NIV

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

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Paul saw all things–including disappointments–working together for good – .

That good being that we are being conformed into the image of His son. –

Romans 8:29 NIV

For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.

Romans 8:29

•Key Idea – The good that God is working in you, whether it feels positive or negative to you, is to make you more like Jesus. If your circumstances are not conforming you to be more like Jesus, you are missing the main purpose of what God is writing into your life

Matthew 6:33 NIV

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

Matthew 6:

Who is Grateful?

Some times we feel and leave unspoken the implication that God is unkind, unfair, or not good.

God is good — all the time. All the time — God is good regardless of what happens to you. Unfortunately, there is a mainstream worldview that talks only about God’s goodness when there is some material or physical benefit in the balance.

God is good — all the time. All the time — God is good regardless of what happens to you.

Unfortunately, there is a mainstream worldview that talks only about God’s goodness when there is some material or physical benefit in the balance.

But God’s view...

Job 42:1–5 NIV

Then Job replied to the Lord: “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted. You asked, ‘Who is this that obscures my plans without knowledge?’ Surely I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know. “You said, ‘Listen now, and I will speak; I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.

Job 42

Genesis 5:20 NIV

Altogether, Jared lived a total of 962 years, and then he died.

Genesis 50:20 NIV

You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

• You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

The Answer: Wherever You are Be Content.

Philippians 4:11–13 NIV

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.

Phil 4:11

Job 1:20-22

Job 1:20–22 NIV

At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

• “At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship 21 and said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.” 22 In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

1 Timothy 6:6–10 NIV

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

1 Ti 6:6-10

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