"God never said Life would be fair"

Introduction: Our text today shares with us a part of our Lord’s discourse or farewell to His disciples. In verse 17 the disciples ask the question, what is this that He saith unto us, a little while and ye shall not see me: and again a little while and ye shall see me because I go to the Father? Following Christ is costly to everyone that submits to His call. Christ sets the tone for this section of our text when He tells them , “It is expedient for them that He should go away.” If He goes the Holy Spirit will come, and when He comes He will reprove the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. God created a world where good and evil exist. God is not the blame for evil. The Bible says, what God created was good and very good. Evil exist because sinful man takes God’s good and turns it into evil. But thanks be to god that He can bring good out of an evil situation or time.

Christ “sustains” Us

The Hebrew word for sustain means to support, to help, unflinching, to hold, or contain. Trials and tribulations are a part of normal everyday life. Trials come and they go. However just because we experience them doesn’t mean they are there to overwhelm us. Trials are, by definition, difficult circumstances that try or test us, they are not happy events. They stretch our faith in God to such breaking points where we start to wonder; has God forgotten us? Can I ever come out of this mess that I am in? They even tempt us to deny God and even do something wrong. An accurate description of trials do inward and outward is described in James 1:13-15 James speaks of “trials that we fall into. We have no idea that it is going to happen it just happens. They are much like the parable of the Good Samaritan which tell the story of the fate of an unfortunate traveler, Innocently traveling along the road he was robbed, beaten and left for dead. Life may be smooth and pleasant for the moment, but a storm can brew up in a moments notice. Yes, the christian life unavoidably involves facing trials and if God so chooses, various forms will come our way. However, Christ is our sustainer throughout life. The Prophet declares, “And even to your old age I am He; I will carry you: I have made and will bear; and I will deliver you.” Isa. 46:4 The psalmist cries; “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved. Ps. 55:22 The Hebrew writer said, “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” Heb 1:3 He can and will sustain us because we belong to Him and He has already overcome whatever we are going through. His instructions in chapters 14-16 of John’s letter are intentional in order that the disciples would carry on the work of kingdom building. Since we have a dual existence, we are in Christ and we live in this world, we need instructions to sustain us under hostile pressures.

Christ’s peace “stabilizes” Us

The Hebrew word for stability means to be steadfast, trustworthiness, faithfulness, honesty, permanent. Life is not fair, injustices are all around and as Christians the way we respond indicates the type of character that we have. Jesus’s instructions in the preceeding chapters are designed to give them and us the stability and sustaining power that we need. Hardships are a way of life, but throughout the Bible we experience God interacting when great difficulties challenged His people. Peter said, “Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trials which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you: But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ’s suffering; that when His glory shall be revealed ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 1 Pet. 4:12-13 You will keep in perfect peace whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You. Isa. 26:3 When we acknowledge the Lord for who He is and remember that there is no power higher than He, Isaiah says; “And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times, and strength of salvation: the fear of the LORD is his treasure. Isa. 33:6 It is the Lord’s peace that needs to permeate throughout our land. Smoking the peace pipe with the enemy will not assure peace. There has to be some genuine love and concern for the welfare for the good of everybody. God has promised us a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness is going to dwell. And our hopes and aspirations should be looking towards such things, so we have got to be diligent and pursue peace. Peter says since “we know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.” 2 Pet. 3:17.

Christ’s victory “satisfies” Us

The primary biblical assertion is that victory belongs to God. The odds doesn’t have to be in our (your) favor. Ask David and He will tell you that Goliath was a terror to the nation of aIsrael but God’s will was no one was going to assert themselves or himself over God’s people. So David tells Goliath the battle is the Lords and He will give you into our hand. I don’t care what kind of armor you have on and how sharp your sword is, God is going to defeat you. The victory belongs to God, it is His to bestow at His will. No life is not fair, but you just hold on and keep on going, He has promised to be with you always even until the end of the world. “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God”? 1 Jn. 5:4-5 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. so when this corruptible shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death. where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law,. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, “Ain’t He Alright!

Closure: God never said life would be fair, but I thank Him for providing a way to sustain me and you, Ain’t He Alright! I thank my God ! for the stability of His infallible Word, Ain’t He Alright! Oh I thank my God satisfying and providing everything I need to make it on this journey. Ain’t He Alright! He did it God did it! What did He do? He died! Yes He did! Oh He died!