Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People Part 2

Bless you in the name of our risen Savior Jesus Christ and thank you for returning for part two of this subject!

I left you last week promising that I would further explain why bad things happen even though our God is a loving and merciful God who only wants the best for His children. There are a couple of points I would like to make in order to explore this issue.

First, we must understand that contrary to popular belief, God does not control our actions or decisions. We have a God-given gift of "freedom of will". There are numerous accounts in the Bible in which people exercise this freedom, such as Joshua 24:14-15:

(Joshua speaking)
Jos 24:14 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD.
Jos 24:15 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.


Emphasis on the word "choose" in verse 15. We are able to choose whether or not we accept the one true God or some other god or none at all. God does not force us to do this, it is up to us. God wants every one of us to serve Him, but notice He never forces anyone to choose Him over any other god or entity. If one does not choose to follow God's Will and His Word, there is no promise that that person will be free of adversity.

I refer now to my favorite passage in the New Testament; Ephesians 6:10-18:

Eph 6:10  Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
Eph 6:11  Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
Eph 6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
Eph 6:14  Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;
Eph 6:15  And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;
Eph 6:16  Above all, taking the shield of believing, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
Eph 6:17  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:
Eph 6:18  Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints

This passage is written to people who have already chosen God's way. Yet, we see that there is still need for these people to be shielded from the wiles of the Devil. Why do people who follow God still have to be armored in a spiritual battle? We can thank the first two humans in history for that: Adam and Eve. I now refer to Genesis 3:1-6:

Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?"
Gen 3:2  And the woman said unto the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:
Gen 3:3  But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die."
Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die:
Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."
Gen 3:6  And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Here there are a couple of truths we must understand. First, the serpent referred to here is the adversary, satan or the devil, whichever name you want to use. Second, Adam and Eve both ate of the forbidden fruit even though God had instructed them not to. Third, this is where mankind CHOSE to allow satan to be the "prince of this world". Ever since Adam ate the forbidden fruit, satan has been able to unleash his darts upon this world. This is why bad things happen to good people.

Good people don't always have to be followers of God. I know many good people who have no idea who God really is. On the contrary, I have known followers and believers of God who aren't as "good", yet they still seem to have favor with God. The difference? Believing. God only asks us to believe in Him and the rightfully divided Word He has made available to us. One can attend church every Sunday, but if they do not know God's Word the way He meant for us to know it, that person may not be walking according to His Will and thus not reaping the benefits of  "the whole armor of God"; which is His Word, the knowledge of the Bible.

In summary; we have learned that God is light and in Him is no darkness. God's Will is for us all to be healed and saved as evidenced by Jesus' walk on earth. However, we have the right to choose who we follow and believe in. We also still have to deal with the fact that the adversary has been granted dominion over the earth by our ancestors Adam and Eve. Therefore, we are still plagued by the "wiles of the devil". How do we do what Ephesians 6 tells us to do so we can conquer the "fiery darts" of the adversary? Well, as it is now 12:45 AM on a Monday morning, I think this is a good time to stop and take a look at this issue at another time! 

Please feel free to post any thoughts on this subject. I expect much discussion as this can be a touchy subject for some people since people. I always welcome a healthy debate!

Have a blessed day!

-Luke