“Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live. However, if righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things and act like other sinners, should they be allowed to live? No, of course not! All their righteous acts will be forgotten, and they will die for their sins. “Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you? When righteous people turn from their righteous behavior and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die. And yet the people of Israel keep saying, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ O people of Israel, it is you who are not doing what’s right, not I. “Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign LORD. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign LORD. Turn back and live! [Ezekiel 18.23-32]
People just need to get over themselves and repent.
We spend incalculable time and effort to understand why bad things happen to good people. The very phrase "why bad things happen to good people" reveals our flawed approach from the beginning.
The Bible is clear that bad things are the result of sin - disobedience. Good things, to the contrary, are the result of obedience. All through the Bible, and particularly detailed in Deuteronomy 28 lest there be any confusion, we see God rewarding faithfulness with good and faithlessness with bad. Jesus' demonstration of God's will on earth was good - healing - provision - peace. Jesus did not die for the good obedience of man - He died for man's bad disobedience!
How did we ever get to the point that we concluded bad things could ever happen to good people?
We got there in pure human pride. We got there by refusing to admit the obvious and repent. We got there by emotional deference to humanity instead of spiritual deference to God and His Word. Humans decided, in their commonality of sinfulness, that they were right and God was wrong and in so doing defended their righteousness while their symptoms screamed "guilty!" They are like a kid who refuses to admit getting in the jelly jar while the jelly is all over his face and hands.
Even in the tricky and often misunderstood circumstance with Job in the Bible, we eventually see Job too was found in need of repentance. Do we really think for a moment that God required repentance of Job in the end because he was sinless? NO! Not for a moment! Repentance is required for sin and disobedience!
There is no authority in heaven or on earth to punish righteousness. Punishment is justly and explicitly reserved for sin and that is why Deuteronomy 28 so clearly defines good and bad, blessings and curses, all dependent upon obedience or disobedience.
As revealed in Job's story and in Jesus' own account, Satan, in his fallen condition, is a rogue destroyer, murderer, and thief. Originally created as a protector of God's honor, his corrupted method of operation devolved to inflict punishment - curses upon disobedience - in a manner which does not glorify God but instead questions God's glory! And, because he is also a liar, he will use every means to deceptively twist truth to fit his proud narrative. It should be understood that Satan's primary goal is to discredit God by convincing people that bad things happen to good people - to blame God for what they should blame themselves.
Consider Paul's words then to the Church at Corinth:
We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ. [2 Corinthians 10.3-5]
"Human reasoning and ...false arguments" sure sounds like the work of a deceiver!
Look again at the first sentence in the scripture passage above:
"Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign LORD"
Will no one defend God's honor? Even with Jesus Christ revealing God's very will and nature, mankind has still flocked to false arguments about God in defense of mankind's mistaken self-justification. It remains a serious problem.
Just to be crystal clear, this is not about slapping folks in the face who are suffering. Here is Jesus' example:
Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you have such evil thoughts in your hearts? Is it easier to say ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” [Matthew 9.2-6]
While each of us should give what is said here great introspect, we have great responsibility laid upon us by Jesus' command and example to forgive. While repentance is between a person and God and certainly non-negotiable, forgiveness is Jesus's example and therefore our command:
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” [Luke 23.34a]
What the Bible teaches is that when we suffer personally, we need to repent. However, when we see suffering in others, we need to forgive... just like Jesus.
If you forgive anyone’s sins, they are forgiven. If you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven.” [John 20.23]
Again, people just need to get over themselves and repent. But there's more! People also need to forgive! Repent and forgive to end the suffering on myself and others.
Father, forgive me for my own victim-mentality, like the world and largely the Church have embraced, in unjustly accusing You of rewarding obedience with curses. Forgive me for both gross unrighteousness in my life as well as discreet disobedience. My conditions and circumstances herald my unrighteousness! I have obviously sinned against You - whether in commission of overt disobedience or misplaced faith (idolatry in trusting myself or the world instead of Your plan in Jesus). Forgive me, Father, I have sinned. I set aside my pride and acknowledge what Your Word teaches about blessings and curses... I am experiencing curses because I have obviously sinned against You. Rather than spending my time trying to defend myself, I wish to spend my time humbly purging myself of wrongdoing in both action and belief. And, on behalf of others in their suffering, I forgive them as Jesus forgave me on the Cross in petitioning forgiveness on my behalf.
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