As I write this a pastor has been shot to death in the pulpit by a person who walked into the church. It happened at the First Baptist Church of Maryville, IL. We wonder, “Why would God allow such a thing… in His house… on His day… in worship?“ Keep reading…
Recently I wrote about a young man who is a member of the church I serve who found out he has pancreatic cancer(click here) This is something of a followup but has a different purpose in mind that follows the question posed in the last paragraph.
When I hear people say, ”I know we’re not supposed to question God…” I wonder to myself… Why not? When I hear people say, ”I know we can’t know why these things happen…”I wonder to myself… Why can’t we know?
After all, didn’t Jesus say if anyone seeks they will find? Isn’t it written if any man lacks wisdom he can ask of God and it will be given?
I would agree we can’t know every reason for what God does nor are we able to know all the intricacies of what happens in our lives… however… I do believe God has given us a lot of answers to ”Why ‘bad’ things happen to Christians.” My goal in this post is to suggest a few reasons… keeping in mind this post is not exhaustive and only begins to explore this issue.
In order to get our arms around the answers, there are two foundational questions that must be positively affirmed: #1 Do you believe God (Ps 84:11b)? #2 Do you trust God (Heb 13:5b)? If to either or both the reply is “no,” then these concepts will be difficult to accept.
Reason #1: To Glorify God (2 Cor 4:15)
For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.
John 9:1 As he passed by, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 Jesus answered, ”It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him.”
Reason #2: For Believers To Share in Christ’s Glory (1 Peter 4:12-14)
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you…
Reason #3: To Be Conformed To The Image Of Christ (Romans 8:29)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might bethe firstborn among many brothers.
Reason #4: To Mature Christians In The Faith (James 1:2-4)
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
Reason #5: To Comfort Others In Their Trials (2 Cor 1:3-4)
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Reason #6: To Rest Completely Upon Christ’s Power (2 Cor 12:7-10)
So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. 8 Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. “Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
Reason #7: To Embolden Christians To Faithful Service (Phil 1:12-14)
I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, 13 so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. 14 And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.
Reason #8: So That Jesus’ Life Is Manfiested In Us (2 Cor 4:7-12)
But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 8 We areafflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10 always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11 For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. 12 So death is at work in us, but life in you.
Reason #9: It Is God’s Will For Christians To Suffer (Phil 1:29)
For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake…
Reason #10: It Is God’s Way Of Increasing Rewards (2 Cor 4:16-18)
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
Another reason why God allows hardship comes into Christian’s lives is to defeat Satan!
”God only allows Satan to do what will accomplish the opposite of what Satan intends.” (Tim Keller)
Read Job 1:6-22.
Satan wanted to discredit God by showing that the reason Job served God was for the blessings he was given. Satan sarcastically said in essence, let me bring some hardship into his life and he will curse you to your face. God allowed Satan’s request… with restrictions. God did not allow Satan to touch Job himself.
Satan then caused Job to lose all his possessions… all his servants… and all his children were killed. Job’s response? ”The Lord gives and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
Read Job 2:3-10.
Satan then said to God a person will give everything for their life. He suggested to God that if he could strike Job’s body, he would curse God to His face. God allowed Satan’s request… with restrictions. God did not allow Satan to take Job’s life.
Satan then struck Job with loathsome sores from head to toe. It was so terrible Job’s wife said (Job 2:9-10), ”Curse God and die. But he said to her, ‘You speak as one of the foolish women would speak. Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?’”
Lessons…
God is sovereign over Satan. Satan can only do what God allows, nothing more (Consider 1 Cor 10:12-13).
God uses Satan’s devices to defeat Satan himself. Satan thought he would give God a black eye by exposing man’s selfish reason for serving God… to receive blessings. However, the opposite of what Satan intended actually took place! Which means that thousands of years later… and into eternity… Satan’s failure will be proclaimed to God’s glory! The same thing happened when Satan thought he would win a victory over God by killing Jesus. But it was the death of Jesus that brought about Satan’s defeat. Satan’s attempt to defeat God actually resulted in the opposite of his intent… to God’s glory!
Suffering exposes the true object of our faith. When suffering enters our life, then we find out if we serve God for the “benefits” of being a believer OR if we serve God because of our love and devotion to Him (Habakkuk 3:17-19).
God doesn’t explain all the reasons why to us during suffering because that would defeat His purposes. If God had told Job that his story would bring glory to God for millions of years, then Job would have endured for that reward and not simply out of love and devotion to God. If God were to tell us all the reasons for our suffering (Assuming we could even understand them), then we too would endure for reasons other than our love and devotion to God. This would minimize God’s glory and decrease our reward in heaven.
Navigating through the hard times of life is only possible by the grace and strength God provides in Christ. These two posts are intended to be an encouragement as we seek to glorify God in all things.
