E111: New Believers Fast Track - Part 5: Tough Questions Answered

ONE DAY CLOSER with Mark & Dave

The last in our New Believers “Next Steps” series, Mark and Dave answer the popular question, "If God is good, why is there suffering and why do bad things happen?" Then they share which stories are their favorites in the bible. If there are any other questions you would like us to tackle, email us at [e-mail] - you can be sure other people have the same question.
SHOW NOTES:
If God is so good, why do bad things happen?

The easy, cop out answer, that most people give as an answer: “Because Sin still exists.” That’s True, but that answer alone doesn’t dispense a lot of hope or action tasks associated with it.

In Matthew 5:45, as part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says this about God the Father: “He makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (ESV).

I’ve always thought that scripture meant that simply stated, “Stuff Happens”…it rains (good things and bad things) come to both the just and unjust. But in researching this for today’s show I came across a different perspective.

In the verses immediately prior to verse 45, Jesus notes a popular sentiment and then gives a countercultural command: “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (verses 43–44). Then, in the first half of verse 45, Jesus gives the rationale behind the command: “That you may be children of your Father in heaven.”

The Contemporary English Version brings out this meaning of Matthew 5:45: “Then you will be acting like your Father in heaven.” To the extent that a person exhibits a certain characteristic of God, to that extent he will be considered a child of God.

So, how does God love His enemies? There are a number of ways, but in Matthew 5:45 Jesus gives two practical examples. “He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” In that agrarian society, good weather was all-important. There are righteous farmers (who would be considered God’s friends) and unrighteous farmers (those who would be considered God’s enemies). Regardless of the farmer’s disposition toward God, God gives sunshine and rain to all the farmers in equal portion.

When God gives good sunshine and good rain to an evil farmer, it’s an example of God loving His enemies. God makes no distinction between the evil and the righteous in this instance—He gives good gifts to both of them.

Since God is so generous with His enemies, then we should be as well (this is an action…requiring growth and maturity)

Sometimes bad things / challenges in life are given so that we can learn / grow from them.

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