"Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?"

GOOD

Matthew 19:17, Mark 10:18, Luke 18:19, Romans 3:12, "There is none good, but GOD."

Romans 3:23, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of GOD."

James 2:10, "Whoever breaks one commandment is guilty of breaking them all." No matter how "moral" one may be, only GOD is good.

Psalm 143:2, Romans 3:10, 3:20 says there is no one good in this world compared to our Holy GOD!

Isaiah 64:6, Our works (goodness) are as filthy rags to our Holy GOD.

Galatians 2:16, Works makes no one good.

BAD

1 Peter 1:7, "Sorrow comes in order that the testing of your faith (being more precious than gold which perishes and yet is proved by fire) may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the re-appearing of Jesus Christ" 

James 1:3, "The testing of your faith (through trials) produces perseverance." These testings can be "mild" or very severe. Our reactions to them is not only a testimony of our reliance on Almighty GOD, but also a testimony in faith to those who do not know GOD personally as their Savior. The Book of Job is all about this. He lost all of his family to death. He lost all of his possessions (and he had many!) He also lost his health to many diseases which came upon him. It was an all out attack by Satan. Job's perseverance and trust in Almighty GOD was rewarded by GOD with giving him more than he had before and even better health because he didn't give the devil the satisfaction of "cursing GOD."

Our lives, whether by sickness and loss of health and possessions, are a testimony to the world of Jesus Christ's salvation in us. 

John 16:33, "In this world you have trials and sorrows, but I (Jesus Christ) have overcome the world." Because He did, we can too! Persevere!

Salvation comes to many others from the trials we go through in this world due to our testimony of perseverance in our LORD. We may never know those who have come to Christ's salvation until we see them in heaven. 

So, the question in the title can be answered with, our suffering brings others to know Christ and His mercy, grace, and salvation for a fallen humanity. We can never imagine the suffering Christ Jesus went through on the cross; not just the physical pain, but what it must have felt like to take upon Himself all of the sins of the entire human race! Trillions upon quadrillions of sins from man's thoughts, words, and deeds from Adam and Eve to the last human being He will create! It is all recorded in "The Books" (Revelation 20:12). Be sure your name is recorded in "The Book of Life" by accepting Christ's gift of salvation for you! (Revelation 20:15)

Persevere in Pain

What is the promise we shall receive?

James 1:2, "Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial (of pain and suffering, whether physical or emotional) because when he has stood the test, he will receive the Crown of Life that GOD has promised to those who love Him."

Matthew 10:28, "Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear the One (Almighty GOD) Who can destroy both soul and body in hell!" This is not a one time destruction, but continues forever!

Revelation 2:10, "Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer...be faithful even unto the point of death and I (Jesus Christ) will give you the Crown of Life."

What is the Crown of Life?

1 Corinthians 2:9, "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered the heart of man what GOD has planned for those who love Him."

John 14:2-3, "In My Father's house are many mansions...I go to prepare a place for you and will come and receive you unto Myself that where I Am you will be also."

2 Corinthians 5:1, "To be absent from the body is to be present with the LORD." What a promise Christians have in the LORD Jesus!

The Crown of Life is Eternal Life with our Awesome, Almighty, Creator, Savior, Holy Father GOD forevermore! In our now fallen state of mind, we cannot even begin to comprehend what that Eternal Life will encompass! In our lowly state, GOD has shared on our mind's level, the structures and foundations of the buildings:

Revelation 21:21, speaks of the New Jerusalem on the New Earth as having, "streets of gold." Read Revelation 21 about the foundations and structures of the buildings being made out of jewels (rubies, emeralds, amethyst, ivory...) Just think, in this fallen world, man kills and murders for gold! There, gold will be the asphalt of the streets!

Revelation 21:4, "He (Almighty GOD) will wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death, mourning, crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away!" Persevere, my fellow Christians!

James 1:22, NKJ version says, "Count it as joy when you meet with various trials of various kinds." Persevere, for what awaits those who are suffering has greater reward than those who don't suffer!

Persevere Through the Personality of Christ

This is GOD's Personality:

Hebrews 13:8, "Jesus is never changing. He's the same today, yesterday, tomorrow, and forever."
  
Matthew 5:48, "Your Heavenly Father is perfect."

Revelation 4:8, "Holy is the LORD GOD Almighty." 

Man's Personality:

Numbers 23:19, "God is not a man that He should lie, nor a son of man that He should change His mind." Man lies and constantly changes his mind (then denies that he has!) 


II Samuel 23:31, "GOD's way is perfect. The WORD of the LORD is flawless." Man by no means is perfect and flawless, therein the need for salvation! "There is a way which seems right unto a man, but its end is the way of death." (Proverbs 14:12)

1 Samuel 2:2, "No one is Holy like the LORD."
No human being is Holy, only the LORD GOD. This is why man must allow the Holy Spirit to change man's heart through salvation in Jesus Who took the penalty for our sin upon Himself.

We must persevere in our LORD GOD Almighty; think, do, and speak His WORD; our lives change as we grow in our unchanging GOD!

Learn Perseverance Part 2

I Corinthians 2:16, "We (Christians) are to work at becoming more like Christ, growing to have the mind of Christ (led by His Holy Spirit.)" The wiles of the devil and the world hate this and brings condemnation upon the LORD's Church. (John 15:18-19) Persevere, for His angels assist us and He knows what we can persevere and will not allow more than we can bear. (1 Corinthians 10:13)

Our earthly existence is a classroom in the School of Life. We can pass our courses by following GOD's WORD, or we can be expelled to eternal hell for failing to receive His Truth. Each of us has the choice to accept or reject the work we have in preparation (with this earthly life.) GOD has you to make the final decision of passing or failing! So the excuse the world makes is, "If GOD is Loving, He wouldn't send people to hell." Your right, in two ways! 1. You make the choice in rejecting His free gift of salvation in Jesus taking the penalty of your sins upon Himself. 2. Almighty GOD is Just and hates sin, yet He was willing to take yours upon Himself on the cross. Even Satan, the devil, knows there's a hell and he trembles knowing his time is short before he is sent there for all eternity (with the Lost that reject Christ.) This can be found in James 2:19 and Revelation 12:12.

Persevere! Call upon the Name of the LORD and He will save you. (Acts 2:21) There is no greater harm that can come upon the LORD's Church, that there isn't an even greater reward given which He has promised to us in Eternity! (Matt. 10:28) Persevere!

Charles Stanley shares, "Look at trials in life not as a reason to quit, but as opportunities that can assist us in reaching goals." (In Touch magazine, 8/04/14)

Life is a classroom for learning. Follow the Teacher, the Man of Galilee (Jesus). He will teach you as you travel this path to glory with Him leading you through the twists and decisions of this life below. Persevere as you look forward to your graduation into His glorious Presence! 

Learn Perseverance Part One

The fallen world teaches man to have "self esteem." The Bible calls it "pride." However, the WORD of GOD says, "Pride goes before the fall." (Proverbs 16:18) His WORD also tells us to "die to self." (Romans 6:4)

The Church's Perseverance: the world is against GOD's church. (John 15:18) No wonder why the world has itself in the mess it's in! Wars and rumors of wars! (Matthew 24:6) Broken marriages if married at all; adulterers, fornicators, lascivious behaviors will be judged by GOD! (1 Corinthians 6:9)  Greed, power hungry! (Mark 7:22) Drunkenness, addictions to alcohol, drugs, gambling! (Romans 13:13) Heinous murdering and crimes! (Revelation 21:8) "Wide is the road that leads to eternal hell in the Lake of Fire and many (if not most of mankind) that travel its path!" (Matthew 7:13)

Life is a road of perseverance! Because we all are of the fallen nature (Romans 3:23) we can't let our emotions run our lives or it will only become worse. However, those who know Jesus Christ as their savior allow Him in the Holy Spirit to guide our emotions (and not we ourselves.) When we do this, we love GOD. When we love our neighbor as ourselves (James 2:8) He (the Holy Spirit) assists our perseverance to endure the trials of this world!  
Perseverance: Being a quadriplegic, the strength of Joni singing this song below was assisted by her loving husband having to push against her diaphragm in order for her to sing this song of the early settlers in America.

  More to come...

The Trifold of Perseverance

(Genesis 1:27) Just as we are made in the image of GOD the Father (we have personality), GOD the Son (we have flesh as did Jesus), and GOD the Holy Spirit (we have a spiritual nature), perseverance also deals with these diverse attributes of our being. 

1. We must persevere with our personality and the personalities of others; joy/sadness, trust/fear, humble/prideful, helpful/harmful, and all other emotions. 
2. We must persevere with the physical weaknesses and pains of this world; strength/weaknesses, health/sickness, life/death.
3. We must persevere with the spiritual nature. Spiritually dead/Spiritual alive, demons/angels, our spirit/the Holy Spirit.

We will look at these in more detail this month.

  

What Is Perseverance

Perseverance is the endurance to not give up when life is at its hardest!