Articles
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Why do bad things happen to good people?
Greg King
We often ask that question based on our judgment of who is good. The biblical answer is there are no “good” people. The Bible makes it very clear that all of us are guilty of sin and no one sin is worse than another. Sin is sin regardless of what it is. Sin is lawlessness 1 John 3:4. Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Romans 6:23 says, “the wages of sin is death…”.
Romans 3:10-18 could not be clearer about the non-existence of “good” people: “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.” All of us are deserving of death. Every breath we have in our bodies is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve.
A better question for us would be, “Why does God allow good things to happen to bad people?” Romans 5:8 declares, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Despite the evil, wickedness, and sinfulness of the people of this world, God still loves us. He loved us enough to die to take the penalty for our sins Romans 6:23. If we will obey Jesus Christ our Savior (Matthew 16:16), we will be forgiven and have been promised an eternal home in heaven (Romans 8:1). What we deserve is punishment. What we are given is eternal life in heaven if we come to Christ in faith.
Sometimes bad things happen to people who seem undeserving. But God allows things to happen whether we understand them or not. Despite the bad things that may happen to us we must remember that God is good, just, loving, and merciful. Often things happen to us that we simply cannot understand. Instead of doubting God's goodness, our reaction should be to trust Him. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6.
