Scripural help for a friend?

[Livinloud316]

someone help I have a friend who's going through a really hard time right now and I was looking for some scriptural answers to the "why do bad things happen to good people?" question. I know its not an easy topic but i would really appreciate some scripure to help encourage him/her

PS, sorry if this is the wrong spot for this, but I didn't see anything more suitable where i thought i would get a fast response

thanks

 

[Luvly25]

Dear Livinloud316,
I'd really love to help...so I'm gonna look for some scriptures,but right now I have to go to bed. So tomorow I will defenitly have something for you.Good Night
Sincerly,
Luvly25

 

[sola fide]

First, I know that's a very tough issue to deal with.
But we have to remember that in the Biblical sense of the word, there is no such thing as as "good people".
Mark 10:18- "And Jesus said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone."

Romans 3:10-11- "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands...no one does good, not even one."

We are sinners. Our sin is what has brought about the bad things in this world. When bad things happen we must realize that we live in a world of sin, we must use it as an opportunity to draw close to God, who offers the gospel to free us from that sin.

Romans 8:28 is the verse I'm sure everyone will point to...but I have to mention it, it's so relevant.
"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose."

That's what your friend needs to know. That if we are in Christ, God sovereignly works all things for our good, and most importantly, for His glory.

Look at the awful things that Christ had to endure. Surely He was the only good person that has ever walked this earth. He was perfect! But He suffered unimmagineable pain. But the Father caused that pain to work out for good. Because through His pain, now we have a Savior!

Think of the life of the Apostle Paul. He went through so much. Snake bites, shipwrecks, stonings, beatings.
But at the end he was able to say-
"The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely in His heavenly kingdom." -2 Tim. 4:19


Anyway, in simply answer to the question of why "bad things happen to good people". I would say because of our sin, because we are not good. But God is so gracious that He offers the gospel that saves us from that sin, and He secures the salvation of His people through the blood of Christ. That's the key. The key is that we can't cast the blame off on God. The only charge we can lay against Him is that He is holy and just. And praise God that He is.

 

[Andrew]

Becos God blesses according to faith and his grace -- we receive everything from God by grace thrugh faith (as with salvation) -- not by how good or bad we are.

God also says that "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." IOW, you can be the best Christian around but you will still fry if you are dumb enough to pick up a 1000V live wire. So we need to read and study the Bible for God's wisdom, whether it is regarding protection, spiritual warfare, health and healing, relationships etc. We need to not just read and hear but be doers of God's Word as well. The blessings aint automatic so to speak.

 

[theseed]

Anyway, in simply answer to the question of why "bad things happen to good people". I would say because of our sin, because we are not good.

I disagree. Jesus was good, and yet he had to die on a cross. Many evil people are blessed in this life, while many are good, but are through serious trials. Take Job for example. He did nothing wrong in the sight of God, yet God allowed Satan to perscute him.

Often we assume since God is just, the world is just too. But this is not the case. That's not to say there will not be any justice after this life.

Yes, God is all-powerful. Yes, that means God has the power to stop anything. Yes, God allows things to happen. Therefore God is sovereign. It is his soveriegn will to let work themselves out naturally, according to the laws of nature, he has created. It is not is moral will for evil and sin to take place. This is why Jesus told us to pray, "thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven" because God's will is not always done. Is moral will.

Nevertheless, God uses bad things for our benefit. Each trial is an opportunity to grow. God created us to be like Christ. Each comfot we recieve from God, we can share with others. We should not shrink from such trials, deny such trial, or minimize such trial. But be realistic, and take it head on with by the strenght of God. God wants us to cry out to him and be completely honest about how we feel. Just like King David did in his Psalms.

Here is some scriptures I found in "Purpose Driven Life" by Rick Warren:

Ecclesiastes 3:1 :: New International Version (NIV)
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Ecclesiastes 3


A Time for Everything

1
There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:



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Philippians 1:6 :: New International Version (NIV)
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Philippians 1
6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

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Romans 8:27-29 :: New International Version (NIV)
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Romans 8
27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.

More Than Conquerors

28And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him,[1] who[2] have been called according to his purpose. 29For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.


Footnotes


8:28 Some manuscripts And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God
8:28 Or works together with those who love him to bring about what is good--with those who

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Colossians 3:10 :: New International Version (NIV)
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Colossians 3
10and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

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2 Corinthians 3:18 :: New International Version (NIV)
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2 Corinthians 3
18And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect[1] the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.


3:18 Or contemplate

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Romans 13
12The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

© Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society

Habakkuk 2
3 For the revelation awaits an appointed time;
it speaks of the end
and will not prove false.
Though it linger, wait for it;
it [1] will certainly come and will not delay.


James 1.2-4
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

 

[Livinloud316]

thank you all for your help, even though I don't agree with some of you I thank you for your willingness to help out in a matter that doesn't concern you directly. What you said helped a lot, and especially the scripture you posted. I know the answer to the wuestion "why do bad things happen to good people" in my head but putting it into words is often difficult, and you did a wonderful job of it.

 

[Luvly25]

Dear Livinloud316,
I wasn't really able to find out why bad things happen to good people but I found 2 verses that might help him/her get through their rough time.

*Psalm 37:28* and *Psalm 31:24*

A good example is Job, because he loved God,but all these bad things were still happening to him. Like his animals were dying, his wife turned on him, his sons were hurt, and even his friends turned on him. It was God though that was doing all this, it was Satan, because he was mad at Job and at the fact that Job loved God and wouldn't deny, blame, or rebuke God.

There's also Jesus. He was the best human on Earth, but He also had to suffer a great deal, because he wanted us to have a chance to be saved and live with Him when He comes back for us.

I know that my family went through a lot of pain and suffering before we became Christians, but we didn't know why. It was all wroth it though, because my parents realized that we needed help so they started going to church, then we all went, and now we're all a lot better off than we were before. So maybe things happen for a reason or it migh not be God that's trying to hurt, because He wouldn't want to hurt His own Children. Well I hope I was able to help at least a little.God Bless.
Sincerly,
Luvly25

 

[Serapha]

someone help I have a friend who's going through a really hard time right now and I was looking for some scriptural answers to the "why do bad things happen to good people?" question. I know its not an easy topic but i would really appreciate some scripure to help encourage him/her

PS, sorry if this is the wrong spot for this, but I didn't see anything more suitable where i thought i would get a fast response

thanks

Hi there!



I'm not quoting scripture here, but I think this might help put problems into perspective. Sometime in life, we are just along for the ride while the learning experience belongs to someone else, and sometimes the learning experience is for us... in either case, God is in control, and we need to let Jesus be the pilot while we obediently "pedal".


[size=+2]The Road Of Life[/size]



Author Unknown

At first, I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like a president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I really didn't know Him. But later on when I met Christ, it seemed as though life were rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that Christ was in the back helping me pedal. I don't know just when it was that He suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since.

When I had control, I knew the way. It was rather boring, but predictable . . . It was the shortest distance between two points. But when He took the lead, He knew delightful long cuts, up mountains, and through rocky places at breakneck speeds, it was all I could do to hang on!

Even though it looked like madness, He said, "Pedal!"

I worried and was anxious and asked, "Where are you taking me?" He laughed and didn't answer, and I started to trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into the adventure. And when I'd say, "I'm scared," He'd lean back and touch my hand.

He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance, and joy. They gave me gifts to take on my journey, my Lord's and mine. And we were off again.

He said, "Give the gifts away; they're extra baggage, too much weight." So I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving, I received, and still our burden was light.

I did not trust Him, at first, in control of my life. I thought He'd wreck it; but He knows bike secrets. He knows how to make it bend to take sharp corners, to jump to clear high rocks, to fly to shorten scary passages.

I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places. I'm beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant companion, Jesus Christ. He just smiles and says . . . "Pedal."