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Why Do Good Things Happen
To Bad People?
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by Brother David Buffaloe
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In a recent study we looked at why BAD things happen to GOOD people. Now let's look at the other side of that coin: why do GOOD things happen to BAD PEOPLE? Only the most inattentive of people would say that people always get what they deserve. Only the most ignorant of people would be unaware of the terrible atrocities that happen in our world on a regular basis. Bad people do exist, and bad people often profit from the misery and suffering of others. For instance, we all watched with sympathy as we saw the television show M*A*S*H several years ago. If you've never seen the show, watch television – especially FOX Network – on Sunday afternoons. The storyline of M*A*S*H centered around a mobile Army surgical hospital (thus the acronym) that operated during the Korean War. During the filming of the show Hawkeye (the lead doctor, played by Alan Alda) bemoaned the terrible consequences of the Korean War. Several episodes focused on American involvement in the war, and many episodes always had some emphasis on America leaving Korea – whether the war was completed or not. Alan Alda is, indeed, a confirmed liberal, and this in itself helped rocket the man to stardom. Don't get me wrong. I liked M*A*S*H well enough to watch it, and I enjoyed the acting. I also do not support the United States policing the world as it often does. I believe that we need to police our own country first, feed our own starving and suffering people first, and protect our own children first before we spend our tax dollars on other countries. I believe if we go to war against a country we should fight to win, then not rebuild it after we win the war. Let them rebuild their own countries. That would make them more careful in the future about attacking America. However, I do want to say this about the liberal approach that M*A*S*H had toward the Koreans. It is a fact that the leadership of North Korea has been guilty of atrocities that should turn any moral person's stomach. MSNBC reported that on January 15, 2003: “In the far north of North Korea, in remote locations not far from the borders with China and Russia, a gulag not unlike the worst labor camps built by Mao and Stalin in the last century holds some 200,000 men, women and children accused of political crimes. At one camp, Camp 22 in Haengyong, some 50,000 prisoners toil each day in conditions that U.S. officials and former inmates say results in the death of 20 percent to 25 percent of the prison population every year. Products made by prison laborers may wind up on U.S. store shelves, having been “washed” first through Chinese companies that serve as intermediaries. Entire families, including grandchildren, are incarcerated for even the most bland political statements. Forced abortions are carried out on pregnant women so that another generation of political dissidents will be “eradicated.” Inmates are used as human guinea pigs for testing biological and chemical agents, according to both former inmates and U.S. Officials.” These atrocities are often ignored by liberalism, especially when they mount a campaign against any U.S. involvement overseas. Meanwhile evil people in North Korea reap benefits from human suffering. Evil people often reap reward from human suffering. It is estimated that one and a half million Armenians perished between 1915 and 1923. There were an estimated two million Armenians living in the Ottoman Empire on the eve of W.W.I. Well over a million were deported in 1915. Hundreds of thousands were butchered outright. Many others died of starvation, exhaustion, and epidemics which ravaged the concentration camps. Among the Armenians living along the periphery of the Ottoman Empire many at first escaped the fate of their countrymen in the central provinces of Turkey. Tens of thousands in the east fled to the Russian border to lead a precarious existence as refugees. The majority of the Armenians in Constantinople, the capital city, were spared deportation. In 1918, however, the Young Turk regime took the war into the Caucasus, where approximately 1,800,000 Armenians lived under Russian dominion. Ottoman forces advancing through East Armenia and Azerbaijan here too engaged in systematic massacres. The expulsions and massacres carried by the Nationalist Turks between 1920 and 1922 added tens of thousands of more victims. By 1923 the entire landmass of Asia Minor and historic West Armenia had been expunged of its Armenian population. The destruction of the Armenian communities in this part of the world was total. The Vietnam War, which many young American people opposed, ended as a withdrawal of our United States troops. Our country was happy to be out of the war. Our servicemen who returned from overseas were not treated as returning heroes, but were reviled – often spat on by immature people who should have had their fanny's tanned by their parents when they were little. Though the war was despised, few people know that – once America left Vietnam – wholesale genocide took place. The Cambodian genocide of 1975-1979, in which approximately 1.7 million people lost their lives (21% of the country's population), was one of the worst human tragedies of the last century. As in Nazi Germany, and more recently in East Timor, Guatemala, Yugoslavia, and Rwanda, the Khmer Rouge regime headed by Pol Pot combined extremist ideology with ethnic animosity and a diabolical disregard for human life to produce repression, misery, and murder on a massive scale. These evil people and regimes made and continue to make money on the suffering of others. The shepherd David looked on the misery he saw around him and asked God: (Psalms 2:1-3 KJV) "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? {2} The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his anointed, saying, {3} Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us." Why do evil people often seem to “get away” with their evil? Some fatalists say that this is the nature of man, and that there is no solution. Others say that some mystical force called karma will make sure that everyone gets what they deserve in the end. There are a thousand voices trying to explain the problem of evil people and their prosperity – but for me, I like to turn to God's Word and see what my Father has to say.
Do evil people get away with murder? It may seem like they do for a time – but no, they don't. The Scripture we quoted earlier: (Psalms 2:1-3 KJV) "Why do the
heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? {2} The kings of the
earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the
LORD, and against his anointed, saying, {3} Let us break their bands asunder,
and cast away their cords from us." (Psalms 2:4-9 KJV) "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision. {5} Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. {6} Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion. {7} I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. {8} Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. {9} Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." God our Father, who sits in the Heavens looking down upon all mankind, shall laugh. The word laugh is the Hebrew word sachaq {pronounced saw-khak’}, a Qal Imperfect verb. This word means “to laugh at in scorn, to hold up to derision, to make fun of, or make sport of”. What is God's response to David's question? “I mock them for their foolishness!” People do not get away with murder. O.J. Simpson, if he killed that young lady (and I believe he did), will one day have to stand before the Father and give an account of his action. In our era most people have no true concept of God, nor of the scope of His power. Darwinism, evolutionary thought, cultic activity, and a lackluster adherence to God's Word by His Church in America has contributed to the watering down of God. Most people believe God to be a good old Guy, a Fellow that likes fishermen, and is ever ready to forgive. Many people believe that God just wants to be friends, and really doesn't care if we sin a little. After all, He made us – He knows we're only human. The Church of Jesus Christ has, sadly, contributed to this problem. Some denominations have excused behavior among its members that would have led to prompt excommunication in an earlier era. King David, Abraham, Daniel, Ezekiel, Peter, and Paul (just to name a few) would have been horrified at the light way in which many approach God.
Do people get away with murder? Is God asleep on the throne when some evil people are seemingly blessed? No, no one gets away with murder – though we do get confused by time. You see, as humans we live in a stream of consciousness that we call time. Our days and nights are ordered by the rotation of our little world, and by how fast it travels around the sun. Time for humans is in increments of seconds, minutes, hours, days, months, years, decades, centuries, and so forth. When we do something and are not called to account for what we did in a certain amount of time, we as humans feel that we have gotten away with it. But have we? Though humans live in a stream of consciousness we call time, God our Creator lives outside of time. The Bible says: (2 Peter 3:8 NASB) "But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." Time is different for God, because God created time, and lives outside of its control. As humans bound to time our lives on this earth are just a few years. After that time we go to stand before our Creator, and either eternal God's eternity in Heaven or Hell. When we leave this earth we leave time and enter eternity. (Matthew 25:46 KJV) "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal." Once in eternity we will give an account of ourselves to God: (Matthew 12:36-37 KJV) "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. {37} For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned." (Romans 14:12 KJV) "So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (1 Peter 4:4-5 KJV) "Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: {5} Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead."
Time is a relative thing. To us time matters. We think if we are not caught and punished in a certain amount of time, then we begin to believe that we have gotten away with it. But to God, Who exists outside of time, the offense of the evil ones is ever present unless covered by the blood of Christ. The offense of sin does NOT diminish with the passing of time, because God exists OUTSIDE of time. Unless you obtain His forgiveness of sin, unless He voluntarily forgets the sin because you have confessed it before Him, and asked forgiveness in the name of the Savior Jesus Christ: (Psalms 103:10-14 KJV) "He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. {11} For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. {12} As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. {13} Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him. {14} For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." then the sin is never forgotten. Here's a simple truth: throw your watch away when you consider God. Recognize that God remembers our limitations, and will forgive our failures if we seek His forgiveness in Christ. If we, as the Scripture says: (Romans 10:9-13 KJV) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. {10} For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. {11} For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. {12} For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. {13} For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Confess Jesus, believe on Jesus, accept Jesus as Savior, trust Jesus for your salvation – this leads to salvation. If you do not come to Jesus, and accept Him as your Savior, no amount of time will blot out your sin in God's eyes. Salvation and forgiveness alone exists only in the finished work of Jesus. (Acts 4:10-12 KJV) "Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. {11} This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. {12} Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." You must turn away from sin and turn toward Christ to be saved from judgment: (Acts 3:19 KJV) "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;" Sin is only blotted out when a person turns from sin and turns toward Jesus Christ for salvation. God is not mocked, though He mocks the foolish who think they have gotten away with sin.
When people begin to assume that they can get away with sin, I like to have them refer to how God treated Israel in the Old Testament era. When God established Israel as a nation, He gave them the Law through Moses. This Law was not only a schoolmaster to lead Israel to salvation by faith in Christ: Galatians 3:24 (KJV) "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith." the Law was also a system of government as well as a means for the average Israelite to worship God. The sabbaths, or the Hebrew shabbath {pronounced shab-bawth’} was a system of rest that God gave only to Israel. The various sabbaths or rests were a sign between Israel and God, and were never given to the Gentiles. God said: Exodus 31:13 (KJV) "Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, Verily my sabbaths ye shall keep: for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations; that ye may know that I am the LORD that doth sanctify you." God established sabbath keeping for the Jew just as surely as He established maintaining the other nine commandments: Leviticus 19:3 (KJV) "Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the LORD your God." Sabbath keeping was therefore not optional for the Jew. In addition to the weekly sabbath, the Jew was given special sabbaths, and a sabbath every seven years or a sabbatical year (Leviticus 25:8). Every seven sabbatical years the Jew had a special sabbath called the year of Jubilee. During that time the Jews had special sacrifices that they made for God. God warned Israel that – if they refused to keep His sabbaths – then they would be punished. Leviticus 26:14, 33-35 "But if ye will not hearken unto me, and will not do all these commandments; ..... And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you: and your land shall be desolate, and your cities waste. {34} Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate, and ye be in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest, and enjoy her sabbaths. {35} As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest; because it did not rest in your sabbaths, when ye dwelt upon it." The Sabbatical Year served an important function in the land of Israel. First, it taught Israel that God ultimately provides everything. The Jew was not allowed to plant any crops on the Sabbatical Year, but the land was to remain fallow. Thus you see the second important reason for the Sabbatical Year. When the Jews obeyed the restrictions of the Sabbatical Year, then the land had the opportunity to replenish itself. Plants draw the nutrients out of the soil. By leaving the land fallow one year out of seven the Jews allowed the land to rebuild its nutrients. This was good land management. Did the Jews follow this practice? No, not at all. They kept their weekly sabbaths, but ignored the Sabbatical Year. Israel heard God and His orders concerning the Sabbatical Year, yet decided that they could get away with ignoring those orders. Again, God is not a servant of time as we are. He created time, and exists outside of it. God is also long suffering, patient, and does not punish hastily. The Bible says: 2 Peter 3:9 (KJV) "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." God gives man chance after chance, calling and calling mankind to repentance. So many people consider the long suffering and patience of God and think Him to be careless, or One who does not keep His word. Nothing could be farther from the truth. God remembers what He has commanded, and holds His people accountable. Israel ignored God's Sabbatical Year for 490 years. I can see, in my mind's eye, exactly what happened. The first Sabbatical year that came Israel thought, “What's the harm?”, and skipped it. It seemed like nothing really happened, so the next Sabbatical Year Israel skipped it again. After all, God let me “get away” with it once – why not again? For 490 years Israel ignored God, ignored His prophets, ridiculed His anointed ministers, and killed His messengers. Finally God shouted .... ENOUGH! 2 Chronicles 36:15-21 (KJV) "And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: {16} But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. {17} Therefore he brought upon them the king of the Chaldees, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped for age: he gave them all into his hand. {18} And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king, and of his princes; all these he brought to Babylon. {19} And they burnt the house of God, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt all the palaces thereof with fire, and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof. {20} And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: {21} To fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years." What a terrible indictment: until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy When God closes the door of opportunity, the door slams shut! Israel ignored God's warning for 490 years, or for 70 Sabbatical Years (70 x 7 = 490). So God put Israel into captivity for 70 years – the exact amount of time that they stole from God. Does anybody who fails to repent get away with sin in God's presence? Absolutely not! There is an assumption in this present age that God, since He has been silent on immorality in America, that He just doesn't care! But Beloved, you need to understand that God allowed Israel to backslide for 490 years before He punished. How long will God tolerate foolishness in America? Only our Father knows. God told the first generation of Israel to go into Canaan and take charge of the land – because the Father had already given that land to them. Israel traveled across the desert, got to the border of the Promised Land .... and choked. Though God had saved Israel ten times, though God had taken Israel out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and had provided every type of sustenance and care for these people as they traveled across the desert, Israel disobeyed God and refused to enter and take the Promised Land. Only Joshua and Caleb, of the spies who surveyed the land, Numbers 13:30-33; 14:1 (KJV) "And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. {31} But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. {32} And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. {33} And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." Numbers 14:1 (KJV) "And all the congregation lifted up their voice, and cried; and the people wept that night." Israel failed to believe God, so the first generation of that great nation wandered in the wilderness until all but Joshua and Caleb died. Oh, the first generation repented immediately when they knew God was going to punish them. They even tried to go into Canaan under their own power. Yet God punished them severely because He had blessed that nation ten times, and that nation rejected God: Numbers 14:22-24 (KJV) "Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice; {23} Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it: {24} But my servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and hath followed me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went; and his seed shall possess it." You see, this time Israel didn't get to go 490 years before God punished. No, they went just a little while in disobedience, because God our Father showed them His power and saved them with His might. To those whom much is given, much will be expected. Hebrews 3:8-12 (KJV) "Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: {9} When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years. {10} Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known my ways. {11} So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.) {12} Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God." How else can we see Israel as an example of God's disciplining hand? Consider their treatment since the crucifiction of our Lord Jesus Christ. When Pilate realized that he was condemning an innocent Person, he offered to release Jesus and crucify Barabbas (Matthew 27:17). Israel demanded that a criminal be released and Jesus be crucified instead. When Pilate pressed Israel to release Jesus, the multitude cried: Matthew 27:25 (KJV) "Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children." Israel has suffered for this foolishness for many years. The nation went into captivity in 70 A.D., and was dispersed – scattered – to the four winds. Israel's genealogical records were destroyed, as was the Temple of God. A Muslim mosque was built on the land that the Temple should be on, and Israel has been without a Temple – a place of sacrifice – for over 1900 years. The nation has been persecuted and hounded, going through a terrible holocaust in World War II under Adolf Hitler. God's judgment, slow to be executed at most times, is also slow to cease once it is released. We've discussed Israel, but we haven't even touched on many of the historical acts of God man has experienced. Sodom, Gomorrah, Tyre, Babylon, and Canaan are just a few of the countries that have experienced God's wrath. Egypt, once a world power second to none, is a third world country whose only claim to fame is old archaeological digs and broken down pyramids. Rome, an empire designed to rule the world for a thousand years, is a small little city of a nation ruled by the papal authorities. God tolerates sin for a season while calling man to repentance. But do not believe Him to be blind to sin, nor doddering. Those who have believed Him so have lived to regret their belief!
There are a number of people in our world who believe that morality is whatever you want it to be. Many have lived with sexual impurity believing, “It's my life, what does it matter to you what I do?” Yet we need to understand that, as humans, bad behavior generally leads to bad results. The National Institute of Allergies and Infectious Diseases released a report in December 2002 that stated: “As of the end of 2002, an estimated 42 million people worldwide - 38.6 million adults and 3.2 million children younger than 15 years - were living with HIV/AIDS. Worldwide, approximately twelve of every 1000 adults aged 15 to 49 are HIV-infected. In 2002, approximately 2,000 children under the age of 15 years, and 6,000 young people aged 15 to 24 years became infected with HIV every day. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimate that 850,000 to 950,000 U.S. residents are living with HIV infection, one-quarter of whom are unaware of their infection. Approximately 40,000 new HIV infections occur each year in the United States, about 70 percent among men and 30 percent among women. Of these newly infected people, half are younger than 25 years of age.” I imagine that many people have assumed that, since they were not afflicted with disease, that loose sexual morality has no impact on their lives. But it is a fact that HIV and many other sexually transmitted diseases can lay dormant in a person's system for years before cropping up and destroying a person's life. You do, indeed, reap what you sow! The National Institute on Drug Abuse released a paper that stated: “A study prepared by The Lewin Group for the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism estimated the total economic cost of alcohol and drug abuse to be $245.7 billion for 1992. Of this cost, $97.7 billion* was due to drug abuse. This estimate includes substance abuse treatment and prevention costs as well as other health care costs, costs associated with reduced job productivity or lost earnings, and other costs to society such as crime and social welfare. The study also determined that these costs are borne primarily by governments (46 percent), followed by those who abuse drugs and members of their households (44 percent). The 1992 cost estimate has increased 50 percent over the cost estimate from 1985 data. The four primary contributors to this increase were (1) the epidemic of heavy cocaine use (2) the HIV epidemic (3) an eightfold increase in state and Federal incarcerations for drug offenses, and (4) a threefold increase in crimes attributed to drugs. More than half of the estimated costs of drug abuse were associated with drug-related crime. These costs included lost productivity of victims and incarcerated perpetrators of drug- related crime (20.4 percent); lost legitimate production due to drug-related crime careers (19.7 percent); and other costs of drug-related crime, including Federal drug traffic control, property damage, and police, legal, and corrections services (18.4 percent). Most of the remaining costs resulted from premature deaths (14.9 percent), lost productivity due to drug-related illness (14.5 percent), and health care expenditures (10.2 percent).” The concept that sin is a private matter for the sinner, and that sin has no impact on those around us is absolutely false. This lie started in the Garden of Eden when Satan convinced Adam to take a little bite of the forbidden fruit. Satan knew then what we should be smart enough to know now. Sin is not a private matter, but effects everyone in the periphery of the practicing sinner.
Why are the practicing heathen allowed so much latitude with God? Because, as so many like to point out, God is love, and love is long suffering. God does not want to cast anyone into
the Lake of Fire for all eternity - though He will! The wicked who leave
this life and are cast into eternal damnation have no excuse, because
God gives every person ample opportunity to be saved in this life. Since it is the wish of God that all men be saved He has taken certain steps to give all men a chance for salvation. When Jesus was sent to pay for man's sins, God could have sent Him to die for just a select few or, to die for all mankind. It is God's wish that all men be saved, so He had Christ die for all mankind: 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 "For the love of Christ constraineth (Literally, "Keeps on pressing us from all sides") us; because we thus judge, that if (EAN, First Class Condition = If, and it's true) one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." 1 Timothy 2:5-6 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." 1 Timothy 4:10 "For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe." Titus 2:11 "For the grace of God (HE CHARIS TOU THEOU = The Grace of the God) that bringeth salvation (Adjectival Use of SOTERIOS = Imparting Salvation) hath appeared (Aorist Passive Indicative EPIPHAINO = has been clearly manifested in a point of time) to all men.." Hebrews 2:9 "But we see (BLEPO = Have been caused to glance at) Jesus, who was made a little lower (ELATTOO, Perfect Passive Participle + BRACHOUS = Having been made inferior for a brief time) than the angels for the suffering (DIA + Accusative PATHAMA = Because of the suffering) of death, crowned (Perfect Passive Participle STEPHANOO = Having been crowned) with glory and honor; that he by the grace of God (HOPAS + Instrumental Singular CHARIS + Ablative of Source THEOS = That He by means of the Grace from God) should taste (Aorist Active Subjunctive GEUOMAI = Should taste once for all) death for every man. (HUPER + Accusative PAS = For Everyone) " 1 John 2:1-2 "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate (PARAKLATOS = lawyer, council for defense) with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation (ILASMOS = means of appeasing God) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." There are numerous verses that teach Jesus died for the sins of the whole world. The Bible teaches what we call the unlimited atonement of Christ, that is, He died for the whole world. The payment has been made - all man has to do is to accept what has already been done. Consider this illustration. If you have a signed check with your name on it you have to take it to the bank to get any benefit from it. So is the atonement of Christ. If you die without cashing the check, that is, if you refuse to repent of your current way of life and believe on Jesus Christ for salvation, then the payment He made will not be rendered to your account. As the Scripture says: Acts 3:19 (KJV) "Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;" Acts 17:30-31 (KJV) "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: {31} Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead." Romans 10:9 (KJV) "That if thou
shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine
heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Grace is available for every person on this planet, but for the pardon to be effective you must accept that free gift. God insures that we have the opportunity to be saved by providing our daily sustenance. The theological term for this provision, or providence, is the common grace of God. The Bible teaches God provides sustenance to all. Acts 14:17 "Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." In order to keep man alive God had to give him food, clothing, and shelter. Without these basic necessities mankind would quickly die off before anyone could hear the message of the Gospel. The wicked and unbelieving prosper because God gives them nourishment, just as He nourishes His believers. God cares for unbelievers, not because they are moral or good, but to sustain their lives for one more day so they might accept His Son. If the unbeliever continues to reject salvation in Christ, God often removes this provision of Common Grace. Heathen often prosper under the Common Grace of God because the heathen often exploit the provisions of Common Grace. The heathen farmer receives rain in due season just as his neighbor does, but becomes rich because he purchases more land and works it more diligently than his less prosperous Christian neighbor. The Christian worker, focused on honoring Jesus in all he says or does (Colossians 3:23), often loses promotion while the heathen, focused on riches, gains promotion (Matthew 6:21).
The heathen is protected under the same umbrella of government that protects the righteous (Romans 13:1-7). In fact, if the Christian is lazy in promoting righteousness in his nation and refuses to vote like he should, then the heathen often exploit government to their own advantage. This is the primary reason that homosexual rights are promoted above the rights of the righteous. This is the primary reason that children are murdered by the thousands in abortion factories all over the world. This is the primary reason that any semblance of righteousness is being erased from the public arena, and that God is slowly being erased from our constitutional law. Lazy Christians have done little within the system of Common Grace, whereas the ungodly have exploited Common Grace, working within the system to strengthen their hold. God established the principles of Common Grace to keep man alive long enough to hear the Gospel of Salvation. Once the Gospel is promoted, God the Holy Spirit moves to convict the hearer of the need to repent and turn to Jesus. John 16:7-11 "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter (PARAKLATOS = Lawyer, Advocate) will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove (ELEGCHO = Convict, convince) the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged." Under Common Grace God keeps man alive then, in cooperation with the Church of Jesus Christ, convicts man of the need to be saved by faith in Christ. Sadly, many local churches have stopped preaching the Gospel message: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 (KJV) "Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; {2} By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. {3} For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; {4} And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: {5} And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: {6} After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. {7} After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. {8} And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time." In many local churches the name of Jesus has been substituted for the more acceptable title “God”. Churches have begun to focus more on entertainment than on preaching and teaching the Word of God. There is nothing wrong with a church offering fellowship meals or other forms of entertainment to their people, but this must always be secondary to the presentation of the Gospel and the teachings of the Word of God. The church cannot and must not disdain the Scripture as only an old quaint book, archaic but no longer suitable for this slick, new Internet age. The Scripture is just as vitally necessary today as it ever was. The Gospel of salvation by faith in Christ is just as important now as it was in the first century Church. Why do good things happen to bad people? Because good, supposedly righteous Christians are so focused on not rocking the boat that the heathen cannot help but prosper. We do not want to be thought ill of, or we think that someone else will fix the problem. Yet there is no someone else. WE who believe are the ones given the Great Commission. We who believe are Christ's Ambassadors on the earth. We who believe are called to carry His message to a lost and dying world, regardless as to how we feel about it. Because, dear friends, sooner or later God does hold each person accountable. As Jesus taught: Luke 12:16-21 (KJV) "And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: {17} And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? {18} And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. {19} And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. {20} But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? {21} So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." The lazy Christian fails his Lord, his family, and his community. The faithful Christian willing to rock the boat can be a witness for Christ long after his passing into glory. "I don't think we're going to
get out of this thing. I'm going to have to go out on faith." The whole world knows how brave Beamer and his fellow passengers were on September 11. But this week we learned more fully what buttressed the bravery: Faith in Jesus Christ. Todd died as he lived, a faithful evangelical believer. In an article titled "The Real Story of Flight 93," Newsweek reveals gripping new details from the actual transcripts of the now-recovered cockpit voice recorder. "Todd had been afraid," Newsweek relates. "More than once, he cried out for his Savior." After passengers were herded to the back of the jet, Beamer called the GTE Customer Center in Oakbrook, Illinois. He told supervisor Lisa Jefferson about the hijacking. The passengers were planning to jump the terrorists, he said. And then he asked her to pray with him. As Newsweek relates, "Beamer kept a Lord's Prayer bookmark in his Tom Clancy novel, but he didn't need any prompting. He began to recite the ancient litany, and Jefferson joined him: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name." As they finished, Beamer added, "Jesus, help me." And then, Beamer and his fellow passengers prayed a prayer that has comforted millions down through the centuries — the prayer that David wrote in a time of great anguish: The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want . . . Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. And then the famous last words: "Are you guys ready? Let's roll." Good things happen to bad people so they can stay in this life long enough to accept Christ as Savior. Such is God's love. If we who are called by His name would do the job we're called to do – tell others about Jesus Christ – then our country would be packed with functionally righteous people instead of dysfunctionally religious people.
Only relatives of God can enter God's house above. Only kinsmen by blood can enter Heaven. (Ephesians 2:13-16 NASB) "But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. {14} For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one, and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, {15} by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, {16} and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity." There is only one Way to God, and that Way is In Jesus. You must believe that He is. You must believe in Him, trust in Him, and call on Him to be saved. (Romans 5:6-10 KJV) "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. {7} For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. {8} But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. {9} Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. {10} For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, you need to do this today. Do not be like the rich young ruler, relying on your own ability to get into God's Heaven. If you do, you'll eventually be disappointed at the result. There is no other name under Heaven whereby we must be saved. Only Jesus. Only Jesus! Trust Jesus Christ Today! Here's What You Must Do: 1. Admit you are a sinner: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23) "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" (Romans 5:12) "If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:10) 2. Be willing to turn from sin (repent): "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish." (Luke 13:5) "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" (Acts 17:30) 3. Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16) "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners. Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9) 4. Through prayer, invite Jesus into your life to become your personal Saviour: "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:10) "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:13) What to pray: Dear God, I am a sinner and need forgiveness. I believe that Jesus Christ shed His precious blood and died for my sin. I am willing to turn from sin. I now invite Christ to come into my heart and life as my personal Saviour. "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:" (John 1:12) "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) If you have received Jesus Christ as your Savior, or have lead someone to the Lord - as a new Christian you should recommend: 1. Read and study your Bible every day to get to know Christ better. Use the resources at bibleteacher.org. Ask an older Christian to guide you as you grow. "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (2 Timothy 2:15) "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path." (Psalms 119:105) 2. Talk to God in prayer every day: "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:22) "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Philippians 4:6) 3. Be baptized, worship, fellowship, and serve with other Christians in a church where Christ is preached and the Bible is the final authority: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:19) "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25) "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:" (2 Timothy 3:16) 4. Tell others about Christ: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." (Mark 16:15) "For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" (1 Corinthians 9:16) "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16) |
