One of the most common questions that all people at any engagement with Jeusu have is “why does God let bad things happen to good People”?  Or are certain events, such as the Pandemic, a judgment from God.  

 

Many Pastors latch on to these situations as a means to provoke fear into followers and non-followers to grow their donations and congregations.  This is not love, it is fear.

 

To start with, the word good in the Bible in reference to people means Righteous, which is a far cry from how we use the word today. But let's address this anyway.

 

When man was evicted from the Garden of Eden, he left living in the Goodness (Righteousness) of God.  He was cast out.  And from there every condition was his own.  Throughout the Old Testament, God often sent judgment against Israel, either through natural disasters or through captivity and or exile.  Over the time this did not seem to work to bring his people back.  So Jesus entered the scene.  Through Jesus, God’s love and Grace (undeserving Merits) was extended to man.  The post resurrection man does not live in judgment for there is no judgment in grace, simply by its definition. In Grace, Judgment is postponed until the end of time.  In Grace Love and repentance exists.  By experiencing the Love of God through Grace we are able to focus on correcting and ridding ourselves of the things that bring the judgment of God. This is repentance.

 

Therefore, things happen, just as they always have.  I once was in a class with another pastor that made a valid point:  Don’t try to spiritualize everything that happens around or to you. It is all in God’s plan, we do not have the game book.  

 

Another way to look at this is simply, We are not in Heaven yet. When you read in Revelation, pay attention to what is outside of the city, we are not in the city on this earth, we are outside of the walls.

 

By accepting the Truth of Jesus and following him you are not immune to anything.  You actually agree to be subjected to what his other followers throughout time have been subject to, it is not a life without problems, but a life of persecution, ridicule and even death.

 

AND THIS IS THE HUMAN CONDITION, The understanding that we only deserve death because of our denial of God’s commandment but through Grace we have the opportunity to be sustained in this life and the next. 

 

The Human Condition is one of suffering, both spiritual and physically, God is not absent during this time, but working on the plan beyond us.

 

Grace is provided by God thru Jesus and does not mean nothing bad will happen, but means if we have accepted the Truths of Jesus we will understand that live or die, we are not going to die spiritually and be separated from God by the second death.