About Us

Audio Sermons

Bible Courses

Bulletin Articles

Directions

Links

Sermons

Sermons In Series

Is God To Blame? 

James 1.16-18

Introduction: Here are some recent events in the news: Fires in California consumes over ½ million acres, homes a destroyed, people left homeless, and some are killed; house burns in North Carolina killing 6 college students; bus bomber kills eight in central Russia; Tropical Storm Noel kills over 80 in Caribbean; Earthquake hits San Francisco. This list does not include local news of auto accidents, people dying from terminal illness, soldier dying from a heart attack in Afghanistan, etc.

People often ask questions such as: "Why did this happen?" or, "Why did God allow this to happen?" The "why" question can be very troubling for we are looking for a reason. May be some one to blame or some thing to take our pain away and make it bearable. Some may impugn God’s judgment and mercy in their answer. Let us look at this question.

1. There is no reason, survival of the fittest.

2. Time and chance can happen to any of us.

1. The "fates" meaning the gods caused bad things to happen

2. Man simply a toy of the gods and not responsible for bad things

1. What will be will be.

2. This is not to be confused with Matthew 6.34.

    a. Problem: if a person decides to jump off a bridge, he made the decision. It was in his control whether to jump or not.

1. Every thing has been predetermined by God

2. He is responsible for every sin, every tragedy

3. Contradicts God’s justice and mercy.

    a. How can God be just and cause us to sin? James 1.13-14

    b. How can God be merciful while punishing us for His actions? Ezekiel 18.20 "The soul who sins shall die."

    c. Why would God cause the sin and then punish the sinner when He takes no pleasure in it? Ezekiel 18.32

1. Teaching you receive what you have sown

2. Recognize this as a Biblical principle, Galatians 6.7

1. What have you done?

2. It was not God that did this but the man and woman.

1. If you do well. Not if I made you to do well.

2. Cain was encouraged by God to do well. Obviously God wanted Cain to do well.

1. Let us define sin: it is transgression of the law, I John 3.4

2. God gives man His law and the law is righteous and pure, Psalm 19.

3. Because of the permissive will of God, man is allowed to choose to obey or not obey the Law. .

2. Man does things God does not approve, Jeremiah 19.4-5

A) People do bad things, Ecc. 8.11

1. Cain killed his brother Abel, 1 John 3.11-12

    a. Was Adam and Eve hurt by Cain’s actions?

2. Judas decided to betray Jesus. He went to the rulers and bargained for a price.

B) We live in an imperfect world

1. Pain, suffering, and death are a part of this world, Hebrews 9.27

2. In the Bible we read of children dying, Luke 7.12

3. We are warned of the temporary nature of this life, Ps. 90.10-12

4. Accidents are a part of this life. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Ecc. 9.11

5. Wrong to think every tragedy is a direct act of God, John 9.2; Luke 13.2-3

    a. Acts of nature – storms, lighting, earthquakes

C) Some things are a direct result of others sin

1. Crimes – murder, rape, drunkenness, drug usage, etc

2. Often have innocent victims

3. Whose fault is this? It is the sinners fault

D) Some things are a result of our sins

1. David harmed himself by sinning with Bathsheba, 1 Samuel 12.9-14

2. Results of his sin

    a. Suffered the loss of the child conceived with Bathsheba

    b. Tamar, David’s daughter, raped by Amnon, 2 Samuel 13

    c. Absalom has Amnon killed, 2 Samuel 13

    d. Absalom rebelled against his father, 2 Samuel 15

    e. Absalom goes into his father’s concubines, 2 Samuel 16.22

    f. Absalom killed and David mourns, 2 Samuel 18

3. We can not blame God for our own foolish decisions: Crack babies, AIDS, effects of drug usage

E) The discipline of the Lord, Hebrews 12.5-6,7

1. The writer is encouraging Christians to not give up their faith due to persecution. God was not responsible for the persecution.

2. God can use our circumstances to correct and teach us.

3. Case of the Prodigal Son, Luke 15.17.

Conclusion: Man has complete responsibility for his actions. God from His eternal vantage point can make observations, predictions, and statements about events without inferring with man’s freedom. God wants all men to be saved. Romans 8.28

D.T. @ Westside Church of Christ 11.11.07