23/08/2023
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
James 1:13 KJV
There's so much bad doctrine going around these days that teaches that God does bad things to us in order to teach us something or because we did something bad to punish us.
Folkes, understand something today. God is good and the devil is bad. God has nothing bad to give you. He has already judged Jesus for all your sins on the cross. It would be unrighteous of God to judge you again for something He has already judged Jesus for.
Why do bad things happen to us then? I believe there are a few reasons.
Firstly, welcome to planet Earth. We live in a fallen world, marred and cursed by Adam's sin. This place is but a shadow of what God intended it to be for us and purely on that fact, I can say that the very ground you walk on is cursed.
For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Romans 5:17 KJV
Secondly, sin carries it's own consequences. Smoking won't cause you to go to hell, but the risk of you getting heart disease or cancer is greater. The same thing goes for gossip, hatred, bitterness and so on.
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.
James 1:15 KJV
Thirdly, back to James 1:13, it's not God. Sometimes we can't explain it. The hollow, emptiness in our stomach makes us desperate for answers, to try to make sense of it. Many times the erroneous teaching that God controls it all (Asif we don't have any responsibility) makes us try to fit God into this doctrine that He is tempting us, teaching us a lesson, or punishing us. Unfortunately, sometimes this very belief makes us hide from God - the one person in the universe that can heal you heart.
Make sure you have the right picture of God. God is good and the devil is bad. He loves you more than you can ever imagine. Look for his true nature in the life of Jesus, and take his hand with the confidence that you are safe.