Life Bible Study: Four Reasons Why Bad Things Happen to Good People #3
To Remind Us that We Are Not Home Yet
From the desk of Rev Zheng 21 July 2024
Reports of natural and man-made disasters appear in the newspaper almost every day. God has created this world for our enjoyment. That was why He set up a beautiful garden as a home for mankind. A home with no calamities but sunshine, green pastures, and quiet waters. In this home, God and man live in sweet communion. Why is the world in such a bad shape today? it is because Satan has tempted mankind to turn against God, thereby putting the whole of nature under two long-term yokes of destruction.
The first yoke is a curse: “Cursed is the ground because of you” (Ge 3:17). Since then, many destructive living things have appeared, such as thorns, thistles, viruses…etc.
The second yoke is sin: greed, hatred, pride, the quest for power, etc. stem from man’s sinful nature, constantly destroying society and nature, e.g. global warming crisis, biochemical environmental pollution… etc. With every generation of mankind corrupted by sin, the earth is bleeding and dying and is no longer fitting for us to live.
The Lord Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Praise God for his faithfulness. He has prepared a Saviour and a perfect home for his own, and they are greatly encouraged when they see it through faith, “they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one.” (Heb 11:16)
This home is ‘heavenly’, which means it can’t be found in history, is not cursed, and is not stained by sin. There, you do not lock your door at night; there is no CCTV on streets; nobody buys insurance; there is no court of law because the law was added to curb transgressions (Gal 3:19). There is no police army, prison, hospital, or graveyard. It is such because Christ will ensure all the unrepentant evil doers in this world have no entry to the heavenly home. (Mat 13:41,42) All who enter are free from sinful nature because they are resurrected with a heavenly body (1Cor 15:18). Hence, there is not one sinner in our new home! Everyone will do what is right, good and beautiful out of love for God. Moreover, the tempter would not trick us again because it would be suffering in the lake of fire (Rev 20:10).
“He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21: 4)
Dear saints, if we let ourselves fall in love with this world, we will find ourselves unwilling to be with God. Suffering reminds us that this world is not our home. We have a heavenly home prepared for us by Christ. Let us remind one another: we are not home yet!
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