Don't Blame God

Have you ever heard someone say, I guess God needed another angel in heaven when a
friend or loved one died? Or, God was trying to teach you something by allowing calamity to
come into your life? There are many negative things happening in the world and in peoples
lives, and many tend to blame God for the tragedies that occur. This really comes from a
religious mindset that believes God is waiting to strike people down for their sins and punish
them for doing anything wrong. There are many Christians who believe that if they or anyone
else does anything wrong God will punish them through the harshest measures. This concept is
not scriptural, nor is it in line with Gods character. In order to fully live in the liberty of Gods
grace, Believers must become free from the notion that God wants to punish them.
I hate religion because it paints a picture of God that simply isnt true. For so long, the Church
has scared people into obeying the Word of God by playing on peoples fears of being punished.
Under the Law, the fear of punishment and death was a very real thing. The reason was
because, under the Law, God had a part and man had a part. If man didnt do his part, and did
not offer the necessary sacrifices to atone for sin, punishment was the consequence. This is
because sin is in direct opposition to Gods nature. It wasnt that he hated people but that His
very nature would not allow sin to exist in His presence. Human beings with the sin nature had to
constantly atone for their sins through animal sacrifices to remain in a position of right-standing
with God. It was the system God implemented in order to bring people to the realization that they
actually needed a Saviorsomeone outside of themselves to redeem them because they could
not attain righteousness on their own.
Under the new covenant, which is predicated on the shed blood of Jesus once and for allfor all
sin, for all mankind, for eternitywe have been set free from the fear of punishment and death
(Hebrews 2:14, 15).This fear of death brings with it bondage because it causes people to
constantly worry about God punishing them. It is law-based thinking. As a result, people try to
work hard to achieve right-standing with God through their own efforts. There are many
Christians today who still live under this kind of fear. They dont have a revelation of Gods love
for them, and as a result, their faith doesnt work.
The truth is that we live in a world where the devil, the flesh, and the choices people make play a
role in the negative things that happen to people. Jesus came to give us abundant life, but Satan
comes to steal, kill, and destroy peoples lives (John 10:10). God is not responsible for the
person whose life was snatched in a drunk driving accident; the drunk driver is. God doesnt
murder people and kill babies. There is a very real devil loose in the earth, and when men and
women do not execute the spiritual authority God has given them, the enemy can wreak havoc.
But make no mistake about it, while God can work through and in the midst of tragic situations
and circumstances to bring about an ultimate favorable outcome, He is not the one behind those
things. His desire is only to bless us, do us good, and make us happy.
All punishment for sin was put on Jesus Christ on the cross; therefore, God is not punishing
people for their sins. There are natural consequences for disobeying the Word of God, and one
of them is that the devil has more access to a persons life. However, God is in the business of
saving people, not tormenting them. God wants to open the worlds eyes so they can see the
light of His love and receive forgiveness for their sins. His correction comes through His Word,
not by forcing us to endure tormenting situations.
The Word of God promises that as long as we are in this fallen world there will be trouble. Some
of that trouble is brought on by our choices, and other times it is simply the devil attacking us.
However, when we put our confidence in Gods love for us, we know that He only desires the
best for us, and He will bring us out of all our troubles unscathed. Dont blame God; believe His
love!