BY GREG CRUM
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” Colossians 3:23-25
Here in the Epistle to the Colossians we read of the fairness, justice and righteousness of God. Those of us who have come to know God more closely understand Him to be the personification of justice, righteousness and fair play. This is a comfort to our souls in a world full of scandal. The idea that the “good guys” win in the end and the “bad guys” get what’s coming to them resonates with most people. In fact, even people who are not “born again” appreciate these outcomes. The idea of justice resonates deep down in the human soul, but…what happens when justice and fairness are mocked and forsaken? It seems like a much more common occurrence nowadays, doesn’t it?
Way too often it seems that bad actors are winning and are enjoying “blessings” that should only be afforded the righteous. What gives here? Why does God “allow” these things to occur?
To begin, modern believers aren’t the first to wonder why it seems the wicked are blessed. Have you ever read Psalm 73? There the writer openly questions why the wicked prosper and wonders if his attempts to live a life pleasing to God are in vain. That is until God gives him insight into the end result of the lifestyles of the wicked, and he realizes that things are not always the way they seem. Temporal and material success is not a guarantee of God’s approval, and justice will always win out in the end. That’s what we see relayed in Revelation 20:11-15 as well, right? No one is evading the judgment of God in the end.
What’s the takeaway from these truths? Well, instead of becoming disgruntled and questioning the fairness of God, we need to remember that we rarely see the beginning from the end. We know in part, God knows it all, and He has a plan—a fair and just plan—for all.
With that said, there are still some times that legitimate good is enjoyed by the bad. That doesn’t sit right with a lot of people, and for some, it makes them doubt the goodness of God. Why would He allow such a thing? There are a few reasons. First, there are times this occurs because their “father,” the devil, provides it as payment for their services. It’s possible to “sell your soul” to the devil. How do I know? Some YouTube video or Reel I watched? Nope, it’s right there in the Bible. In Luke 4:5-7, the devil offered Jesus the power of the kingdoms of the world in exchange for his allegiance. Jesus’ reply? That he would only worship God, but did you notice that Jesus didn’t say, “You’re lying devil, you can’t give that, it’s not something you can do.”
No, the devil can “bless” in payment for goods and services, but that’s not an exchange you want to make. No amount of goodness in this world is worth an eternity in Hell. If someone is enjoying riches in this world in exchange for their eternity, we should pity that soul, not envy it.
Secondly, there are instances in which good comes to the bad, and it’s from God Himself, and not the enemy. What? Yes! Fair? Sure! Remember, it’s God’s heart that all be blessed—saved, healed and provided for. That’s why he sent Jesus in the first place!
Think about the lesson of Matthew 5:43-48. There we read that God “maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” There’s provision and blessing for both groups, but why on the unjust? Perhaps as an attempt to guide them into a relationship with Him.
In Matthew 9:10-13 we read that Jesus’ presence was an attempt to “heal” the sinner and lead them to repentance. In Romans 2:1-11 we read that God’s goodness often leads to a change of heart and ways! Some would say, “That’s not right!” but at the same time fail to remember all the good that God did for them before they ever thought about loving Him in return. His goodness brought us to repentance, and His goodness can still do the same in the hearts of “bad” people today.
Greg Crum is the pastor of Calvary Temple in Lovely.