THE BIBLE DOESN'T SAY THAT: EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON

Sermon Notes, February 10, 2019

Rev. Garry McGlinchy

Pastor Garry’s fourth sermon in “The Bible Doesn’t Say That” series was titled “Everything Happens for a Reason.”  His scripture basis was Romans 8:22-28.

Does everything happen for a reason? There are arguments on both sides of the fence.  There is the Law of Cause and Effect, the Law of Grace, and the doctrine of the Providence of God.  These factors support the idea that everything DOES happen for a reason not just by happenstance or random chance.  French theologian Albert Switzer, Marilyn Monroe and Oprah Winfrey agree.  On the other side of the fence, freelance writer Nicolas Claremont says the phrase is bad philosophy, bad theology, bad thinking and bad advice; it manages to combine the maximum of ignorance with the maximum of arrogance.  One pastor says that while God certainly gives our lives meaning, the idea that everything we suffer, every bad experience that we endure has a purpose and meaning is actually harmful to our Christian walk. 

So which is it?  Even the church doesn’t agree on whether or not the statement is true.  Certain camps of thought within the church believe in something called “Theological Determinism.”  This is a fancy way of saying, yes, God is completely sovereign and there is no such thing as free will; that everything happens for a reason, and God is the reason.  Then there’s the branch of the theological tree that we are on.  Our understanding of God is one of sovereignty, balanced with the free will and choice that He has given us.  We believe that God knows everything that will happen, but His knowledge doesn’t mean that He causes it.  Which is right?

They both are.  Literally, everything does happen for a reason.  Everything is caused by something else.  Sometimes the reason is good old-fashioned Cause and Effect.  Sometimes the reason is directly linked to the choices we make; the things we choose to do or not do can lead to consequences.  Sometimes the reason is the result of accidents.  And sometimes the reason is because of divine interaction or intervention. 

Everything happens for a reason, but God isn’t the reason everything happens.  There’s a short gap between "God is the reason things happen" and "God is to blame for things that happ

Before we look at the scripture there are two things people don’t like: mystery—and silence.  We don’t like not knowing what’s happening.  And we don’t like silence.  We don’t like not knowing what to say.  So we speak Christian platitudes.

Romans 8:28 sounds close to our phrase today.  It’s easy to see where the confusion comes from.  So many well-meaning people have destroyed hurting people by giving them this word in the Bible.  Please, don’t say this to someone in tragedy.  With this phrase, we’re try to be encouraging, to remind someone that they’re not alone, God is right there with them, but we need to be careful what we say and how we say it because it can lead to a deep misunderstanding of the character of God.  It depicts God as the author of suffering and evil. Or as a sadist who enjoys watching your pain.

In Genesis we read about a God who created the world and everything in it, and how He placed Adam and Eve in the Garden, and gave them dominion over it.  He had a relationship with His creation.  He wasn’t micromanaging things; He had a relationship with it.  That sounds like God’s intention was to be with us, but leaving room for mankind to have a choice.  It was never His intention to have Adam and Eve disobey Him, but they were created with the ability to disobey, and that’s what they chose to do.  Because they disobeyed, we are where we are now.  We’re in this mess.  The point I’m making is that God is not to blame.

When we read verses 22 to 24 of today’s passage, we realize that bad things happen in life, not because God orchestrates them, but because this world and its people are broken by sin. Sin led to pain and suffering.  We are living under the curse and the weight of sin now. This very planet we live on is under that weight with us.  From Genesis 3 to Revelation 22, we read about a world that has been imprinted with sin, and has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.  We who are believers also groan inwardly as we wait for our adoption to sonship.  We know that one day God will give us new bodies.  We know that God will make things whole and right, but we also know that that has not happened yet.

In verses 26-27, we read that the Holy Spirit helps us.   For instance the Holy Spirit helps us pray.  He is interceding for us with God when we pray. He is our paracletos, our advocate, taking our prayers to God. 

God is fighting for us.  That is the context of verse 28.  One little word in verse 28 is very important: IN.  God is working IN everything that happens to believers that love Him.  He can weave His purpose into everything that happens.  God works in and through it to bring about His purpose.  No matter what, God is WITH you in everything that happens to you.

The misinterpretation of verse 28 can lead to fatalism.  If God CAUSES everything that happens, then why even try to do anything?  Why pray for guidance if everything that happens was meant to happen?  What’s the point of living, or growing, or even learning?  I might as well kick back and float through life. This can only lead to apathy and lack of caring. It also leads to excuses.  If God is responsible for everything that happens, then we can avoid the responsibilities of our decisions. 

We can’t blame God for our own choices.  If God is the author of death and evil, how can He be the author of life and redemption?  John 10:10 says God wants His children to live a full and rewarding life.  God doesn’t cause everything that happens, but He can weave His purpose into everything that happens.  He works in it and through it to bring about His purposes.