Expert: Thurman C. Petty, Jr. - 9/27/2009

Question
Why do the best of people that I know become either sick for life with a illness,injured, or die?

Answer
Dear Brittany,

It would appear that you’ve recently lost someone very dear to you. I’m sorry. I wish I had something bright to say that would make it all better.

But I can only tell you how it got this way, and how God has already put into effect a plan to solve it.

God never intended that any of us should have to die. He created this world as a perfect place in which we could live forever. But sin entered and spoiled God’s plan. With sin came pain, and suffering, and death. We look at it as natural for people to die. And in this sinful world, this is the natural result.

“Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.” (Rom 5:12)

Death has become part of our life experience. Everyone—including you and me—will die, unless Jesus comes first. Death is inevitable. It’s just a matter of when it will happen. Some can see it coming, while others die suddenly, when they least expect it. It doesn’t matter. It will come to us all. This may not be comforting to you just now. I’m sorry. But I’m trying to keep these things in perspective.

But how do we deal with this? The best way to deal with sorrow, injury to ourselves or our friends, or the death of someone near to us, is to go to the Bible. God made us and knows all about our plight. He knows first hand (through Jesus—our God and Savior) the pain and sorrow of our lives, for He passed through them too. (cf. John 11—the death and resurrection of Lazarus)

Jesus died on the cross to save us from our sins. But He did much more than that: He rose again on the third day. What that means is this: All those who believe that Jesus died for them (He died for everyone, but only those who believe in Him will receive the benefit) will be raised to life again when Jesus comes the second time.

1 Th 4:16  For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.
1 Th 4:17  After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

That’s the secret, Brittany. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we no longer view death as a final end. Instead, we look in faith to the resurrection of the righteous dead at Christ’s appearing.

Rev 21:4  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."

Why do these bad things happen to your friends? Because we live in a world filled with sin, and the affects of sin are: pain, suffering, and death, to name only a few. We can alleviate pain to some extent; we can stave off death by taking care of our health, driving carefully (with seat belts fastened), and in many other ways. But we will all die eventually. All because we have sinned and all others in our ancestors, our immediate family, our friends, strangers, pastors, mega-preachers—all the way to the President of the USA—

Rom 3:10  As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
Rom 3:11  there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
Rom 3:12  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." . . .
Rom 3:23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

That’s why we have the tragedies we see in the world. But God will set it right. All we need to do is to surrender ourselves to Jesus and accept Him as our Savior. He will save us from our sins, and as He dwells within our minds from day to day, He will lead us to better health and happiness.

But the greatest joy will be the fact that we no longer fear death, for it is just a short sleep. And soon Jesus will come and raise us from the dead, and take us to a new, beautiful, joyful life that will last forever, where our friends will never become ill or die. That’s what Jesus promises, and it can be ours if we give ourselves to Him.

Thurman C. Petty, Jr.
pettypress@gmail.com

Check out my web site, www.PettyPress.com, where I’ve posted 18 of my books, 42 Bible Study Guides, and much more.