Is Life Fair?

If we were to talk to a common man on the street, almost everyone will tell us that life is not fair.

If God is really a good god, why is there so much suffering? Why are bad things happening to good people ? Why do bad people get away scot free? Why is there so much unfairness where rich gets richer and poor gets poorer ? Why are some born good looking and some not so good looking? Why much we all die at the end of journey?

But when we look at the other angle, life is fair. The nerd knows what is commercial value since young. He was a nerd in class but he grows to become a millionaire.

Life is just not fair but God is good.

Many of our concerns will trigger off this question. Life is not just about height, wealth, look. God is good.

Life is not fair because we have an enemy called satan. People are influenced life is not fair. We all have the power of choice which will impact other people. Eg a drunkard father will impact his children and those close to him. But hopefully the children will have better choices. And if they find christ, they will have better choices.

When God created everything in 6 days, at the end of each day he says it was good and after he created man, he said at was very good. There was no injustice. But when they chose another master Satan, life became unfairz but no matter how unfair, God is still good. In order to restore man, God was unfair to jesus by dying for our sins.

No one except blameless sinless spotless son of God jesus. When he gave his life on the cross, all our shame guilt pain and sins are totally forgiven. It was so unfair to Jesus. All we need to do is to believe in him and we are saved. All our sins were imputed to him.

The greatest injustice was done to Jesus so that the worst of sins can be forgiven. It was so unjust to Jesus.

Death the leveller - by James Shirley 1596-1666

The glories of our blood and state

Are shadows, not substantial things

- the significance of our blood, which family we came from and the position of our family are shadows (passing things, not concrete, not substantial). If we were born in royal family, it is only substantial in the physical life. Only passing things.

There is no arm our against Fate

Death lays his icy hand on kings

Scepter and crown

Must tumble down

And in the dust be equal made

With the poor crooked scythe and spade

Everything levels at death. Everybody seems to be at level plate at death, whether we are rich or poor, pretty or ugly, we will be confined to the small area of buried or become 2 heaps of ashes of cremated.

But it is not true depending on where we are going to if we talk about eternity and the real person inside. When our body cannot sustain us anymore, the real person will rise up. We will see everything absolutely clear. Now we feel everything more acutely whether joy or sorrow.

Today we can be fair or unfair to ourselves

Luke 16:19-21

19 “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.

20 But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, 21 desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

This beggar was like a lamp post or rubbish bin to the rich man. The only companion he had was dogs. The rich man had no compassion to this poor man at all.

Luke 16:22

22 So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.

Death the leveler - whether we are rich or poor, we will still die. When the beggar died, the rich man could have paid attention to him as he needs to clear his body.

When the rich man died, there is a parade with people who blow trumpets and gongs line up the street. When we look down the funeral of a procession, people can recognize their relationship with the deceased. Lazarus had nobody to mourn for him.

Luke 16:23-25

23 And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’

25 But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.

But they didn't know that the rich man is mourning himself. Our fairytale story can end in our life. When we are in the afterlife, it is forever. No matter how life is fair or unfair, it is only a passing thing, temporal.

The rich man saw Lazarus and pleaded with Abraham for Lazarus to give him a drop of water. But he did not even gave Lazarus a drop of crumb during his life on earth.

Abraham told the rich man about the things he did to Lazarus. He was unkind in his life so he was tormented in fire.

Luke16:26-29

26 And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’ 27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house, 28 for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’

29 Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’

If we don't beleive the bible, we just don't believe. God don't have to send a person to us, we will just believe.

Luke 16:30-31

30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’

31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”

If a person is not going to listen, nothing else can help him. Trust jesus and stay in the narrow way.

Life is not fair but God is good. The greatest injustice was done to Jesus so that we can be saved. The unfairness injustice is only for now. But when we pass on, the injustice cannot cross over.

There is no doubt it is a matter of fact that there is existence of God. Physical death is a dough to our eternal future. If we beleive in jesus, we are fair to ourselves.

Revelation 22:1-5

River of Life

1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

When man disobeyed God, curse came, disease, heartache, sorrow, pain, death came. In heaven, all these shall be removed. The light from God will not cast shadow, no darkness, because it is light from God not the Sun. We are going to be royalties, whether we are from the royal family or commoner in our life on earth.

In due time, everything will be absolutely fair.

SERMON BY PASTOR RONY NOTES TAKEN BY SISTER VERON