#119 - Joby Martin // Why Do Bad Things Happen? 5 Theological Realities

Summary

Summary of Podcast Episode #119: "Why Do Bad Things Happen? 5 Theological Realities"

Released on June 16, 2025, "The Daily Blade" is a devotional podcast hosted by Pastor Joby Martin of the Church of Eleven22 and Kyle Thompson of Undaunted.Life. This episode delves into profound theological and philosophical questions surrounding the existence of suffering and evil in the world.

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Introduction

In Episode #119, titled "Why Do Bad Things Happen? 5 Theological Realities," hosts Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson embark on an in-depth exploration of one of Christianity's most challenging questions: Why do bad things happen to good people? Drawing insights from John 11, the duo seeks to equip listeners with a robust theological framework to understand and navigate the complexities of suffering.

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Contextualizing the Question: "Why Do Bad Things Happen?"

Kyle Thompson opens the discussion by referencing John 11:1, which narrates the illness of Lazarus, a close friend of Jesus, and the subsequent events leading to his death and resurrection. He poses a fundamental question that resonates with many:

"If God is all powerful and all knowing and all loving, then how can a good God allow bad things to happen to good people?"
— Kyle Thompson [02:15]

This question challenges the reconciliation of God's omnipotence and benevolence with the presence of suffering in the world.

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Five Theological Realities Explaining Suffering

To address this profound dilemma, Kyle outlines five theological realities that shed light on why bad things occur:

1. Collateral Damage of the Fall

The conversation begins with the foundational Christian belief about the Fall of Man:

"When Adam and Eve chose to sin, it held the door open for all pain, all strife, all hurt, all malice."
— Kyle Thompson [03:10]

Kyle explains that the original sin introduced disorder into creation, making suffering and evil inevitable consequences of a world marred by sin.

2. Demonic Attacks

Moving beyond the natural consequences of the Fall, Kyle introduces the concept of spiritual warfare:

"We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the demonic activity based on the king of demons himself, Satan."
— Kyle Thompson [04:05]

He emphasizes the reality of a spiritual dark realm where malevolent forces actively seek to harm humanity, attributing various societal ills and personal struggles to these demonic influences.

3. Consequences of Personal Sin

Kyle addresses the personal responsibility aspect:

"Sometimes the reason bad things happen is because of you. Sometimes you are just experiencing the consequences of your sin or your dumb decisions."
— Kyle Thompson [04:35]

He underscores that personal choices and actions can lead to adverse outcomes, reflecting the Biblical principle that actions have consequences.

4. Impact of Others' Sins

The discussion also covers how the sins of others can result in suffering:

"Sometimes bad things happen because of other people's sin. And it's not your fault."
— Kyle Thompson [05:00]

Kyle acknowledges that individuals may suffer due to the wrongful actions of others, highlighting that such injustices are repercussions of collective human fallenness.

5. Divine Purpose

Lastly, Kyle confronts the challenging notion that some suffering is directly orchestrated by God for a greater purpose:

"Sometimes it comes directly from the hand of God."
— Kyle Thompson [05:15]

He cites examples like Paul's "thorn in the flesh" and Joseph's trials in Genesis, illustrating how God can use suffering to cultivate humility, character, and ultimately glorify Himself.

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Conclusion: Sovereignty and Purpose

Concluding the episode, Kyle reiterates the sovereignty of God over all circumstances:

"It is all under the sovereign rule and reign of King Jesus. The Bible says that God is at work in all things for the good of those that love him and are called according to his purpose."
— Kyle Thompson [05:45]

He encourages listeners to trust in God's overarching plan, even when immediate circumstances seem incomprehensible, reinforcing the hope and assurance found in divine sovereignty.

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Final Thoughts

The episode wraps up by reinforcing the themes discussed and inviting listeners to continue exploring these profound truths:

"Come back tomorrow and we'll keep diving into John chapter 11."
— Kyle Thompson [05:52]

Joby Martin concludes by urging the audience to engage with and support the podcast:

"If you want to help, equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five-star rating and review. Stay sharp."
— Joby Martin [05:52]

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Key Takeaways:

1. Suffering as a Result of the Fall: The inherent brokenness of creation leads to universal suffering.
2. Spiritual Warfare: Demonic forces actively contribute to personal and societal woes.
3. Personal Responsibility: Individual choices and sins can cause suffering.
4. Consequences of Others' Actions: Injustices inflicted by others stem from human fallenness.
5. Divine Sovereignty: God can use suffering for a higher purpose, aligning with His divine plan.

This episode offers a comprehensive theological perspective that seeks to provide clarity and comfort to believers grappling with the reality of suffering, affirming that understanding the multifaceted reasons behind adversity can deepen one's faith and reliance on God.

Transcript

[A]

Welcome to the Daily Blade. The word of God is described as the sword of the spirit, the primary spiritual weapon in the Christian's armor against the forces of evil. Your hosts are Joby Martin and Kyle Thompson, and they stand ready to equip men for the fight. Let's sharpen up.

[B]

Welcome to the Daily Blade. We are going to do a deep dive into John chapter 11, and in so doing, we are going to talk about this week a whole bunch of philosophical and theological ideas that a lot of people question when they come to the Bible or Christianity. The first one we're going to talk about is why do bad things happen? John, chapter 11, verse 1 says, Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, being Jesus, saying, lord, he whom you love is ill. But when Jesus heard it, he says, this illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Now, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Now you would think maybe, especially if you are Mary and Martha because Jesus loves them, then maybe they would be protected from anything bad ever happening. Now, the way the question often goes is this, all right? If God is all powerful and all knowing and all loving, then how can a good God allow bad things to happen to good people? Well, the question in and of itself is a bit flawed. So just to put this on the bottom shelf for you. There are no good people. There was only one good person. His name was Jesus, and he was crucified on our behalf. But I understand what people are saying. Why do comparatively good people have terrible things happen to them that seem to be out of control? Now, I am going to give you five theological realities to explain why bad things happen, why there is pain, why there is suffering. Number one, it is collateral damage of the fall. When Adam and Eve chose to sin, chose to rebel against God, that sin, when it entered the world, it held the door open for all pain, all strife, all hurt, all malice. Anything that you have ever experienced that was painful or traumatizing to you is at least collateral damage of the fall because the whole creation was cursed. And everything goes into chaos from the macro level, like tornadoes and hurricanes, all the way down to the micro level, like cells won't obey. So one of the reasons bad things happen is collateral damage of the fall. The second one is this. Sometimes it's an attack of the demonic because we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but there is a demonic activity based on the king of demons himself, Satan. And he is a thief and he comes to steal and kill and destroy. And quite honestly, if you don't believe in a spiritual dark realm, then you're just too dumb to talk to. Maybe you've never met a person with an addiction that feels like there's the thing, not them trying to get them to do a thing that is going to kill them. What do you call that? Just poor choices? How do you explain human trafficking and the abuse of children around the world? You think that's just a choice somebody makes? You don't think there is dark and demonic things of this world. And the sad thing is, if you are not aware of the demonic, then you're already going to get beaten because it is the person that is unequipped to fight that always loses the fight. So it's collateral damage of the fall. Sometimes it is an attack of the demonic. Sometimes the reason bad things happen to you is because of you. Sometimes you are just experiencing the consequences of your sin or your dumb decisions. And if you play stupid games, you're going to win stupid prizes. I've talked about this before, but the number of people in my church that have come to me and say, pastor, I need you to pray for me. The devil is attacking my finances. And I go, well, tell me more about your story. And essentially what they're doing is they're trying to buy things with money they don't have. And I go, listen, darling, I got some news for you. You are the devil. You're so dumb, the devil doesn't need to attack you because you are inflicting wounds upon yourself. So sometimes the reason bad things happen is because of our own sin. And sometimes the reason bad things happen is because other people's sin. And it's not your fault. But people make terrible decisions against you. And you were abused or you were molested, it's because of sin, somebody else's sin. And then the fifth reason is sometimes it comes directly from the hand of God. Now this is a hard one to get your mind around, but the reality is, it's all through the hand of God. If God didn't cause it, he at least allowed it. Like how about Paul's thorn in his flesh? God himself said he gave it to Paul to keep him humble. How about Joseph in Genesis 50 when he looks at his brothers and said, what you intended for evil, God intended for good. So God intended that he would experience human trafficking and false imprisonment and domestic violence. And yet God was in charge or see the cross, the most brutal thing that ever happened in humanity. God sent his son and we killed him. And yet the reality is no matter whether it's collateral damage, attack of the demonic consequences of your own sin or other sin or directly from the hand of God, it is all under the sovereign rule and reign of King Jesus. The Bible says that God is at work in all things for the good of those that love him and are called according to his purpose. You see in this particular account in John 11 Jesus says this illness does not lead to death and the reason is because it's going to leave through death unto the glory of God. Come back tomorrow and we'll keep diving into John chapter 11.

[A]

Thank you for listening to today's episode. Before you go, if you want to help, equip other men for the fight, share this podcast around and leave us a five star rating and review. Stay sharp.