Don't Be Too Good Too Evil | Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 | David Whitaker

David Whitaker - 6/7/2026

Don't Be Too Good Too Evil | Ecclesiastes 7:15-29 | RLF Church

Ecclesiastes 7:15–29

Don't Be Too Good Too Evil

Ecclesiastes 7 faces the painful paradox that righteous people can suffer while wicked people seem to flourish, then directs us away from self-made righteousness or careless rebellion and toward the fear of God and the person of Christ.

Series: Life Under the Sun Date: 06-07-2026 Scripture: Ecclesiastes 7:15–29

Sermon Overview

This sermon starts with a hard question: what do we do when bad things happen to good people and life under the sun feels unfair? Solomon observes the paradox that some righteous people perish in their righteousness while some wicked people seem to live long and prosper.

The message warns against two false responses. One is trying harder, becoming more moral, or seeking enough wisdom to force God’s hand. The other is giving up and drifting into foolishness or self-directed living.

The Movement of the Message

Face the paradox: Life in a fallen world does not always reward righteousness in predictable ways, and that unsettles us deeply.
Reject both extremes: Solomon says not to make life about self-produced righteousness, but also not to throw off restraint and live foolishly.
Fear God instead: The answer is not legalism or rebellion, but a relationship of awe, trust, and surrender before God.
Admit our limits: We are not righteous enough, wise enough, or strong enough to solve the paradox on our own.

Christ Our Righteousness

The sermon turns from Solomon’s tension to the gospel. We do not overcome life’s brokenness by becoming good enough; we need a righteousness that comes from outside of us.

Jesus is our righteousness, not our rule-keeping, effort, or moral performance.
Jesus is our wisdom, able to fathom what is far off and very deep when we cannot make sense of the paradox ourselves.
Jesus frees us from self-salvation, so the Christian life becomes the pursuit of a person rather than the management of appearances.

Response

The call of the sermon is to stop trying to fix your standing with God by being a little better and to stop drifting toward hopeless self-rule. Instead, the invitation is to fear God, trust Christ, and let His righteousness, wisdom, and presence reshape how you walk through an unfair world.

For believers, that means asking not, “How can I try harder?” but, “How can I know Jesus more deeply today?” For those who have not trusted Him, the message is that He alone can give the righteousness we could never produce for ourselves.

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