Song of the Week!

"Further From Myself" - Pillar

Link (Embedding disabled)

It's pressure the pleasures measure
The pressure is overbearing
Is it me myself that's caring
For every double-minded joy
And I admit that when I submit to you
I feel so unreal when I'm still
When I'm waiting for you to reveal
And from myself I seem so far away
And I admit that when I submit to you
I can see all of the selfish things I do

[Chorus]
I'm further, further from myself
When I'm next to you
When I run to you

I was wasted embraced it but faced it
With you inside my heart you replaced it
Can't believe you have erased it
Selfishness and foolish pride
And I admit that when I submit to you
I can see all of the selfish things I do

Further from my future
Further from the past
Further from the starting line
Further from the last
Further from my doubts
Further from my fears
Further from temptation that I faced throughout my years
Further from agitation
Further from distraction
The reaction of the dissatisfaction of others actions
Further from myself
Further from my flesh
Further from my birth and I'm
Further from my death

I like it. I think it's pretty.

Something I Thought Of Yesterday

I don't really know why this particular thought came to me yesterday; I was helping Daniel pound posts into the ground (really, I was moral support, since my wrists couldn't handle pounding the poles in - I tried, and the familiar twang shocked through them. Bad idea for someone who needs their wrists to be working toward a Teacher's degree in piano...), and thinking about God, as I sometimes do.

It probably came about because I've been reading through "Suffering and the Sovereignty of God" by John Piper, and one of the authors in the book mentioned this passage talking about innocent blood being avenged:

Joel 3:19 “Egypt shall become a desolation and Edom a desolate wilderness, for the violence done to the people of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land."

Basically what the author was saying was that all innocent blood must be avenged. Verses 20-21 speak about God not leaving any shed blood unavenged.

So what came to mind was this. Jesus Christ, in dying upon the cross, took the punishment for His own shed blood. The injustice of His death was laid upon His own shoulders!

Think about it. We put Him on the cross, by our sin. The crime is ours. But the punishment for the crime He took upon Himself, as though He had killed Himself!

If Jesus died for every single sin but the act of His dying on the cross, we'd all still be going to hell. There would still be that one single sin not paid for, and it would be enough - vastly so - to condemn us.

So I think when Jesus said "Father, do not hold this sin against them..." He was in effect taking the blame. Jesus took the blame for you, for me...He so loved us, and was so gracious, that He came to die, and not only to die but to be punished for His death.

Innocent blood that is shed has to be avenged. The debt for Christ's shed blood was paid by Christ's shed blood.

By His death, we are forgiven for putting Him on the cross where He died.

Conundrum, anybody?

The Fire

Romans 2:3-5 - "Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed."

Song of the Week

Hillsong United - "Hosanna"

I see the king of glory

Coming on the clouds with fire

The whole earth shakes

The whole earth shakes

Yeeeah

I see his love and mercy

Washing over all our sin

The people sing

The people sing

[Chorus]

Hosanna

Hosanna

Hosanna in the highest [x2]

I see a generation

Rising up to take their place

With selfless faith

With selfless faith

I see a near revival

Stirring as we pray and seek

We're on our knees

We're on our knees

[Chorus]

Heal my heart and make it clean

Open up my eyes to the things unseen

Show me how to love like you have loved me

Break my heart from what breaks yours

Everything I am for your kingdoms cause

As I go from nothing to

Eternity

[Chorus x2]

Hosanna in the highest

Remember the Mercy

I wrote a post a while ago, where I wanted to highlight the "awesome" of Jesus. He's not just our Saviour, He's our Lord, our God, our Creator and Upholder...His power is beyond understanding. He organizes the galaxies by His word. He moves the storms that rage over the earth. He is the King of angels.

Now, I want to highlight another aspect of Jesus for us to remember. Not only should we realize that Jesus is the Awesome God, we should remember that He became the propitiation for our sins.

This Awesome Jesus gave up His life for YOU.

Isaiah 53:5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions;

he was crushed for our iniquities;

upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,

and with his stripes we are healed."

Jesus willingly gave His life in agony and shame so that we might become heirs of God.

Titus 3:4-7 "But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

By His mercy God made us alive through Christ's sacrifice.

Ephesians 2:4-5 "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved—"

One of the definitions I found for mercy is "compassionate treatment of or attitude towards an offender or enemy who is in one's power". This, I think, is a more or less close definition to the kind of mercy God showed to us. While we were yet sinners, that is, enemies of God, Christ died for us.

However, the definition is still lacking (as are most definitions we seek to apply to God). It wasn't just "compassionate treatment", but "insane, radical, unbelievable treatment". God not only didn't give us what we deserved, He gave us what we didn't deserve. Not only did He not condemn us (justly!) for our sins and despicable acts, He adopted us as His children. Does it leave you sitting there stunned and filled with praise at His marvelous, wondrous grace?

Isaiah 30:18 "Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him."

How could God be both just and merciful? He was merciful to us, and yet His justice was preserved, because Jesus took the punishment upon Himself. Our sins are not forgiven while yet unpaid. The price was paid in full. This is the great mercy of God.

Psalm 25:6 "Remember your mercy, O Lord, and your steadfast love, for they have been from of old."

Something I want to add is that God's mercy didn't begin in the New Testament. I despise the idea that the Old Testament God was the wrathful, vengeful, punishing God, while the New Testament God is the loving, gracious, merciful God. Bah! God has never changed. His grace, mercy, and love have always been evident. God's plans of mercy and grace were decreed from before the dawn of time. He purposed in Himself that He would cause us to be born again through Christ, right from the beginning; no, from before the beginning, and all this according to His great mercy.

1 Peter 1:3 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead..."

Sometimes, as we go through trials, times of frustration and pain, we can forget about the mercy of God. In such times I think we should proactively seek to remind ourselves of the steadfast love and mercy of God.

I'm pretty sure it was Psalm 103 which David wrote while going through some intense suffering. He wrote it specifically to force himself to dwell on thoughts of God. We should do the same, lest we fall into the hole of self-pity and misery.

Isaiah 63:7-9 is a recollection of the steadfast love of God. In the Bible version I have, the passage is titled "The Lord's Mercy Remembered". Even when we don't feel the mercy of God, we should remember it. Feelings are poor indicators of truth.

The truth is, God is merciful. As Hebrews 4:16 says,

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Remember the Awesome

You know, I think most people have an idea of who Jesus was. No matter who you talk to, if you ask them "Who was Jesus?" they'll probably have some form of answer, whether or not the answer is correct.

Some would answer and say something like "oh, Jesus was a good man! A great man. He lived really well, you know, helped people...he was like the World's Best Neighbour."

Others might say "Yeah, he was a great teacher. He taught people great ethics and morals, and, you know, to love their enemies and stuff."

Still others have even gone so far as to call Jesus a husband, a father, and now dead and buried. Nothing special, if he did exist at all.

Well, all of these are sadly lacking. It might be true that Jesus was a good man (and I'd almost swear that He would have been the world's best neighbour too), and that He was a good teacher; but He was also so much more than this.

I want people to remember the awesome of Jesus. Because He is awesome.

I love reading the Bible to find out what Jesus was and is like. Look at what it says:

Hebrews 1:3-4 - "He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs."

Wow!

Sit for a moment and think of this: you are being upheld by the word of Jesus' power. Whether or not you believe in Him, whether or not you have trusted Him for salvation, doesn't matter. By HIS grace, He upholds you. You exist because of Jesus.

Jesus is more than a good man; He is the Upholder of the Universe.

John 1:1-3 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made."

This Word is Jesus. So, not only does Jesus uphold everything, but all things were made through Him as well! He is the Great and Wonderful Reason why any thing was made.

Jesus is more than a great teacher; He is the Word, the Creator God.

Hebrews 7:22-26 - "This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.

The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens."

Psalm 29:10 - "The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever."

1 Timothy 1:17 - "To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen."

Hebrews 1:8 - "But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom."

Revelation 11:15 - "Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.”"

Jesus is not dead; He is the Priest-King, the One Who sits on the Eternal Throne.

Acts 5:31 - "God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins."

Jude 1:25 - "to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

This great Jesus, the Upholder of the Universe, the Word and Creator, the Priest-King; this Jesus is also your Saviour. Imagine, if you can, the grace involved in this. Jesus, Jesus! He died for you! He died for me....this is unbelievable. This is something that makes my spirit quiet, as I feel the overwhelming wonder of God's love for me. What is this? What is this?

This is grace.

This is mercy.

This is me in all my filthiness, being loved by a God Who delights in me, a God Who humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross for me.

Jesus is not dead; He is the Saviour and Giver of Life.

What comes of this? Knowing even these small things about Jesus should fill us with such a sense of awe that we fall on our faces and worship Him. He is the Lord of Glory.

Romans 11:36 - "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."

Romans 16:27 - "to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen."

2 Timothy 4:18 - "The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

Don't settle for the knowledge that Jesus was a good man, a great teacher, or whatever. The truth is, Jesus is way more. He is far better than what we think, far more faithful than we can imagine, far more loving than we can comprehend; He is Who He is, and He always will be.

Revelation 7:12 - "...Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen."

Each of the sections now have a link to the next part, so it's easier. ^.^ 

The Sovereignty of God in Suffering - VII

7.  Conclusion: How Then Should We View Suffering? 

It should be clear that suffering on this globe is our lot. Not that we should go looking for suffering. We should be ready and willing to bear whatever suffering comes our way, just as Christ bore His cross. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was hung by the Nazis for living out his faith, wrote, 

“Jesus must therefore make it clear beyond all doubt that the “must” of suffering applies to his disciples no less than to himself. Just as Christ is Christ only in virtue of his suffering and rejection, so the disciple is a disciple only in so far as he shares his Lord’s suffering and rejection and crucifixion. Discipleship means adherence to the person of Jesus, and therefore submission to the Law of Christ which is the law of the cross.”[1] 

Acts 5:41 “Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.” 

All through Acts there is a sense of joy in suffering. God’s people were rejoicing as they suffered. Not because they were masochistic, but because they knew God would be glorified. We also should rejoice in suffering for the glorious name of Christ. 

Deitrich Bonhoeffer said it well: 

“The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ…When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”[2] 

“Discipleship means allegiance to the suffering Christ…” Deitrich Bonhoeffer 

Romans 5:3-5 “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us." 

Romans 8:18 “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” 

We look forward, past the suffering of this life, to the future. We are not home here. We are in a distant country, and as we pause here and set up our tents, we look forward to our homecoming. Christ awaits us in glory. We will one day be with Him there, where there will be no pain, no tears, no sorrow – we will finally understand life without suffering. 

However, while we are still “on the worst vacation ever”[3], what should our outlook regarding suffering be? 

Philippians 1:29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake, engaged in the same conflict that you saw I had and now hear that I still have.”

 This verse would seem to indicate that suffering is a gift from God, in the same way as faith is a gift. It has been granted to us that we should suffer for His sake. This reminds me of Matthew 5, where it states “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

 While suffering began with the rebellion of men and the curse of God, God has in His mercy redeemed suffering so that it is no longer a curse. It is a good thing, an amazing thing…because it is planned by God and used by Him for our good and for His glory.  Elizabeth Kendal writes, 

            "But as was seen in the cross, suffering can be a powerful thing. For on the cross Christ redeemed      suffering, transforming the instrument of Satan into the means of God's saving grace. Christ     graciously gives life by means of his death, and to those who by faith receive his life he says, "Take up your cross and follow me." "Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he            endured" (Hebrews 13:13, ESV). In the cross, redemption and rejection, salvation and suffering are    inseparable."[4] 

Romans 8:29 “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” 

We were "predestined to be conformed..." How are we conformed to the image of his Son, Christ? 

1 Peter 2:21 “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” 

John Calvin wrote, 

"...a Christian, even in repose, must always have one foot lifted to march to battle, and not only so, but he must have his affections withdrawn from the world although his body is dwelling in it. Grant that this at first sight seems to us hard; still, we must be satisfied with the words of Saint Paul, "We are called and appointed to suffer." As if he had said, Such is our condition as Christians; this is the road by which we must go if we would follow Christ."[5] 

We’re conformed to the image of Christ when we follow in His steps along the path of suffering and obedience. The road is narrow, but Jesus’ footprints are clearly seen. Calvin writes, 

"...in suffering for the cause of God, we are walking step by step after the Son of God and have him for our guide."[6] 

We’re blessed when we are persecuted. And suffering is granted to us. Why should we have this outlook? Because Satan is not in control here! God is sovereign over your suffering, and He has ordained that good will come of it (all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose…). This is why we have hope, and this is why we rejoice in our suffering. As we suffer, our trust in God leads to conformity to Christ. And if we become like Him in His death, suffering for Him as His servant, we will know the glory of these words: “Well done, good and faithful servant”. 

Philippians 3:8-11 “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” 

Hebrews 13:13 “Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured.” 

We’re told to glorify God in our suffering. 

1 Peter 4:16-19 - "Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?” Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good." 

Why should we be unashamed of our suffering? John Calvin says it well: 

"It is true that in the world's judgment there is disgrace in suffering for the Gospel. But since we know that unbelievers are blind, ought we not to have better eyes than they?"[7] 

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 

It says all circumstances. Good and bad. God does not delight in our suffering, but we ought to thank Him for all circumstances, including circumstances of suffering and pain. When we are suffering through a trial, we are still in God's perfect will. God never forgets His perfect plan which He executes for our good and His glory. He never forgets about us. He is faithful.   

Jim Bowers said this: 

“We don’t always understand God’s plans…but we can still accept them and continue to obey God, no matter what He chooses to bring into our lives.”[8] 

If there is one thing to take from this study, it’s this: When we suffer, it does not mean we are somehow outside of God’s control. When we suffer, it does not mean that God didn’t mean for it to happen. God is always in control of our lives and circumstances, and He means what is happening for good, no matter how bad it might seem. Our choice is whether or not we glorify Him through our suffering as we should. Let the fires of adversity burn; God is still sovereign. Trust Him! 

"He makes His ministers a flame of fire. Am I ignitible? God deliver me from the dread asbestos of 'other things.' Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be aflame. But flame is transient, often short lived. Canst thou bear this, my soul - short life? ... Make me thy fuel, Flame of God."  Jim Elliot

---

[1] From The Cost of Discipleship, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, p.96

[2] From The Cost of Discipleship, Deitrich Bonhoeffer, p.99

[3] My little brother, Christopher, upon hearing that this world is not our home, and we're just sojourners here, just living in "tents" and looking forward to our REAL home, exclaimed, "This is the worst vacation ever!"  I think he's right.

[4] Elizabeth Kendal, http://www.sim.org/index.php/content/the-redeeming-blood-and-the-suffering-body

[5] John Calvin, “On Persecution”, Speeches That Changed the World

[6] Ibid.

[7] Ibid.

[8] “If God Should Choose”, p.201

The Sovereignty of God in Suffering - VI

6.  The Suffering of Christ, the Son of God 

Of all the accounts of suffering in the Bible, the suffering of Jesus is the most important. Not only was His suffering the worst in the spiritual sense, in being under the complete wrath of God, but we should know about His suffering because it was for us that He went through so much.

1 Peter 4:13 “But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.” 

Hebrews 2:5-10 “Now it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking. It has been testified somewhere, 

“What is man, that you are mindful of him,

Or the son of man, that you care for him?

You made him for a little while lower than the angels;

You have crowned him with glory and honour,

Putting everything in subjection under his feet.” 

Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control. At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honour because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.” 

There are a few things to notice from this passage in relation to the suffering of Christ. 

The first one being that He was made lower than the angels. This might not seem like much of a disgrace, but when faced with the idea of Who God is, and how far above the angels He is in greatness and glory, then we must realize that leaving that glory behind was like a separation from His true character. 

Jesus was fully God, even while fully Man. Yet His glory and power were submerged under the skin of human frailty. He was born in humility. He was not born as God, but as a peasant, thought to be an illegitimate son. This was humiliation enough for the mighty Creator of the universe. 

The second thing to notice is that it was fitting for Jesus to be made perfect through suffering. This is not to say that Jesus was sinful or somehow imperfect beforehand – rather, it means that He obeyed perfectly the will of the Father even through the cup of suffering which, by the will of the Father, was not passed from Him, though He prayed that it could be. 

If there is any lesson to be taken from Jesus, with regard to His suffering, then it is this: that Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, did not hesitate in the face of suffering. He did not mistrust God when considering the measure of suffering He would have to endure. He prayed to God, He worshipped God, and He obeyed God. Jesus’ will was completely conformed to the will of the Father, when He said “not my will, but yours, be done.” (Luke 22:42) 

Jesus knew Who it was that ordained the suffering to come: 

“So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” (John 18:11, emphasis mine) 

Satan was not in control of Jesus’ suffering, and he is not in control of ours. He is a fiend who tempts our sinful nature, hoping that we in our sin and rebellion will curse God and die, but the outcome of our suffering is entirely in the hands of God. We should therefore lean upon Him, fully relying on His sovereignty. 

In my opinion, this is the best part of Hebrews: 

Hebrews 2:18 “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” 

We don’t have a faraway god, one who does not involve himself in the affairs of his people. We don’t have a god who created us and then stood back, leaving us to our pointless and paltry lives. Jesus understands our suffering, having gone through suffering as well. So many come to Christ through suffering, realizing that He is the faithful one; He is the merciful and understanding one.

 Jesus understands our suffering because He’s human.

He can do something about our suffering because He’s God. 

So we can put our complete trust in Him, and cling to Him as the Source of our help in times of trouble. 

Hebrews 4:14-15 “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” 

He is perfect, and He is sympathetic. There is no greater Saviour, and there is no greater Lord. Who else can we turn to in our suffering? No one else has both suffered as we have, and accomplished the work of atonement without the stain of sin. There is only Jesus, and He is enough. Praise God! 

Hebrews 5:8 “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.” 

Like Jesus, we also learn obedience through what we suffer. The Bible states that we are to be like Christ, so we ought to remember His words in the garden of Gethsemane. Even while He sweated drops of blood, He would not disobey the Father. His whole purpose, His whole reason for existence, was to do God’s will. 

"There are three characteristics of those who are crucified with Christ. First, they have no plans of their own. You can't make many plans when you're hanging on a cross. Second, they are looking in just one direction. And third, they're not coming down." – A. W. Tozer[1] 

Just because we suffer, does not mean we should turn away from God. He has not left us; in fact, one could say that in one way He is closer to us in our suffering than at any other time. And if we relate to Him, we can learn obedience through what we suffer in following Christ. God is faithful. 

Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.” 

Jesus is our greatest example in suffering. Have you trials? Look to Jesus! He suffered and is now glorified. Consider Him, and be encouraged. Your suffering will not last forever. There is an end to this race, and that end is glory in the presence of God. 

As we endure suffering, we should remember this: God is our Father, and He disciplines us because He loves us. (Hebrews 12:5-11) Jesus is our great high priest, the same yesterday, today and forever. “So we can confidently say, The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6)

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[1] http://garyboalnireland.blogspot.com/2009/05/those-who-are-crucified-with-christ.html

Part 7

The Sovereignty of God in Suffering - V

4.  The Suffering of the Church 

a.  Unity in Trials 

1 Corinthians 12:26 “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.”

 As a church, we gather together to worship and learn about God, and to encourage and comfort one another. All people are suffering in some measure at all times. The Church should be at the forefront in offering hope and comfort to a broken and distorted world, starting with its own members.

Believers can be very harsh in disregarding one another. And not only that, but actually in attacking one another over sundry small details, that when rightfully considered, have no bearing on salvation or evangelism. We need to remind ourselves that these people are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and they are broken. They’ve forgotten the love of Christ. They are beaten down by the cares of this world, by the constant attacks of Satan and his demons. We must remind them of the sovereignty and steadfast love of God. We should not leave them to suffer alone. 

Hebrews 13:3 “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” 

b.  The Body of Believers in Prayer 

God wants us to turn to Him in times of suffering, and through Him to reach out to our fellow believers through remembrance and prayer. 

James 5:13 “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.”

 Wayne Grudem wrote, 

 “…prayer expresses our trust in God and is a means whereby our trust in him can increase.”[1]

 Prayer leads to a far more personal relationship and fellowship with our Saviour and Lord.

God desires deeper fellowship, and He responds to prayer. We ought to pray as a Body, with a unified desire and hope: that many would be saved, that we would be strong in the Lord, and that God would be glorified, whether through signs of His justice or His mercy. 

Prayer is a key part in responding rightly to suffering. In our suffering, we pray “Thy will be done.” We must remember that we can feel pride in suffering. Our sinful hearts whisper deceit: “You’re responding to this suffering in such a godly way.” 

Jesus is our greatest example. He prayed that the Father could remove the cup of suffering, but He showed His obedience and humility with these words: “Yet not as I will, but as You will…” 

We must fortify our hearts with humility. We are small (Amos 7:2), but we can wait for the Lord (Psalm 27:14), Who means all happenings in our lives for good (Genesis 50:20). 

Wayne Grudem explains, 

“God has a better plan, even to fulfill his purpose through suffering and hardship…”[2]

 5.  The Suffering of Job, the Righteous Man 

Can God be trusted in Suffering? Let’s turn the question around: would it be easier for us to trust God, or develop a relationship with Him, without going through suffering? Suffering leads to comfort, through greater trust in and a deeper relationship and fellowship with Christ. 

All through the Bible, there are stories of God’s people who suffered. I don’t know of a single one who lived their life entirely free of trial or pain. Job’s prayer “Would that I had died before an eye had seen me…” (John 10:18) is a prayer that many believers can echo during great trials, myself included. There are just too many memories that are full of sorrow and despair. As we saw from Jeremiah, Elijah, etc., even believers can wish they were dead.  But God has better plans! 

He was in control of Job’s life: 

Job 12:9 “Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?” 

Though Satan was the instrument (Job 12:16), it was God Who caused Job’s suffering. It was not outside of God’s control. I can take that and apply it to my own life as well. If God was in control of everything that happened to Job, then He must also be in control of what happens in my life. Job went through far worse than I have, yet he never once fell outside of the care and control of God. 

God’s answer to Job reminds me of Romans 9 – “Who are you, O man, to answer back to God?” This is why Job’s response was “Behold, I place my hand over my mouth…” 

Job 42:1-2 “Then Job answered the Lord and said: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted."” 

The biggest thing to realize in the story of Job is that when God was discussing Job with Satan, Job was not there. The plans of God do not hinge upon our agreement or disagreement. Contrary to our own opinion, we don’t know what’s best for us. I’m sure Job’s opinion of the situation would have been to keep Satan as far away as possible! 

But notice, too, that Job was not doing nothing while waiting around for the will of God to be revealed. He was continuously praying and offering sacrifices for his own sake and for the sake of his children; he was continuously devoting his time to serving the living God. 

This is what we should do as well. We should understand the sovereignty of the Lord and submit to His will, whatever it may be, and we should also, like Job, devote our time to prayer, worship, and servitude. We shouldn’t hang around waiting for suffering to come before putting our faith in Christ. But we also shouldn’t hang around waiting for everything to go right before ultimately judging God a good God. He is a good God, no matter what is happening to us; and we ought to trust Him at every moment, through the good and through the bad. 

When Job was finally given understanding, he was comforted by a right and deepened relationship with God. John Piper understands this well: 

"In the academic classroom and the apologetics discussion, the agency of Satan in our suffering may lift a little of the burden of God's sovereignty for some; but for others, like Job, there is more security and more relief and more hope and more support and more glorious truth in despising Satan's hateful hand and looking straight past him to God for the cause and for his mercy."[3] 

Job 42:5-6 "I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees you; therefore I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

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[1] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chapter 18, “Prayer”, p.461

[2] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Chapter 18, “Prayer”, p.479

[3] John Piper, Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, p.23

Part 6