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)

---

[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."

---

[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

The Sovereignty of God in Suffering - IV

d. How Does God Use Suffering, and Make it Into Something Good? 

Does God send us suffering? Is God really in charge of every bad thing that happens? The first counter-question to this is, if you believe Scripture when it says that “every good gift and every perfect gift is from above” (James 1:17), why do you reject Scripture when it speaks of God ordaining suffering? 

Psalm 66:10 - "For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried."

Psalm 119:75 - "I know, O Lord, that your rules are righteous, and that in faithfulness you have afflicted me."

Isaiah 30:20 - "And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher."

Isaiah 48:10 - "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction."

Micah 4:6 - "In that day, declares the Lord, I will assemble the lame and gather those who have been driven away and those whom I have afflicted;"

Nahum 1:12 - "Thus says the Lord, “Though they are at full strength and many, they will be cut down and pass away. Though I have afflicted you, I will afflict you no more."

Zechariah 13:9  - "And I will put this third into the fire, and refine them as one refines silver, and test them as gold is tested. They will call upon my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘They are my people’; and they will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’”

1 Thessalonians 2:4 - "but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts." (emphasis mine) 

God sends us affliction and ordains our suffering, but that is not the final note in the symphony. God allows us to suffer because He has a plan to recall us to Himself, to turn our hearts back to Him. He wants us to rely on Him. Jim Bowers wrote when recently widowed, 

"I know - I'm learning - that God's ways are sometimes, and even often, inhuman."[1] 

God’s ways are not our ways, but they are good, and He is faithful. We can trust Him completely. 

Romans 8 declares that as Christians, we suffer in hope.  Our suffering is related to birth pains. I’ve been told giving birth is among the most painful, agonizing things to go through. But it’s pain for a purpose: there is a bundle of joy at the end of it. Women going through the intense pain of childbirth receive a gift and blessing beyond description. 

So do we, as we suffer in this life. We await a future joy; a gift and blessing beyond comparison, beyond imagination. We look forward to our birth into Heaven, a place without suffering. We should take great encouragement from that. 

Steve Saint, in speaking of the difference between suffering as unbelievers or believers, said this: 

"For them, the pain is fundamental and the joy is superficial because it won't last.

For us, the pain is superficial and the joy is fundamental."[2] 

Besides the future glory, we have a present good that comes from suffering: Faith. God grants us the faith to go through suffering of all kinds, to develop a trusting relationship with Him. Through our suffering we learn to rely fully upon His promises, and His word becomes our foundation. We learn that He can carry us, and that He loves us and has plans for us. Our faith has overcome the world, with all its suffering and woes. (1 John 5:4)

_________________________________________

[1] Jim Bowers, “If God Should Choose”

[2] Steve Saint, “If God Should Choose”

Part 5

The Sovereignty of God in Suffering - III

c. Is it God’s Will That I Should Suffer? 

There are different facets of God’s sovereign will in our suffering. Two cases are clearly seen in Scripture: 

First, that God’s permissive will is shown in suffering – for instance, with Job, He said to Satan, ‘this far you may go and no farther’. He gave Satan permission to cause Job to suffer, but His sovereignty was still very clear. Satan was limited by God’s power and control. God was still the Master over Satan and Job, over each of their lives – over Satan’s, in that God put limits on Satan’s acts, and over Job’s, in that Job had no say in whether or not he would suffer all these things. 

Second, that God’s active will is shown in suffering as well. God states in Scripture that He will give of the bread of adversity; that He will put us into the fire – He actively controls all aspects of our suffering, for our good and His glory. Nothing is outside of His power. 

Elisabeth Elliot knows what it is to suffer.  She suffered the loss of her husband, Jim Elliot, who was murdered by the Auca Indians that he so desired to see come to a knowledge of the saving grace of God.  She encouraged Jim Bowers, a missionary whose wife and daughter were killed by the same bullet, with these words: 

"He knows exactly what He is doing, and suffering is never for nothing. It says in 1 Thessalonians 3:4, "We are bound to suffer hardship," and Samuel Rutherford points out to us, "It is ordinary. It is a part of the cross. Suffering makes pleasure more poignant. It can only reveal the depth of Christ's love.""[1] 

Why does God send us trials of emotional, physical and spiritual suffering? 

1) God sends us trials for His own sake, and for His own glory. 

Isaiah 48:10-11 - "Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. For my own sake, for my own sake, I do it, for how should my name be profaned? My glory I will not give to another." 

God says it is for His name's sake and for the sake of His praise. When we go through a trial, Who is the only One Who can bring us out of it? Is that not God? Can we ever trust ourselves? Is our own strength enough? No; our own strength is not strength at all. 

Besides that, punishment of sin clearly shows the justice of God, and for that also He must be glorified. Either through His mercy or His justice, His glory is clearly seen. 

2) God sends us trials to punish us for our sin. 

Jeremiah 9:7-9 - "Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: “Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people? Their tongue is a deadly arrow; it speaks deceitfully; with his mouth each speaks peace to his neighbor, but in his heart he plans an ambush for him. Shall I not punish them for these things? declares the Lord, and shall I not avenge myself on a nation such as this?" 

When I drive my car I stick to the side meant for me. I obey the stoplights and I yield to pedestrians. If I didn’t, chances are I would be charged and fined,  and someone could be seriously injured or even killed. There are reasons for laws and rules, just as there are reasons for punishment. 

Job 37:10-14

“By the breath of God ice is given,

and the broad waters are frozen fast.

He loads the thick cloud with moisture;

the clouds scatter his lightning.

They turn around and around by his guidance,

to accomplish all that he commands them

on the face of the habitable world.

Whether for correction or for his land

or for love, he causes it to happen.

“Hear this, O Job;

stop and consider the wondrous works of God.” (emphasis mine) 

God is merciful in sending us trials for correction. If He sat back and let us continue in sin, how much we would heap on ourselves! Indeed, suffering in this instance is a mercy, not a burden. God sends trials so that we stop what we're doing, see our wickedness, repent, and look for Someone else to save us. 

3) God sends us trials to refine us. (Isaiah 48:10) 

Daniel 11:33-35 - "And the wise among the people shall make many understand, though for some days they shall stumble by sword and flame, by captivity and plunder. When they stumble, they shall receive a little help. And many shall join themselves to them with flattery, and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time."

 How can something be refined, or purified, unless it goes through some heat? Things are scrubbed, rubbed, and buffered to be made clean. The Fire of God burns away the dirt and chaff of our sin, and so we suffer for our own sake, for purification and refinement. 

Suffering changes us for the better, as it helps us to cast our cares upon God. 

"George MacDonald, the Scottish writer, wrote, "Were it not for suffering, millions of human beings would never develop an atom of affection. It is folly to conclude that a thing ought not to be done because it hurts. There are powers to be born, creations to be perfected, sinners to be redeemed all through the ministry of pain that could be born, perfected, and redeemed in no other way.""[2]

 4) God sends us trials so that we may become steadfast in the faith. 

James 1:2-4 - "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." 

James 1:12 - "Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him." 

How does faith grow? It cannot grow if there is nothing to feed it. Someone who goes through life without suffering never has to hope. It could be argued that someone with an easy life has difficulty in developing faith. Faith comes through suffering. 

5) God sends us trials so that we may share Christ's suffering. 

1 Peter 4:12-14 - "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you." 

Who has suffered more than Christ? Are we not called to share in His sufferings? Is a servant greater than his Master? No indeed, and as our desire as Christians is to become Christ-like, we should then bow in humility through suffering, enduring it just as Christ did, opening not our mouths.

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[1] Elisabeth Elliot Gren, “If God Should Choose”

[2] Ibid.

Part 4