Does God Want Us To Suffer?

Some say that God would never have any of his children suffer. But if God doesn't want it, and it happens anyway...then who is this other god overpowering God's desires and making us suffer? This view elevates either Satan or Man above God. We must remember that God works all things according to the counsel of his will (Eph 1:11) and that he says "My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose" (Isaiah 46:10). If suffering comes, it has surely been allowed by God. What do we make of this? Is God cruel? No! Rather, even suffering somehow has its place in the good and glorious plan of God.

The book of First Peter shows us many truths about Christian suffering. "Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good" (1 Peter 4:19). Peter gives us instructions for when we suffer 'according to God's will.' This phrase alone should fill us with strength and comfort. When suffering comes to the believer, Satan has not slipped a punch in on God and taken him by surprise. We can rest in our sovereign God.

Peter also reminds us of the glorious salvation God has worked in us. Then he says, 'In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith - more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire - may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 1:6-7). What wonderful truths to help us in times of suffering! We see that:

• Our sufferings are for "a little while." They won't last forever. Even if they lasted the rest of our lives (as some do) we look ahead to an eternity of glory with our Savior! Compared to that, the sufferings of this present age are only "a little while."
• Our sufferings only come "if necessary." Praise God! They haven't come for nothing! An infinitely wise and loving God has deemed it necessary. He knows what it will take to conform us to the image of Christ, which is the goal (Romans 8:28-30).
• Our suffering has come to test the "genuineness of (our) faith." Progressive sanctification involves testing and trials. In them, our faith is purged from the junk that is in us. He is using suffering for our good! ("For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" [2 Cor 4:17, NKJV] - our suffering is WORKING FOR US!).
• Our suffering will result in "praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." Hallelujah!

Let us trust our God when suffering comes, and let us endure with joy - eyes fixed on Jesus; who suffered for us to bring us to God.

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

ANOTHER Helper!

At the last supper, hours before his arrest and crucifixion, Jesus was thinking of others.

He was speaking words of comfort to his disciples to prepare them for what they were about to face: Their friend Judas (who they thought was going out to give money to the poor, Jn 13:29) was at this moment betraying Christ; Their leader - Peter the outspoken - would deny he even knew the Lord; all disciples would fall away that night (Mark 14:27); and their Lord, whom they have spent 3 1/2 years with, will be crucified and then leave them, returning to the Father. How they needed these words of comfort!

After commanding them to love one another and believe in him (Jn 13:34, 14:1), Jesus gives the ultimate comforting promise:

"And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth...the Helper, the Holy Spirit...will teach you all things..." (Jn 14:16-17a, 26, ESV)

Jesus has promised that after he returns to the Father, the disciples will be given another Helper! Note the word "another." They have had Jesus helping them all along. And now, even though he is leaving them to return to the Father, he will continue to help his people by serving them as their High Priest in heaven forever! If that was not enough to provide comfort, he promised to send ANOTHER Helper, the Holy Spirit! So the disciples (and all believers in Christ) will have Jesus helping in heaven and the Holy Spirit helping on earth; that's a lot of help!

Are you a believer who needs some comfort? Look to the promises of Christ and be comforted:

Jesus is our sympathetic High Priest (Heb 4:14-16), representing us to God in heaven and answering every accusation against us that the Devil brings. He is described as our Advocate in 1 John 2:1. The word translated Advocate in that verse is the same word translated Helper in John 14:16! Jesus is helping us in heaven!

The Holy Spirit is God in us. Helper means 'one who comes alongside.' He is indwelling the believer, filling us as we yield to him (Eph 5:18) and empowering us, coming 'upon' us (Acts 1:8), to be witnesses for Christ and walk in holiness. He is producing in the believer every quality (or 'fruit') that is pleasing to God (Gal 5:22). And he has gifted every believer with a special ability to edify the body of Christ (1 Cor 12:4-11). The Holy Spirit is another Helper, helping us right now on earth!

Become AWARE of your help in God. This is not wishful thinking or the power of positive thinking. These are the promises of God in Scripture! Jesus has removed the wrath of God from us by the sacrifice of himself at the cross, and is ministering in heaven as our High Priest before God; his blood atones for us! And the Holy Spirit has been sent to help the church fulfill our Christ-given mission on earth. Receive these truths and walk in them. And let us thank God for the HELP!!!

Loving Christians is a Sign You ARE One

What's your attitude toward the church?

In my expereince, many seem to have a sour taste in their mouths about Christians. Even people who claim to BE Christians! Some who go to church meetings have no problem speaking evil of other people in the same church. Gossiping, lying, or even worse: disconnection. Allowing our own temporary, physical family (a mere picture of God's eternal, spiritual family) to come before God's family (the church). Wow! Putting the physical picture before the spiritual reality it represents is called idolatry. We could do this with our marriage (a picture of Christ and the church), legalism (looking to the shadows of the law rather than the substance of Christ), or any number of things.

But we're talking about the church: the people of God. The saints.
How do you view other Christians?

How would the word of God have us view the people of God? There are some Scriptures that blow my mind:

"As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight." Psalm 16:3, ESV

Whoah!! "THEY" are the excellent ones? All my delight is in "the saints?" What a view of God's people! What a love, and excitement about being with them, is here communicated by David (the man after God's own heart). That's why he could also say, "I was glad when they said to me, 'Let us go to the house of the LORD!'" (Psalm 122:1) Truly David delights in the LORD God, and is excited about meeting with God himself in his house. But nevertheless David communicates glorious delight in the saints of God. A lesson is hinted at here: If we love God, we will love his people.

This lesson is shouted out in black and white for all to see in the New Testament. John the Apostle declares:

"We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers..." 1 John 3:14, ESV

This goes farther than just marveling at David's admirable attitude toward the saints. This truth drives home to our own hearts a test of whether we are truly in the faith! John's first epistle is filled with tests to show if we are truly God's people. Here is one of them. Let the fullness of this statement sink in: We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.

This verse teaches us that we can know if we are converted to Christ. Assurance is available. This test is one way to know: We must LOVE. But the verse is specific. Love whom? "The brothers." This is not talking about loving the lost, or our enemies, or the poor, etc. We are surely to love them, also. But even unsaved sinners show some sort of social, humanitarian love. John is not saying that social, humanitarian love proves we are Christians. He is saying love for "the brothers" is a proof we are truly God's people. Loving Christians is a sign we are Christians!

This is also not a love we can produce in our own hearts; it does not have its origin in man. This is a supernatural miracle of God, who has sovereignly moved upon us, removing our heart of stone and giving us a new heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26), causing us to love what he loves.

John is not making this up, either. He got it from a reliable source: Jesus Christ! Jesus said to his disciples, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:34-35, ESV). Jesus is saying that love for Christians is a distinguishing mark of a Christian.

So again I ask, what is our attitude toward Christians? How do you feel about the people in your local church? I mean, how do you REALLY feel, deep in your heart, when you don't have to give a public Sunday-school answer? Do you get excited thinking about meeting with them, like David did? Are they the excellent ones who fill you with delight, or the losers who get on your last nerve? When you see them in the store do you try to hide? I praise God that Jesus didn't avoid us! I praise God that Jesus loved "the church" and "gave himself up for her" (Eph. 5:25)!

Lord, put your love for the church in the church.

The Gospel is the Power to be a Homemaker!

Titus 2 has some awesome practical instructions for Christian living. These instructions are broken down to older men and women, younger men and women, and slaves. It's easy for us to see practical commands for daily living and then run along and try to obey them. When will we learn that we are not able to obey any of God's commands? That is, unless he supplies power.

Sure, we understand this when dealing with what we call "big" things. Walking on water, for example. We get it that we simply cannot do that unless Christ says "Come," as he did to Peter (Mt 14:29). I guess we apply this to miracles and such. But this is also true for EVERY command God gives us! The 10 commandments? He gave those commands, but if anyone could keep them, Jesus would not have had to die. Repent and believe the gospel? Only by a miraculous work of God in regeneration can anyone do that. Daily living for Jesus? It applies here, too.

So in Titus 2 when we read the practical things, like taking care of our children, being self-controlled, not slanderers or slaves to much wine, we think we can do it. But we cannot! Every part of us is tainted with sin.
Then how are Sctiptures' teachings to be carried out? The same gospel that saves a sinner sanctifies a saint. The gospel is the POWER for us to daily obey God's instructions.

We see this in the current text. Notice what Paul says just after the practical instructions:
"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." Titus 2:11-14, ESV

What glorious truth is taught in these verses! The grace of God has come, and God's grace TEACHES! It trains us to renounce sin and live in holiness. Anyone who claims to be saved by grace, must also be taught by grace to walk in holiness. Whoever claims to be under God's grace, but does not walk in holiness, does not have God's grace. God's grace trains us how to live.

But the text continues. God's grace trains us, while we wait for Jesus' appearing. If our minds and hearts are thinking about Jesus' return for us, it will affect the way we live. We want to be found serving Christ when he returns.

Then Paul reminds us that Christ "gave himself for us." That's the gospel! He gave himself for us to redeem us from sin (lawlessness) and to "purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." Through the gospel we have a double blessing. Our sins are removed (both the penalty of our sins, and the day-by-day power of our sins through sanctification). But God goes father. He gives us the righteousness of Christ! This is a declared righteousness in our standing before God in heaven; but it is also a practical righteousness that flows through us day by day. In other words, Because of Jesus we can obey God!

So with our minds set on Jesus' return and his giving of himself for us, we can be holy old men, victorious homemakers & self-controlled young men. We can obey these practical instructions, and all the teachings of Scripture, through the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Don't try to obey God on your own. If you seem to succeed, you will be filled with self-righteousness. If you fail, you may give up in despair. What is the answer? Believe the gospel. We are crucified with Christ, and we no longer live! Christ lives through us! Count it to be so (Romans 6). Yield to God, believing the gospel. And Christ will live through us in victory.
Praise the Lord!