According to Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, the word "carnal" signifies "The flesh that is sensual, controlled by animal appetites, and governed by human nature instead of by the Spirit of God". Therefore a carnal or worldly Christian, in contrast with a spiritual Christian, is a Christian who is under the control of the flesh - the natural senses.
Paul said, "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19 - 21, NKJV, emphasis added).
The purpose of this message is to reveal to Christians, from the Word of God, the danger of cultivating a carnal lifestyle which is the works of the flesh. If they do, they are in danger of being excluded from the Kingdom of God - strong words! You'll see that it is impossible to follow Christ, let alone walking with Him, and at the same time to live a carnal lifestyle. You'll also discover that God hates carnality because carnality is really a serious disease! I hope my use of two Biblical types or patterns will help us to understand better in what I am about to share.
The Spiritually minded and the carnally minded
Paul said, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:17, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. A person is said to be in Christ, if he is a truly born again believer who is united to Christ by faith.
2. A truly born again believer is a true Christian who is a new creature in the moral sense (Eph. 4:24), with new values, new hope, new priorities and so on.
3. Old things that passed away include the love of the world, love of self, love of worldly ambition, love of vanity, love of sin and so on.
Therefore a true Christian will live according to the Spirit. Paul gave a solemn warning to those who live according to the flesh:
"For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live" (Romans 8: 5 - 7, 13, NKJV, emphasis added).
The word "death" means "spiritual death". Notice that a spiritual death person will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
Therefore a Christian cannot be both carnal and Christ-like. In other words it is impossible to follow both Christ and at the same time follow your own sensual desire. You are either spiritually minded or carnally minded. No one can be both at the same time.
Why God hates carnality?
By studying what God saw in Esau and Jacob it is possible for us to understand why God hates carnality. I believe Esau was one of Biblical types of carnality. Esau was a carnally minded person but Jacob was a spiritually minded person.
The carnality of Esau
God made His choice before Jacob and Esau were born. To Israel (Jacob) He said:
"'I have loved you,' says the Lord. Yet you say, 'In what way have You loved us?' 'Was not Esau Jacob's brother?' says the Lord, 'Yet Jacob I have loved; but Esau I have hated, and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness'" (Malachi 1:2, 3, emphasis added).
The writer of Hebrews said, ".... lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright. For you know that afterward, when he wanted to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it diligently with tears" (Hebrews 12:16, 17, emphasis added).
Notice that Esau had been described as a fornicator or a profane person. The Bible has not indicated anywhere that that Esau was a fornicator, but in God's eyes, he was as corrupted as a fornicator. The sensual sin he had committed was equal to that of a fornicator. He was therefore classed as a fornicator. Being a profane person he had no respect to his religious and cultural heritage as the first born - his birthright. In fact he despised his birthright and sold it to Jacob for "bread and stew of lentils" (Genesis 25:34). He never appreciated what God had offered him. He was a carnal person because he was overcome by his fleshly desire. He desired things temporal and forsaken things eternal!
He was a type of carnality, of being more concerned with the things of time than things of eternity, with the things of the flesh than the things of the Spirit! Because of this He had never loved God:
"Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world - the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life - is not of the Father but is of the world" (1 John 2:15).
The spirituality of Jacob
What did God see in Jacob that caused Him to love him? Jacob was a supplanter (as his name suggested), a trickster, a swindler and a cheat! He was also a self-centered, scheming and grasping sort of person. But he had the right attitude toward the promises of God. With all his faults and vices he yet was found intensely spiritually sensitive. He appreciated what God had to offer. He wanted the best from God even though he went altogether the wrong way of getting it.
Moses recorded in Genesis 32:22 - 32 that a Man (Jesus Christ Himself) wrestled with him all night:
"And He said, 'Let Me go, for the day breaks.' But he (Jacob) said, 'I will not let You go unless You bless me'" (Genesis 32:26).
God loved Jacob (renamed as Israel) because he "struggled with God and with men" and sought after God's blessings until he prevailed (Gen 32:28).
In my opinion we can redefine carnality as - "At anytime we begin to think and act and live as if this world is our home and believe we have something permanent here" - that is carnality! Once we lose the vision of eternity and not living in consciousness of eternal issues we are carnal Christians. And God hates carnality. He does not hate you or me, but He hates carnality!
Carnality can be a disease in a family and in a Local Church
Leprosy is an interesting Bible type of carnality - something that can cause trouble and problem in a marriage, a family or a local congregation. Carnality, just like leprosy, can spread and set up a plague that can destroy a family or a congregation if not handled in a correct manner. This Bible type or pattern teaches us how to handle carnality (leprosy) in a God appointed manner.
The Bible has a lot to say about leprosy. Most of these Old Testament characters who were struck with leprosy because of one cause - their carnality. Because of this fact, leprosy (I am using inference here) was a hideous disease often used by God for the judgment of carnality.
Here are some Bible characters who were struck by God with leprosy:
Miriam, a sister of Aaron and Moses, was struck with leprosy because she was involed in a rebellion against Moses when he married an Ethiopian woman (Num. 12:1, 2).
King Uzziah was struck with leprosy because he presumptuously burnt incense to the Lord. Only a priest was consecrated to burn incense (2 Chron. 26:18 - 20).
Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, was struck with leprosy because of his greed, dishonesty and misuse of the prophetic office of Elisha (1 King 5:20 - 27).
Spiritual Leprosy
In the Book of Leviticus two whole chapters (13 and 14) were used to deal with leprosy. Please read Leviticus 13:2 - 30.
The key verse is: "And the priest shall examine him on the seventh day. If it has at all spread over the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean. It is a leprous sore" (Lev. 13:27, NKJV, emphasis added).
The emphasis was on spreading. If the leprous sore or spots spread to other areas then the person was considered unclean.
The mercy of God
The Law given to the priest to deal with a leprous person speaks of the mercy of God. Verses 3 to 8 show how much patience the priest was instructed to show. If the sore spread then the person should be in isolation for a week. If after a week the priest was still not sure then the person should be in isolation for another week. The priest should not jump into conclusion quickly that the person was indeed unclean.
God's mercy gives time for things to be put right. In the camp of Israel they had priests to examine things pertaining to leprosy. Similarly, in our camp (the Local Church) we have the Great High Priest, Jesus Christ, to examine things pertaining to carnality. Therefore, the way God dealt with leprosy in the camp of Israel, is a spiritual picture of how God deals with us now because He expects us to be righteous and pure and to keep things holy!
Types of spiritual leprosy
It is beyond the scope of this message to explain in details. I just list down the types of spiritul leprosy (carnality) below according to what the Holy Spirit has revealed (by a strong impression) to me:
1. "Swelling" (Lev. 13:2) speaks of rebellion.
2. "A scab" (V. 2) speaks of pride.
3. "A bright spot" (V. 2) speaks of jealousy.
4. "A spot of raw flesh in the swelling" (V. 10) speaks of bad temper.
5. "White swelling or a bright spot, reddish-white" (V. 9) speaks of bitterness.
6. "Raw flesh of the burn" (V. 24) speaks of lust.
7. "Sore on the head or the beard" (V. 29) speaks of presumption, pride and willful sin.
A Biblical way of dealing with spiritual leprosy
If carnality is not correctly dealt with in a family or in a local congregation it can spread. A person with a carnal lifestyle and gets away with it will spread to other members in the fellowship. A Biblical way is to bring the problem to our Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is Our advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). This calls for confrontation, repentance and restoration in this order.
Paul said, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trepass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself less you also be tempted" (Gal. 6:1, NKJV).
It takes spiritual reality to restore; it takes carnality to destroy!
God helping me, I hope to continue to share with the theme of "carnality" in my next message.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
The Present Evil Age
The Scripture clearly says the present age that we are livnig in is an evil age. Christians need to be delivered from the present evil age. In fact it is the will of God that all God's people be delivered from this evil age.
Paul's greeting to the Churches in Galatia opens up the whole revelation of this truth:
"Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Gal. 1:3, 4, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statesments of truth:
1. The word "age" translated in the original Greek is "aion" which means "a specific time period". It also means "the world" which also will be in existence only for a specific time period.
2. Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins on the Cross.
3. To be delivered from the present evil age is the first provision of the cross that every Christian needs to apply to his life.
4. It is the will of God the Father that we are delivered from this present evil age.
A reason why we need to be delivered from this present evil age
Jesus, in explaining the parabel of the tares to His disciples, indicated that the present age is not going to last forever:
"The enemy who sowed them (seeds of tares) is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age" (Matt. 13:39, 40, emphasis added).
In the parable of the dragnet Jesus said:
"So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire" (Matt. 13:49, 50, emphasis added).
In both the parables Jesus' focus was at the end of this age. We should thank God that this evil age is coming to an end. Because, it is going to be an evil age as long as it continues. If we are delivered from this evil age then we can look forward to the next Age in glory with Christ!
Why this age is an evil age?
Paul said, "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (2 Cor. 4:3, 4, emphasis added).
The god of this age is Satan and he has blinded the minds of the people so that they would not believe the gospel. As long as Satan is the God of this age it is an evil age. That is the reason why he doesn't want this age to end. Because when this age ends he will cease to be a god! As long as this age continues he will be the god of this age. Likewise Satan's followers who love this age don't want this evil age to end.
Pattern experiences for Christians
1. Fallen Christians
The writer of Hebrews said, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame" (Hebrews 6:4 - 6, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. There are five successive experiences for all Spirit baptized Christians - they have been enlightened, they have tasted the heavenly gift which is salvation (eternal life in Christ), they have became partakers of the Holy Spirit, they have tasted the good Word of God and the power of the next age.
2. Through the baptism in the Holy Spirit we get a taste of the power of the next age - the Kingdom Age.
3. Those who are enlightened will realize that there is another age coming in which what is now supernatural will become natural.
4. A purpose of God in permitting Christians to taste the coming age is that they might lose their taste for this evil age.
2. Unfruitful Christians
Jesus in explaining the parable of the Sower to His disciples said:
"Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world (age) and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful" (Matt. 13:22, emphasis added).
The above provides more reasons why Christians need to be delivered from this evil age. Their love for this evil age choked the Word of God and so they cannot swallow what God has to offer them.
How to be delivered from this evil age?
Christians can be delivered from this evil age by the renewal of their mind:
Paul said, "And do not be conformed to this world (age), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2, NKJV).
Without the transformation power of the renewed mind it is impossible to understand the will of God. Any Christian who conforms to this evil age will not understand the perfect will of God. It is impossible for us to renew our mind by our won effort.
Romans 12:1 tells us what to do:
".... by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service".
When you have presented your body to God it does not belong to you any more. It belongs to God and He will renew your mind and deliver you from this evil age and will then enable you to do His will!
True Christians are set apart to do God's will. They are no longer like those so-called Christians who comform to this evil age. They have been delivered from it. They are not to be of the same "mould" with them. They have been transformed not so much by a set of religious rules - don't do this, don't do that; don't touch that, don't eat that and don't wear that and so on. All this outward conformity to a set of rules really does not change a person inwardly. It is merely legalism; it is an external substitute for the inward transformation. God does not change people by rules - Satan does! God changes them in their thinking - by renewing the way they think. We have to be changed in the way we think - our values, our standards, our motives and our reactions. True Christians have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16)! When you think differently you will live differently; when you think like Christ you will live like Christ!
One of the ways to test whether you are renewed in the mind or not is by watching your own reaction to unfavourable circumstances. It is not so much your action that gives you away - it is your reaction!
Consequences of failing to be delivered from the present evil age
Paul made a very sad statement about one of his trusted co-workers who had been with him many years and shared much hardship and labor with him:
"Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world (age) has departed for Thessalonica" (2 Tim. 4:10).
Demas has forsaken Paul because he loved the present evil age. No once can love this present evil age and be a faithful servant of Christ at the same time. No one can serve both - Christ and the god of this age (Satan).
The resutls of deliverance from this evil age
Paul urged Christians in Philippi to follow his example and not those who walked differently because they loved this evil age:
"For many walk, of whom I have told you ofter, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame - who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:18 - 20, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. These people (so-called Christians) were not the enemies of Christ, but the enemies of the Cross of Christ. In fact they liked Jesus and His blessings - He saved them, He delivered them from their sicknesses and diseases and set them free from the bondage of sins. What they didn't like at all was the Cross and this affected the way they lived. They hated the Cross because it came between them and their will to love the world.
2. The end of those who set their mind on earthly things - things this evil age offered, is destruction.
3. True Christians' citizenship is in heaven and they eagerly wait for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In other words true Christians are looking forward to the day when Christ comes to take them out of this evil age. Therefore, any Christian who hates the Cross of Jesus Christ is not qualified to have citizenship in heaven. It is possible to be very religious and still rejects the Cross. In fact the Cross is an offense to those who follow religious laws legalistically.
The writer of Hebrews said, "For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come" (Hebrews 13:14).
Our present home on earth is passing away and we are seeking our eternal heavenly home. If you are at home at this evil age you are not seeking "the one to come".
Anticipation of the Lord's Return
True Christians who are delivered from this present evil age have the unexplainabl excitement in anticipation of the Lord's Return.
The writer of Hebrews said, "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation" (Hebrews 9:28, emphasis added).
Paul said, "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Tim. 4:8, emphasis added).
Two importand statements of truth have been revealed by the above two passages of Scripture:
1. Jesus will come again and grant complete salvation to Christians who are eagerly waiting for Him. You are saved when Jesus becomes your Lord and Savior but your salvation is not complete yet. If you are at home at this evil age you cannot be eagerly waiting for Jesus - it is impossible.
2. When He comes again Jesus will give a crown of righteousness to any Christian who has loved His appearing. A Christian who loves this evil age will not love His appearing and consequently will not receive a crown of righteousness.
Conclusion
Paul said, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable" (1 Cor. 15:19, NKJV).
If our hope in Christ is during our life in this evil age and not followed by the resurrection of the dead and future glory in the next eternal Age, then we, of all people, would be most pitiable. We have overcome Satan and have been delivered from this evil age, but without hope in Christ in the next Age! Surely this is the most pitiable situation!
Paul's greeting to the Churches in Galatia opens up the whole revelation of this truth:
"Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen" (Gal. 1:3, 4, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statesments of truth:
1. The word "age" translated in the original Greek is "aion" which means "a specific time period". It also means "the world" which also will be in existence only for a specific time period.
2. Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins on the Cross.
3. To be delivered from the present evil age is the first provision of the cross that every Christian needs to apply to his life.
4. It is the will of God the Father that we are delivered from this present evil age.
A reason why we need to be delivered from this present evil age
Jesus, in explaining the parabel of the tares to His disciples, indicated that the present age is not going to last forever:
"The enemy who sowed them (seeds of tares) is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age" (Matt. 13:39, 40, emphasis added).
In the parable of the dragnet Jesus said:
"So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire" (Matt. 13:49, 50, emphasis added).
In both the parables Jesus' focus was at the end of this age. We should thank God that this evil age is coming to an end. Because, it is going to be an evil age as long as it continues. If we are delivered from this evil age then we can look forward to the next Age in glory with Christ!
Why this age is an evil age?
Paul said, "But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them" (2 Cor. 4:3, 4, emphasis added).
The god of this age is Satan and he has blinded the minds of the people so that they would not believe the gospel. As long as Satan is the God of this age it is an evil age. That is the reason why he doesn't want this age to end. Because when this age ends he will cease to be a god! As long as this age continues he will be the god of this age. Likewise Satan's followers who love this age don't want this evil age to end.
Pattern experiences for Christians
1. Fallen Christians
The writer of Hebrews said, "For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted the heavenly gift, and have become partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, if they fall away, to renew them again to repentance, since they crucify again for themselves the Son of God, and put Him to an open shame" (Hebrews 6:4 - 6, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. There are five successive experiences for all Spirit baptized Christians - they have been enlightened, they have tasted the heavenly gift which is salvation (eternal life in Christ), they have became partakers of the Holy Spirit, they have tasted the good Word of God and the power of the next age.
2. Through the baptism in the Holy Spirit we get a taste of the power of the next age - the Kingdom Age.
3. Those who are enlightened will realize that there is another age coming in which what is now supernatural will become natural.
4. A purpose of God in permitting Christians to taste the coming age is that they might lose their taste for this evil age.
2. Unfruitful Christians
Jesus in explaining the parable of the Sower to His disciples said:
"Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world (age) and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful" (Matt. 13:22, emphasis added).
The above provides more reasons why Christians need to be delivered from this evil age. Their love for this evil age choked the Word of God and so they cannot swallow what God has to offer them.
How to be delivered from this evil age?
Christians can be delivered from this evil age by the renewal of their mind:
Paul said, "And do not be conformed to this world (age), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans 12:2, NKJV).
Without the transformation power of the renewed mind it is impossible to understand the will of God. Any Christian who conforms to this evil age will not understand the perfect will of God. It is impossible for us to renew our mind by our won effort.
Romans 12:1 tells us what to do:
".... by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service".
When you have presented your body to God it does not belong to you any more. It belongs to God and He will renew your mind and deliver you from this evil age and will then enable you to do His will!
True Christians are set apart to do God's will. They are no longer like those so-called Christians who comform to this evil age. They have been delivered from it. They are not to be of the same "mould" with them. They have been transformed not so much by a set of religious rules - don't do this, don't do that; don't touch that, don't eat that and don't wear that and so on. All this outward conformity to a set of rules really does not change a person inwardly. It is merely legalism; it is an external substitute for the inward transformation. God does not change people by rules - Satan does! God changes them in their thinking - by renewing the way they think. We have to be changed in the way we think - our values, our standards, our motives and our reactions. True Christians have the mind of Christ (1 Cor. 2:16)! When you think differently you will live differently; when you think like Christ you will live like Christ!
One of the ways to test whether you are renewed in the mind or not is by watching your own reaction to unfavourable circumstances. It is not so much your action that gives you away - it is your reaction!
Consequences of failing to be delivered from the present evil age
Paul made a very sad statement about one of his trusted co-workers who had been with him many years and shared much hardship and labor with him:
"Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world (age) has departed for Thessalonica" (2 Tim. 4:10).
Demas has forsaken Paul because he loved the present evil age. No once can love this present evil age and be a faithful servant of Christ at the same time. No one can serve both - Christ and the god of this age (Satan).
The resutls of deliverance from this evil age
Paul urged Christians in Philippi to follow his example and not those who walked differently because they loved this evil age:
"For many walk, of whom I have told you ofter, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame - who set their mind on earthly things. For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ" (Phil. 3:18 - 20, NKJV, emphasis added).
Here are some statements of truth:
1. These people (so-called Christians) were not the enemies of Christ, but the enemies of the Cross of Christ. In fact they liked Jesus and His blessings - He saved them, He delivered them from their sicknesses and diseases and set them free from the bondage of sins. What they didn't like at all was the Cross and this affected the way they lived. They hated the Cross because it came between them and their will to love the world.
2. The end of those who set their mind on earthly things - things this evil age offered, is destruction.
3. True Christians' citizenship is in heaven and they eagerly wait for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In other words true Christians are looking forward to the day when Christ comes to take them out of this evil age. Therefore, any Christian who hates the Cross of Jesus Christ is not qualified to have citizenship in heaven. It is possible to be very religious and still rejects the Cross. In fact the Cross is an offense to those who follow religious laws legalistically.
The writer of Hebrews said, "For here we have no continuing city, but we seek the one to come" (Hebrews 13:14).
Our present home on earth is passing away and we are seeking our eternal heavenly home. If you are at home at this evil age you are not seeking "the one to come".
Anticipation of the Lord's Return
True Christians who are delivered from this present evil age have the unexplainabl excitement in anticipation of the Lord's Return.
The writer of Hebrews said, "Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation" (Hebrews 9:28, emphasis added).
Paul said, "Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing" (2 Tim. 4:8, emphasis added).
Two importand statements of truth have been revealed by the above two passages of Scripture:
1. Jesus will come again and grant complete salvation to Christians who are eagerly waiting for Him. You are saved when Jesus becomes your Lord and Savior but your salvation is not complete yet. If you are at home at this evil age you cannot be eagerly waiting for Jesus - it is impossible.
2. When He comes again Jesus will give a crown of righteousness to any Christian who has loved His appearing. A Christian who loves this evil age will not love His appearing and consequently will not receive a crown of righteousness.
Conclusion
Paul said, "If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable" (1 Cor. 15:19, NKJV).
If our hope in Christ is during our life in this evil age and not followed by the resurrection of the dead and future glory in the next eternal Age, then we, of all people, would be most pitiable. We have overcome Satan and have been delivered from this evil age, but without hope in Christ in the next Age! Surely this is the most pitiable situation!
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
Our Helper in Prayer
The Bible never says praying is easy. In fact praying is not a natural thing to do. It could be a natural thing in an emergency. But in normal regular life when things are going on smoothly it is an unnatural thing; it cuts against the flesh. We need help if we want to pray willingly and effectively.
In the days of His flesh people could go to Jesus to get help. His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples" (Luke 11:1, NKJV). We cannot go to Jesus for help now. But before Jesus left the earth He promised His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you" (John 16:7, NKJV, emphasis added).
The Helper that Jesus spoke of is the Person of the Holy Spirit. One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to help you and I at the point of our greatest need, which is how to pray effectively.
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14, 15, emphasis added).
The key to effective praying is praying according to the will of God. The Holy Spirit will help us to pray according to the will of God. Therefore we must always pray in the Spirit. God does not want us to struggle but wants to help us. The Father wants to help us by listening to us all the time. The Son wants to help us by praying for us all the time (Hebrews 7:25). That is not when the help ends. The Holy Spirit helps us at our end by having our prayers going in the first place.
What more help could you ask for; with the Holy Spirit praying in you; Jesus listening to your prayer and passing on to the Father who is waiting to receive it?
Praying in the Spirit
We can learn from the apostle Paul concerning praying in the Spirit. He knew the secret of effective praying. He had been praying in the Spirit all the time during His walk with God.
He said, ".... praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints ...." (Ephesians 6:18, NKJV, emphasis added).
Praying in the Spirit means having two advocates to help you - one, the Advocate on high, the Father; two, the Advocate within you, the Holy Spirit. Your praying should always be like this: Pray to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit (note the prepositions used).
If we don't pray in the Spirit we are going to face many difficulties. We are like talking to someone we cannot see, nor hear nor touch. Then there is the difficulty of knowing what to say when we feel we do get through to God in our prayer. What we want to ask may not be what we really need or it may be even be bad for us. Then there is the problem of lack of focus and lack of concentration.
The difficulty of knowing what to say would disappear when we ask the Lord to teach us to pray. The Lord's Prayer was given to the disciples in response to this difficulty.
The role of the Holy Spirit in prayer is like that of a divine letter writer. In the Middle East and in some Asian countries many people seek the help of a letter writer when they want to send a letter to someone. Even if you know what to say to someone, the letter writer still can help you to express yourself. That is exactly what the Holy Spirit does when He becomes your divine letter writer. He takes what you want to say, but you cannot express yourself, and writes it down according to the will of God and sends it on.
Two aspects of praying in the Spirit
There are actually two distinct aspects (or forms) of praying in the Spirit. In both aspects the Holy Spirit does not pray for you but His job is to help you to pray:
"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, ...." (Romans 8:26).
In other words, the Holy Spirit prays with us but not prays for us.
1. The Holy Spirit takes over your mind
In this aspect the Holy Spirit takes over your mind (the soul part) and gives you the right thoughts. But you are responsible to express your thoughts and translate your thoughts into words to be spoken by your mouth. You are in full control of what words to use in your prayer.
I call this the mental prayer because of the influence of the Holy Spirit on the mind. Your mind is fully involved with conscious thoughts the Holy Spirit placed there. These thoughts either come through an impression, a burden, a memory, a situation or a circumstance. The Lord Himself through the Holy Spirit has put within your mind that which you ought to pray. But He would not force the prayer burden upon you unless you allow Him to. Therefore, if you don't know how to pray or what to pray for you should ask Him. When you know someone is in need and you don't know what the need is, why don't you ask Him?
The problem of this aspect of prayer has something to do with our personality - our heart (spirit), mind and will (soul). The first problem is with the heart - we don't have enough burden and desire to pray. The second problem is the lack of concentration which leads to wondering thoughts. The third problem is the lack of passion, persistence, and discipline in our prayer life. The Holy Spirit can help in all these three areas.
Without the Holy Spirit taking over your mind, you are likely to start your pray like this - "If it be they will, please ....."! Furthermore, most of our prayers are merely "quick fix" requests - like a shot fired blindly in the dark! This is the result of failing to understand God's will in our prayer. If the Holy Spirit is in our mental prayer then the glory of Jesus will be in it too, because the Holy Spirit comes to glorify Jesus (John 16:14).
Praying in the Spirit has a connection with the Scripture too. When you are praying in the Spirit, into your prayer will come echoes of God's Word, because the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible and He never contradicts Himself!
2. The Holy Spirit takes over your mouth
In this aspect the Holy Spirit does not take over your mind at all, but He takes over your mouth directly. He bypasses your mind but you have the responsibility to move your mouth and your tongue. This was precisely what happened at the Day of Pentecost as recorded by Luke:
"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4, NKJV, emphasis added).
For those who have hang-ups with the word "tongue", the original Greek word actually translated as "language". Whether we have hang-ups or not Paul said:
"For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful" (1 Cor. 14:14, emphasis added).
The word "unfruitful" means "unproductive". In other words, you don't understand what you pray when you pray in a tongue. There is no thought at all in this kind of prayer. The Holy Spirit takes over and offers to God a prayer, through utterance of your mouth, a prayer that is beautiful and pleasing to Him. Furthermore, this is a prayer that you don't have to think up; you don't have to wrestle through with the Spirit to get a thought from Him. This is especially useful when you are tired or when you are driving. You are still able to pray without losing your concentration in doing other things.
Paul's secret in praying
Paul gave us further understanding regarding praying in the Spirit, for he said:
"I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding" (1 Cor. 14:15, emphasis added).
When Paul said he would pray with the spirit (small 's') he meant he would use his own spirit (heart) led by the indwelled Holy Spirit to pray. When he said he would pray with the understanding he meant he would use his intellect (part of the soul) as prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray. In either case he would always pray in the Sprit. We should do likewise in our prayer life - always in the Spirit.
Paul said, "..... praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18, NKJV, emphasis added).
The above passage of Scripture includes all kinds of prayer in the Spirit - prayer, watch and pray, petition, intercession, supplication (entreating God's favor and mercy), groaning (Romans 8:26) and tears.
The Psalmist's secret in praying
The psalmist's prayer of faith includes groaning and tears:
"I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies" (Psalm 6:6, 7, NKJV).
Verse 8 says, "The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer".
The psalmist's prayer was heard and received because he prayed in the Spirit!
"Put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book" (Psalm 56:8).
God has a bottle for your tears and my tears. Furthermore, every drop of our tears is recorded in His book. The reason God keeps a book is He wants to remember to answer our prayer! Sometimes His anwer comes later.
Ask and receive the Holy Spirit
Jesus said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him" (Luke 11:13, emphasis added).
The difficulty is not in asking but in receiving by faith what God has to offer. Receiving by faith involves grasping of something, involves getting over hang-ups, psychological hurdles like hearing your own voice and strange sounds you don't understand as a result of infilling and Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
This eperience is like Peter's experience of walking on water (Matt. 14:18 - 29). Jesus didn't ask Peter to get his Bible cout, pray and claim the promise! Jesus just said, "Come"! In the same manner Jesus commanded a lame man at the Pool of Bethesda, "Take up your bed and walk" (John 5:12). Jesus just wants you to receive the promise of the Father (the Holy Spirit) by faith.
That is how Spiritual gifts are discovered. You don't know you have the gifts of healings until you go and lay hands on someone. If your spirit receives a strong impression that you could do something why not just step out of the "boat" and do it?
In the days of His flesh people could go to Jesus to get help. His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples" (Luke 11:1, NKJV). We cannot go to Jesus for help now. But before Jesus left the earth He promised His disciples that He would send the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said, "Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you" (John 16:7, NKJV, emphasis added).
The Helper that Jesus spoke of is the Person of the Holy Spirit. One of the functions of the Holy Spirit is to help you and I at the point of our greatest need, which is how to pray effectively.
"Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him" (1 John 5:14, 15, emphasis added).
The key to effective praying is praying according to the will of God. The Holy Spirit will help us to pray according to the will of God. Therefore we must always pray in the Spirit. God does not want us to struggle but wants to help us. The Father wants to help us by listening to us all the time. The Son wants to help us by praying for us all the time (Hebrews 7:25). That is not when the help ends. The Holy Spirit helps us at our end by having our prayers going in the first place.
What more help could you ask for; with the Holy Spirit praying in you; Jesus listening to your prayer and passing on to the Father who is waiting to receive it?
Praying in the Spirit
We can learn from the apostle Paul concerning praying in the Spirit. He knew the secret of effective praying. He had been praying in the Spirit all the time during His walk with God.
He said, ".... praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints ...." (Ephesians 6:18, NKJV, emphasis added).
Praying in the Spirit means having two advocates to help you - one, the Advocate on high, the Father; two, the Advocate within you, the Holy Spirit. Your praying should always be like this: Pray to the Father, through the Son, in the Spirit (note the prepositions used).
If we don't pray in the Spirit we are going to face many difficulties. We are like talking to someone we cannot see, nor hear nor touch. Then there is the difficulty of knowing what to say when we feel we do get through to God in our prayer. What we want to ask may not be what we really need or it may be even be bad for us. Then there is the problem of lack of focus and lack of concentration.
The difficulty of knowing what to say would disappear when we ask the Lord to teach us to pray. The Lord's Prayer was given to the disciples in response to this difficulty.
The role of the Holy Spirit in prayer is like that of a divine letter writer. In the Middle East and in some Asian countries many people seek the help of a letter writer when they want to send a letter to someone. Even if you know what to say to someone, the letter writer still can help you to express yourself. That is exactly what the Holy Spirit does when He becomes your divine letter writer. He takes what you want to say, but you cannot express yourself, and writes it down according to the will of God and sends it on.
Two aspects of praying in the Spirit
There are actually two distinct aspects (or forms) of praying in the Spirit. In both aspects the Holy Spirit does not pray for you but His job is to help you to pray:
"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, ...." (Romans 8:26).
In other words, the Holy Spirit prays with us but not prays for us.
1. The Holy Spirit takes over your mind
In this aspect the Holy Spirit takes over your mind (the soul part) and gives you the right thoughts. But you are responsible to express your thoughts and translate your thoughts into words to be spoken by your mouth. You are in full control of what words to use in your prayer.
I call this the mental prayer because of the influence of the Holy Spirit on the mind. Your mind is fully involved with conscious thoughts the Holy Spirit placed there. These thoughts either come through an impression, a burden, a memory, a situation or a circumstance. The Lord Himself through the Holy Spirit has put within your mind that which you ought to pray. But He would not force the prayer burden upon you unless you allow Him to. Therefore, if you don't know how to pray or what to pray for you should ask Him. When you know someone is in need and you don't know what the need is, why don't you ask Him?
The problem of this aspect of prayer has something to do with our personality - our heart (spirit), mind and will (soul). The first problem is with the heart - we don't have enough burden and desire to pray. The second problem is the lack of concentration which leads to wondering thoughts. The third problem is the lack of passion, persistence, and discipline in our prayer life. The Holy Spirit can help in all these three areas.
Without the Holy Spirit taking over your mind, you are likely to start your pray like this - "If it be they will, please ....."! Furthermore, most of our prayers are merely "quick fix" requests - like a shot fired blindly in the dark! This is the result of failing to understand God's will in our prayer. If the Holy Spirit is in our mental prayer then the glory of Jesus will be in it too, because the Holy Spirit comes to glorify Jesus (John 16:14).
Praying in the Spirit has a connection with the Scripture too. When you are praying in the Spirit, into your prayer will come echoes of God's Word, because the Holy Spirit wrote the Bible and He never contradicts Himself!
2. The Holy Spirit takes over your mouth
In this aspect the Holy Spirit does not take over your mind at all, but He takes over your mouth directly. He bypasses your mind but you have the responsibility to move your mouth and your tongue. This was precisely what happened at the Day of Pentecost as recorded by Luke:
"And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance" (Acts 2:4, NKJV, emphasis added).
For those who have hang-ups with the word "tongue", the original Greek word actually translated as "language". Whether we have hang-ups or not Paul said:
"For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful" (1 Cor. 14:14, emphasis added).
The word "unfruitful" means "unproductive". In other words, you don't understand what you pray when you pray in a tongue. There is no thought at all in this kind of prayer. The Holy Spirit takes over and offers to God a prayer, through utterance of your mouth, a prayer that is beautiful and pleasing to Him. Furthermore, this is a prayer that you don't have to think up; you don't have to wrestle through with the Spirit to get a thought from Him. This is especially useful when you are tired or when you are driving. You are still able to pray without losing your concentration in doing other things.
Paul's secret in praying
Paul gave us further understanding regarding praying in the Spirit, for he said:
"I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding" (1 Cor. 14:15, emphasis added).
When Paul said he would pray with the spirit (small 's') he meant he would use his own spirit (heart) led by the indwelled Holy Spirit to pray. When he said he would pray with the understanding he meant he would use his intellect (part of the soul) as prompted by the Holy Spirit to pray. In either case he would always pray in the Sprit. We should do likewise in our prayer life - always in the Spirit.
Paul said, "..... praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18, NKJV, emphasis added).
The above passage of Scripture includes all kinds of prayer in the Spirit - prayer, watch and pray, petition, intercession, supplication (entreating God's favor and mercy), groaning (Romans 8:26) and tears.
The Psalmist's secret in praying
The psalmist's prayer of faith includes groaning and tears:
"I am weary with my groaning; all night I make my bed swim; I drench my couch with my tears. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows old because of all my enemies" (Psalm 6:6, 7, NKJV).
Verse 8 says, "The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer".
The psalmist's prayer was heard and received because he prayed in the Spirit!
"Put my tears into Your bottle; are they not in Your book" (Psalm 56:8).
God has a bottle for your tears and my tears. Furthermore, every drop of our tears is recorded in His book. The reason God keeps a book is He wants to remember to answer our prayer! Sometimes His anwer comes later.
Ask and receive the Holy Spirit
Jesus said, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him" (Luke 11:13, emphasis added).
The difficulty is not in asking but in receiving by faith what God has to offer. Receiving by faith involves grasping of something, involves getting over hang-ups, psychological hurdles like hearing your own voice and strange sounds you don't understand as a result of infilling and Baptism in the Holy Spirit.
This eperience is like Peter's experience of walking on water (Matt. 14:18 - 29). Jesus didn't ask Peter to get his Bible cout, pray and claim the promise! Jesus just said, "Come"! In the same manner Jesus commanded a lame man at the Pool of Bethesda, "Take up your bed and walk" (John 5:12). Jesus just wants you to receive the promise of the Father (the Holy Spirit) by faith.
That is how Spiritual gifts are discovered. You don't know you have the gifts of healings until you go and lay hands on someone. If your spirit receives a strong impression that you could do something why not just step out of the "boat" and do it?
Wednesday, January 10, 2007
The Fellowship of His Sufferings
Paul was called to the fellowship of Christ's sufferings:
"I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Phil. 3:8, 10, 11, NKJV, emphasis added).
The goal of Paul's sufferings was, that he might know Christ and to attain to the resurrection from the dead. All believers should have similar goal. In order to understand what it takes to have fellowship of Christ's sufferings we must first acknowledge and understand the sufferings of Christ and Paul.
The Sufferings of Christ
The Scripture says God knew before hand, by the mouths of all His prophets, that His Christ should suffer. When Jesus Christ came He would be a suffering savior. He would be a man of sufferings and a man of sorrows:
"He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3).
The Gospel says Jesus suffered mentally and physically with anguish. He was rejected, He was distrusted, He was abused, He was mocked and laughed at. He knew what it was to be lonely, hungry, poor, unloved and shamed. He was humiliated and slandered. He was called a liar, a fraud and a false prophet. His own family members misunderstood Him. His most trusted friends lost faith in Him. His own disciples forsook Him and fled when He needed them the most. One of them betrayed Him; one of them denied he knew Him. Finally they spat on Him; they mugged Him and murdered Him!
Someone had aptly said the soul anguish which Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane was equal to that which He suffered on the cross of Calvary! In reality, Christ 'died' in Gethsemane before He ever died on the cross. He, no doubt, was 'nailed' to Gethsemane's ground by prayer burden before the nails of the Roman soldiers hanged Him to the cross!
The Sufferings of Paul
Paul was called by Jesus Himself to suffer. Jesus commanded Ananias to go and lay hand on Paul right after he was converted:
"Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:15, 16, emphasis added).
The ministry of Paul was the ministry of suffering. He was called to suffer for Christ. In comparison with other apostles Paul said:
"Are they ministers of Christ? - I speak as a fool - I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness - besides the other things, what comes upon me daily; my deep concern for the churches" (2 Cor. 11:23 - 28, NKJV).
Paul lived his entire life through sufferings - physically and mentally. No man outside of Christ had suffered like him. Yet Paul said, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
The Jews were watching Paul to see whether or not he could stand the tests and trials. They had a philosophy that suffering was a result of God rejecting you. The judgment of God is upon you when you suffer. On the other hand, the blessing of God was determined by prosperity and having a comfortable life. If you are prospering then God loves you. But if you are suffering then God is mad at you. Therefore the Jews assumed that if God was with Paul, he would not be suffering; he would not be thrown in jail or shipwrecked!
Because of this confusion in the Church concening Paul's sufferings, he sent Timothy to the Church in Thessalonica to establish the the faith of the believers with this message:
"..... that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know" (1 Thess. 3:3, 4, emphasis added).
Paul also wrote to the Church in Ephesus:
"Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory" (Ephesians 3:13).
Believers are called to suffer
The New Testament Scripture clearly says that all believers are called to suffer and to partake of Christ's sufferings:
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:12, 13, emphasis added).
"But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2:20, 21, emphasis added).
We suffer because Christ suffered.
"Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creater" (1 Peter 4:19, emphasis added).
To suffer as a Christian for doing good, is the will of God, but to suffer as "a murderer, a thief, an evildoer ..." (1 Peter 4:15), is not the will of God.
"All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12, emphasis).
The word 'all' means no exception. The reverse is also true - all who do not suffer persecution are not living a godly Christian life. They are compromising believers who are not the doers of His Word, but hearers only (James 1:23). They gospel message is painless!
Jesus Himself said that in the last days there will be tribulation and sufferings for God's people:
"In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake" (Matt. 24:9, emphasis added).
Notice the word 'all' again. All nations, including Christian nations, will hate you because you are a believer and a disciple of Christ!
The primary purpose of sufferings for the Church
Our God is a God of all comfort for He sees what is coming ahead for the Church - sufferings and tribulation. He reveals to His Church that the primary purpose of sufferings is to produce comforters to the Body of Christ. Yes, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter but He desires His children to be comforters too, so that they may comfort and encourage one another in the midst of sufferings:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation" (2 Cor. 1:3 - 7).
The above passaged of Scripture is rather length, but we can learn from Paul's ministry of sufferings and comfort. Paul and Timothy wrote to the Corinthian Church regarding the need of comfort and consolation for the believers. Paul was essentially saying that he and Timothy were examplses for their sufferings. What some of them had been through was not just to train them, and not just for their own good only, but also for the good of others. Whether they were afflicted or comforted it was for their consolation and salvation.
Enter the Kingdom of God through tribulation and sufferings
Paul said, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).
Jesus, in explaining the parable of the Sower to His disciples, said:
"He who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately recieves it wih joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles" (Matt. 13:20, 21).
It is true that salvation and entering the Kingdom of God is a walk. But, it is a walk of endurance through tribulation and sufferings. Paul rejoiced in tribulation because of the hope of salvation:
".... and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:2, 3, 4).
Many Christians have been destroyed by sufferings and tribulation because of the lack endurance and perseverance; they have been blown away by it; they just give up because they do not understand it. They just quit on the Lord and say it does not work for them!
Concerning the chastening of the Lord, the writer of Hebrews said:
"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11, emphasis added).
The fruit of righteousness is not sufferings but sufferings understood!
Deliverance from sufferings and trouble
The psalmist said, "In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; my hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted" (Ps. 77:2).
By seeking the Lord the psalmist turned away from self dependency to total dependency on the Lord Jesus Christ.
David said, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit" (Ps. 34:17, 18).
Here is the climax of this message:
Paul revealed the secret of life through sufferings:
"For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is working in us, but life in you" (2 Cor. 4:11, 12).
All deliverance comes through death; death to self will, self ambition and self life - bring all these to the Calvary to be crucified with Christ! All true deliverance comes throuh the "Gethsemane experience".
The whole purpose of suffering is that we may bring forth life to ourselves and to others. Every time we testify concerning our suffering for Christ's sake, to somebody, life comes out of us! Thank God for sufferings and tribulations!
"I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead" (Phil. 3:8, 10, 11, NKJV, emphasis added).
The goal of Paul's sufferings was, that he might know Christ and to attain to the resurrection from the dead. All believers should have similar goal. In order to understand what it takes to have fellowship of Christ's sufferings we must first acknowledge and understand the sufferings of Christ and Paul.
The Sufferings of Christ
The Scripture says God knew before hand, by the mouths of all His prophets, that His Christ should suffer. When Jesus Christ came He would be a suffering savior. He would be a man of sufferings and a man of sorrows:
"He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief" (Isaiah 53:3).
The Gospel says Jesus suffered mentally and physically with anguish. He was rejected, He was distrusted, He was abused, He was mocked and laughed at. He knew what it was to be lonely, hungry, poor, unloved and shamed. He was humiliated and slandered. He was called a liar, a fraud and a false prophet. His own family members misunderstood Him. His most trusted friends lost faith in Him. His own disciples forsook Him and fled when He needed them the most. One of them betrayed Him; one of them denied he knew Him. Finally they spat on Him; they mugged Him and murdered Him!
Someone had aptly said the soul anguish which Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane was equal to that which He suffered on the cross of Calvary! In reality, Christ 'died' in Gethsemane before He ever died on the cross. He, no doubt, was 'nailed' to Gethsemane's ground by prayer burden before the nails of the Roman soldiers hanged Him to the cross!
The Sufferings of Paul
Paul was called by Jesus Himself to suffer. Jesus commanded Ananias to go and lay hand on Paul right after he was converted:
"Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake" (Acts 9:15, 16, emphasis added).
The ministry of Paul was the ministry of suffering. He was called to suffer for Christ. In comparison with other apostles Paul said:
"Are they ministers of Christ? - I speak as a fool - I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; in weariness and and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness - besides the other things, what comes upon me daily; my deep concern for the churches" (2 Cor. 11:23 - 28, NKJV).
Paul lived his entire life through sufferings - physically and mentally. No man outside of Christ had suffered like him. Yet Paul said, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18).
The Jews were watching Paul to see whether or not he could stand the tests and trials. They had a philosophy that suffering was a result of God rejecting you. The judgment of God is upon you when you suffer. On the other hand, the blessing of God was determined by prosperity and having a comfortable life. If you are prospering then God loves you. But if you are suffering then God is mad at you. Therefore the Jews assumed that if God was with Paul, he would not be suffering; he would not be thrown in jail or shipwrecked!
Because of this confusion in the Church concening Paul's sufferings, he sent Timothy to the Church in Thessalonica to establish the the faith of the believers with this message:
"..... that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know" (1 Thess. 3:3, 4, emphasis added).
Paul also wrote to the Church in Ephesus:
"Therefore I ask that you do not lose heart at my tribulations for you, which is your glory" (Ephesians 3:13).
Believers are called to suffer
The New Testament Scripture clearly says that all believers are called to suffer and to partake of Christ's sufferings:
"Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you; but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ's sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy" (1 Peter 4:12, 13, emphasis added).
"But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps" (1 Peter 2:20, 21, emphasis added).
We suffer because Christ suffered.
"Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creater" (1 Peter 4:19, emphasis added).
To suffer as a Christian for doing good, is the will of God, but to suffer as "a murderer, a thief, an evildoer ..." (1 Peter 4:15), is not the will of God.
"All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12, emphasis).
The word 'all' means no exception. The reverse is also true - all who do not suffer persecution are not living a godly Christian life. They are compromising believers who are not the doers of His Word, but hearers only (James 1:23). They gospel message is painless!
Jesus Himself said that in the last days there will be tribulation and sufferings for God's people:
"In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake" (Matt. 24:9, emphasis added).
Notice the word 'all' again. All nations, including Christian nations, will hate you because you are a believer and a disciple of Christ!
The primary purpose of sufferings for the Church
Our God is a God of all comfort for He sees what is coming ahead for the Church - sufferings and tribulation. He reveals to His Church that the primary purpose of sufferings is to produce comforters to the Body of Christ. Yes, the Holy Spirit is the Comforter but He desires His children to be comforters too, so that they may comfort and encourage one another in the midst of sufferings:
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds through Christ. Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effective for enduring the same sufferings which we also suffer. Or if we are comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. And our hope for you is steadfast, because we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will partake of the consolation" (2 Cor. 1:3 - 7).
The above passaged of Scripture is rather length, but we can learn from Paul's ministry of sufferings and comfort. Paul and Timothy wrote to the Corinthian Church regarding the need of comfort and consolation for the believers. Paul was essentially saying that he and Timothy were examplses for their sufferings. What some of them had been through was not just to train them, and not just for their own good only, but also for the good of others. Whether they were afflicted or comforted it was for their consolation and salvation.
Enter the Kingdom of God through tribulation and sufferings
Paul said, "We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God" (Acts 14:22).
Jesus, in explaining the parable of the Sower to His disciples, said:
"He who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word and immediately recieves it wih joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles" (Matt. 13:20, 21).
It is true that salvation and entering the Kingdom of God is a walk. But, it is a walk of endurance through tribulation and sufferings. Paul rejoiced in tribulation because of the hope of salvation:
".... and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:2, 3, 4).
Many Christians have been destroyed by sufferings and tribulation because of the lack endurance and perseverance; they have been blown away by it; they just give up because they do not understand it. They just quit on the Lord and say it does not work for them!
Concerning the chastening of the Lord, the writer of Hebrews said:
"Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11, emphasis added).
The fruit of righteousness is not sufferings but sufferings understood!
Deliverance from sufferings and trouble
The psalmist said, "In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; my hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; my soul refused to be comforted" (Ps. 77:2).
By seeking the Lord the psalmist turned away from self dependency to total dependency on the Lord Jesus Christ.
David said, "The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves such as have a contrite spirit" (Ps. 34:17, 18).
Here is the climax of this message:
Paul revealed the secret of life through sufferings:
"For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus' sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is working in us, but life in you" (2 Cor. 4:11, 12).
All deliverance comes through death; death to self will, self ambition and self life - bring all these to the Calvary to be crucified with Christ! All true deliverance comes throuh the "Gethsemane experience".
The whole purpose of suffering is that we may bring forth life to ourselves and to others. Every time we testify concerning our suffering for Christ's sake, to somebody, life comes out of us! Thank God for sufferings and tribulations!
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
The Mystery of Sufferings
This is my first message for 2007. This is not a negative message; but on the contrary I attempt to impart a few words of comfort and encouragement to those who are going through a period of sufferings and trials.
The mystery of God is what God "kept secret since the world began" (Romans 16:12). Examples of the mystery of God include, resurrection of believers (1 Cor. 15:51), the gospel (Eph. 6:19), godiness (1 Tim. 3:16) and "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).
When Bible teachers or theologians talk about suffering they are likely to confine to physical suffering. But the type of suffering that human beings encounter everyday in their lives on earth covers a much wider field - physical, mental and spiritual. This message, like most of my messages posted so far, are the product of my Bible research work. I find myself most inadequate to present a good message on suffering because of my lack of personal experience on personal sufferings and also the lack of exposure to the sufferings of other people. Fortunately the Bible has much to say about sufferings.
Soloman said, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search out a matter" (Proverbs 25:2, NKJV).
As believers are "made kings and priests to our God" (Rev. 5:10), and therefore it is our glory to search out the mystery of God.
The most general definition of human suffering
We cannot talk about human suffering unless we can define what human suffering involves. And we cannot talk about suffering as a Christian unless we understand human suffering in general. I think the following general definition of human suffering will cover all forms of suffering from the smallest to the greatest. Here it is:
"Suffering is having what you do not want or wanting what you do not have".
You do not want sickness and poverty, but you are having them. This is suffering! You are hungry and thirsty but you have nothing to eat or drink. This is also suffering. We can think of many examples.
Would it be wonderful if we do not need to suffer? We have everything we want and do not have things we do not want. Let us think about it more deeply. Can you imagine a world in which nobody has anything that he does not want; no discomfort, no taxes, no traffic jam, no touchy relatives and difficult bosses or workers and so on? Or, by contrast, where everybody has everything they wanted; they have perfect weather condition, perfect wives, perfect husbands, perfect health, perfect scores and perfect happiness and so on. I think the world would be a dreadful place in which to live if there is no suffering at all. The reason being, everything that corrects the tendency of man to feel overly important and over pleased with himself will disappear. He will take everything for granted.
Our concept about God determines how we view suffering
Suffering becomes a problem to us if we have already believed three things about God:
1. We must believe in one God. There is no problem if there are many gods. Some gods may be good and some bad. Obviously suffering comes from a bad god.
2. We must believe in an almighty God. If God is not almighty but is as helpless as we are, then He is not able to stop suffering even if He wants to. So, we can expect some sufferings in our life.
3. We must believe that God is love. If God is hate then there is no problem. If I love people it is obvious that I will not hurt them or want to see them suffer.
Relationship between love and suffering
There is an intimate relationship between love and suffering. Every perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). God is love (1 John 4:8), but with the gift of love also comes with the gift of suffering. These two gifts are inseparable. If we do not ever want to suffer we must be very careful never to love - anything or anybody. Can you imagine a life without love? We simply cannot avoid suffering without avoiding love also. For example if I do not love my children I will not suffer if they are sick. I will also not suffer if they misbehave or fail to follow sound advice.
The seemingly contradiction between suffering and love can only be understood via the Cross of Calvary! God's love for you and I is demonstrated at the Cross. He loves much and suffered much for us. He allows Himself and His only begotten Son to suffer so that we might have life. The Cross saves the world and brings into harmony with suffering. It is only at the foot of the Cross that we can begin to harmonize this divine paradox between love and suffering. We will never understand suffeing unless we understand the love of God!
We are talking about two different levels on which things are to be understood. The Scripture seems to be in complete paradox because there are three different kingdoms - the visible kingdom of this world and the two invisible kingdoms (God's Kingdom and Satan's kingdom) on which the facts of this world are interpreted.
Take for examples the Beatitudes, those wonderful statements of paradox that Jesus gave to the multitudes when He preached to them on the mountain:
"Blessed are those who mourn (suffer), for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4, emphasis added).
"Blessed are those who are persecuted (suffered) for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10, emphasis added).
The apostle Paul understood perfectly well the meaning of suffering for righteousness sake:
"Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2 Timothy 2:8 - 10, NKJV, emphasis added).
The cause of suffering
There are three views regarding the cause of suffering - two non-Biblical views and the Biblical view:
Non-Biblical views
1. Some philosophers and thinkers believe suffering is due to the imperfection of the world in which we live. Put it simply, when God made the world He did a bad job. If He had made the world properly there would not be any earthquake; no volcano, no hurricane, no pollution, no tropical storm and so on. This view must be rejected. Genesis 1:31 says, "Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. ...".
2. Some believe suffering is due to the ignorance of men. This view must also be rejected. Knowledge can only relief suffering but not eradicate it.
The Biblical view
The Biblical position of suffering points to a single cause. All suffering is due to sin. But there is no simple answer. We must not jump into conclusion that when a person suffers he must have sinned. The suffering of Job is a good example. There are many saintly and godly persons suffered terribly and experienced premature death. On the other hand some wicked people died peacefully in their old age.
Therefore we cannot equate suffering with sin in the individual lives. But, taking the whole sufferings of the whole world and the whole human race the Bible says that suffering is due to one single cause - SIN!
Sources of sin which cause suffering
In my opinion there are three sources of sin which cause sufferings to human beings:
1. Sufferings caused by the sin of an individual
Undoubtedly there are cases of suffering which are due to an individual's own sin. A man who drinks and smoke heavily and habitually, knows the result of what he has done. He might have cancer of the lung or liver later in life. The Bible says, "Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Gal. 6:7). Young people cannot sow their "wild oats" and get away with it later in life.
2. Sufferings caused by the sins of other people
Wars, aggressions, acts of terrorism, violence and cruelty are examples of suffering caused by the sins of other people. But we cannot say wars are bad and unnecessary. Sometimes more suffering arises if a was has not been fought. The fact remains if I sin I cause others to suffer. If one nation sins other nation or nations will suffer.
A question arises why does God allow me to suffer because of someone else's sin? A Biblical answer is that God created us so that we can relate to one another. We can help and care for one another. We can love and also hate one another. We are not created to live individual lives in isolation. There is no such thing as private Christianity!
Paul said, "There should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it" (1 Cor. 12:15, 26, NKJV).
3. Sufferings caused by Satan's sin
Sufferings due to natural disasters, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and the like, are caused by Satan's sin.
From the Book of Job we learn that Satan cannot cause suffering or harm to people unless God allowed him. Jesus Himself acknowledged the fact that a woman with a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years was the work of Satan.
Jesus answered the ruler of the synagogue, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound - think of it - for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath" (Luke 13:15, 16, emphasis added)?
Why did God allowed this woman to suffer under Satan? Why does God allow sufferings as a result of Satan's sin? This remains a mystery to me and perhaps to you also! I believe we may never know until we get to glory. The right attitude should be - I do not know but I know God has His reason.
Conclusion
So we see we can never avoid suffering and suffering remains a mystery. We take comfort that even in the midst of suffering we know God is with us as He was with His Son when He suffered for our sin! Joy is not the absence of suffering but in the presence of God!
David the psalmist said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).
The apostle Paul knew exactly the meaning of suffering because he was called by God to suffer for His name sake (Acts 9:16). He had more than his fair share of sufferings during his missionary journeys.
He said, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18, NKJV).
The mystery of God is what God "kept secret since the world began" (Romans 16:12). Examples of the mystery of God include, resurrection of believers (1 Cor. 15:51), the gospel (Eph. 6:19), godiness (1 Tim. 3:16) and "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Col. 1:27).
When Bible teachers or theologians talk about suffering they are likely to confine to physical suffering. But the type of suffering that human beings encounter everyday in their lives on earth covers a much wider field - physical, mental and spiritual. This message, like most of my messages posted so far, are the product of my Bible research work. I find myself most inadequate to present a good message on suffering because of my lack of personal experience on personal sufferings and also the lack of exposure to the sufferings of other people. Fortunately the Bible has much to say about sufferings.
Soloman said, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings to search out a matter" (Proverbs 25:2, NKJV).
As believers are "made kings and priests to our God" (Rev. 5:10), and therefore it is our glory to search out the mystery of God.
The most general definition of human suffering
We cannot talk about human suffering unless we can define what human suffering involves. And we cannot talk about suffering as a Christian unless we understand human suffering in general. I think the following general definition of human suffering will cover all forms of suffering from the smallest to the greatest. Here it is:
"Suffering is having what you do not want or wanting what you do not have".
You do not want sickness and poverty, but you are having them. This is suffering! You are hungry and thirsty but you have nothing to eat or drink. This is also suffering. We can think of many examples.
Would it be wonderful if we do not need to suffer? We have everything we want and do not have things we do not want. Let us think about it more deeply. Can you imagine a world in which nobody has anything that he does not want; no discomfort, no taxes, no traffic jam, no touchy relatives and difficult bosses or workers and so on? Or, by contrast, where everybody has everything they wanted; they have perfect weather condition, perfect wives, perfect husbands, perfect health, perfect scores and perfect happiness and so on. I think the world would be a dreadful place in which to live if there is no suffering at all. The reason being, everything that corrects the tendency of man to feel overly important and over pleased with himself will disappear. He will take everything for granted.
Our concept about God determines how we view suffering
Suffering becomes a problem to us if we have already believed three things about God:
1. We must believe in one God. There is no problem if there are many gods. Some gods may be good and some bad. Obviously suffering comes from a bad god.
2. We must believe in an almighty God. If God is not almighty but is as helpless as we are, then He is not able to stop suffering even if He wants to. So, we can expect some sufferings in our life.
3. We must believe that God is love. If God is hate then there is no problem. If I love people it is obvious that I will not hurt them or want to see them suffer.
Relationship between love and suffering
There is an intimate relationship between love and suffering. Every perfect gift comes from God (James 1:17). God is love (1 John 4:8), but with the gift of love also comes with the gift of suffering. These two gifts are inseparable. If we do not ever want to suffer we must be very careful never to love - anything or anybody. Can you imagine a life without love? We simply cannot avoid suffering without avoiding love also. For example if I do not love my children I will not suffer if they are sick. I will also not suffer if they misbehave or fail to follow sound advice.
The seemingly contradiction between suffering and love can only be understood via the Cross of Calvary! God's love for you and I is demonstrated at the Cross. He loves much and suffered much for us. He allows Himself and His only begotten Son to suffer so that we might have life. The Cross saves the world and brings into harmony with suffering. It is only at the foot of the Cross that we can begin to harmonize this divine paradox between love and suffering. We will never understand suffeing unless we understand the love of God!
We are talking about two different levels on which things are to be understood. The Scripture seems to be in complete paradox because there are three different kingdoms - the visible kingdom of this world and the two invisible kingdoms (God's Kingdom and Satan's kingdom) on which the facts of this world are interpreted.
Take for examples the Beatitudes, those wonderful statements of paradox that Jesus gave to the multitudes when He preached to them on the mountain:
"Blessed are those who mourn (suffer), for they shall be comforted" (Matthew 5:4, emphasis added).
"Blessed are those who are persecuted (suffered) for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:10, emphasis added).
The apostle Paul understood perfectly well the meaning of suffering for righteousness sake:
"Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory" (2 Timothy 2:8 - 10, NKJV, emphasis added).
The cause of suffering
There are three views regarding the cause of suffering - two non-Biblical views and the Biblical view:
Non-Biblical views
1. Some philosophers and thinkers believe suffering is due to the imperfection of the world in which we live. Put it simply, when God made the world He did a bad job. If He had made the world properly there would not be any earthquake; no volcano, no hurricane, no pollution, no tropical storm and so on. This view must be rejected. Genesis 1:31 says, "Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. ...".
2. Some believe suffering is due to the ignorance of men. This view must also be rejected. Knowledge can only relief suffering but not eradicate it.
The Biblical view
The Biblical position of suffering points to a single cause. All suffering is due to sin. But there is no simple answer. We must not jump into conclusion that when a person suffers he must have sinned. The suffering of Job is a good example. There are many saintly and godly persons suffered terribly and experienced premature death. On the other hand some wicked people died peacefully in their old age.
Therefore we cannot equate suffering with sin in the individual lives. But, taking the whole sufferings of the whole world and the whole human race the Bible says that suffering is due to one single cause - SIN!
Sources of sin which cause suffering
In my opinion there are three sources of sin which cause sufferings to human beings:
1. Sufferings caused by the sin of an individual
Undoubtedly there are cases of suffering which are due to an individual's own sin. A man who drinks and smoke heavily and habitually, knows the result of what he has done. He might have cancer of the lung or liver later in life. The Bible says, "Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (Gal. 6:7). Young people cannot sow their "wild oats" and get away with it later in life.
2. Sufferings caused by the sins of other people
Wars, aggressions, acts of terrorism, violence and cruelty are examples of suffering caused by the sins of other people. But we cannot say wars are bad and unnecessary. Sometimes more suffering arises if a was has not been fought. The fact remains if I sin I cause others to suffer. If one nation sins other nation or nations will suffer.
A question arises why does God allow me to suffer because of someone else's sin? A Biblical answer is that God created us so that we can relate to one another. We can help and care for one another. We can love and also hate one another. We are not created to live individual lives in isolation. There is no such thing as private Christianity!
Paul said, "There should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it" (1 Cor. 12:15, 26, NKJV).
3. Sufferings caused by Satan's sin
Sufferings due to natural disasters, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and the like, are caused by Satan's sin.
From the Book of Job we learn that Satan cannot cause suffering or harm to people unless God allowed him. Jesus Himself acknowledged the fact that a woman with a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years was the work of Satan.
Jesus answered the ruler of the synagogue, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it? So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound - think of it - for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath" (Luke 13:15, 16, emphasis added)?
Why did God allowed this woman to suffer under Satan? Why does God allow sufferings as a result of Satan's sin? This remains a mystery to me and perhaps to you also! I believe we may never know until we get to glory. The right attitude should be - I do not know but I know God has His reason.
Conclusion
So we see we can never avoid suffering and suffering remains a mystery. We take comfort that even in the midst of suffering we know God is with us as He was with His Son when He suffered for our sin! Joy is not the absence of suffering but in the presence of God!
David the psalmist said, "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me; Your rod and Your staff they comfort me" (Psalm 23:4).
The apostle Paul knew exactly the meaning of suffering because he was called by God to suffer for His name sake (Acts 9:16). He had more than his fair share of sufferings during his missionary journeys.
He said, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us" (Romans 8:18, NKJV).
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)