In his now infamous prophesy which he claimed was "from Jesus Christ," Kenneth Copeland said that Jesus promised that new and dramatic angelic manifestations were going to increase in the church and that many "will have visitations from the Spirit realm." In this prophesy, Jesus also denied His own deity: "Don't be disturbed when people accuse you of thinking you are God...They crucified me for claiming that I was God. But I didn't claim I was God; I just claimed I walked with Him and that He was in me. Hallelujah. That's what you are doing."
Copeland attempted to avoid the implications of his prophesy by later claiming that Jesus only meant to say He never claimed to be God while on earth. But first, this is not what "Jesus" said in the "prophesy"; second, it is also incorrect since the Gospels are full of the claims of Jesus that He was God while on earth (John 5:18, 23; 8:58; 10:30; 14:9; 15:26; 20:28, 29, etc.).
Copeland has refused correction or even correspondence on the subject of the nature of Christ and has reaffirmed his position, standing by his alleged revelation and his interpretation of it. Thus, he teaches that Jesus did not come to earth as God, but as a perfect human being with the limitations this implies. Therefore, Jesus never believed Himself to be God while on earth.
Although Copeland has also taught that Jesus "was and is God manifested in the flesh," he has contradicted himself when he implies Jesus gave up His deity and came to earth only as a man. Essentially, Jesus was a man with tremendous human potential who, after the resurrection, resumed His divine nature. On earth, He had no innate powers until He was anointed by the Holy Spirit. Thus, He is our example showing that we too can do the things He did by relying upon the Holy Spirit. After all, Jesus was a reborn man; therefore, all Christians who are "reborn" should be able to do the same things He did. Copeland teaches that Christians must realize that they are not spiritual schizophrenics or half-God/half-Satan, but "you are all God."
In other words, with proper "faith" teaching and training, any Christian has the power to become a Jesus. Thus, "You have the power of God at your disposal. By getting the word deep into your spirit and speaking boldly out of your mouth, you release spiritual power to change things in the natural circumstances of your life. Jesus possessed authority in the earth, and He exercised that authority by the use of words." Copeland also teaches Jesus was made obedient to Satan, took the devil's nature, was tormented by demons, and was the first man to be born again -- in hell. Thus, imagine:
having to make yourself obedient to Satan...and to take on his nature. He allowed the devil to drag Him into the depths of hell...He allowed Himself to become under Satan's control...For three days...every demon in hell...tortured Him beyond anything that anybody has ever conceived...[but] the voice of God spoke to the death-whipped, broken, punished spirit of Jesus that was suffering in the bowels of the earth...and changed the spirit of Jesus with resurrection power! [Therefore] ... Jesus was born again...a born again man had defeated Satan, hell, and death...
Gloria Copeland reflects the teaching of her husband when she says: "After Jesus was made sin, He had to be born again...[Therefore] Jesus is a born-again man. This is the same new birth that the Good News of the gospel still offers to any man who will accept it."
What's wrong here? What's wrong is that Kenneth Copeland and his wife don't know the Bible. Kenneth, at least, confesses as much. In his Sunday, July 12, 1992, sermon he conceded: "I don't know all that much anyway. All I know is what I've learned and that's all I'm preaching...I'm not 100 percent right. Dear Lord, I don't know what the percentage is, but I expect it's probably pretty heavy on the wrong side...there are certain things I am wrong about just simply because I don't know any better."
If Kenneth Copeland confesses this state of affairs perhaps his followers should take him at his word -- and perhaps Kenneth should spend more time studying the Bible. Then he won't have to worry about being wrong most of the time "simply because" he doesn't "know any better."
(from The Facts on the Faith Movement by John Ankerbeg & John Weldon)
Friday, October 31, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Benny Hinn's False Teachings
The Holy Spirit apparently speaks verbally to Benny Hinn on a daily basis. For example, almost as in the role of the Roman Catholic Mary, the Holy Spirit told him, "I am here to help you in your prayers to the Father. And I am here to help you pray to the Son." Hinn claims that he derived his many supernatural experiences and new teachings by personal, verbal conversations with the Holy Spirit Himself: In other words, that the Holy Spirit personally revealed His theology to him over the years. But ask yourself the following question: Would the Holy Spirit reveal the following teachings? Or has Hinn been listening more to the visions of his own mind.
Benny Hinn teaches that every non-Christian is demon possessed; that the Holy Spirit has a body and has more sympathy than other members of the Godhead; and that Jesus "would have sinned" apart from the Holy Spirit.
He also believes that each person of the Godhead has His own spirit, soul, and spirit body. In other words, each person of the Godhead is a triune being by Himself so that collectively "there's nine of them." Jesus Christ further died spiritually, became the nature of Satan, and was born again in hell.
Christians are "little Messiahs" and "little gods" on the earth. Thus, "[Encouraging the audience] ... say, 'I am a God-man...This spirit-man within me is a God-man...' Say 'I am born of heaven -- a God-man. I'm a God man. I am a sample of Jesus. I'm a super being.' Say it! Say it! Who's a super being? 'I walk in the realm of the supernatural.' Say it!...You want to prosper? Money will be falling on you from left right and center. God will begin to prosper you, for money always follows righteousness...say after me, 'everything I ever want is in me already.'"
Hinn teaches that Christians confessing they are "a sinner saved by grace" only insult God with such "garbage."
According to his November 6, 1990 TBN sermon and other lectures, Hinn teaches that poverty is from the devil and that God wants all Christians prosperous; that "confession activates Heaven" and "confession releases the spirit world." He claimed the Holy Spirit told him that if witches and occultists can speak death by the supernatural power of words, then Christians can speak life and prosperity by the same power. God further taught him to "blow" on people for the anointing or reception of the Holy Spirit. Hinn also claims: "your spirit-man doesn't have God, your spirit-man is a part, if I may say it, is a part of Him." Thus, Hinn believes that inside the Christian is a new being "that is divine and God-like in every way!" Jesus supposedly told him "I loved you enough to become one of ya! And I love you enough to make you one of me."
Finally, Hinn teaches that supernatural visions should be common to Christians; that Jesus temporarily lost His divinity after the crucifixion; and that using such words as, "if it be Thy will," are destroyers of true faith.
Christianity Today (October 28, 1991) reported that Hinn claimed to have abandoned the Faith teachings and he publicly apologized for his errors. But a year later a new report in Christianity Today (October 5, 1992) observed that evangelical apologetics ministries "have noticed a pattern of Hinn telling people behind the scenes that he has changed, but then going on as before." One theologian who participated in the original Christianity Today interview noted that Hinn was prone to "extremism and exaggeration" and that his biblical exegesis was "frequently unsound and unbiblical."
In his book Christianity in Crisis Hank Hanegraaff, President of the Christian Research Institute, argues that Hinn's teachings can be conclusively shown to be heretical. Further, Budd Press of Watchman Fellowship, who has hundreds of pages of documentation on Hinn, told us the following on October 26, 1992: "Despite what Hinn claims, my research shows that Benny Hinn has established a track record of clearly documented false teachings, false prophecies, equivocation, and attacks on those who criticize his ministry." According to his taped series "Our Position in Christ," Hinn even claimed that he is not just a part of Jesus but because he is united with Christ, "I am Him. The word has become flesh in me." This is one example of how a Biblical doctrine can be misinterpreted through Hinn's careless use of words.
(From the Facts on the Faith Movement by John Ankerberg & John Weldon)
Benny Hinn teaches that every non-Christian is demon possessed; that the Holy Spirit has a body and has more sympathy than other members of the Godhead; and that Jesus "would have sinned" apart from the Holy Spirit.
He also believes that each person of the Godhead has His own spirit, soul, and spirit body. In other words, each person of the Godhead is a triune being by Himself so that collectively "there's nine of them." Jesus Christ further died spiritually, became the nature of Satan, and was born again in hell.
Christians are "little Messiahs" and "little gods" on the earth. Thus, "[Encouraging the audience] ... say, 'I am a God-man...This spirit-man within me is a God-man...' Say 'I am born of heaven -- a God-man. I'm a God man. I am a sample of Jesus. I'm a super being.' Say it! Say it! Who's a super being? 'I walk in the realm of the supernatural.' Say it!...You want to prosper? Money will be falling on you from left right and center. God will begin to prosper you, for money always follows righteousness...say after me, 'everything I ever want is in me already.'"
Hinn teaches that Christians confessing they are "a sinner saved by grace" only insult God with such "garbage."
According to his November 6, 1990 TBN sermon and other lectures, Hinn teaches that poverty is from the devil and that God wants all Christians prosperous; that "confession activates Heaven" and "confession releases the spirit world." He claimed the Holy Spirit told him that if witches and occultists can speak death by the supernatural power of words, then Christians can speak life and prosperity by the same power. God further taught him to "blow" on people for the anointing or reception of the Holy Spirit. Hinn also claims: "your spirit-man doesn't have God, your spirit-man is a part, if I may say it, is a part of Him." Thus, Hinn believes that inside the Christian is a new being "that is divine and God-like in every way!" Jesus supposedly told him "I loved you enough to become one of ya! And I love you enough to make you one of me."
Finally, Hinn teaches that supernatural visions should be common to Christians; that Jesus temporarily lost His divinity after the crucifixion; and that using such words as, "if it be Thy will," are destroyers of true faith.
Christianity Today (October 28, 1991) reported that Hinn claimed to have abandoned the Faith teachings and he publicly apologized for his errors. But a year later a new report in Christianity Today (October 5, 1992) observed that evangelical apologetics ministries "have noticed a pattern of Hinn telling people behind the scenes that he has changed, but then going on as before." One theologian who participated in the original Christianity Today interview noted that Hinn was prone to "extremism and exaggeration" and that his biblical exegesis was "frequently unsound and unbiblical."
In his book Christianity in Crisis Hank Hanegraaff, President of the Christian Research Institute, argues that Hinn's teachings can be conclusively shown to be heretical. Further, Budd Press of Watchman Fellowship, who has hundreds of pages of documentation on Hinn, told us the following on October 26, 1992: "Despite what Hinn claims, my research shows that Benny Hinn has established a track record of clearly documented false teachings, false prophecies, equivocation, and attacks on those who criticize his ministry." According to his taped series "Our Position in Christ," Hinn even claimed that he is not just a part of Jesus but because he is united with Christ, "I am Him. The word has become flesh in me." This is one example of how a Biblical doctrine can be misinterpreted through Hinn's careless use of words.
(From the Facts on the Faith Movement by John Ankerberg & John Weldon)
Friday, October 24, 2008
Steps To Peace With God
God loves you, and He wants you to live in peace with Him and to receive eternal life. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"...the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
Our Problem: Sin and Separation
God did not make us robots to mindlessly love and obey Him. Instead He gave us a will and freedom of choice. But, like Adam, we often choose to disobey God and go our own selfish way (read Genesis 2-3). This side of our nature is called sin and it separates us from God.
The Bible says "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...the wages of sin is death." (Romans 3:23; 6:23) The Bible also says "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2)
God's Remedy: The Cross
Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem of separation from God. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to pay the penalty for our sin -- completely bridging the gap between us and God.
The Bible says "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The Bible also says "I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word [Jesus] and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)
GOD HAS PROVIDED THE ONLY WAY ... AND WE MUST MAKE THE CHOICE
Our Response is to Receive Christ
We can receive Jesus Christ when we believe in His message and trust in Him alone to save us.
The Bible says "All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him [Jesus Christ] receives forgiveness of sins through His name." (Acts 10:43)
"[Jesus said] Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me." (John 14:1)
The Bible also says "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12)
How to Receive Christ:
"...the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23)
Our Problem: Sin and Separation
God did not make us robots to mindlessly love and obey Him. Instead He gave us a will and freedom of choice. But, like Adam, we often choose to disobey God and go our own selfish way (read Genesis 2-3). This side of our nature is called sin and it separates us from God.
The Bible says "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...the wages of sin is death." (Romans 3:23; 6:23) The Bible also says "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear." (Isaiah 59:2)
God's Remedy: The Cross
Jesus Christ is the only answer to this problem of separation from God. He died on the cross and rose from the grave to pay the penalty for our sin -- completely bridging the gap between us and God.
The Bible says "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
"Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)
The Bible also says "I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word [Jesus] and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)
GOD HAS PROVIDED THE ONLY WAY ... AND WE MUST MAKE THE CHOICE
Our Response is to Receive Christ
We can receive Jesus Christ when we believe in His message and trust in Him alone to save us.
The Bible says "All the prophets testify about Him that everyone who believes in Him [Jesus Christ] receives forgiveness of sins through His name." (Acts 10:43)
"[Jesus said] Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in Me." (John 14:1)
The Bible also says "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God, even to those who believe in His name." (John 1:12)
How to Receive Christ:
- Admit your need (I am a sinner).
- Be willing to turn from your sins (repent).
- Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
- Through prayer, invite Jesus Christ to come in and control your life through the Holy Spirit (Receive Him as your Saviour).
What to Pray:
Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am sinful and I need your forgiveness. I believe that you died to pay the penalty for my sin. I want to turn from my sin nature and follow You instead. I invite you to come into my heart and life. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
God's Assurance from His Word:
If you sincerely prayed this prayer and asked Jesus Christ to come into your life, do you know what He has given you?
The Bible says "Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved." (Romans 10:13)
"Neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 8:39)
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:1)
"He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.." (1 John 5:12-13)
Your New Life:
When you receive Christ, you are born into God's family through the supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, who indwells every believer...this is called regeneration or "new birth." God bless you as you begin your wonderful new life in Christ.
By Billy Graham
If you want further help in the decision you have made or if you have more questions about the Christian faith, please contact e-mail us or visit http://www.emmanuelbarrie.org/.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
The Lesson of Enduring Strength
Finally, I believe God allows trials and sufferings to develop in us enduring strength for greater usefulness. The Puritan Thomas Manton once said, "While all things are quiet and comfortable, we live by sense rather than by faith. But the worth of a soldier is never known in times of peace." The truth of that statement has been borne out many times throughout the history of military conflict, including America's experience with high-tech equipment during the Persian Gulf war.
As the United States built up its forces in the gulf region in late 1990 to meet the challenge of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, questions arose as to how various sophisticated missiles would perform in actual combat situations. These weapons had been experimentally tested only during the previous decade, but the United States had not been involved in a major war (Vietnam) in nearly twenty years. However, much to the relief and satisfaction of military and civilian leaders, the Patriot and Cruise missiles performed brilliantly during the two-month Gulf conflict. Those weapons could not be tested to their full worth under training conditions. The pressure of real battlefield conditions and genuine enemy opposition is what proved the missiles' reliability and effectiveness.
Conversely, intense warfare situations also reveal defects in equipment or shortcomings in how troops perform. Based on these observations, improvements can be made. Likewise, the Christian life is a constant warfare (John 17:9-19; Eph. 6:10-18). God places us in difficult life situations to refine us and help us grow (see John 15:1-2). As we move from one trial to another, our spiritual muscles are exercised, strengthened, and become more useful. This whole process builds our spiritual endurance, which makes us all the more effective in future ministry. Remember what the Apostle James teaches us:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (1:2-4).
The Lord sends trials and sufferings into the Christian's life for various reasons and purposes. Everything from strengthening our faith to reminding us of our heavenly hope to developing enduring strength for greater usefulness may be involved -- and God sometimes uses more than one of these purposes at the same time. God is sovereign and He uses all these worthwhile purposes within the scope of His larger plan for us.
The Lessons From Suffering
As the United States built up its forces in the gulf region in late 1990 to meet the challenge of the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait, questions arose as to how various sophisticated missiles would perform in actual combat situations. These weapons had been experimentally tested only during the previous decade, but the United States had not been involved in a major war (Vietnam) in nearly twenty years. However, much to the relief and satisfaction of military and civilian leaders, the Patriot and Cruise missiles performed brilliantly during the two-month Gulf conflict. Those weapons could not be tested to their full worth under training conditions. The pressure of real battlefield conditions and genuine enemy opposition is what proved the missiles' reliability and effectiveness.
Conversely, intense warfare situations also reveal defects in equipment or shortcomings in how troops perform. Based on these observations, improvements can be made. Likewise, the Christian life is a constant warfare (John 17:9-19; Eph. 6:10-18). God places us in difficult life situations to refine us and help us grow (see John 15:1-2). As we move from one trial to another, our spiritual muscles are exercised, strengthened, and become more useful. This whole process builds our spiritual endurance, which makes us all the more effective in future ministry. Remember what the Apostle James teaches us:
Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (1:2-4).
The Lord sends trials and sufferings into the Christian's life for various reasons and purposes. Everything from strengthening our faith to reminding us of our heavenly hope to developing enduring strength for greater usefulness may be involved -- and God sometimes uses more than one of these purposes at the same time. God is sovereign and He uses all these worthwhile purposes within the scope of His larger plan for us.
The Lessons From Suffering
- Suffering produces fresh joy.
- Confidence in our protected inheritance.
- Confidence in a proven faith.
- Suffering enhances future glory.
- Suffering produces true comfort.
- Suffering yields greater wisdom.
- Suffering yields true humility.
Biblical Examples of "Faith in the Fire"
- Stephen the first Christian martyr.
- Daniel and his three friends.
- Paul: A Profile in Suffering.
- Jesus the Sinless Sufferer.
Attitude Check: Dealing "Well" with Suffering
- Do not be surprised by suffering.
- Rejoice in suffering.
- Understand the purpose of suffering.
- Trust God in suffering.
(for more information read The Power of Suffering by John MacArthur Jr.)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
The Lesson of God's Blessings and Empathy With Others
There is another purpose in trials and sufferings that is very helpful: they teach us to value the blessing of God. Trials teach Christians that obedience at all costs, even in the middle of a difficult trial, leads to the blessings of God. Reason says grab what you can grab in the world and go. Sensation and feeling say find pleasure at any price. But faith says obey the word of God and be blessed. (see Hebrews 5:7-9)
Philippians 2:8-9 affirms this truth about Jesus in another way: "And being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name."
Because Jesus was fully man as well as fully God, He was not exempt from pain and hardship while on earth. He was called to be the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53). Jesus learned the full meaning of obedience by that which he suffered, including death on the cross (see again Hebrews 5:8), and because of that obedience was exalted by God. The path to blessing is often through suffering, but always through obedience.
The Lesson of Empathy with Others
One thing all people can appreciate is the ability of others to identify with and understand their particular life situation, problem, unusual experience, or suffering. Whether it's spending time in the hospital and having the doctors and nurses understand the pain you're having, or dealing with the death or disaster and having a sensitive friend know just what you're feeling as you battle through the problem, it is reassuring when others can emphathize with you. And that is another valuable purpose for suffering: to enable us to help others in their suffering.
In the opening verses of his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul says that God "comforts us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (1:4). Sometimes God's reason for allowing trials and sufferings to come our way is so we may be able to minister better later on to others who are suffering.
Again the writer of Hebrews tells us how Jesus exemplifies one of the purposes for suffering. Through His own testings and sufferings as the perfect man, Jesus as our High Priest is able to sympathize with our weaknesses and sufferings (2:18; 4:15). He revealed His empathy to Peter during the Last Supper: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:31-32).
(The Power of Suffering, John MacArthur Jr.)
Philippians 2:8-9 affirms this truth about Jesus in another way: "And being found in the appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name."
Because Jesus was fully man as well as fully God, He was not exempt from pain and hardship while on earth. He was called to be the Suffering Servant (Isa. 53). Jesus learned the full meaning of obedience by that which he suffered, including death on the cross (see again Hebrews 5:8), and because of that obedience was exalted by God. The path to blessing is often through suffering, but always through obedience.
The Lesson of Empathy with Others
One thing all people can appreciate is the ability of others to identify with and understand their particular life situation, problem, unusual experience, or suffering. Whether it's spending time in the hospital and having the doctors and nurses understand the pain you're having, or dealing with the death or disaster and having a sensitive friend know just what you're feeling as you battle through the problem, it is reassuring when others can emphathize with you. And that is another valuable purpose for suffering: to enable us to help others in their suffering.
In the opening verses of his second letter to the Corinthians, Paul says that God "comforts us in all our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" (1:4). Sometimes God's reason for allowing trials and sufferings to come our way is so we may be able to minister better later on to others who are suffering.
Again the writer of Hebrews tells us how Jesus exemplifies one of the purposes for suffering. Through His own testings and sufferings as the perfect man, Jesus as our High Priest is able to sympathize with our weaknesses and sufferings (2:18; 4:15). He revealed His empathy to Peter during the Last Supper: "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat; but I have prayed for you, that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers" (Luke 22:31-32).
(The Power of Suffering, John MacArthur Jr.)
Friday, October 17, 2008
The Lesson of Eternal Hope and First Love
A fourth purpose that the Lord has in sending trails is to call us to a greater realization of our eternal hope. To state it more simply, trials make us long for heaven. Consider the death of a loved one who was a believer. If that most precious of persons (spouse, child, some other relative or close friend) is called to heaven, and you are open and accepting of God's sovereignty, you will invariably focus your heart and mind on eternal things. You will quickly develop a disengaged, disinterested relationship with this passing world. Romans 8:18-24 beautifully supports this thought:
For I consider that sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God...the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved.
The Apostle Paul lends further support to this premise in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, where he draws upon his own experiences and summarizes the results of his trials:
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day...while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal.
In 2 Corinthians 5:1-8, Paul adds:
We know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; in as much as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked...being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord -- for we walk by faith not by sight -- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
Even apart from the context of trials and sufferings, Paul exhorts us to set our mind "on the things above" (Colossians 3:1-2).
The Lesson of First Love
God also uses trials and sufferings for the very important purpose of showing us what we really love. That was part of the Lord's test for Abraham at Moriah. The big question Abraham had to answer was Do you love your son Isaac more than God or do you love God more than Isaac? In that situation the answer was crucial because God was prepared to remove Isaac from Abraham if that would have given God first place in Abraham's life:
The Lord also tests us to show us the object of our first love (Deut. 13:3; see also 6:5; Matt. 22:36-37). Jesus brings this matter of first love into sharp focus: "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26).
That is an extremely harsh statement if you take it at face value. But Jesus is not saying you should hate everyone including yourself; He is saying believers must love God and Christ so much that, by comparison, they will seem to hate themselves and their families. If Christians are not willing to put even their closest self-interests far below Christ's interests, that reveals their lack of supreme love to God and that they are not worthy to be called Christ's disciples.
Therefore, if you want to be completely obedient to Christ, there will be times you need to push aside any and all appeals from family members that would keep you from giving first priority to Him. God might call upon you to make that most difficult of choices to test your loyalty. He wants you to pass the test even as Abraham did, and thereby prove that He is your first love.
(from The Power of Suffering, John MacArthur, Jr.)
For I consider that sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God...the redemption of our body. For in hope we have been saved.
The Apostle Paul lends further support to this premise in 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, where he draws upon his own experiences and summarizes the results of his trials:
Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day...while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things that are not seen; for the things that are seen are temporal, but the things that are not seen are eternal.
In 2 Corinthians 5:1-8, Paul adds:
We know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven; in as much as we, having put it on, shall not be found naked...being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord -- for we walk by faith not by sight -- we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.
Even apart from the context of trials and sufferings, Paul exhorts us to set our mind "on the things above" (Colossians 3:1-2).
The Lesson of First Love
God also uses trials and sufferings for the very important purpose of showing us what we really love. That was part of the Lord's test for Abraham at Moriah. The big question Abraham had to answer was Do you love your son Isaac more than God or do you love God more than Isaac? In that situation the answer was crucial because God was prepared to remove Isaac from Abraham if that would have given God first place in Abraham's life:
The Lord also tests us to show us the object of our first love (Deut. 13:3; see also 6:5; Matt. 22:36-37). Jesus brings this matter of first love into sharp focus: "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple" (Luke 14:26).
That is an extremely harsh statement if you take it at face value. But Jesus is not saying you should hate everyone including yourself; He is saying believers must love God and Christ so much that, by comparison, they will seem to hate themselves and their families. If Christians are not willing to put even their closest self-interests far below Christ's interests, that reveals their lack of supreme love to God and that they are not worthy to be called Christ's disciples.
Therefore, if you want to be completely obedient to Christ, there will be times you need to push aside any and all appeals from family members that would keep you from giving first priority to Him. God might call upon you to make that most difficult of choices to test your loyalty. He wants you to pass the test even as Abraham did, and thereby prove that He is your first love.
(from The Power of Suffering, John MacArthur, Jr.)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Lesson of Rejecting Materialism
In spite of the various economic fluctuations, downsizings, and lower expectations that have occurred in recent years, we still live in a very materialistic society. Believers in the United States and other industrialized societies have very high standards of living compared to the rest of the world. The familiar conveniences and comforts, not to mention new products and services, lull us into a sense of ease and convince us that we can't live without them. Our daily lives so readily revolve around possessions -- cars, computers, furniture, appliances, financial investments. We all are tempted to fall into the trap that Jesus warned against in Matthew 6:24, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [riches]." Material wealth prevented the rich young man from entering God's kingdom (Mark 10:17-22).
Because materialism can be such a stumbling block for believers, a serious reflection of these matters leads to a third reason for the Lord bringing us trials: to wean us away from worldly things. It has been my observation that most mature Christians, as the years pass by, will attribute less and less significance to the temporal things they've accumulated. At one time those things were the most desirable in life, but they gradually lose that status as the believer becomes aware that they cannot solve major problems or alleviate great anxieties.
When God does send certain trials or sufferings into our lives, they will confirm the inadequacy of material things to meet our deepest needs or to provide any true resources for our time of stress and pain. Through this process the Lord will reveal our need to be weaned away from worldly possessions and riches. Or He may even verify what many of us have already observed -- that worldly possessions and temporal experiences are less and less important to us as we become closer to Him.
Moses is a marvelous Scriptural example of one who accepted the need to be weaned off dependence on earthly props. Hebrews 11:24-26 contains a concise New Testament commentary on what happened to him. "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharoh's daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward."
Moses had been reared for forty years in Pharoh's household and educated as a prince of Egypt. He had risen to the top within the society of a leading super power of his day. Nevertheless, he took his eyes off his prestigious earthly position and became involved with the sufferings of his countrymen, the Israelites, who were oppressed as slaves. The Lord in effect made Israel's trial Moses' trial and weaned him off worldly things.
(from The Power of Suffering, John MacArthur Jr.)
Because materialism can be such a stumbling block for believers, a serious reflection of these matters leads to a third reason for the Lord bringing us trials: to wean us away from worldly things. It has been my observation that most mature Christians, as the years pass by, will attribute less and less significance to the temporal things they've accumulated. At one time those things were the most desirable in life, but they gradually lose that status as the believer becomes aware that they cannot solve major problems or alleviate great anxieties.
When God does send certain trials or sufferings into our lives, they will confirm the inadequacy of material things to meet our deepest needs or to provide any true resources for our time of stress and pain. Through this process the Lord will reveal our need to be weaned away from worldly possessions and riches. Or He may even verify what many of us have already observed -- that worldly possessions and temporal experiences are less and less important to us as we become closer to Him.
Moses is a marvelous Scriptural example of one who accepted the need to be weaned off dependence on earthly props. Hebrews 11:24-26 contains a concise New Testament commentary on what happened to him. "By faith Moses, when he had grown up, refused to be called the son of Pharoh's daughter; choosing rather to endure ill-treatment with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin; considering the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt; for he was looking to the reward."
Moses had been reared for forty years in Pharoh's household and educated as a prince of Egypt. He had risen to the top within the society of a leading super power of his day. Nevertheless, he took his eyes off his prestigious earthly position and became involved with the sufferings of his countrymen, the Israelites, who were oppressed as slaves. The Lord in effect made Israel's trial Moses' trial and weaned him off worldly things.
(from The Power of Suffering, John MacArthur Jr.)
Sunday, October 12, 2008
The Lesson of Humility
If you were to take a survey of what profession lacked the most humility, the people you talk to would most likely select athletes. Absurd player salaries, pervasive television coverage, and cutthroat business executives who operate teams as just one element of their larger profit-making enterprises, have supplanted the noble sportsmen who possessed integrity and the highest ideals of fairness, team spirit, and sacrifice. We can't imagine many of today's superstars reacting humbly or meekly to major adversity or a career-ending "bad break." Out of such a negative backdrop, let's briefly consider one positive example of humility from the past.
Lou Gerhig was one of the greatest players in baseball history. His career as a power-hitting first baseman with the New York Yankees ended just prior to World War II. His playing days were cut short in 1939 by the onset of a rare terminal disease of the nerves and muscles, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (popularly known now as "Lou Gerhig's Disease"). Gerhig handled himself well in the midst of suffering and personal disappointment. His exemplary behaviour culminated before a crowd of over 60,000 at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, "Lou Gerhig Day." There on the playing field in front of a clutter of microphones that beamed his voice to additional millions of radio listeners, Lou Gerhig concluded his remarks by saying, "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." What a statement to make in light of his circumstances! His health steadily declined from that day until his death two years later.
As far as we know, Lou Gerhig was not a believer. Should not a believer whose life and eternity is controlled for good and glory by God react the same way if he were confronted with the same trial? We should if we realize that a second reason God sends trials is to humble us. He uses suffering to remind us not to think more confidently of our spiritual strengths than we should (Romans 12:3).
The wonderful testimony of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 provides one of the best Scripture illustrations of this principle: "There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me -- to keep me from exalting myself!" (v. 7) Paul was mindful of the supernatural revelations he had been privileged to see, hear, and experience as part of his ministry. He had seen the exalted Jesus on several occasions after His resurrection and was even received up into the third heaven. As a result, Paul easily could have thought more highly of himself than was wise or acceptable to God.
To preserve his humility, God literally struck Paul with a very painful chronic problem, "a messenger of Satan." That tells us that the "thorn in the flesh" was a person. "Messenger" is angelos in Greek, and is sometimes translated "angel." The word is used 188 times in the New Testament and always refers to a person. In 2 Corinthians 12 it likely referred to a demon-possessed man leading the assault on Paul at Corinth.
The precise nature of Paul's problem is not as important as the point God was making to him -- and us. When we are blessed in places of spiritual service, God sometimes deems it necessary to allow Satan's messengers to batter us to keep us humble. Such troubles remind us that we have no strength in ourselves and He is the One who enables us to minister. Divine power is released through such weakness. When we are without strength we have to rest in His. Thus Paul said: "He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
(from The Power of Suffering by John MacAthur, Jr.)
Lou Gerhig was one of the greatest players in baseball history. His career as a power-hitting first baseman with the New York Yankees ended just prior to World War II. His playing days were cut short in 1939 by the onset of a rare terminal disease of the nerves and muscles, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (popularly known now as "Lou Gerhig's Disease"). Gerhig handled himself well in the midst of suffering and personal disappointment. His exemplary behaviour culminated before a crowd of over 60,000 at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, "Lou Gerhig Day." There on the playing field in front of a clutter of microphones that beamed his voice to additional millions of radio listeners, Lou Gerhig concluded his remarks by saying, "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." What a statement to make in light of his circumstances! His health steadily declined from that day until his death two years later.
As far as we know, Lou Gerhig was not a believer. Should not a believer whose life and eternity is controlled for good and glory by God react the same way if he were confronted with the same trial? We should if we realize that a second reason God sends trials is to humble us. He uses suffering to remind us not to think more confidently of our spiritual strengths than we should (Romans 12:3).
The wonderful testimony of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 12 provides one of the best Scripture illustrations of this principle: "There was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to buffet me -- to keep me from exalting myself!" (v. 7) Paul was mindful of the supernatural revelations he had been privileged to see, hear, and experience as part of his ministry. He had seen the exalted Jesus on several occasions after His resurrection and was even received up into the third heaven. As a result, Paul easily could have thought more highly of himself than was wise or acceptable to God.
To preserve his humility, God literally struck Paul with a very painful chronic problem, "a messenger of Satan." That tells us that the "thorn in the flesh" was a person. "Messenger" is angelos in Greek, and is sometimes translated "angel." The word is used 188 times in the New Testament and always refers to a person. In 2 Corinthians 12 it likely referred to a demon-possessed man leading the assault on Paul at Corinth.
The precise nature of Paul's problem is not as important as the point God was making to him -- and us. When we are blessed in places of spiritual service, God sometimes deems it necessary to allow Satan's messengers to batter us to keep us humble. Such troubles remind us that we have no strength in ourselves and He is the One who enables us to minister. Divine power is released through such weakness. When we are without strength we have to rest in His. Thus Paul said: "He has said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.' Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
(from The Power of Suffering by John MacAthur, Jr.)
Friday, October 10, 2008
Lessons Learned From Suffering
Knowing that any suffering experienced by believers is part of God's overall sovereign plan provides its own comfort. However, as with any aspect of truth in the Christian life, intellectual knowledge is not an exact parallel to experiential knowledge. Until we know how we react in the midst of living out a certain truth, intellectual allegiance counts for nothing (James 1:25-27; 2:14-17). Testing the validity of what believers profess is one of the fundamental reasons God allows suffering (Job 23:10).
One sure way to test the genuineness of a diamond is by means of what jewelers call the water test. An imitation stone never shines as brilliantly as a real one, but the contrast is not always easy to detect just by ordinary viewing. Jewelers know that placing a genuine diamond and an imitation one side by side in water will reveal the differences. The real one continues to sparkle brilliantly under water, whereas the fake one loses practically all its sparkle.
As an analogy to this illustration, many people who are very confident in the genuineness of their faith find it lacking when they come under the waters of sorrow or adversity. The supposed diamond brilliance of their faith is then shown to be nothing but an imitation; however, put the true child of God under the water of a trial and he will shine as brilliantly as ever. G.K. Chesterton also used the metaphor of water to make the same point: "I believe in getting into hot water, I think it keeps you clean."
The Lesson of Faith
It seems clear then that the foremost reason God tests us through suffering is to test the strength of our faith. One of the classic case studies in Scripture that illustrates this is the account of Abraham's testing in Genesis 22. It was, in my estimation, the severest trial any human being ever faced.
The whole idea was absolutely inconceivable. It was a trial that made no sense -- not in terms of God's nature, His plan of redemption, His word, and His or Abraham's love for Isaac. In addition to these factors, this trial was perhaps the severest ever for a human being because God told Abraham himself to kill Isaac. It's one thing to watch a loved one die, it's something else to be told to kill that person.
Abraham revealed amazing faith in this situation. He obeyed God obediently, without question or argument (v. 3). In verses 5 and 8 he expressed the quiet confidence, first of all, that he and Isaac would return and, second, that God would provide a lamb for the burnt offering. Those acts suggest that deep down in his heart Abraham knew God's action was going to be consistent with his character and covenant. Abraham may not have known specifically what that was, but the passage indicates that he had a good idea. Abraham was prepared to plunge a knife into the chest of his own son. He was submissive, obedient, and willing to worship God at any cost. God accepted Abraham's willingness as evidence of his faith and clothed him with righteousness.
Such extraordinary obedience in the face of the severest of trials informs us that a believer today can endure the most difficult trials imaginable if he or she wholeheartedly trusts in God. Abraham's test also informs us that God's tests for us might involve people we hold very near and dear, such as sons, daughters, husbands, wives, or close friends. We may have to offer up our own Isaac -- give the ones we love most over to the Lord. We may need to let them go God's way, rather than holding on to them so they'll live the way we'd prefer.
We can conclude that the more difficult the obedience the more excellent it is. Abraham obeyed God in the extremity and as a result he became the model of faith. Thus anyone who has faith in God and is thereby justified is a child in the spiritual line of Abraham. If we trust God as Abraham did, we can be confident in any test or trial.
Second Chronicles 32:31 summarized Hezekiah's testings from the Lord by stating that the purpose was so "He might know what was in his heart." Surely God does not have to test any of us to find out what is in our hearts because he already knows. Rather, He tests us so that we might know what is in our hearts. In that sense He assists us in taking a spiritual inventory and self-examination. Whenever God brings us through a severe trial, it will reveal to us either the strength or weakness of our faith, and the faithfulness of God. If by grace we display a strong faith, that ought to encourage us that it's real and that it can become stronger as we continue to see the Lord through trials (see Job 42:1-6).
(from The Power of Suffering by John MacArthur, Jr.)
One sure way to test the genuineness of a diamond is by means of what jewelers call the water test. An imitation stone never shines as brilliantly as a real one, but the contrast is not always easy to detect just by ordinary viewing. Jewelers know that placing a genuine diamond and an imitation one side by side in water will reveal the differences. The real one continues to sparkle brilliantly under water, whereas the fake one loses practically all its sparkle.
As an analogy to this illustration, many people who are very confident in the genuineness of their faith find it lacking when they come under the waters of sorrow or adversity. The supposed diamond brilliance of their faith is then shown to be nothing but an imitation; however, put the true child of God under the water of a trial and he will shine as brilliantly as ever. G.K. Chesterton also used the metaphor of water to make the same point: "I believe in getting into hot water, I think it keeps you clean."
The Lesson of Faith
It seems clear then that the foremost reason God tests us through suffering is to test the strength of our faith. One of the classic case studies in Scripture that illustrates this is the account of Abraham's testing in Genesis 22. It was, in my estimation, the severest trial any human being ever faced.
The whole idea was absolutely inconceivable. It was a trial that made no sense -- not in terms of God's nature, His plan of redemption, His word, and His or Abraham's love for Isaac. In addition to these factors, this trial was perhaps the severest ever for a human being because God told Abraham himself to kill Isaac. It's one thing to watch a loved one die, it's something else to be told to kill that person.
Abraham revealed amazing faith in this situation. He obeyed God obediently, without question or argument (v. 3). In verses 5 and 8 he expressed the quiet confidence, first of all, that he and Isaac would return and, second, that God would provide a lamb for the burnt offering. Those acts suggest that deep down in his heart Abraham knew God's action was going to be consistent with his character and covenant. Abraham may not have known specifically what that was, but the passage indicates that he had a good idea. Abraham was prepared to plunge a knife into the chest of his own son. He was submissive, obedient, and willing to worship God at any cost. God accepted Abraham's willingness as evidence of his faith and clothed him with righteousness.
Such extraordinary obedience in the face of the severest of trials informs us that a believer today can endure the most difficult trials imaginable if he or she wholeheartedly trusts in God. Abraham's test also informs us that God's tests for us might involve people we hold very near and dear, such as sons, daughters, husbands, wives, or close friends. We may have to offer up our own Isaac -- give the ones we love most over to the Lord. We may need to let them go God's way, rather than holding on to them so they'll live the way we'd prefer.
We can conclude that the more difficult the obedience the more excellent it is. Abraham obeyed God in the extremity and as a result he became the model of faith. Thus anyone who has faith in God and is thereby justified is a child in the spiritual line of Abraham. If we trust God as Abraham did, we can be confident in any test or trial.
Second Chronicles 32:31 summarized Hezekiah's testings from the Lord by stating that the purpose was so "He might know what was in his heart." Surely God does not have to test any of us to find out what is in our hearts because he already knows. Rather, He tests us so that we might know what is in our hearts. In that sense He assists us in taking a spiritual inventory and self-examination. Whenever God brings us through a severe trial, it will reveal to us either the strength or weakness of our faith, and the faithfulness of God. If by grace we display a strong faith, that ought to encourage us that it's real and that it can become stronger as we continue to see the Lord through trials (see Job 42:1-6).
(from The Power of Suffering by John MacArthur, Jr.)
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Why Is Suffering Part of the Plan?
Suffering, primarily as a result of persecution, is something that true believers may expect to experience. Jesus predicted that there would be troubles in this life (John 16:33), and the apostles supported Him in this teaching (2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 4:12). Even if these statements are obediently and faithfully accepted as true – after all, they are in Scripture – the questions of why, how, and on what basis still arise in the minds of Christians.
Those basic questions, which all honest and searching believers are going to have – to one degree or another based on their level of maturity – can be answered under one all-encompassing reality. That reality is the sovereignty of God which, when rightly understood and properly embraced, serves as the foundational lens through which Christians may see all truths in Scripture more clearly. Knowing about God’s sovereignty in all things does not mean that we will have comprehensive understanding, but it gives us a proper hope in the midst of the more difficult and less clear aspects of His working in our lives (Genesis 18:25; Isaiah 55:9).
A complete study of the sovereignty of God is beyond our scope here, but a brief discussion will help put the origin and cause of suffering into context. A. W. Pink gives this concise comment: “To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God. “ He then expands on how God’s sovereignty is executed.
The sovereignty of the God of Scripture is absolute, irresistible, infinite. When we say God is sovereign, we affirm His right to govern the universe, which He has made for His own glory, just as He pleases. We affirm that His right is the right of the Potter over the clay, viz.: that He may mold that day into whatsoever form He chooses, fashioning out of the same lump one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour. We affirm that He is under no rule or law outside His own will and nature, that God is a law unto Himself and that He is under no obligation to give an account of His matters to any.
Sovereignty characterizes the whole Being of God. He is sovereign in all His attributes. He is sovereign in the exercise of His power. His power is exercised as He wills, when He wills, where He wills. This fact is evidenced on every page of Scripture. For a long season that power appears to be dormant and then it goes forth with irresistible might. Pharaoh dared to hinder Israel from going forth to worship Jehovah in the wilderness. What happened? God exercised His power. His people were delivered and their cruel taskmasters slain. But a little later, the Amalekites dared to attack these same Israelites in the wilderness, and what happened? Did God put forth His power on this occasion and display His hand as He did at the Red Sea? Were these enemies of His people promptly overthrown and destroyed? No, on the contrary, the Lord swore that He would “have war with Amalek from generation to generation (Exodus 17:16). Again, when Israel entered the land of Canaan, God’s power was displayed. The city of Jericho barred their progress. What happened? Israel did not draw a bow or strike a blow. The Lord stretched forth His hand and the walls fell down flat. But the miracle was never repeated! No other city fell after this manner. Every other city had to be captured by the sword! (The Sovereignty of God, 22-23).
From that analysis we can infer that God’s sovereignty is all powerful but not always predictable from the human standpoint. God is free to do or not do as He chooses in any given situation, and He is not in any way obligated to repeat the same action in connection with any subsequent, similar situation. It is in this way that God sovereignly chooses, as part of His plan, to bring suffering into the lives of various Christians, under differing circumstances with varying results. In Isaiah 45:7, God says He is “the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.” Because of His sovereign power, “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Again we can see that God’s sphere of operation is comprehensive. Therefore, sufferings, trials, persecutions, and all kinds of adversity that may face believers are certainly under His sovereign control and can originate as part of His sovereign plan.
(from The Power of Suffering by John MacArthur)
Those basic questions, which all honest and searching believers are going to have – to one degree or another based on their level of maturity – can be answered under one all-encompassing reality. That reality is the sovereignty of God which, when rightly understood and properly embraced, serves as the foundational lens through which Christians may see all truths in Scripture more clearly. Knowing about God’s sovereignty in all things does not mean that we will have comprehensive understanding, but it gives us a proper hope in the midst of the more difficult and less clear aspects of His working in our lives (Genesis 18:25; Isaiah 55:9).
A complete study of the sovereignty of God is beyond our scope here, but a brief discussion will help put the origin and cause of suffering into context. A. W. Pink gives this concise comment: “To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God. “ He then expands on how God’s sovereignty is executed.
The sovereignty of the God of Scripture is absolute, irresistible, infinite. When we say God is sovereign, we affirm His right to govern the universe, which He has made for His own glory, just as He pleases. We affirm that His right is the right of the Potter over the clay, viz.: that He may mold that day into whatsoever form He chooses, fashioning out of the same lump one vessel unto honour and another unto dishonour. We affirm that He is under no rule or law outside His own will and nature, that God is a law unto Himself and that He is under no obligation to give an account of His matters to any.
Sovereignty characterizes the whole Being of God. He is sovereign in all His attributes. He is sovereign in the exercise of His power. His power is exercised as He wills, when He wills, where He wills. This fact is evidenced on every page of Scripture. For a long season that power appears to be dormant and then it goes forth with irresistible might. Pharaoh dared to hinder Israel from going forth to worship Jehovah in the wilderness. What happened? God exercised His power. His people were delivered and their cruel taskmasters slain. But a little later, the Amalekites dared to attack these same Israelites in the wilderness, and what happened? Did God put forth His power on this occasion and display His hand as He did at the Red Sea? Were these enemies of His people promptly overthrown and destroyed? No, on the contrary, the Lord swore that He would “have war with Amalek from generation to generation (Exodus 17:16). Again, when Israel entered the land of Canaan, God’s power was displayed. The city of Jericho barred their progress. What happened? Israel did not draw a bow or strike a blow. The Lord stretched forth His hand and the walls fell down flat. But the miracle was never repeated! No other city fell after this manner. Every other city had to be captured by the sword! (The Sovereignty of God, 22-23).
From that analysis we can infer that God’s sovereignty is all powerful but not always predictable from the human standpoint. God is free to do or not do as He chooses in any given situation, and He is not in any way obligated to repeat the same action in connection with any subsequent, similar situation. It is in this way that God sovereignly chooses, as part of His plan, to bring suffering into the lives of various Christians, under differing circumstances with varying results. In Isaiah 45:7, God says He is “the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.” Because of His sovereign power, “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Again we can see that God’s sphere of operation is comprehensive. Therefore, sufferings, trials, persecutions, and all kinds of adversity that may face believers are certainly under His sovereign control and can originate as part of His sovereign plan.
(from The Power of Suffering by John MacArthur)
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Two More Reasons The World Hates Us!
Because It Hates Christ
If the religious leaders hated Jesus so much, can believers today expect things to be easier for them? Jesus answers that in John 15:30 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word they will keep yours also." If as Christians we are in Christ, and Christ is in us (Galations 2:20; Colossians 2:10-12), the world will hate us even as it hated Christ.
This second aspect of why the world hates us should actually bring us happiness. If we receive suffering and persecution from the world, because we represent Jesus, we experience the fellowship of His sufferings. The disciples in Acts 5:41, after being flogged by the religious authorities for continuing to teach in Jesus' name, displayed this attitude of joy: "So they went on their way from the presence of the Council rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name."
Paul spoke of that fellowship of sufferings in Philippians 3:10 and he knew quite well what that meant (see 2 Corinthians 4:7-18). Scripture attests to the fact that Paul lived out what he taught and wrote.
Because It Does Not Know God
A third reason the world hates Christians is that it does not know God. In John 15 Jesus says, "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me" (v. 21 emphasis added). Such ignorance of God has contributed greatly to horrible spiritual and moral degradation, unawareness of truth, and hostility to what is right. In many ways modern society reflects the first century conditions in which Paul ministered. When he preached in Athens he saw how misplaced the people's religion was: "And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, 'Men of Athens, I observe that you are religious in every respect. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD."
Paul uncovered an apathy and ignorance toward the true God and superstition regarding false gods. Without Paul's commentary we could easily infer that many unbelievers are sincerely moral and religious people not really affected that much by sin. But such a perception can lead us to downplay opposition from the world. We need to take Romans 1:18-2:2 more seriously in its picture of the world's natural sinfulness and wilful rejection of God's revelation. The world system does not know God, no matter how tolerant or accepting it might seem when it works through false religion. It still hates believers, still opposes us and therefore, whatever persecution and pain we receive should not catch us off guard.
Many believers act as if they have beaten the problem of hatred from the world, thinking they are friends of the world. But they forget John's warning "If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15), or James' strong statement, "Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4). Satan tempts us subtly to be comfortable in the world to feel at home within the system and to make the world around us feel at ease. We seek not to offend anyone, but that is not what Jesus had in mind. Nor was that Paul's approach:
'For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (1 Corinthians 1:21-25).
(from The Power of Suffering by John MacArthur, Jr.)
If the religious leaders hated Jesus so much, can believers today expect things to be easier for them? Jesus answers that in John 15:30 "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word they will keep yours also." If as Christians we are in Christ, and Christ is in us (Galations 2:20; Colossians 2:10-12), the world will hate us even as it hated Christ.
This second aspect of why the world hates us should actually bring us happiness. If we receive suffering and persecution from the world, because we represent Jesus, we experience the fellowship of His sufferings. The disciples in Acts 5:41, after being flogged by the religious authorities for continuing to teach in Jesus' name, displayed this attitude of joy: "So they went on their way from the presence of the Council rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name."
Paul spoke of that fellowship of sufferings in Philippians 3:10 and he knew quite well what that meant (see 2 Corinthians 4:7-18). Scripture attests to the fact that Paul lived out what he taught and wrote.
Because It Does Not Know God
A third reason the world hates Christians is that it does not know God. In John 15 Jesus says, "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me" (v. 21 emphasis added). Such ignorance of God has contributed greatly to horrible spiritual and moral degradation, unawareness of truth, and hostility to what is right. In many ways modern society reflects the first century conditions in which Paul ministered. When he preached in Athens he saw how misplaced the people's religion was: "And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, 'Men of Athens, I observe that you are religious in every respect. For while I was passing through and examining the objects of your worship, I also found an altar with this inscription "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD."
Paul uncovered an apathy and ignorance toward the true God and superstition regarding false gods. Without Paul's commentary we could easily infer that many unbelievers are sincerely moral and religious people not really affected that much by sin. But such a perception can lead us to downplay opposition from the world. We need to take Romans 1:18-2:2 more seriously in its picture of the world's natural sinfulness and wilful rejection of God's revelation. The world system does not know God, no matter how tolerant or accepting it might seem when it works through false religion. It still hates believers, still opposes us and therefore, whatever persecution and pain we receive should not catch us off guard.
Many believers act as if they have beaten the problem of hatred from the world, thinking they are friends of the world. But they forget John's warning "If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him" (1 John 2:15), or James' strong statement, "Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God" (James 4:4). Satan tempts us subtly to be comfortable in the world to feel at home within the system and to make the world around us feel at ease. We seek not to offend anyone, but that is not what Jesus had in mind. Nor was that Paul's approach:
'For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block, and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (1 Corinthians 1:21-25).
(from The Power of Suffering by John MacArthur, Jr.)
Friday, October 3, 2008
Why Does The World Hate Us?
Two violent events occurring just forty-eight hours apart, stunned the nation during the last weekend of February 1993. First, six people were killed and a thousand injured in New York City when a powerful bomb exploded between the twin skyscrapers of the World Trade Center. (By early May, seven men with ties to Middle Eastern Islamic terrorists groups had been arrested in connection with the bombing.) Then, two days after the bombing, four federal agents were killed during an unsuccessful raid on the Branch Davidian cult compound near Waco, Texas. That led to a fifty-one day standoff between the government and the religious cult which ended tragically when the compound burned down, killing at least seventy-five.
Fanaticism and hateful intolerance played a part in both those stories -- and they are merely two from among many such examples in recent years. Even a casual observer of modern society will find incidents of ethnic bigotry and racial hate crimes in any larger American city. There is also much animosity and contention between groups with competing social and political viewpoints. But none of those conflicts is as significant as the one between Christians and the world.
Because We Oppose The World
First, the world hates Christians primarily because Christians are not of the world. We are not culturally part of the "in group." We move against the main stream secular flow of ideas and practices and stand opposed to wrongs and injustices. We are even eager to urge individuals to repent of their sins and turn to Christ. This final characteristic generates the most intense opposition and hatred from the world.
The term "world" as used in John 15 and elsewhere is translated from the Greek kosmos. In this context it refers to the evil system of sin in the world, as authored by Satan and acted out by humanity. In starker terms, we could say it is the depraved society of wicked human beings that has set itself against Christ, His kingdom, and His people. Is it any wonder that, with Satan at the head of such a system (see 12:31; 14:30), believers should face hateful opposition when they confront that society?
Disguised as an "angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14), Satan presents his world system as a false religion. This religion so often presents itself to Christians under the subtle guise of false godliness, which appears to be tolerant of God and Christ, when in reality it opposes the truth and openly persecutes believers if necessary. Such deception often makes Christians think there is no threat or leads to surprise when outward persecution comes.
It was a religious system that hated Jesus so much that it eventually killed Him. The false religionists of Palestine detested Him because He violated their system and rebuked their hypocrisy with His righteousness. Similarly, Abel in Genesis 4 was killed by false religion personified in his brother Cain. First John 3:12 provides us with commentary on what Cain did: "not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother and for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous."
Because of the nature of Satan's false system over the centuries with it's evil, relentless opposition to God's kingdom, it is important that Christians realize they are not part of the world. God has called us to stand for Jesus Christ in the midst of a sinful society. The system is at once the enemy and the mission field. Paul urged the Philippians to live righteously so "that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15). This admonition correlates well with what Jesus already said in the Sermon on the Mount: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again. It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by man. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:13-14).
Such exhortations call for Christians to be the conscience of a sinful and perverse generation. If we are obedient and take the scriptural injunctions seriously, we should not be surprised by hostility and persecution. Jesus Himself faced harsh opposition from the people of His day even when He rebuked them more indirectly regarding their spiritual attitude (Luke 4:25-30).
(The Power of Suffering, John MacArthur, Jr.)
Fanaticism and hateful intolerance played a part in both those stories -- and they are merely two from among many such examples in recent years. Even a casual observer of modern society will find incidents of ethnic bigotry and racial hate crimes in any larger American city. There is also much animosity and contention between groups with competing social and political viewpoints. But none of those conflicts is as significant as the one between Christians and the world.
Because We Oppose The World
First, the world hates Christians primarily because Christians are not of the world. We are not culturally part of the "in group." We move against the main stream secular flow of ideas and practices and stand opposed to wrongs and injustices. We are even eager to urge individuals to repent of their sins and turn to Christ. This final characteristic generates the most intense opposition and hatred from the world.
The term "world" as used in John 15 and elsewhere is translated from the Greek kosmos. In this context it refers to the evil system of sin in the world, as authored by Satan and acted out by humanity. In starker terms, we could say it is the depraved society of wicked human beings that has set itself against Christ, His kingdom, and His people. Is it any wonder that, with Satan at the head of such a system (see 12:31; 14:30), believers should face hateful opposition when they confront that society?
Disguised as an "angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14), Satan presents his world system as a false religion. This religion so often presents itself to Christians under the subtle guise of false godliness, which appears to be tolerant of God and Christ, when in reality it opposes the truth and openly persecutes believers if necessary. Such deception often makes Christians think there is no threat or leads to surprise when outward persecution comes.
It was a religious system that hated Jesus so much that it eventually killed Him. The false religionists of Palestine detested Him because He violated their system and rebuked their hypocrisy with His righteousness. Similarly, Abel in Genesis 4 was killed by false religion personified in his brother Cain. First John 3:12 provides us with commentary on what Cain did: "not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother and for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous."
Because of the nature of Satan's false system over the centuries with it's evil, relentless opposition to God's kingdom, it is important that Christians realize they are not part of the world. God has called us to stand for Jesus Christ in the midst of a sinful society. The system is at once the enemy and the mission field. Paul urged the Philippians to live righteously so "that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world" (Philippians 2:15). This admonition correlates well with what Jesus already said in the Sermon on the Mount: "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again. It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by man. You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden" (Matthew 5:13-14).
Such exhortations call for Christians to be the conscience of a sinful and perverse generation. If we are obedient and take the scriptural injunctions seriously, we should not be surprised by hostility and persecution. Jesus Himself faced harsh opposition from the people of His day even when He rebuked them more indirectly regarding their spiritual attitude (Luke 4:25-30).
(The Power of Suffering, John MacArthur, Jr.)
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
The Power of Suffering - Intro
The atmosphere surrounding today’s evangelical church, with its emphasis on easy believism and “feel-good-about-yourself” Christianity, has fostered an unbiblical attitude among believers toward the existence of suffering and persecution in their lives. In addition to the natural aversion to pain and difficulty, many Christians have acquired the notion that hardships should not even cross their paths. When various difficulties do come their way, they believe these difficulties are not from God. But this has not been the mind-set of Christians from the earliest days of the church.
An important example of how Christians in other eras dealt with persecution is the case of Martin Luther, the great Reformation leader of the 16th century. Even before the debates and controversies of the Reformation were fully underway, Luther was known for his faithfulness to the truth: “The firmness with which Luther relied on the Holy Scriptures imparted great authority to his teaching. But other circumstances added still more to his strength. In him every action of his life corresponded with his words. It was known that these discourses did not proceed merely from his lips: they had their source in his heart and were practiced in all his works.” (The Life and Times of Martin Luther)
Luther’s most well-known stand for truth happened in the spring of 1521. By then he had already been excommunicated from the Roman Church and was known throughout most of Europe as the leading critic of the church. Luther earnestly and persistently taught justification by faith alone and the supremacy of the Scripture’s authority. The church opposed Luther on these and other points and vigorously tried to silence him. He was ordered to appear before an assembly (Diet of Worms) of secular and church leaders in Germany to explain his teachings. The assembly hoped Luther, under the intense pressure and intimidation of being “called on the carpet,” would retract his views and give the church and empire some peace.
But Luther stood firm for his convictions. When the leads of the assembly at Worms insisted that he retract all his past statements, Luther refused:
“Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, or by the clearest reasoning – unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted – and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the word of God, I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience…here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me! Amen!” (Quoted in D’Aubigne, 433)
Luther’s handling of this personal crisis and challenge testified to the greatness and sufficiency of God. At such a tension-filled, pivotal juncture in the reformer’s life, his reactions to the events must have been pleasing to the Lord. Luther did not react with anger or second-guess God for his difficulties. Neither did he turn away from the situation in cowardly fear. Instead, Luther lived out Jesus’ promises in Matthew 10:18-20, “and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”
Christians at the end of the twentieth century are unlikely to face the kind of opposition Martin Luther did during the early part of the 16th century. It is also unlikely most believers will ever face the imminent threat of martyrdom. However, I believe it is more difficult to make such assertions with certainty today than it was thirty or forty years ago. Conditions within our post-Christian culture and an unstable evangelical church are changing and declining so rapidly that believers need to be prepared and not get caught off-guard when confronted with persecutions and various hardships. Job 5:7 speaks of humanity's general condition and what we ought to expect: “For man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward.” Concerning the potential persecution of believers, the Apostle Paul is even more pointed: “And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
“Christian bashing” is increasingly popular. It has become a favourite pastime among journalists in the liberal media and among liberals in education, the arts, and politics. Bigotry is back in style, and the politically correct form of it is to assault Christians. Often it is those who preach “tolerance,” “non-judgmentalism,” and “intellectualism” who are most intolerant.
If there are confusing thoughts and misplaced expectations among believers concerning persecutions, there is also much misunderstanding concerning the more general role of trials, sufferings, and troubles in the Christian life. We tend to forget even the basic fact that all people live in a fallen world – we are sinful creatures living in a corrupt, sin-cursed society. Believers should not be surprised, perplexed, or resentful when they encounter difficulties throughout this life.
Job 14:1 says, “Man, who is born of woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil.” In Psalm 22:11 David said, “be not far from me, for trouble is near.” The Preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes summarized well life’s difficulty when he wrote, “So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind” (2:17).
Jesus tells us that we should expect troubles: “in the world you have tribulation” (John 16:33). He Himself did not avoid dealing with hardships and experiencing feelings of distress: “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her, also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled” (11:33; see also Mark 14:33).
In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 the Apostle Paul, based on personal experience, gives a partial list of his troubles: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” Even history’s greatest evangelist and missionary was not immune to sufferings, trials, and persecutions.
So we see that in God’s sovereignty all kinds of difficulties and hardships are real and should be expected in the lives of genuine Christians. One primary reason many believers today have a hard time accepting the role of suffering in their lives or in the lives of friends and loved ones is that they have failed to understand and accept the reality of divine sovereignty. Many also fail to see adversity from God’s perspective. In so doing, they completely overlook the positive, strengthening, perfecting effect that trials are designed to have on believers’ faith.
(from The Power of Suffering, John MacArthur, Jr.)
An important example of how Christians in other eras dealt with persecution is the case of Martin Luther, the great Reformation leader of the 16th century. Even before the debates and controversies of the Reformation were fully underway, Luther was known for his faithfulness to the truth: “The firmness with which Luther relied on the Holy Scriptures imparted great authority to his teaching. But other circumstances added still more to his strength. In him every action of his life corresponded with his words. It was known that these discourses did not proceed merely from his lips: they had their source in his heart and were practiced in all his works.” (The Life and Times of Martin Luther)
Luther’s most well-known stand for truth happened in the spring of 1521. By then he had already been excommunicated from the Roman Church and was known throughout most of Europe as the leading critic of the church. Luther earnestly and persistently taught justification by faith alone and the supremacy of the Scripture’s authority. The church opposed Luther on these and other points and vigorously tried to silence him. He was ordered to appear before an assembly (Diet of Worms) of secular and church leaders in Germany to explain his teachings. The assembly hoped Luther, under the intense pressure and intimidation of being “called on the carpet,” would retract his views and give the church and empire some peace.
But Luther stood firm for his convictions. When the leads of the assembly at Worms insisted that he retract all his past statements, Luther refused:
“Unless therefore I am convinced by the testimony of Scripture, or by the clearest reasoning – unless I am persuaded by means of the passages I have quoted – and unless they thus render my conscience bound by the word of God, I cannot and I will not retract, for it is unsafe for a Christian to speak against his conscience…here I stand, I can do no other; may God help me! Amen!” (Quoted in D’Aubigne, 433)
Luther’s handling of this personal crisis and challenge testified to the greatness and sufficiency of God. At such a tension-filled, pivotal juncture in the reformer’s life, his reactions to the events must have been pleasing to the Lord. Luther did not react with anger or second-guess God for his difficulties. Neither did he turn away from the situation in cowardly fear. Instead, Luther lived out Jesus’ promises in Matthew 10:18-20, “and you shall even be brought before governors and kings for My sake as a testimony to them and to the Gentiles. But when they deliver you up do not become anxious about how or what you will speak; for it shall be given you in that hour what you are to speak. For it is not you who speak, but it is the Spirit of your Father who speaks in you.”
Christians at the end of the twentieth century are unlikely to face the kind of opposition Martin Luther did during the early part of the 16th century. It is also unlikely most believers will ever face the imminent threat of martyrdom. However, I believe it is more difficult to make such assertions with certainty today than it was thirty or forty years ago. Conditions within our post-Christian culture and an unstable evangelical church are changing and declining so rapidly that believers need to be prepared and not get caught off-guard when confronted with persecutions and various hardships. Job 5:7 speaks of humanity's general condition and what we ought to expect: “For man is born for trouble, as sparks fly upward.” Concerning the potential persecution of believers, the Apostle Paul is even more pointed: “And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12).
“Christian bashing” is increasingly popular. It has become a favourite pastime among journalists in the liberal media and among liberals in education, the arts, and politics. Bigotry is back in style, and the politically correct form of it is to assault Christians. Often it is those who preach “tolerance,” “non-judgmentalism,” and “intellectualism” who are most intolerant.
If there are confusing thoughts and misplaced expectations among believers concerning persecutions, there is also much misunderstanding concerning the more general role of trials, sufferings, and troubles in the Christian life. We tend to forget even the basic fact that all people live in a fallen world – we are sinful creatures living in a corrupt, sin-cursed society. Believers should not be surprised, perplexed, or resentful when they encounter difficulties throughout this life.
Job 14:1 says, “Man, who is born of woman, is short-lived and full of turmoil.” In Psalm 22:11 David said, “be not far from me, for trouble is near.” The Preacher in the Book of Ecclesiastes summarized well life’s difficulty when he wrote, “So I hated life, for the work which had been done under the sun was grievous to me; because everything is futility and striving after wind” (2:17).
Jesus tells us that we should expect troubles: “in the world you have tribulation” (John 16:33). He Himself did not avoid dealing with hardships and experiencing feelings of distress: “When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her, also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled” (11:33; see also Mark 14:33).
In 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 the Apostle Paul, based on personal experience, gives a partial list of his troubles: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” Even history’s greatest evangelist and missionary was not immune to sufferings, trials, and persecutions.
So we see that in God’s sovereignty all kinds of difficulties and hardships are real and should be expected in the lives of genuine Christians. One primary reason many believers today have a hard time accepting the role of suffering in their lives or in the lives of friends and loved ones is that they have failed to understand and accept the reality of divine sovereignty. Many also fail to see adversity from God’s perspective. In so doing, they completely overlook the positive, strengthening, perfecting effect that trials are designed to have on believers’ faith.
(from The Power of Suffering, John MacArthur, Jr.)
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