Suffering – Page 5 – See you in Heaven

Facing the storms in our lives

“⁹ So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. ²⁰But He said to them, ‘It is I; do not be afraid.’” John 6:19-20

After Jesus miraculously fed thousands of people (John 6:1-14), He sent His disciples in a boat to the other side of the Sea of Galilee (cf. Matthew 14:22). The disciples started rowing across the Sea of Galilee toward Capernaum, but they stayed close to shore, because they were going to pick up Jesus along the way. But it was not working out that way. John tells us, “Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing” (6:18). A strong northwesterly wind began to blow, driving them farther and farther south, so much so, that they lost sight of shore and the possibility of picking up Jesus.

Matthew is very graphic in describing the storm (cf. Matthew 14:24). The storm was raging. The wind was against them. The waves were immense. The sea was engulfing their boat and threatening their lives. Although these fishermen had experienced storms before, their experience probably taught them that you don’t go out on the lake in this kind of weather!

Imagine how the disciples must have felt. Here they were trying to cross the sea just like Jesus told them to do, but the storm prevented them from fulfilling Christ’s command. They were exerting themselves to the max against the winds and the waves, yet they were unable to make any headway. They must have felt alone. After all, Jesus had sent them out here. Did He somehow forget all about them? Didn’t Jesus care about the fact that they could lose their lives in this storm? What was going on?

Have you ever felt this way? Have you ever wanted God to use you only to have your life become more difficult? You know what God wants you to do, but circumstances don’t allow you to do it? You try with all your might and strength to obey the Lord, but you can’t go where God wants you to go. You can’t do what God has told you to do. And you feel as though God has betrayed you. Like He has played some mean trick on you and set you up for failure. Why does this happen? Why do people who want to be used by God find themselves facing more problems? Problems too big to overcome in their own strength. Because God is trying to teach us about His plan. His plan cannot be carried out without His power. As long as we keep trying to do the will of God in our own strength, we will fail.

The disciples battled this raging storm through the long hours of the night. Mark says they were “straining at rowing” (Mark 6:48). By 3 a.m. they had rowed “about three or four miles” with about two miles to go (6:19a). Even though these men were exhausted, they faithfully kept trying to row across the Sea. And when they looked over their shoulders, they were “afraid” or literally they were “terrified” to see a ghostlike form walking on the water toward them (6:19b). These men were expecting to die, and they thought the angel of death was coming to take them. But this was no ghost. This was Jesus walking across those waves. And He was using those immense waves as pavement for His feet. The sea that had impeded the disciples’ movement, was no obstacle for Christ, and all that they feared brought no fear to Jesus.

Above the raging storm the disciples heard a familiar voice bring a word of comfort. “It is I; do not be afraid” (6:20). When Jesus says, “It is I” He identifies Himself as “I AM” (cf. Exodus 3:13-14) in the Greet text (egō eimi). The verb translated “do not be afraid” (phobeisthe) is a present imperative and means “Stop being afraid.” What Jesus is saying is, “That which scares the living daylights out of you, this strange form walking across the stormy sea, doing what is absolutely impossible for men to do, that is Me – the Eternal God! And the very waves that are over your heads I already have under My feet. I am in control of these events, therefore there is no need for you to fear. Simply trust Me to take you where you could never take yourself.”

Jesus silences our fears with His Word. And there is tremendous power in the Word of God. “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast” (Psalm 33:6, 9). The same voice that spoke this universe into existence out of nothing, can also calm our fears in the midst of the storms of life. This same voice can give us the power to overcome problems that we could never overcome in our own strength.

Life is filled with fierce storms. Where do you turn when you just discover your son is a practicing homosexual… your mate is talking separation or divorce… you’ve lost your job and it’s your own fault… your parent is an alcoholic… your spouse is having an affair… you flunk your entrance exam or you messed up the interview… your faith is persecuted? Where are you going to turn when the storms of life batter your soul? The disciples turned to Jesus.

“Then they willingly received Him into the boat” (6:21a). Recognizing His voice, the disciples want to receive Christ aboard their boat. Zane Hodges points out that the New King James inaccurately translates the Greek phrase as “They were willing to receive Him into the boat.” Instead he notes that it literally means, “They wanted to receive Him into the boat.” The moment the disciples recognize Jesus, based on His word, they want to receive Him into their boat.

Then a second miracle took place. “And immediately the boat was at the land where they were going” (6:21b). The moment the disciples wanted Jesus in their boat, “immediately” the boat was at the land to which they were going. Nothing is said about Jesus stepping onto the boat. Matthew says the wind stopped (Matthew 14:32). There was peace on that lake and in the disciples’ hearts. The boat traveled the two remaining miles in an instant as Christ brought them safely to their destination.

There is a message here for non-Christians. Like the disciples, many people work hard to get to their final destination. They think that getting to heaven is based upon their own efforts and works. Like the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, they are not willing to come to Jesus to have life (cf. John 5:39-40). If they were willing to believe, they would recognize who Jesus was (the Christ) and then, immediately, they would have been safe in His family forever (John 1:12; 6:37)! Their destiny would have been assured by none other than Jesus Himself. In the discourse to follow (6:22-58), Jesus will not only stress His eternal sufficiency as the Bread of Life, but He will also emphasize the believer’s absolute certainty of reaching a safe destination. Jesus will “raise him up at the last day” (6:40).

There is also a message here for Christians. Some of us may face some very frightening circumstances in our lives in the months ahead. Disease, disappointment, death, an accident, desertion or divorce, loss of religious freedom, or even persecution may take their terrible toll on our lives. We may all find ourselves in a sea of trouble like these disciples. But what Jesus is saying to the disciples (and to us) is, “That which frightens you, that very thing which scares you, is Me. I am coming to you in and through that circumstance, so you don’t need to be afraid. I am in charge of it. I have chosen it for you, therefore you do not need to be afraid. Simply trust Me to do through you what you could never do on your own; and if you do that, you will experience My peace.”

Whatever storm you are facing, are you willing to permit Jesus to come to you in that storm? Are you willing to ask Him, “Lord Jesus, what do You want to say to me in this storm?” His answer may surprise you and it can calm the raging storm inside of you.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You promise that I will face storms or tribulation in this world (John 16:33). I may face tremendous toil and trouble, heartbreak and heartache, and yet in the midst of it, Lord, You have promised to be there, and You can come through the darkest night and over the most troubled waters into the boat of my life. May the eyes of my faith be fixed upon You, Lord. Instead of trying, may I start trusting in the One who is in charge of the storm. Help me to be still so I can hear Your voice say to me, “It is I; Do not be afraid.” You are in control of my past, present, and future. Thank You for calming my fears and replacing my storm-tossed feelings with Your powerful presence. Your voice is enough to calm my storms. You, my Lord, are more than enough. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What is the purpose of trials?

“Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.” James 1:12

James, the half-brother of Jesus, is writing to Jewish believers who “are scattered abroad” by persecution (1:1). He wants to encourage them to patiently endure “various trials” as a means of developing spiritual maturity (1:2-4). James informs his readers that a man is “blessed” (makarios) or fortunate when he “endures temptations.” The word “endures” (hypomenō) literally means “remaining under or bearing up under the load” of difficulties. The word “temptation” (peirasmos) is the same word translated “trials” in verse 2. When Christians are facing trials they can also be enticed to sin (tempted) perhaps to escape the pressure or pain they feel when facing a difficulty.

Believers who successfully endure a trial without yielding to the temptation to sin out of “love” (agapaō) for the Lord, will be “approved” (dokimos) by Christ both now and at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1:12; cf. 2:12-13; 5:7-9). This word for “approved” denotes passing the necessary test and thus being approved or pleasing to the one doing the testing. All believers will stand before Christ at His Judgment Seat after the rapture of the Church to give an account of themselves before the Lord. Those who lived for Christ and endured trials and temptation to the end of their lives on earth will be approved by Jesus and “receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him” (1:12).

The word for “crown” (stephanos) refers to a circular garland awarded to the winner of an ancient athletic game like the Greek Olympics. Believers who faithfully endure trials out of love for the Lord will receive something much greater than a temporary reward. This “crown of life” refers to a greater capacity to enjoy life with Jesus both now and in the world to come forever.

When I ran track in high school, I trained hard because I wanted to win a medal in my race. Even though I had failed to win a medal in previous races, I still prepared for the next race thinking I could win. Keeping the thought of winning a medal in the front of my mind as I trained and eventually competed in the race, motivated me to do my very best and not give up.

The same is true in our Christian lives. To earn the crown of life from Jesus, we must faithfully endure trials and temptations for Him to the end of our Christian lives. To do this, it is important to train our minds to imagine Jesus rewarding us at the Judgment Seat of Christ, saying to us, “Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord” (Matthew 25:21). Like an athlete who visualizes himself winning a race, visualizing ourselves remaining faithful to Christ and receiving this reward from Him will actually create new neurologial pathways in our brain. And our brains respond the same way to mental rehearsing of a task and actually performing the task.

Prayer: Precious Lord Jesus, by Your grace I commit to following You and focusing on the surpassing joy of being approved by You at the Judgment Seat where I can receive the crown of life which enables me to enjoy eternal life with You even more. Please help me to mentally visualize remaining faithful to You now and receiving the crown of life from You in the future. Oh how I long to hear You say, “Well done good and faithful servant.” Thank You Lord Jesus for hearing my prayer. In Your name. Amen.

Suffering eternalizes our perspective

“¹⁶ Therefore do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, ¹⁸ while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Because of the Holy Spirit’s ministry to the unsaved whereby He opens and transforms their hearts (4:1-6) and to Christians whom He sustains through the many sufferings they may have to endure for the sake of the gospel (4:7-15), the apostle Paul encourages us not “to lose heart” (4:16a). Even though our sufferings cause us to decline physically (“our outward man is perishing”), yet we are “renewed” spiritually “day by day” through God’s Word and the Holy Spirit (4:16b).

Notice the contrasts between our sufferings and our coming glory (4:17-18):

Sufferings Glory

Light	Weight
For a moment, temporary	Eternal
Seen	Not seen

Our sufferings are “light” compared to the “weight” of “glory” (honor/rewards) we will receive at the Judgment Seat of Christ (4:17; cf. 5:10). Because our coming “glory” is so heavy with importance and value, our present “affliction” is ever so slight and insignificant. The eternality (“eternal”) of our coming glory makes our current sufferings seem momentary (“for a moment”). Our present “affliction” is actually “working for us,” not against us, to produce a much greater (“exceeding”) experience of “glory” in the future. What Paul seems to be saying is we can increase our “glory” (rewards) by continuing to suffer as result of faithfully following Christ.

Our present sufferings cause us not to “look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen” (4:18a). God wants us to focus on the invisible things that await us because they are “eternal,” not “temporary” like the things which are seen (4:18b). God uses the difficulties we face now to eternalize our perspective. By keeping these unseen and eternal rewards in mind, we can avoid discouragement when we face hardships in life.

In the above diagram, the dot represents your life. The arrow represents eternity. God wants to use that dot to prepare you for eternity. He will often use difficulties in life to do this. As we grow older and experience more pain, God wants us to think more about heaven than earth so we will be less vulnerable to giving up. By focusing on what is eternal rather than on what is temporary, we will have more motivation to follow Jesus faithfully.

Prayer: Father God, as I face difficulties in my life, help me not to lose heart and give up, but to permit Your Spirit to daily renew me spiritually through Your Word so that I learn to focus more on that which is eternal rather than on that which is temporary. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Comforted to Comfort

“³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, ⁴ who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

The apostle Paul praises God the “Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” Our Father in heaven is merciful. He withholds the condemnation and punishment we deserve as sinners. And He is the “God of all comfort.” The Greek word for “comfort” (paraklesis) pictures a person standing alongside another to encourage and support him as a friend. God is not some impersonal deity out of touch with His people. He feels their pain and offers encouragement and support to ease their distress. “All” lasting comfort comes from God. He “comforts us in all our tribulation.” There is no pain or suffering beyond the sufficient comfort of God.

God’s comforting presence in our lives equips us “to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” God never wastes our experiences, no matter how painful they may be. He wants us to pass on the comfort we have received from Him in our affliction so we may comfort others in a similar situation.

For example, who better to comfort a parent whose young child died than someone who has recovered from such a tragic loss because of God’s comfort in their lives? Who better to comfort a war veteran struggling with post traumatic stress syndrome than another veteran who has been comforted and healed by God? Who better to comfort a victim of sexual abuse than someone who has recovered from sexual abuse because of God’s comforting ministry in his or her life? Who better to minister to someone who has filed for bankruptcy than someone who has recovered from a similar financial hardship? Who better to minister to someone struggling with severe depression than someone who has walked through the valley of the shadow of death with his or her Good Shepherd?

God does not waste our experiences. He uses them to equip us to minister more effectively to others. Have you ever stopped to think that the struggle you are going through right now may be used by God to comfort others with the comfort He is going to give to you? Nothing you and I face in this life is beyond our heavenly Father’s all-sufficient comfort and compassion.

If you have not received God’s comfort before, then you will not have much to offer to someone who has been devastated by life’s difficulties. Why not begin by looking to Jesus Christ for His “everlasting consolation” (2 Thessalonians 2:16)? God wants to remove the suffering of eternity for all humanity.

Two things cause eternal suffering: sin and consequences. Sin means we have disobeyed God’s laws (I John 3:4). In one way or another we have not been good enough. Sooner or later we are unkind, dishonest or immoral. The Bible says that there are no exceptions – “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Measured by God’s standard of perfection each of us has fallen short.

Secondly, God, being holy, cannot overlook any sin. The penalty for sin is physical and spiritual “death” (Romans 6:23) – eternal separation from God in what the Bible calls the lake of fire (Revelation 20:15). The Bible tells us that all people must face God as their Judge – “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Whether we have sinned once or a thousand times, sin’s consequences are eternal.

The consequences of sin, eternal suffering, can be eliminated, not because of anything that we do but by accepting what God did for us on the cross. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). God’s perfect Son, Jesus Christ, died in our place. God punished Him when He should have punished us. Three days later Jesus Christ arose; proving sin and death had been conquered and His claims to be God were true. The Bible explains Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power… by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). The proof that Jesus rose from the dead was that He was seen alive after His death by over five hundred eyewitnesses (I Corinthians 15:5-8). God now had a basis for pardoning us instead of punishing us.

How then does one eliminate eternal suffering? The answer is to believe in Jesus. Jesus Himself declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

The word “believe” means to trust or depend upon. Trusting in Jesus is a lot like riding on a jet plane. When my wife and I flew from Manila in the Philippines to Omaha, NE, this last July, we did not have to push our jet plane to get it off the runway. Nor did we have to flap our arms to keep it in the air. We simply had to trust a person, our pilot, to fly us to our destination through no effort of our own. In the same way, Jesus now invites you to trust in Him alone through no effort of your own, to save you from an eternity separated from God and to give you everlasting life. Our good works and religious efforts will not save us because they are all like “filthy garments” in the sight of a holy God (Isaiah 64:6). We must trust in Christ alone as our only way to heaven. The moment we do, God extends eternal life as a gift and we are His forever.

A day is coming when all those who have trusted in Jesus alone for His gift of everlasting life will be with Him in heaven where there will be no more suffering. The Bible says, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying…” (Revelation 21:4). Those who know Christ recognize that there is suffering in this life, but take comfort in God’s promise that one day all suffering will be over. Those people will not suffer eternally.

If you have never understood and believed this, why not trust in Jesus Christ alone right now as your only way to heaven? Here is how you could tell God in prayer what you are doing.

Dear God, I come to you now as a sinner. I know my sins deserve to be punished. But I now understand that Jesus Christ died for me. He took my punishment and rose again. I now place my trust in Christ alone as my only way to heaven. Thank You for the gift of eternal life I just received. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When you believed in Jesus, the Bible says you can “know” you have eternal 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” (I John 5:13). Christ now lives inside you through His Holy Spirit (Galatians 2:20) and He is concerned about every pain and tear. He encourages us to “cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (I Peter 5:7). Sometimes He demonstrates His care by not removing our suffering but by comforting us in the midst of it. God will help us through whatever suffering we face, if we let Him.

What can I do as the world gets worse?

“O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You!” Psalm 84:12

With at least 31 people killed in mass shootings in Texas and Ohio last weekend, you may ask yourself, “What can I do as the world gets worse?” I would recommend you turn to Psalm 84 to discover the answer to that question.

In this Psalm, the writer describes the blessedness of those who dwell in “the house” (temple) of God (84:1-4). As those who long to worship the Lord in His temple journey to that place (84:5), they find more and more spiritual “strength” and refreshment even though they may pass through arid regions (“the Valley of Baca”) that others found to be disappointing and draining (85:6-7). During their travels to the house of God, they prayed for their king (“our shield” and “Your anointed”) (84:8-9). Their longing to go to the temple is because “a day” in God’s presence (“Your courts”) “is better than a thousand” days “in the tents of wickedness” (84:10).

Instead of encountering the influence of the wicked in God’s temple, they experienced “the Lord God” Who is like “a sun” that gives warmth and light. God is also like a “shield” Who protects them from harm (84:11a). The Lord gives “grace and glory” to them, withholding “no good thing” from them (84:11b). The wicked, however, are the opposite of the Lord. Instead of providing warmth and light, they are hateful (cold) and full of darkness. Instead of protecting the worshippers from harm, they seek to dish out harm to them. Instead of giving grace and glory to others, they are ungracious and dishonoring toward them. The wicked do not give what is good to those who live uprightly, instead they repay them with evil.

As we live in an increasingly evil world, we will discover renewed strength and refreshment as we draw near to the Lord God of hosts (84:1-7). The benefits of being near to the Lord far outweigh the evil that is growing stronger in the world (84:8-11). When we experience unspeakable joy in God’s presence, we can echo the words of the Psalmist, “O Lord of hosts, blessed is the man who trusts in You” (84:12)!

Psalm 84 is telling us, “When everything is all wrong, Jesus can make everything alright. Draw near to Him because He is more than enough.”

Must I suffer to go to heaven?

“And if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him.” Romans 8:17

There are differing views about suffering among professing Christians. Some teach that genuine Christians will not have to suffer in this life. If you do suffer, then they say you are not a Christian because according to their view suffering is not God’s will for the believer. Others teach that you must suffer in order to have eternal life and go to heaven when you die.

However, in the book of Romans, the apostle Paul makes it very clear that to be justified (declared totally righteous) before God and go to heaven all you must do is believe or have faith in Jesus Christ alone (Romans 3:21-5:9a). No amount of suffering on our part will save us from our sins. Only trusting in Christ alone who died for our sins and rose from the dead is required to be saved from sin’s penalty and have a home in heaven. So going to heaven is not based upon our suffering, but upon faith in the suffering of Jesus Christ who paid for all of our sins when He died in our place on the cross.

But in Romans 6-8, Paul is talking about growing in our Christian lives. And in chapter 8 of Romans, Paul tells us that suffering is part of the process that God uses to help us grow to be more like Christ (8:17-29). All believers in Jesus are “children of God” (cf. John 1:12) which means they are all “heirs of God” (8:16b-17a). This future inheritance of all believers includes a home in heaven and a glorified resurrection body (cf. John 14:1-3; I Corinthians 15:35-58; Revelation 21-22).

But to be a “joint heirs with Christ” (8:17b) includes ruling with Him in His coming Kingdom (cf. Mark 10:27-30; 2 Timothy 2:12). The book of Hebrews tells us that the Son of God is the Heir of all things (Hebrews 1:2) which includes ruling over all the nations (Hebrews 1:4-14; Psalm 2:6-9). Since mankind lost his dominion over all of creation at the Fall (Hebrews 2:6-8; cf. Genesis 3:1-6), Christ will fulfill mankind’s destiny when He returns to earth and brings all creation under His rule (1 Cor. 15:27-28; Hebrews 1:8-13). Christ had to suffer and die for mankind because He would bring “many sons to glory” and be the Captain “of their salvation …through sufferings” (Hebrews 2:9-10). Before Jesus could lead His “many sons” to glory, He had to be made “perfect” for this role “through sufferings.” Since His brethren would have to suffer, He would have to as well in order to give them the kind of help they would need (cf. Hebrews 2:18; 4:14-16).

As a Firstborn (Ruling) Son (Romans 8:29), Jesus “learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). Since Christ’s pathway to rulership was through suffering, so our pathway to ruling with Him includes suffering.

The joint heirship mentioned in Romans 8:17 is not common to all Christians, but only to those who “suffer with Christ.” To suffer with Christ means you suffer for doing what honors Him, not for what dishonors Him. For example, suffering with Christ does not refer to the suffering one incurs for robbing a bank, lying, or living an immoral life. To suffer with Christ would be like a former Muslim whose faith in Christ and bold witness for Him leads to the loss of his life. It may also include being ostracized at your work because of your commitment to Christ.

You could avoid this type of suffering by being a secret believer or disciple (cf. John 9:22; 12:42; 19:38). For example, the former Muslim could keep his relationship with Christ a secret to avoid physical death. Or you could hide your faith in Christ from your co-workers to avoid their disapproval. You may think this option is better than the pain of suffering with Christ.

But the apostle Paul would disagree with that conclusion. He writes, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18). No amount of suffering with Christ now can outweigh the glory which shall be revealed in us when we receive the reward of ruling with Him in His coming Kingdom. God assures us that our suffering with Christ will be worth the glorious rewards He will give when He returns for His own.

Conclusion: Must I suffer to go to heaven? No, because Jesus already suffered for my sin when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. All He asks is that I believe in Him as my only hope of heaven (John 3:14-15). But I must suffer with Christ to rule with Him in His coming Kingdom (Romans 8:17; 2 Timothy 2:12).

Does God give me more than I can handle?

I remember hearing the assurance that God will not give us more than we can handle when Christians were talking about I Corinthians 10:13 when it says, “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.” But this is talking about temptations, not trials.

The same author of I Corinthians 10:13, the apostle Paul, also wrote 2 Corinthians 1:8 which says, “For we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble which came to us in Asia: that we were burdened beyond measure, above strength, so that we despaired even of life” (2 Corinthians 1:8). Notice that Paul says they were burdened beyond their own strength to the point of despair. Paul was in a situation where it seemed hopeless. Whatever he and his mission team were facing, was beyond their own resources to overcome. He felt God had put more on him than he or anyone on his mission team could handle.

Have you ever felt this way? That God has given you more than you can handle? That there is no way you can overcome this situation with your own resources? Your abilities and connections with others cannot rescue you from the hopelessness you are facing? You are tempted to give up because you cannot escape this place of despair?

Why does God permit this to happen to us? Is He being unloving to us when He allows us to have more than we can handle? Paul also explains why God gives us more than we can handle in 2 Corinthians 1:9,“Yes, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.” God does give us more than we can handle so “that we should not trust in ourselves but in God who raises the dead.” What God wants to do in these hopeless situations is to teach us to depend more on Him than on ourselves or others. He wants to “raise the dead” for us. He longs to do what is humanly impossible for us to do.

This is very difficult for us to accept because we do not like to sit in our pain. Our natural tendency is to withdraw from the pain. We try to avoid pain by turning to a quick fix such as alcohol, busyness, depression, drugs, romance, sarcasm, theology, or even ministry instead of turning to God. But these options only lead to more pain and hopelessness.

God did not originally create people to have to deal with pain. Pain was not Adam and Eve’s experience before the Fall (Genesis 1-2). They lived in a perfect environment and enjoyed perfect fellowship with God and one another because there was no sin and death. Before the Fall, all their needs were met by God in the Garden of Eden. But after the Fall (Genesis 3:1-6), there was a separation from God resulting in fear and shame (Genesis 3:7-10). Adam and Eve’s first response was to fix the pain and shame by covering themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7). But this covering did not remove the effects of their sin. God had to do that when He “made tunics of skin” through the death of an innocent animal (Genesis 3:21).

By providing a covering with animal skins, God provided forgiveness through the “shedding of blood” (Hebrews 9:22). God later provided forgiveness through the Old Testament sacrificial system which pointed ahead to the ultimate sacrifice of God’s perfect Son, Jesus Christ (John 1:29; Hebrews 9:23-10:25). Like that first animal that was sacrificed for Adam and Eve, Jesus Christ would also be innocent and without sin because He was and is God (John 1:1, 14, 17; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; I Peter 3:18). And like that first sacrificial animal, Jesus was born to die for the sins of others (John 1:29; Romans 5:8; I John 4:9), that “whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Like Adam and Eve, we have a natural tendency to turn to other things to remove our pain. But God wants us to sit in our pain so we will draw closer to Him. If we do not sit in the pain, we do not need to go to God for comfort and strength.

Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Christ does not say to “Come to a religion or to your pastor, priest, parents, or peers.” No, He says, “Come to Me.” Nor does He say, “Come to Me and I will give you fear, guilt and shame.” No, Jesus says to come to Him in faith and He “will give you rest.” The rest Jesus offers here refers to a state of mind that exists when a non-Christian realizes he or she does not have to earn or work for their salvation. This refers to the positional rest of eternal life that is based on trusting in Christ’s accomplishment on the cross.

If you do not know for sure that you have eternal life and will go to heaven when you die, accept Jesus’ invitation and come to Him just as you are for spiritual rest by believing in Jesus for His gift of eternal life (11:28; cf. John 3:16). Then He can give you the comfort and strength you need when you face more than you can handle.

If you have believed in Jesus for everlasting life, understand that there will be times when He gives you more than you can handle so you will learn to draw near to Him and depend on Him to do what you could never do on your own (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). He wants to take you deeper in your relationship with Him so you can experience His resurrection power.

Reasons why Christians are not to Lose Heart

The apostle Paul gives Christians several reasons in 2 Corinthians 3-5 why they are not to lose heart in the ministry:

1. Because God has made them sufficient to be “ministers of the new covenant” ministry through His Spirit which “gives life” in contrast to “the letter” of the Law which “kills” (3:5-6).

2. Because God has given them a ministry in which God’s Spirit transforms peoples’ lives from the inside out through His written word (3:15-18) and removes Satanic barriers that keep people from believing the gospel (4:1-6).

3. Because God has placed “this treasure” of the gospel “in earthen vessels” (frail bodies of believers) in order to show the “power” of His “grace” working in and through their sufferings and service (4:7-12).

4. Because God has given them the hope of sharing in Jesus’ resurrection (“He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus”) in the future (4:13-15).

5. Because even though their physical bodies are deteriorating through the aging process and sufferings (“our outward man is perishing”), their inward spiritual lives are still developing (“the inward man is being renewed day by day”) by God’s grace (4:16).

6. Because their sufferings (“our light affliction, which is but for a moment”) for Christ’s sake, result in “a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (eternal rewards) in the future (4:17).

7. Because their sufferings teach them to focus on what is “eternal” and “not seen,” rather than on what is “temporary” and “seen” (4:18).

8. Because all Christians who die will receive an immortal body (“we have a building from God…eternal in the heavens”) from the Lord (5:1).

9. Because all Christians possess “the Spirit as a guarantee” of their future immortal body in heaven (4:2-5).

10. Because death (“absent from the body”) begins a new existence for Christians in the presence of the Lord Jesus in heaven (“present with the Lord”) that is far superior to their present existence on earth (5:6-8).

11. Because ministry is about being “well pleasing” to the Lord who is realistic in His expectations of His children, not people who tend to be unrealistic in their expectations of others (5:9).

12. Because “all” Christians will “appear before the judgment seat of Christ” to receive rewards from Christ on the basis of their works (“according to what he has done”) for Him in the ministry (5:10).

How can a Loving God Allow Pain and Suffering?

This is a question asked by many in the wake of Hurricane Florence in the USA and Typhoon Ompong in the Philippines as they see innocent children swept away in a landslide or drowned during a hurricane. While I cannot claim to know all of God’s reasons for allowing tragedies to take place in our world, I do want to provide some biblical answers to some basic questions about the topic of pain and suffering.

Q1: Did God create the world with sin and suffering in it?

A1: No, God created the heavens (universe) and earth without sin as He concluded that what He originally made was “good” and “very good” (Genesis 1:3, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). This includes all the angels created by God (Colossians 1:16). However, Lucifer, God’s highest-ranking angel, rebelled and sinned against God (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:11-19) prior to tempting Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-6). Lucifer, or Satan, also led one third of God’s angels to join him in his rebellion so that they (fallen angels and/or demons) now oppose God and His people (Ezekiel 28:16, 18; Revelation 12:4, 7-10).

Q2: When did sin and suffering begin on the earth?

A2: When Adam and Eve sinned against God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:12). Their decision to sin also adversely effected creation (Genesis 3:14-19) which now “groans and labors with birth pangs together until now” (Romans 8:18-22).

Q3: Does God cause sin and suffering in the world today?

A3: No, the Bible says, “Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13). Temptations come from our own sinful flesh, the world, or from Satan (cf. Matthew 4:1-11; James 1:14; I John 2:16). God’s love gives each human being the ability to choose. If people could not choose between good and evil, that would not be love. Much suffering takes place in the world today because of circumstances beyond our control. Some suffering is because of our own sinful decisions or the decisions of others.

Q4: When people suffer, how do they know that God is in control?

A4: When Job suffered greatly, he asked God why He had even allowed him to be born (Job 3:11). Job cried out to God. “For the thing I greatly feared has come upon me, and what I dreaded has happened to me. I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, I have no rest, for trouble comes”(Job 3:25-26). God chose not to reveal His motives for allowing Job to suffer. He never told him why, but He did answer him. He answered Job by describing Himself as all powerful and in control (Job 38:1-41:34). So, we know that God is in control in the midst of suffering because He has told us in His Word (cf. Romans 8:28).

Q5: How does God feel about those who do suffer?

A5: When people suffer, God wants them to know that He cares. He is concerned about every pain and tear. He encourages us to “cast all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”(I Peter 5:7). Sometimes God demonstrates His care by not removing our suffering but by comforting us in the midst of it (2 Corinthians 1:3-11). God will help us through whatever suffering we face, if we look to Him. It is with this kind of suffering that God helps us through but He does not necessarily remove it. However, there is a kind of suffering that God wants to eliminate which is eternal.

Q6: How can God love people if He sends them to hell to suffer forever?

A6: First of all, God does not send anyone to hell. People send themselves to hell when they refuse to believe in God’s Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16-19; Revelation 20:15) who suffered and died in our place on the cross and rose from the dead (I Corinthians 15:1-6). After all, God is holy and hates sin, and must punish it (Psalm 5:4; Isaiah 6:1-5; 59:2; Romans 3:23; 6:23b). The Bible tells us that all people must face God as their Judge – “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment”(Hebrews 9:27). So, whether we have sinned once or a thousand times, sin’s consequences are forever.

Q7: How can people escape eternal suffering?

A7: Their eternal suffering can be removed, not by any works or words they do or speak (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5), but by accepting what God did for them on the cross. “But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”(Romans 5:8). God now invites all people to believe or trust in His perfect Son, Jesus Christ, for His free gift of everlasting life. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). Our good works and religious efforts will not save us because they are all like “filthy garments”in the sight of a holy God (Isaiah 64:6). We must trust in Christ alone as our only way to heaven. The moment we do, God gives us eternal life as a gift and we are His forever (John 10:28-29).

A day is coming when all those who have believed or trusted in Jesus alone for His gift of everlasting life will be with Him in heaven where there will be no more suffering. The Bible says, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying…”(Revelation 21:4). Those who have believed in Christ recognize that there is suffering in this life, but they take comfort in God’s promise that one day all suffering will be gone forever. Those people will not suffer eternally.

If you have never understood and believed this, why not trust in Jesus Christ alone right now as your only way to heaven? Here is how you could tell God in prayer what you are doing.

Dear God, I come to you now as a sinner. I know my sins deserve to be punished forever. But I now understand that Jesus Christ died for me and rose from the dead. I am now placing my trust in Christ alone as my only way to heaven. Thank You for the gift of forgiveness and eternal life I just received. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

When you believed in Jesus, the Bible says you now have everlasting life (John 3:16) and you can “know” it. “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”(I John 5:13). God now wants to use you to tell others this good news. As you learn to follow Jesus, He can show you how to tell others how to escape eternal suffering before it is too late for them (Matthew 4:19).