Truth Magazine

By Jim Walsh

One only needs to be living in this world a short time to understand that suffering is a part of life. Job said, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). But for the Christian, suffering takes on a different aspect.

Isaiah introduces us to the Savior who is portrayed, not as a mighty warrior, but as a suffering servant (Isa. 53:3-10). The Savior suffered at the hands of those who rebelled against God’s will (v. 6). He suffered both physical and mental anguish (vv. 3, 5). He also suffered from perverted judgment (vv. 8, 9).

His suffering also served the purpose of providing for his followers an example. Peter said in 1 Peter 2:20-24 that we are called to follow him that way so that we could not only experience his glory, but also his suffering; and in that suffering, we can learn to rely upon him who “judgeth righteously” (v. 23).

How Do We Suffer?

Certainly we understand that suffering can come in a physical way as happened to one like Stephen who suffered death for the sake of the Gospel (Acts 7:57-59). But suffering can come in different forms upon the child of God. Saints mourned the death of Stephen (Acts 8:2). Paul suffered out of concern for the brethren (2 Cor. 11:28). There is anxiety because of false teachers and what they can do to a congregation (Acts 20:27-31).

Beyond the suffering we endure personally, because of our willingness to stand for the truth, is that which comes from our daily relationships. We have concerns and stress because of family. Possibly, there is no greater fear we can have than that of fearing a loved one will be eternally lost. For example, a spouse becomes unfaithful or a child leaves the home and the Lord at the same time. Loved ones disagree over doctrine. The heartaches from these problems are just as real and painful as any lash upon a broken back.

Suffering can also be economic in nature. Paul told Timothy to warn others about the love of money (1 Tim. 6 5-10). Our proper attitude about money and trust in God to provide will cause us to fall behind the world’s standards. In this, we will be seen as plain and simple, incurring the ridicule of those whose God is mammon. We see then that suffering happens, but it may help to understand why.

Why Do We Suffer?

Simply stated, we suffer because of sin. The first sin caused the world to become a cursed place and man to lose his perfect fellowship with God (Gen. 3:15-19). The perfect relationship with God was corrupted, along with the perfect home he provided. Sin caused the perfect to become imperfect and the permanent to become temporal. And with that imperfection and temporal nature of things, suffering entered. As man advances in years, he will experience illness, loss of ability, fear, pain, and anxiety. Man is not immortal, and death comes to all. However, God provides a remedy. He reminds us that although we will suffer physical death, only those who remain in sin will suffer eternal death (Rom. 6:23).

We also suffer directly as a consequence of other’s sins. Stephen’s death by the rebellious Jews caused the saints to lament his passing (Acts 8:2). The saints suffered the pain and anguish of seeing a brother and friend die. We also suffer because sin affects more than the sinner. (1) The spouse and children of the alcoholic suffer shame. (2) The spouse and children of an adulterer suffer shame, hurt and anxiety. (3) Children of abusive parents suffer in silent fear, never knowing if anyone will help them. (4) Spouses and children suffer because of divorce.

Another reason we suffer is that it is part of God’s maturing plan. The writer of Hebrews says that suffering is one way that God shows his love and concern for us (Heb. 12:6-11). It also is a benefit for us in that it helps us to be   “. . . partakers of His holiness” (Heb. 12:10). James taught that by enduring trials we gain patience and strength (Jas. 1:2-4). Therefore, we can see a purpose in suffering (patience, maturity) and a promise in suffering (to become more like the Father).

Peter mentions another reason why we suffer, and that is to remind the world of Christ (1 Pet. 2:21-24). Sin caused Christ to suffer in order to purchase our redemption. As we live a Christ-like life, the world will treat us as it did him. We then become examples to the world for Christ.

What is the End Result of all This Suffering?

One thing is that we are reminded that it is possible to live and overcome suffering. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that God knows us, and knows that we can overcome our suffering because he provides a way of escape. For each one of us who is tried, there is the knowledge that we can overcome. God has made a promise that we can overcome; therefore, it’s up to us to work his will and trust his way to meet that end. Peter says that in suffering we can glorify God (1 Pet. 4:16). If we suffer for the cause of Christ, God is glorified. Shall we suffer for God, or complain because of a lack of faith? Shall we not rather endure that suffering, realizing that it is a blessing from the Father?

A final thought is that suffering reminds us of what awaits: Heaven. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:1: “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” The temporary nature of our surroundings and their ongoing decay remind us that all that we see is not eternal. That which is eternal is that which awaits us with the Father and the Son. That which awaits us is the perfect fellowship of the Father (Rev. 21:3) which was lost in the Garden because of sin. That which awaits us is the removal of all fleshly pain and sorrow (Rev. 21:4) which came about because of that first sin.

Conclusion

Why then is suffering different and distinct for the Christian? No one enjoys suffering, but at least we know that God understands. We know he has provided a way to escape, a way to glorify him, a way to help us grow. We know that suffering comes because of sin; and, we have the hope of its final removal because of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. We know that suffering is temporary and Heaven is eternal; and, God uses that suffering now to prepare us for Heaven later. May we ever learn to love him more and live to glorify him now that we may live with him forever.

By Keith Storment

“Peace on earth” sang the angels when they announced the birth of Jesus (Luke 2:14). But today, our old world knows so little of peace. Many spend their nights in futile tossing and turning, too worried about the troubles the next day may bring to find the sweet rest of sleep. Families are being torn asunder with bickering and strife. Local churches, intended by God to be a foretaste of Heaven on earth, are often filled with discord as supposed brothers and sisters in the Lord bite and devour one another. And on the international scene, the end of the great Cold War has not produced universal peace. Around the globe, nations stare across their borders with hatred, fear, and envy as the rumbles of tanks, guns, and war planes fill the air.

Is peace just an impossible dream? Perhaps, for many are unwilling to seek and follow the path of peace. Many today follow in the footsteps of doomed Jerusalem and close their eyes to the things that make for peace (Luke 19:44). But as the angels promised on that long ago night, there is a way of peace for those who are willing to strive to live in such a way that God will be pleased with them. Let us seek to learn the way of peace: in our lives, in our homes, in the church, and even in our nation.

The Prince of Peace

Centuries before the Savior was born, Isaiah prophesied that Jesus would be “The Prince of Peace” and spoke of the wonderful blessings his reign of peace would bring (Isa. 9:6-7). Jesus echoed the pronouncement of the angelic hosts and promised to give peace to his followers (John 14:27; 16:33). He shed his blood to provide peace for mankind (Eph. 2:14-18; Col. 1:20). But only those who are willing to render obedience by faith to Jesus can have access to his peace (Rom. 5:1-2). Today we face the question: Will we surrender our lives to the Prince of Peace or will we close our eyes to the things that make for peace?

The Peace That Jesus Gives

First and foremost, Jesus came to give peace between man and his God. Man by his sin has made himself the enemy of God. His sins have made a separation between himself and God (Isa. 59:1-2). He is dead in his trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1-2). Through Christ and his death, God seeks to reconcile the world to himself (2 Cor. 5:18-19). If we are willing to come into Christ, he will wash away our sins and restore us to fellowship with God (Acts 22:16; Eph. 2:16).

Those who find peace with God will receive the second great gift of peace: Peace with themselves. In the world we will still experience tribulation, but in Christ we can find a peaceful center of rest (John 16:33). If we have found peace with God we can sleep soundly at night, secure in the knowledge that he who sees each sparrow fall is watching over us (Matt. 10:29-31). We should not worry about food, clothing, and shelter because God will provide the necessities of life for those who put him first (Matt. 6:25-34). Rather than being anxious over what shall be tomorrow, Christians should take their worries to the Lord in believing prayer. We will find that the peace of God that passes all human understanding will guard our minds because we are in Christ (Phil. 4:6-7). “(Cast) all your cares upon him, because he cares for you” (1 Pet. 5:7). We cannot know what tomorrow holds, but we can know Who holds tomorrow!

The third great area in which Jesus provides peace is peace with others. Especially should this peace to be found among the fellow citizens of the kingdom of peace. When we find bickering and strife among those who claim to be God’s children, we must obviously conclude that at least some of those involved have not surrendered their will to the Prince of Peace. In Ephesians 2, Paul described the horrible state of alienation, hostility, and enmity that existed between Jews and Greeks (vv. 11-12). This hatred between Jews and Gentiles ran bone deep and generations old. The current hatred that often exists between the races in our society would only look as mild dislike compared to the hostility these two groups felt and often exhibited towards each other. But God wrought peace between them by providing reconciliation through the cross of Christ in his one body, the church (Eph. 2:14-16). So those who have rendered obedience to the message of peace are now at peace with God and each other (Eph. 2:17).

And we can often be at peace even with those who are enemies of Christ because of our peaceful nature. Paul exhorted us to be at peace with “all men” as much as we can (Rom. 12:18). But this peace is not to be purchased at the cost of truth. Jesus himself warned that for some his advent would bring a sword and not peace (Matt. 10:34). Sometimes we must unsheathe the sword of the Spirit and take up spiritual arms to defend the cause of the Prince of Peace. Jude wrote that we need to contend earnestly for the faith that God has once for all time delivered to his people (Jude 3).

An Example of a Peaceful Life

Consider Simon Peter as evidence of the great change that peace with God brings to the life of an individual. The gospels first introduce us to a Simon Peter who is a most un-peaceful man. He lacked peace with himself. While the great storm tosses Galilee’s waves, fearful Peter joins the other disciples in castigating the Lord for sleeping while they face imminent drowning (Mark 4:38). Peter was also violent and unpeaceful towards others. Perhaps Peter’s violence reached its peak the night of Jesus’ arrest when he reached out a sword and cut off the ear of a servant of the high priest named Malchus (John 18:10).

Earlier, Jesus had reached to the heart of Peter’s troubled soul when he told Simon his mind was not set on the interests of God but of men (Matt. 16:23). Later, the Savior warned Peter that the outcome of the apostle’s failure to find lasting peace with God would be a time of severe trial when Satan would sift him like wheat (Luke 21:31). That very night, Jesus’ words were fulfilled. Simon sank to the depths of selfishness, three times denying his Lord, at least once with cursing and swearing (Mark 14:71). But the Father answered the prayer of Jesus: Simon’s faith did not fail. At this point, a look from the Savior pierced his heart and with bitter tears Simon repented. Ever after, Simon Peter was a changed man — a source of strength to others (Luke 21:32; 61-62).

And for Simon, finding peace with God brought peace with himself. The Peter who had fearfully awakened Jesus that storm-tossed night on the Sea of Galilee now found the peace to sleep very well the night before Herod had purposed his execution. So soundly was he sleeping that the angel sent to deliver Peter had to strike him in the side to awaken him (Acts 12:6, 7). Simon had learned to sleep like Jesus, and we need to learn to sleep like Peter.

But not only did Simon find peace with himself, but he also found peace with others. When for a moment the old, selfish Peter resurfaced at Antioch, the apostle Paul was forced to administer a public rebuke (Gal. 2:12-14). But Simon Peter, the man who once had stretched out a sword in bloody violence against another, later wrote of Paul as his “beloved brother” (2 Pet. 3:15).

The life of Peter testifies that those who will submit to the Prince of Peace truly find “peace on earth” (Luke 2:14). If you are seeking peace in your life, then seek to live the life that Christians live. By submitting your will to the Lord and striving every day to put God first in your life, you also can experience “the peace of God that passes all understanding” (Phil. 4:7).

By Paul R. Blake

“Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil. 4:4). This instruction was written by the apostle Paul who was enduring strong trials while being inspired to write the book of Philippians. He suffered oppression from civil government, interference from his countrymen, and jealousy from some of his brethren. How could this sorely tried saint find cause to rejoice under these circumstances? His answer is in Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” Paul found strength in Christ to be joyful in the most difficult of times, because his joy as a Christian was the product of a right relationship with God. True joy cannot be generated and maintained by the purposes and plans of men.

What is Our Joy?

Joy is the resolutely happy, peace- fully content condition that comes from knowing and serving God. It is the emotional frame of mind that is excited by gaining what is good and by anticipating better things to come. Joy is not directly related to happiness, for happiness is dependent upon circumstances that are subject to change. On the other hand, the Christian’s joy is rooted in things that do not change, such as God’s promise of a home in heaven for the righteous, the forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, and our fellowship with God through his word.

In fact, joy can be experienced during affliction, and it can thrive in the hardest of times. Paul told the Corinthians that from one perspective he had cause to be sorrowful, but instead he found himself rejoicing (2 Cor. 6:10). He further states: “I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation” (2 Cor. 7:4). This is easily understood when we remember that our joy is based on a right relationship with God. Can suffering separate the devout from God? On the contrary, suffering draws the disciple closer to the Lord. Can a persecutor force himself in between the faithful and the Lord? Under persecution, children of God are refined and strengthened (1 Pet. 1:3-9). As long as our fellowship with God continues, our joy remains steadfast. Remember what Paul said in Philippians 4:4: “Rejoice in the Lord.

” What is the Source of Our Joy?

“I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the gar ments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isa. 61:10). We have great joy in God because it is through him that we have obtained remission of sins. He made it possible for man to be free from all unrighteousness and its attending consequences. How can one be unhappy who has had all guilt removed? How can one not be joyful who has had the sentence of spiritual death lifted? Paul pronounced a blessing on the Romans by saying, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing   . . .” (Rom. 15:13). God gives us joy through the happy condition of sinlessness. The Father also grants us joy through anticipation of a home in heaven. Jesus, because of the joy to which he looked forward, was able to endure the temporary suffering on the cross just by focusing on the promised reward (Heb. 12:2). Likewise, when we anticipate heaven, we are able joyfully to endure the temporary trials in the present life.

God is also the fountain of our joy in daily living. Through him we have joy in our families (Prov. 5:18), joy in food and things that sustain us (1 Tim. 4:4-5), and joy in our fellowship with other Christians (Phil. 4:1). God, as the giver of all things good, has certainly blessed us with strong cause to be filled with joy.

What is Unique About Our Joy?

First, one’s capacity for joy is increased by sorrow and trials. Jesus told his disciples that the sorrow they felt over his departure will make their joy even greater upon his return (John 16:20-22). Just as thirst can make a cool drink taste more refreshing, so present sorrows can help intensify appreciation for future joy. In the world, grief robs us of joy; in Christ, grief becomes an avenue for joy.

Second, true joy helps the Christian to discover profit and advantage in his sufferings. James instructs us to take joy in trials (Jas. 1:2-4), for trials bring patience, a much needed virtue for Christian living. The Hebrews took joy in the robbing of their property by persecutors because it reminded them of their great possessions in heaven (Heb. 10:34). The apostles joyfully viewed persecution as an affirmation that they were counted worthy to suffer for Christ (Acts 5:41). Jesus taught that those who suffer persecution should take joy in the sharing of suffering with himself and the prophets (Matt. 5:11-12). Outside Christ, suffering becomes a cause for anger and despair. Among Christians, burdens are looked upon as welcome opportunities.

 

Third, joy is shared among Christians. In Luke 15, Je- sus relates three parables designed to teach us to rejoice together, especially when the lost are restored to God’s favor and to our fellowship. In the parable of the lost sheep, the shepherd calls his neighbors together when he finds the sheep and says “Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost” (v. 6). In the account of the lost coin, the woman, upon finding the coin, summons her neighbors saying, “Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece which I had lost” (v. 9). Upon the return of the prodigal son, the father says to the envious older son, “It was right that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found” (v. 32). Joy begets joy among God’s children (Rom. 12:15; 1 Cor. 12:26); in the world, joy often produces jealousy in the hearts of others.

Lastly, Christian joy is burglar-proof; it cannot be stolen away by anyone or anything. Jesus said in John 16:22 that no man would be able to take away their joy. Grief and suffering do not have the capacity to rob us of joy; no man can steal our joy; no force of nature can diminish our joy. The lost have a joy that is easily taken away; the saved have a joy that cannot be moved. One might ask at this point: “If Christian joy cannot be taken away, then why are some Christians unhappy?” The answer is simple — our own sins diminish our joy. Our sin separates us from God (Isa. 59:2). Since our joy is based on a right relationship with God, when that relationship is damaged, our joy is dam- aged along with it. When David sinned, he acknowledged that he had to be restored to righteousness before he could find joy again (Ps. 51:8, 12).

Conclusion

Joy is not elusive; it is readily found by those who pursue righteousness. Joy is listed as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22, produced by those who live according to the guidance of the Word. If we walk in fellowship with God, Christian joy will be our companion along the path- way. “Rejoice in the Lord always; and again I say, Rejoice” (Phil. 4:4).

By Larry R. DeVore