by Homer Duncan
Alas! We live in a sin-sick, war-torn, hate filled, suffering, and bleeding world. Broken hearts, broken homes, broken lives! Physical suffering, mental anguish, heartaches and tears!
Consider the abject poverty. Look at the hovels called homes. Look at the thousands of rag-covered, worm-filled bodies of people in many parts of the world.
Hospitals are filled with broken bodies. Jails and penitentiaries are filled with lives that are marred by sin. Mental institutions are filled with people whose minds and hearts are torn with anguish. Walk down the skid row in any great city and see human derelicts that were once upright men and women.
What is the cause of all of this suffering? If God is a God of love, if He is all-powerful why does He permit these terrible conditions to exist? In this chapter we will search the Scriptures seeking to discover some answers to these questions.
The causes of suffering can be divided into at least three categories.
First, people suffer when they break the laws of nature. If a man falls off of a high cliff, his body will be broken when he hits the bottom. If a pan of scalding water is accidently spilled on a child, suffering will result.
Second, most of the suffering in the world is caused by the sinfulness of men. Most of the human race is in rebellion against God. Men have spurned His ways, and they have chosen to walk on the broad road that leads to destruction rather than on the narrow road that leads to life. When men, in their own will, choose to listen to Satan rather than to God, they bring sorrow and suffering upon themselves.
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man [or nation] sows, that shall he also reap. For he who sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Gal. 6:7,8).
The suffering of the human race is being intensified, and will reach its climax in the Great Tribulation (Rev. 6-19). In those days men will desire to die and death will flee from them, they will gnaw their tongue for pain and will curse and blaspheme the God of Heaven (Rev. 8:6, 16:10,11).
The sufferings of unregenerate men will be consummated in Hell where Christ rejecters will "drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascends up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name" (Rev. 14:10,11).
But we still have the third category of suffering. Why do godly people suffer? All suffering is not caused by sin. Often great saints are great sufferers. Sainthood springs from suffering. Satan, our arch enemy, needlessly torments many of the children of God by making them think they are suffering because of some sin or mistake they have made.
As we search the Scriptures we shall discover at least sixteen reasons why the godly suffer.
1. Suffering is necessary to conform us to Christ. God's great purpose in redemption is not only to save us from hell and to take us to heaven when we die. He desires to conform us to the image of His Son (Rom. 8:29). This mighty transformation is not wrought in us by some mechanical means, but through testings, trials, sorrows and heartaches. The Christian life is a constant process of refining. Much dross must be burned out of our lives, so that we will be the finest gold for the Savior's crown.
2. Suffering develops character. God does not want a lot of hothouse plants that wilt under the heat of adversity; He wants mighty oaks that can stand the fiercest storms. If we are to be able to stand against the host of hell we must let the tempest drive our roots deep into the rocks of God's grace.
3. Suffering brings us into a closer relationship with Christ. Most of what we know about Christ is learned from the Bible; we come to know Him better as we spend time with Him in prayer, but if we are to know Him in a deeper way, we must suffer afflictions.
All of us remember the story of the three Hebrew men in the fiery furnace. These three men refused to bow down and worship Nebuchadnezzar's image, and as a result they were cast alive into the fiery furnace. The king said, "Did we not cast three men into the furnace? But I see four, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God" (Dan. 3:25). The Lord Jesus goes with us when we pass through fiery trials. God has given us this wonderful promise, "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and through the rivers, they shall not over flow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle up on you" (Isa. 43:2).
4. Suffering draws us to Christ. If we never have any difficulties to overcome or problems to face, we seek to get by without God's help. Trials and hardships draw us to Christ. They compel us to lean heavily on Him. When Paul was pressed out of measure above strength, insomuch that he even despaired of life; it drove him to trust in God who raised the dead (2 Cor. 1:8,9).
5. Suffering keeps us from going astray. Even though we are born from above by the Spirit of God, we still have a depraved heart and an evil sin nature. "Prone to wander Lord I feel it; prone to leave the God I love." The trials of life either make us or break us. The afflictions we suffer either draw us to God or drive us from God. David said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word" (Ps. 119:67).
6. We suffer for Christ's sake. If we are children of God, we shall be partakers of Christ's sufferings. "We are the children of God: and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together" (Rom. 8:16-17). "For hereunto were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps" (1 Pet. 2:21). "Forasmuch then as Christ has suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourself with the same mind: for He that suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin" (1 Pet. 4:1). "But rejoice in as much as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed you may be glad with exceeding joy" (1 Pet. 4:13).
7. Suffering helps us in a small measure to value more highly the sufferings of Christ. All of the sins of the whole world were put on Him when He died on the cross. The song writer speaks of "His bitterest agony." If we do not know something of suffering, we are prone to lightly consider His sufferings.
8. We are to enter into the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. There is another sense in which we enter into the fellowship of Christ's sufferings. Paul expressed it in this way, "That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being made conformable unto His death" (Phil. 3:10). We usually think of Christ's sufferings as being in the past, but there is a very real sense in which He suffers now. When He walked on the shores of Galilee, He was moved with compassion when He saw the multitudes scattered as sheep having no shepherd. Compassion means "to suffer with." Jesus suffered with and became identified with lost humanity. "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Heb. 13:8). His heart is moved with compassion as He sees the suffering multitudes. If Jesus Christ lives in us, He will express His love and compassion through us for a lost and suffering world.
9. Obedience is learned through suffering. Though Jesus is the Son of God, He learned obedience through the things which He suffered (Heb. 5:8). He was made perfect through suffering (Heb. 5:9). Do these statements pose a problem for you? Do you say, "I thought He was perfect. How could He be made perfect?" The answer is simple. He was perfect in person and character, but He was not perfect in His calling and vocation. It was not until He bowed His head on the cross with the victorious cry, "It is finished," that He was made perfect in His vocation, in the work that His Father had called Him to do. Since the Lord Jesus was made perfect through suffering, how much more is it necessary for us to suffer in order for us to be what God wants us to be.
10. God chastens His children when they sin against him. It hurt when our parents gave us a spanking, and it hurts when our loving Heavenly Father spanks us.
My wife's grandmother was called "Gronnie." On one occasion she switched one of the children for misconduct; the chastened one said to the other children, "You had better be good, because Gronnie's little switch ‘shore do’ hurt."
Yes, it does hurt; it causes suffering when God has to chasten us. God does not chasten us every time we sin. If He did we would be chastened most of the time.
When we sin He rebukes us, He convicts us, and He gives us an opportunity to confess and forsake our sin. But, if through the hardness of our heart we refuse to confess our sins there is no alternative but that we must be chastened. Our Heavenly Father chastens us in infinite love and wisdom.
The sin unto death is persistence in sin which refuses to be corrected by the chastening of God. This sin does not condemn us to Hell, but results in our being called home to the Father.
11. A thorn in the flesh caused the Apostle Paul to suffer. Paul had been caught up into paradise, and had heard and seen things that no other man had ever beheld, and lest he should be exalted above measure, there was given unto him, a "thorn in the flesh" to buffet him (2 Cor. 12:9). There is no need to speculate what this "thorn in the flesh" may have been. Paul calls it a "messenger of Satan." It was sent of God to keep him humble. Surely many of God's most gifted servants must in some way be afflicted lest they be lifted up through the pride of their own heart.
12. Faithful Christians are often persecuted for Christ's sake. The early Christians rejoiced in that they were counted worthy to suffer for His name (Acts 5:41). When Paul heard that the saints at Philippi were being persecuted he wrote to them, "For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His name sake." The hills of Palestine were covered with crosses of Christians who were crucified for their faith.
It is estimated that 50 million Christians died for their faith in the Dark Ages. More Christians have died for their faith in the 20th Century than in all of the previous nineteen centuries. In countries where nominal Christianity is popular there is not much persecution for Christ's sake, but in many parts of the world believers are called on to pay a tremendous price when they exercise saving faith in the Son of God. If more of us were "out-and-out" for Christ we too would learn the meaning of being persecuted. The Bible teaches, "All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution" (2 Tim. 3:12). The preacher who is always "positive in his preaching" is not likely to be persecuted, but the weeping prophet like Jeremiah, or he who wields a sharp sword like Isaiah is sure to arouse the wrath of the enemy of souls.
13. Suffering rightly borne brings others to Christ. Dr. George W. Truett tells of a Christian girl who married an ungodly unbeliever.
This dear girl, a wonderful Christian, was wooed and won by a handsome young fellow, but since he was a scorner of the things of God, she went into that atmosphere. His parents and his grandparents were also strong unbelievers. All of them lived in the same big home. This girl faced a daily trial of her faith. The most insidious attacks were made on her faith, from every, but she remained calm, steadfast and true to Jesus. She had to make her way to the house of God alone. This went on for about a year.
One day, as she moved about her duties in the kitchen, her clothing caught fire, and before they could reach her, she had received burns from which she died a few hours later.
But while she lived, she was conscious to the end. She bore her sufferings with all the glorious devotion of some mighty martyr for God. Not a word of reproach or bitterness escaped her lips. She went on quoting God's great and precious promises to the last. When it was evident to her that she was dying, she stretched out her charred, blackened, once beautiful hands and arms, and tried to put them around her husband's neck, and said: "Poor Charlie, the thing that tries me, and the only thing, about going away, is that I have not lived long enough to teach you and your dear parents and dear grandparents that Jesus is real. He is a wonderful Saviour who wants to help us. He is our refuge in every time of trouble and need."
Then she passed away. The funeral was conducted, and her body was laid to rest.
The family returned home; the day died down to nightfall; the bereaved ones sat by the open fire. Presently the young husband stirred and said to his father and grandfather, "Mary had what the rest of us do not have; I am going to seek her Saviour."
The old grandfather stirred, came over to his son and grandson, and laid his hand on the head of each and said, "My sons, you are right. Mary did have what the rest of us do not have, and I am going to seek her Saviour, too."
In three days those men found Christ, as did several of their loved ones.
This little woman who was called to pass through the vale of deepest darkness and suffering honored her God through it all. Her testimony was irresistible.
Be careful how you behave when trouble comes on you! If you carp, and cavil, and criticize, and murmur, and are evil in your speech, oh, how you dishonor God! Trouble rightly borne will surely honor God.
14. We must suffer to be true comforters. God is "the God of all comfort" (2 Cor. 1:3). He "comforts us in all of our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abounds by Christ" (2 Cor. 1:4,5). God usually comforts us by some person who has trod the same road we are treading.
When you are in trouble and need help, to whom do you go? To some light-hearted, frivolous person? No, you will seek some saint of God who has weathered many a storm. Those who have suffered the loss of loved ones can help others who are going through the same trial.
God uses His word to comfort and to encourage those who are going through trials.
15. Suffering defeats Satan. The Book of Job is one of the most misunderstood books in the Bible. Most of us join in with Job's three friends, and believe Job was suffering for some secret sins. This is a common reaction on the part of many people today. When we see someone who is having much trouble, we usually say or think, "I wonder what they did to bring all of this trouble on themselves." When Job's friends saw his severe affliction, they reasoned that such terrible suffering must be caused by great sin.
The Bible says that Job was a perfect and upright man who feared God and shunned evil. When Satan came into the presence of the Lord he taunted God by saying that Job feared God only for what he got out of it. Satan said, "Put forth your hand, and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face" (Job 1:11). God told Satan to take all Job had, but not to touch him. Everything Job had was swept away, but Job retained his integrity.
Some time later Satan again came into the presence of the Lord. The Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant, Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and upright man, one that fears God, and shuns evil and still he holds fast his integrity, although you moved me against him to destroy him without cause" (Job 2:3). Satan is not satisfied. This time He said, "Touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face" (Job 2:5). God turned Job over to Satan with only the stipulation that Satan would spare his life. Satan smote Job with sore boils from the crown of his head to the soles of his feet.
Job's friends gathered around to comfort him, but they were miserable comforters. They could only reason by what they saw; they did not have all of the facts in their possession, and for this reason they reached erroneous conclusions.
Job was not suffering for his sins, but that God might demonstrate to Satan that Job would retain his integrity in spite of all of his afflictions.
Is it not reasonable to believe that many of God's choice saints suffer for the same reason today?
16. Our present sufferings are not worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed in us. The afflictions of some Christians are "light" when they are compared with what other Christians may be called on to suffer. Perhaps this is because God knows most of us are not able to bear great suffering. When I was a young preacher I prayed, "O God, take me; break me; mold and make me after Thy will." God took me at my word, and a short time later sent some testings and trials for me to bear. I whimpered like a sick puppy, and said, "What have I done to deserve this?"
Paul says these afflictions are "but for a moment" (2 Cor. 4:17).
Peter said, they are "for a season" (1 Pet. 1:6). Some seasons can be rather long!
The important thing is that these trials, "which are but for a moment, work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17).
We must remember not to look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Cor. 4:18).
There are many wonderful promises to sustain us in the hour of trial. "God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that you may be able to bear it"(1 Cor. 10:13).
I have a preacher friend who fell into sin. He told me, "God made a way of escape, but I did not take it."
No matter what may come to us, God gives to us this promise: "In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 8:37-39).
Sometimes we cry out that God's grace may be sufficient, but He says, "My grace is sufficient for you: for My strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me" (2 Cor. 12:9).
Isaiah 41:10 has sustained me for many years. "Fear not; for I am with you: be not dismayed; for I am your God: I will strengthen you; yes, I will help you; yes, I will uphold you with the right hand of my righteousness."
It is true that there is much that we cannot understand now, but one day we shall know even as we are known. We must believe when we cannot understand. There are many things that we cannot fully know until we stand in His presence, but even in this life there is a blessed "nevertheless afterwards" for those who walk by faith.
Not until each loom is silent,
And the shuttles cease to fly,
Will God unroll the pattern
And explain the reason why
The dark threads are as needful
In the Weaver's skillful hand,
As the threads of gold and silver
For the pattern which He planned.
Esther Kerr Rusthoi wrote the following wonderful and encouraging words:
When We See Christ
It will be worth it all
When we see Jesus,
Life's trials will seem so small
When we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face
All sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race
Till we see Christ.
