Lesson 6 Scriptures

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Suffering is an Important Part of the Spiritual Journey

Romans 5 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned... death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam...

2 Cor 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.

1 Peter 5:10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

It has often been questioned, "If God is a God of love why does He permit suffering?" The answer to this is clearly taught in the Bible where we see a number of reasons for suffering.
The first reason is that God's wrath comes against all ungodliness.

Romans 2:9 There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

This is the case with all people, no one is exempt whether you are a Christian or not. It is just as much a fact as is the truth that if you stick your hand into a fire you will get burned.

This produces hope for the Christian so that we do not grieve as unsaved people do over natural death for those who have died in Christ will be resurrected with new eternal bodies.

Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

20 For the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.

God encourages us not to give up in frustration because even though we see this old body facing death the spiritual man within us is growing stronger as we travel this life.

Death is the natural wages of sin and Gods answer to death is eternal life.

Rom 5 And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4 and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

James 1:2 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4 And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

The second reason why people suffer is because of death which entered the world through sin. From the moment you are born you begin to die and that death process of the natural body brings sickness and suffering.

God has designed for the Christian to rise above suffering not by toleration or by escape but by rejoicing. Because God has given purpose to suffering and that purpose is to develop the character of Christ is us it means that we can greatly rejoice in the suffering that come upon us.

There are a number of reasons why we suffer throughout our lives. Each one of these reason is from the hand of God and for those who love Him they produce and develop the very nature of Jesus within us. Therefore we accept all that we receive as from the hand of God with thankfulness and rejoicing. When we look back on it from eternity we will have no problem understanding that it was worth it all. If we by faith look ahead at what God has for us in the future we will also be able to understand that all that we are going through now is certainly worth the cost to know Christ Jesus our Lord.

Isn't that exciting?
Come on, lets go on and take a closer look at this.

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Rom 6:23 Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1Peter 1:6 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

The third reason for suffering is because God has subjected the whole of creation to futility. The reason for this is to create a hope within man for something much better, so that we can fix our eyes on a freedom that is coming for the children of God.

Heb 12 MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 6 FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES, AND HE SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES." 7

A fourth reason why there is suffering on this earth is because God is a loving Father who disciplines His children. When we disobey our Father He lovingly brings His discipline upon us to bring us back into line with the life we ought to be living and the blessings and benefits of that life. To let us get away with evil would be disasterous to the Christian.

This type of suffering only comes upon those who are God's children. Those who do not know Him do not have the benefit of His loving discipline. This is the answer to the question of Psalm 73 that David asked about why the ungodly appeared to have such prosperity.

God has made suffering a whole new thing to the believer by giving it a purpose in the Christian's life that surpasses the agony of the suffering.

Rom 8:18 For I consider the sufferings of this present age are not worthy to be compare with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

1 Peter 5:10 After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

I Thessalonians 4: 13 "so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. "

Romas 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.

But right now creation is going through a "childbirth" which causes a groaning (tribulations) within all of creation for that new life that is coming in the future.

Romans 8:23 ...even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. 24 For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees?

Not only is this "groaning" taking place in creation but also within ourselves as each individual is also "groaning" as we wait for the coming of Christ and the time when we will receive a new body that is set free from the slavery to sin and suffering.

It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

Hebrews 12:10 He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. 11 All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

God has a purpose for discipline and that is to produce in us the fruit of righteousnes. So we suffer under the hand of God but it is worth it for the benefit it produces within us for eternity.

2 Timothy 3:12 Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

John 15:20 "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.

There is a fifth reason why we suffer and that is because we are persecuted for our faith. We are not greater than Christ, our Master, and since people persecuted Him because He stood for righteousness, they will persecute us also.

If you set out to live a godly life it cuts into the heart of those who desire to live in the world and they will lash out at you. Surprizingly much of the persecution of Christians comes from other Christians who do not have the same disire as you have for godliness.

James says that when we see various kinds of suffering coming upon us to rejoice knowing that this testing will produce the perfection of the work of God in us. It is because of what it will bring in the future that we can rejoice in it now.

This is exactly what happen in the life of Christ who set His eyes upon the great joy that was set before Him and that gave Him the power to endure the suffering of the cross.

Hebrews 12:2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

God only send suffering upon us if it is necessary for the development of the life of Christ within us. But when He does it produces in us that which is more precious than gold - faith, and will result in glory at the coming of Christ. This causes us to greatly rejoice in Him.