Vantagens da Adversidade.

Esboço retirado de mensagem pelo Rev. Paul D. Friederichsen

(Escrito para conforto de outros, quando, como missionário ABWE nas Filipinas, ele e sua família ficaram num campo de concentração japonês, e quase morreram de inanição ...)



"Blessed be God . . . the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

2 Corinthians 1:3 and 4

Três fatos: (1) that adversity is inevitable but that (2) adversity is invaluable, and (3) that adversity is not invincible.

1) ADVERSITY IS INEVITABLE

God conducts a school of adversity in which many of the lessons are spelled out in tears, sweat and blood.
God has decreed distresses for His children.
The wilderness, is still the road to Canaan.
Gethsemane preceded glory.

"Ought not Christ to have suffered these things, and to enter into his glory?" (Luke 24:26).

"Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy. that in me first Jesus Christ might show forth all longsuffering for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting" (1 Timothy 1:16) .

"For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake'' (Acts 9:16).

2 Corinthians 11:23-28. (Our hardships are only a pinprick in comparison):
"In labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches."

Every work for God is opposed. All Satan' s territory that we invade is bitterly contended.
"They returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God."(Acts 14:21,22 ).

To be forewarned is to be forearmed:
"That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know" (1Thess. 3:3-4).

"For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake" (Phil. 1:29).

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps" (1 Pet. 2:21).

Sonship and suffering go together. "For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?"

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all" (Psa. 34:19).

"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matt. 10:16).

"Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." "Then said he unto the disciples, It is impossible but that offences will come: but woe unto him, through whom they come" (Luke 17:1). "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33).

Even though the Scriptures, then, fully inform us that adversity is inevitable, we need not let this discourage us. because. . .

2) ADVERSITY IS INVALUABLE

The best things of life come out of suffering:
Before the flowers can adorn our gardens, the soil must be broken and the weeds pulled.
Before the symmetrical statue can he erected, the marble must be quarried, sawn and chiseled.
Before the orchestra can send forth its harmony. the instruments must pass through a process of tuning.
Before the body can enjoy healing, the bitter medicine must be applied.
Before the day of graduation, years of study must he passed.

Adversity is invaluable to our character.

"It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" (Psa. 119:71) .

Trouble drives us to the heart of the Word and the Word into our heart. Adversity not only causes us to learn God 's Word but also to keep it. "It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes" (Psa. 119:71).

Trouble drives us to the heart of the Word and the Word into our heart. Adversity not only causes us to learn God's Word, but also to keep it. "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word" (Psa. 119:67).

It is one thing to know the Bible and another thing to keep and obey it. Suffering is the school of obedience. "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered" (Heb. 5:8).

Sonship nor any amount of holiness, or love or prayer can exempt us from the school of adversity. Yet suffering does not mar sonship; rather it is the greatest teacher. Because it touches our self, and sweeps away all shame, thus molding our character and deepening it in holiness and righteousness.
"For they [the fathers of our flesh] verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Heb. 12:10-11).

Often the Lord must permit us to get into trouble in order to draw us back to Himself. "Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me" (Psa. 138:7).
It is in the center of disaster that He revives us, not fails us. Have we a broken and contrite heart which God will not despise?

Peter shows us some of the remarkable results of suffering:
"But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you" (1 Pet. 5:10).

We are made perfect, mature, fully equipped as a soldier for useful duty. Suffering establishes and strengthens us to be firm and powerful to resist attack. It settles us, giving us as a tree a firm rooting and grounding so that we shall not be moved.

A tree transplanted every week would not flourish. Thus adversity is the process used to help us become set in new and permanent and godly habits of life. This advancement in character is also referred to in James 1:3,4. "The trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." Patience is a pearl found only in the deep sea of affliction.

Character-building: Romans 5:3, 4. "We glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience [endurance]; And patience, experience [approvedness]; and experience, hope."

Those who know Him in the fellowship of His sufferings are those who he become conformed to His likeness. "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: "But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers [sharers] of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (1 Pet 4:12-13).

"But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold'' (Job 23: 10).

Suffering is the preparation for the service of sympathy.

Adversity will not only prepare us for a service of sympathy, but it will also make us fruitful in the service of the salvation of sinners. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth [pruneth] it, that it may bring forth more fruit" (Jn. 15:2). The knife of adversity is often used to cut away superfluous leaves and branches that prevent the life-giving sap from producing precious fruit.

"But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel; So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places; And many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear" (Phil. 1:12-14).

Adversity is not only invaluable to us in this life for our character and conduct, but also in the life to come for our capacity for glory.

"For our light affliction, which is but for a moment. worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17) . If we only realized the work which our daily tribulations perform for us in storing up a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory for future enjoyment, we would not shun and despise them. but rather welcome all that God permits.

Romans 8:17, 18: "If so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

"That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ." ( l Pet. 1 7).

How often, however, we show a perverted sense of values, for we act as savages bartering away gold for trinkets. Our Lord counsels us to buy of Him gold tried in the fire that we may be rich.

The afflicted Hebrew Christians were commended for the manner in which they suffered the loss of material things in this life because they valued the things of the next life. "For ye had compassion of me in my bonds, and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods, knowing in yourselves that ye have in heaven a better and an enduring substance" (Heb. 10:34).

3) ADVERSITY IS NOT INVINCIBLE

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?....Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Rom. 8:35-37).

What secret weapon is rejoicing!:
"The joy of the LORD is your strength" (Neh. 8:10).

But notice that this joy is not mere pumped-up exuberance that the world calls joy. It is the joy of the Lord; a joy from God! because of God and in God! "But rejoice inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that! when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy" (l Pet. 4:l3).
"My brethren, count it all joy when we fall into diverse temptations and trials" (Jas. 1:2).

"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world" (Jn. 16:33).
For "all things work together for good to them that love God" (Rom. 8:28).
Thus we are more than conquerors, for we have full assurance of victory all through the battle. "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name" (Acts 5:41).

We are able to rejoice in suffering for Christ's sake because it is by Christ's appointment and with Christ's support,
"...and took joyfully the spoiling of your goods" (see Heb. 10:32-35).
"Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" (Matt. 5:11-12).
"We glory in tribulations .." (Rom. 5:3).
"Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong" (2 Cor. 12:9-10).

Note the emphasis on rejoicing by the Old Testament prophet in trial.
"Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation" (Hab. 3:17-18).

Paul was warned of the sufferings ahead, but notice his emphasis on rejoicing:
"And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there: Save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:22-24).

• Out of Joseph's imprisonment came the preservation of a nation.

• Out of John's imprisonment emerged the book of Revelation.

• Out of Paul's imprisonment flowed the highest revelation of the Scriptures-the prison epistles.

• Out of Bunyan's imprisonment came Pilgrim's Progress.

Truly, they were more than conquerors, even though captives. So, likewise, if we simply possess our possessions, we shall find that although adversity is inevitable, it is invaluable, and that it is not invincible because we are, literally,… "more than conquerors through him that loved us" (Rom. 8:37).