Understanding Christian Suffering
I Peter 1:6-7
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A Charlotte, North Carolina, pastor and his wife have been hit by unthinkable tragedy, losing their 2-year-old son and newborn child in just matter of days. Gentry and Hadley Eddings were driving home to Charlotte as part of a caravan on Saturday when a truck struck the vehicle transporting Hadley and the couple’s son, Dobbs. Hadley Eddings, was eight months pregnant, (and she) survived, but needed an emergency C-section. Dobbs (their oldest son) did not survive the crash, and the newborn baby, Reed, was ultimately declared dead.David Chadwick, the senior pastor at Forest Hill Church, delivered the tragic news to church members on Tuesday:He stated that: “Gentry and Hadley are beloved by us all…He is a man of enormous integrity. They both possess a deep faith. But it will be challenged in the days and weeks to come like no other time.”The couple is now leaning on their faith and prayers to get them through what will certainly be the most trying period in their lives.(Source:http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/05/26/charlotte-pastor-wife-lose-newborn-child-days-after-their-2-year-old-son-died-in-tragic-crash/)
In the comments section of this article someone asked the question "How could a loving God allow this to happen to one of His own servants?" To that I would say... the same way He allowed His only Son to go to a rugged cross and die for the sins of the world. But WHY is a question that has persisted throughout the ages.One that most likely each person here has asked at one time or another.... "Why do bad things happen to good people"? My favorite answer to that question comes for J. Vernon McGee. Someone wrote to him and asked that question and his response was " The answer is simple, there are no good people. For the Bible tells us in Romans 3:12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."
Perhaps a better way to ask the question would be "why do the righteous suffer?" That is the question that was asked of C.S. Lewis, He replied "Why not?... They're the only ones who can take it." Suffering is covered extensively in the Bible. The Book of Job spends 42 Chapters on the subject. Jeremiah, Lamentations, Habakkuk and other Old Testament books spend a great deal of time considering human suffering. We read in depth of the struggles that the Children of Israel faced in the wilderness. We read of their captivity and slavery. About 1/3 of the Psalms speak of doubt, frustration, disappointment and pain. In the New Testament we see the intense sufferings of our Savior. Jesus faced more pain and suffering than anyone in history. And if God would allow that to happen to His only Son, then why should we expect to be exempt? We also see the immense suffering in the lives of the Apostles of Christ. Many times they were arrested and they faced physical harm and even lost their lives as a result of their devotion to Christ. But these men found a way to rejoice in their persecution
Since the beginning of the Christian church, Christ's followers have suffered. As a result of their devotion to Christ many in the early church were Beaten, Exiled, Beheaded, Crucified, Stoned, Pierced with spears, Burned alive and faced many other violent forms of persecution. And there are born again children of God suffering and dying all over the world today. Though we may not have faced physical persecution or death, many of us here know about the "fiery trials" that Peter is speaking of in our selected text. This life is filled with trouble and the Christian may say " I am a child of God, why is this happening to me?" Many times I have heard people say, there is just no answer to that question! That is not the case! In fact there are several answers:
1. We live in a fallen creation. One of the consequences of man's sin in the Garden is the suffering that the entire world encounters.
2. Troubles and suffering also come as a result of sin in the life of the Christian. Our Father loves us enough to discipline and chastise us. If you look to the life of King David (A man after God's own heart) you will see great suffering as a result of his sinful choices and actions. If there is sin in your life, you can expect the same result.
3. Perhaps most common reason for suffering, is the fact that God is using suffering and trouble to strengthen your faith. And that is what I would like to consider today. I pray that you will be encouraged when you see just why you may be enduring troubles and suffering right now.
I would like to look to I Peter 1:6-9 and consider the thought "Understanding Christian Suffering". I have no illusions that we will ever learn to enjoy suffering, but through the scriptures we can understand the purpose of them., and even rejoice in the midst of them.
Peter is attempting to encourage his readers in the midst of their sufferings. And to prepare them for the trials that they would encounter. Let's begin in verse 6 and examine:
I. THE REALITY OF CHRISTIAN SUFFERING - v6 ... though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
Those who are facing these tough times and "manifold temptations" are the people of God. There is a common misconception that once you are saved you are shielded from trouble. This idea is propagated by many health and wealth preachers in our day. I can tell you from personal experience and Biblical truth that Christians FACE GREAT TROUBLES!! Christians have bills that they can't pay. Christians face marriage troubles and even divorce. Christians have strokes and heart attacks. Christians get cancer. Christians deal with diabetes and arthritis. Christians have rebellious children. Christians have to stand at the grave of a child, spouse or parent and say goodbye.
You may be here today and you are walking through a deep dark valley. You are at rock bottom and it may seem that you are alone. You don't know which way is up...You may even feel that you can't go on. Remember this, though you can't understand WHY this is happening, you serve a sovereign God Who has a plan for your life. In fact, He not only allowed these things to happen to you...in many cases HE CAUSED IT!!! There is an old saying that "If God brought you to it, He will bring you through it!!" Sometimes troubles, trials and tragedy hit us out of nowhere. Maybe you are dealing with a circumstance or situation that you never could have expected. Understand this, God was not surprised! He knew about it before it happened. And He sees your pain and struggles right now. But He also sees the end result and He knows the benefit that this "fiery trial" will have on your life! In these verses, Peter is talking about much more that just having a bad day. He is not referring to those times when things just don't go your way. Notice the words that he uses: "ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations" Heaviness means distress, Manifold means various and Temptations speaks of adversity. The picture that Peter paints is one of trouble on every side and the devastating consequences that come with the trouble.
Have you ever noticed that when trouble comes it just keeps on coming. When you think things can't get any worse they do. Have you ever hit rock bottom and then the bottom falls out? That my friend is "manifold temptations". Some of you have been there before, some are headed there and some are there as we speak. if you are you may just want to know WHY? Maybe you want to "Understand Christian Suffering" . Well, we don't just see the reality of Christian Suffering, in verse 7 we see:
II. THE REASON FOR CHRISTIAN SUFFERING - v7 ...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:
This verse answers the age old question... "WHY??" Peter tells us in this verse that trials and suffering prove us and they purify us! Consider:
A. TRIALS AND SUFFERING PROVE US - Peter speaks of "the trial of your faith" . Let's consider the context for a moment...We must remember the time in which this Epistle was written and remember who it was written to. Those in the early church often were faced with the choice to either renounce Jesus and live or to cleave to Him and die. ---- This was the case for Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna, was scheduled to be burned at the stake.He was carried before the proconsul, and told that if he would renounce Christ he would be released.Polycarp answered, “86 years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me?”
These early Christians lived with the very real possibility of being martyred for their faith. And this still happens all over the world today. Gold is proved to be Gold by being put to the fire. If the matter is put to the fire and it does not lose its nature, weight or color then it is the real deal. So to is the Christian who is put to the fire of suffering and trials. Genuine faith is proved by adversities. Interesting note: God already knows whether or not our faith is genuine! The benefit of this "proving" or testing our "faith" is for us! When we come through a trial and still trust the Lord we are assured that our faith is genuine. Not only do trials and suffering "prove us". We also see that:
B. TRIALS AND SUFFERING PURIFY US - Trials are designed to "test our faith". When we face great difficulty we may question the reality of God. We may ponder whether or not He is there... We may feel that He doesn't care. And there are many who have walked away in the midst of these "fiery trials" . But it is in these times of intense suffering and trouble that we see God at work. When we are in the valley God makes His presence known in a mighty way.
Let's consider for a moment who is writing this Epistle. We are reading words of a man who knows first hand about Christian suffering. He is not relaying second hand information, he is an authority on the subject. In Acts chapter 4 Peter was seized and imprisoned for preaching Jesus. Then again in Acts 12 Herod had him arrested with the full intention of beheading him just as he had done to James. Even as he penned these words he knew that the day was coming when he would give his life for the cause of Christ. He knew this because Jesus had told him so. John 21:18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
Yes, Peter knew what he was talking about! And he reveals why he faced these things. He explained to the early church why they were suffering, and the truth found in these verses applies to us today. Look to verse 7 again - He says "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:
Here he uses the illustration of the refining process that gold goes through. Raw gold is placed in the fire. The intense heat melts the metal. When this happens the dross (the impurities) comes to the top. Those impurities are skimmed off. This results in a gold that is more pure and valuable metal than it was before going into the furnace. The same process is used for silver. A silversmith will place raw silver in the furnace and leave it in the fire until he can see his own image reflected on the surface of the silver. That is what God does, He puts us in the fire and He will leave us there until He can see His reflection in our lives!!!
God will not begin a work and then stop halfway. He will continue the refining process until it is complete. - Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Those trials that you are facing...the suffering that you must endure... these things will purify you and make you stronger in the Lord. These "fiery trials" will remove the impurities from our lives. And this will bring us into a closer more pure relationship with the Lord. We may not see the benefit of our suffering today. For we may be blinded by circumstance, but when we stand before the Lord in Heaven, and we are rewarded for our walk with Him and for the sufferings we endured below, it will be worth it all - 2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
He sat by the fire of seven-fold heat,
As He watched the precious ore.
And closer He bent with a searching gaze
As He heated it more and more.
He knew He had ore that could stand the test
And He wanted the finest gold,
To mold as a crown for the King to wear,
Set with gems of price untold.
So He laid our gold in the burning fire,
Though we fain would have said Him, "Nay."
And He watched the dross that we had not seen,
As it melted and passed away.
And the gold grew brighter, and yet more bright
And our eyes were so dim with tears,
As we saw the fire, not the Master's hand,
And questioned with anxious fear.
Yet our gold shone out with a richer glow,
As it mirrored a Form above
That bent o'er the fire, though unseen by us
With a look of infinite love.
Can we think that it pleases His loving heart
To cause a moment of pain?
Ah, no, but He saw through the present cross
The bliss of eternal gain.
So He waited there with a watchful eye,
With a love that is strong and sure,
And His gold did not suffer a bit more heat
Than was needed to make it pure!
No matter what trials, troubles and suffering you are dealing with today, remember Who is in control! And when you grasp the fact that God is leading you through the fire, then you can rejoice even in the toughest time of your life. In fact that is what Peter encourages us to do. Look back with me to verse 6 as we consider:
III. THE REJOICING IN CHRISTIAN SUFFERING - v6 "Wherein ye greatly rejoice"
Peter encourages us to be truly glad and rejoice in the midst of these "trials and sufferings". For there is great joy and blessing ahead for the Child of God. Even in the fire we can anticipate that wonderful day, when we will be with Jesus for all of eternity. We must remember that though we are in the world we are not of the world. AS we saw in the opening verses of this chapter we are just "pilgrims and strangers" passing through. We can rejoice in the midst of our trials because they are temporary. We can rejoice in the midst of our trials because they were not a mistake or surprise to God, they are a part of His greater plan for our lives.
A little boy was telling his Grandma how "everything" is going wrong ... school, family problems, severe health problems, etc. Meanwhile, Grandma was baking a cake. She asked the child if he would like a snack, which of course he did. "Here. Have some cooking oil." "Yuck," says the boy. "How about a couple of raw eggs?" "Gross, Grandma." "Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?" "Grandma, those are all yucky!” To which the Grandma replies: "Yes, all those things taste bad all by themselves. It’s only when they are put together in just the right way, and are placed into the heat of the oven, that they make a wonderfully delicious cake! God works in our lives in the very same way. He takes all the “yucky” elements of our lives and eventually blends all those “raw elements” - that taste so bad - into a masterpiece. Consider what Paul says in Romans 5:4 ...we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope. - Remember, even in the fire GOD HAS A PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE!!!
We can rejoice in the midst of our trials because they are an evidence of our salvation. We can rejoice in the midst of our trials because no matter how hot the fire, we are secure! We can rejoice in the midst of our trials because the Father will receive glory from our lives and even our circumstances! We can rejoice in the midst of our trials because we don't have to walk through the fire alone. Jason Crab said - “Everyone walks through the fire of adversity, but whatever your experiences—joys or sorrows—our amazing God can use every bit of your life to produce the most unexpected results"
It is in your suffering that you become more aware of God. It is in your suffering that you see His strength and your weakness. It is in your suffering that you are willing to trust in Him and not yourself. It is in your suffering that your faith increases. And it is possible to rejoice in the midst of suffering and trials.
In the Old Testament we are told of a man named Job. Job had 7 sons, 3 daughters, 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, 500 female donkeys and he employed many servants. Almost simultaneously Job lost it all. His servants were killed Much of his livestock was stolen and others killed. And worst of all his children were killed. How did he respond to this great tragedy? - Job 1:20 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, 21 And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
I am not here to tell you that it is easy to rejoice in the midst of fiery trials. But through these verses we can "Understand Christian Suffering" Peter has shown us The Reality Of Christian Suffering, The Reason For Christian Suffering and The Rejoicing In Christian Suffering. I know that some of you are walking through a deep dark valley today. There are some of you who are facing issues that I may never know about. Even in those times where I have been able to minister to you through a tragedy, I may not fully comprehend the extent of the pain you are enduring. But I do know this... YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! Jesus has promised that He will never leave you not forsake you. And Peter tells us in chapter 5 to "Cast our cares upon Him, for He cares for us!" Why? is a question that we will ask until we leave this walk of life. Why does a person who has faithfully served this church (and more importantly the Lord) for decades have to deal with the sudden loss of her husband of 55 years and then one week later end up in the hospital with serious injuries and now must endure a long painful recovery process? Why does a person who has faithfully served the Lord most of her life have to fight cancer for several years... and every time it seems she has won the battle, the Dr. says that the cancer is back and it has spread? Why does a person who never misses a church service and lives to serve others leave church one night perfectly healthy and the next day she is on life support? Why do people who raised their children right and taught them the ways of the Lord have to lay awake at night burdened by the rebellious actions of their beloved children? Why are Christians suffering and dying for their faith in Christ all over this world? Why? Why?? Why??? There are many reasons why!!! But even when we don't know the reason, through Christ we can still rejoice!!! That is IF we belong to Him!
Some of you are suffering but it is for the wrong reason. Many of you are suffering as a consequence of sin!! If that is the case I would like to introduce you to the One who can cure your sin problem!! And then you too can look to Jesus to take you through the fire. For those of you who are in the midst of a "fiery trial" ....never forget that God is working out his plan to prove you and to purify you. I pray that through these verses you see God's plan and that you can "Understand Christian Suffering"
