Paul Tournier, the famous Swiss physician and counselor, reported his surprise in his book Creative Suffering upon reading an article entitled “Orphans Lead the World.” The article appeared in a respected medical journal and surveyed the lives of 300 leaders who had an impact on world history. The author searched for a common thread to explain their influence. He discovered they had all grown up as orphans. His list included Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Robespierre, George Washington, Napoleon, Queen Victoria, Golda Meir, Hitler, Lenin, Stalin, and Castro. Tournier himself had been an orphan. His father, a minister, died two months after his birth and his mother died of breast cancer when he was six years old.
Tournier said, “So there we are giving lectures on how important it is for a child’s development to have a father and a mother performing harmoniously together their respective roles towards him. And all at once we find that this is the very thing that those who have been most influential in world history have not had!”
Soon afterward, his wife died, and he felt orphaned again in old age. Before this, he viewed each major event of life, success or tragedy, as either good or evil. However, he began to view circumstances, fortunate or unfortunate, as morally neutral. They simply are what they are; what matters is how we respond to them. Good and evil, in the moral sense, do not reside in things, but always in people.
This changed the way he approached medicine and cared for people. He said, “Only rarely are we the masters of events, but (along with those who help us) we are responsible for our reactions….suffering is never beneficial in itself, and must always be fought against. What counts is the way a person reacts in the face of suffering.”
He used the analogy of a nutcracker. Unforeseen calamities apply force that can break through the hard outer shell of personal security. The act of breaking will cause pain, of course, but it need not destroy. To the contrary, in the right environment the disarray can lead to creative growth: when old routines and behavioral patterns no longer work, the patient, exposed and vulnerable, must seek new ones. Tournier said that the role of the doctor, minister, or loving friend is simply to keep the nutcracker of circumstances from destroying, and to help the sufferer see that even the worst hardships open up the potential for growth and development. I want to talk about the Holy Spirit being that loving friend in the life of a Christian in times of suffering.
Christians are encouraged by the Holy Spirit in this world of suffering because of our special privileges as God’s adopted children. What special privileges do we have as God’s adopted children?
The first special privilege that we have as God’s adopted children is a special status.
I. CHRISTIANS HAVE A SPECIAL STATUS (ROMANS 8:14-17)
All those led by God's Spirit are God's sons. (15) For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, "Abba, Father!" (16) The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God's children, (17) and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
Earlier Paul used slavery in a positive way. In chapter seven, it illustrated that Jesus is our master, and the point was that we are to obey our master. We live holy lives because Jesus is a holy master. Here he uses slavery in a negative way. The ordinary relationship of slaves and masters was fear. Slaves never had security. They could be sold or treated harshly at any time. Instead, Christians have the Holy Spirit whom gives us an assurance that we are not slaves but sons and daughters of God.
Our special status is seen also in that we use the word “Father” to speak of God (v. 15). No one in the O.T. directly addressed God as “Father.” Moses, David, nor Isaiah ever prayed to God like I did this morning and called him “Father.” Jeremiah would not have dared to pray like that. According to many Bible scholars, speaking to God directly as your Father was new with Jesus. Jesus always used this term when he prayed to God. He used the term 170 times! The one exception was when He cried out on the cross and experienced the sin of the world that was placed on Him. The reason we call God our Father is this is the way Jesus taught us to pray. It must have taken the disciples breath away when he told them to begin their prayer, “Our Father.”
On top of that, Jesus didn’t use the normal word for father. He used the word that children use to address their father, “daddy.” In the Jewish mind, this was not only improper but irreverent to the highest degree. This was a culture that didn’t even pronounce the name of God, Yahweh, but instead used a substitute word, Lord.
You don’t even find this kind of familiarity in the pagan religions. Homer wrote of “Father Zeues” but it was always impersonal. It had the same meaning as George Washington is considered the father of our country. They never pictured their deity as “my” father.
Do you see what a special status we have? No one in all of the world’s religions or in all the O.T. speaks to God like this! You are so close to him that you can use a family term when speaking to the Almighty Creator. What a powerful way for the Holy Spirit to convey God’s care for you.
In John 16, we are told that the work of the Holy Spirit is to convince the lost that they are sinners in need of a Savior. In Romans 8:16, Paul says that the work of the Holy Spirit is to convince Christians that they are saved. It seems during times of hardship that we tend to question God’s love and care, and if we are truly saved. The Holy Spirit does not want you to live in doubt but assurance that you are a child of God. Billy Graham said that you cannot be an effective Christian if you are doubting your salvation. This is not a “hope so” salvation but a “know so” salvation.
One of the most amazing parts of being adopted into God’s family is that we share in Christ’s inheritance (v. 17). It doesn’t mean we are equal to Christ. He will always be God and we will always be human. The emphasis is on our closeness to God and His genuine love and care for us.
I understand that an adopted child cannot be written out of the will. That was true in Paul’s day. What did Jesus receive that every Christian is assured to receive as a child of God? He received a glorified body, acceptance into heaven, free access to God, freedom from suffering, eternal fellowship with our loved ones, and much more.
This inheritance is in the future. In the meantime, we will experience suffering. Just because we suffer or are persecuted does not mean that God doesn’t love us or we are not His children. Jesus suffered. It is unrealistic to think that we will walk through a world of sin and not suffer. All people suffer. All people. However, that’s not the end of the story. One day we will experience glorification (v. 17).
Glory is the external manifestation of God. When we receive our glorified bodies, it means that God shows himself through us perfectly and as fully as possible for a human being. That’s when every tear will be wiped away. What sustains us in our suffering is that in a very short time we will know God’s glory in all its fullness and perfection. That’s our status as children of God!
David Ford, a professor at Cambridge, asked a Catholic priest what was the most common problem he encountered in twenty years of hearing confession. With no hesitation, the priest replied, “God.” Very few of the parishioners he meets in confession behave as if God is a God of love, forgiveness, gentleness, and compassion. They see God as someone to cower before, not as someone like Jesus, worthy of our trust. Ford comments, “This is perhaps the hardest truth of any to grasp. Do we wake up every morning amazed that we are loved by God?...Do we allow our day to be shaped by God’s desire to relate to us?”
Human beings are the only species He created with whom He can hold a conversation and enter into a relationship. Christians are encouraged in this world of suffering because of our special privileges as God’s adopted children.
Another special privilege we have as God’s adopted children is future glory.
II. CHRISTIANS HAVE A FUTURE GLORY (ROMANS 8:18-23)
The theme of this paragraph is a contrast between our present suffering that he mentioned in v. 17 and the future glory we will experience as God’s children. Paul said that these two are not to be compared. One is so much greater that it can’t be compared. It is to be contrasted. Paul said that he’d given deep thought to this matter.
(18) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is going to be revealed to us. (19) For the creation eagerly waits with anticipation for God’s sons to be revealed. (20) For the creation was subjected to futility — not willingly, but because of him who subjected it — in the hope (21) that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage to decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children. (22) For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together with labor pains until now. (23) Not only that, but we ourselves who have the Spirit as the firstfruits — we also groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
Just in case you think the man that makes this statement isn’t in touch with how much some people suffer, let me read you his description of his suffering. He said in 2 Cor. 11:24: Five times I received from the Jews 40 lashes minus one. (25) Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. I have spent a night and a day in the depths of the sea. The sea was very frightening to the ancient man. The deepest he could go was as far as he could hold his breath. He looked out over the water and didn’t know what lay beneath. He'd see these great backs surface and then plunge back in. They believed monsters lived in the sea. Ships would leave port and never return. Pick the place that is the scariest for you and imagine spending a night and day submerged in it. You will suffer!
(26) On frequent journeys, I faced dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my own people, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the open country, dangers on the sea, and dangers among false brothers; (27) labor and hardship, many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, often without food, cold, and lacking clothing. (28) Not to mention other things, there is the daily pressure on me: my care for all the churches.
Paul says the day was coming for him when he would look at that list and consider all that massive suffering not worth comparing to what he received in future glory. That exceeds my imagination.
I’ve seen a lot of suffering on the part of Christians. Pat was a member at Northeast shortly after I came. She had legs but before she died, diabetes had left her without feet and then later took both legs. I never knew Art when he was healthy. He was always skin and bones, and always poor. My first service to attend in this room was a funeral service. Mike and Ginger’s baby son had died. I’ll never forget the grief on Ginger’s face. It will take someone like God whose infinite mind and infinite wisdom, love and power can give a reward that is so great it makes us look back on that suffering and consider it not even worth talking about.
Creation experiences this suffering now (vv. 19-22). It stands on its tip toes. That’s the picture behind “eagerly waits.” What’s coming is so fantastic that creation strains to see that day. However, for now, we “groan” (v. 23). The word is used in Exodus to describe the suffering of the Israelites in Egypt as slaves, but it has the idea of expecting a joyful outcome. Another picture of this word is a woman laboring to give birth.
Creation and our bodies suffer the consequences of sin. Earthquakes are the result of these great earthly plates not being perfectly balanced in tension. Years ago, I heard weatherman Gary England say that the value of tornadoes is to pull cool air out of the upper atmosphere to the earth. The destructive qualities of these creative acts are due to sin. We see the destructive effects of sin in our bodies. However, the presence of the Holy Spirit is like the first fruits offering the Jews gave as a testimony of thanksgiving to God and the promise of a fuller harvest to come (v. 23). We have a better future coming.
Several years ago, I attended the Send Conference sponsored by the North American Mission Board. It included challenging worship services and informative breakout sessions on how Southern Baptist can reach the growing numbers of lost people in North America. For example, the population of the greater Toronto, Canada area is 6.25 million people. It may be the most ethnically diverse city in the world with over 200 languages being spoken in that city. There are 74 Southern Baptist Churches. Our Union Baptist Association, which covers only two counties in Oklahoma, and doesn’t have a population of ½ million, has 75 SBC. One of the take away’s for me from the conference is that Christians are never content with the status quo. If people are sick, we send them medical missionaries and build hospitals. If people are hungry, we send agricultural missionaries and teach them how to feed themselves and dig water wells. We build schools and colleges for those lacking education. We seek to care for and reform the prisoner. We set free the oppressed and enslaved. No other faith does this unless they are following us. Why? What drives Christians to do these things?
These are signs that we know a better kingdom is coming. We live as people who are entering that kingdom now. All these present actions are signs that we know a better future is coming for God’s children.
As God’s children, we have the special privilege of a special status, a future glory, and a certain hope.
III. CHRISTIAN’S HAVE A CERTAIN HOPE (ROMANS 8:24-25)
(24) Now in this hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he sees? (25) Now if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patience.
By its nature hope is something you can’t see. We don’t hope for something that we can see. In our language, hope refers to an uncertain outcome. We hope our team wins or they find a cure for cancer before long. In the New Testament, hope is future certainty. It’s in the future. You don’t have it yet, but you don’t have any question that you are going to get it. What we are hoping for is the completion of our salvation or adoption. God has promised to complete our salvation. The fact that things are difficult does not change the certainty of God saving us and this creation. This assurance gives us patience and endurance. Difficulties may cause us to think that God doesn’t care or that He doesn’t have the ability to do anything about it. We know that is not true. But hope gives us the strength to endure the hard times.
A father found his little daughter putting together a jigsaw puzzle. He asked her what it was. She said Cinderella. He said, “Well, it’s not too late to change your mind. You can’t be sure until you’ve completed the puzzle. She just rolled her eyes and said, “Dad, I have enough of the pieces in place to know that it is a picture of Cinderella.” She’d seen the cover on the box but that’s not what gave her the confidence that it was Cinderella. Those pieces were the source of her confidence.
When someone says, “Well, we can never know because we don’t have all the answers,” it won’t hold water when it comes to the completion of our salvation. There are enough pieces in place for Christians to know that all that God has promised us in future glory will come true. This is our certain hope.
Lastly, as God’s adopted children, we have the privilege of unique help.
IV. CHRISTIAN’S HAVE UNIQUE HELP (ROMANS 8:26-27)
(26) In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. (27) And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
In the same way that the Holy Spirit helps us to embrace hope and patiently endure difficulties, He helps us in another area of difficulty. The Holy Spirit helps us when we pray and when we don’t know what to pray.
The word “help” translates one Greek word that is a compound word. It is made up of three words: the word “together with,” the word “over against,” and “to take.” Here’s the picture. The Holy Spirit comes together with the believer who is having difficulty praying. He takes his stand with that believer against the problem facing him.
Our “weakness” is about what or how to pray on a matter. Have you ever wondered if you should pray for a person’s healing or for their quick release from suffering? Have you ever been uncertain whether you should pray for someone’s rescue or that they should be allowed to hit bottom?
In this life filled with uncertainties, our Christian hope assures us we will one day have a completed salvation to the glory of God. Until then, the blessed Holy Spirit helps us in our praying and will intercede on our behalf in those times when we simply don’t know what to pray. All of this is because we are God’s adopted children.
CONCLUSION
Helmut Thielicke was a great German preacher of the last century. He pastored during WWII in Stuttgart. He lost his position at the university because he opposed Hitler. He endured humiliating interrogations by the SS and faced the constant threat of imprisonment. As the war was coming to an end, he walked to his church only to find it bombed to rubble. Thielicke turned to go home only to find his home destroyed. His heart nearly broke when he found his children licking the pictures of food in recipe books. On top of that, this pastor stood in the pulpit Sunday after Sunday trying to bring a message of hope to his demoralized congregation.
Do you have the picture of the burden this German pastor faced as he opposed Nazism, suffered with his church, and anguished over his children’s hunger?
In light of that, listen to these remarkable words he spoke to his congregation, “The one fixed pole in all the bewildering confusion is the faithfulness and dependability of God.” He told them that throughout history and the disorder of personal lives, there is the constant thread of God’s purpose. He said:
One day, perhaps, when we look back from God’s throne on the last day we shall say with amazement and surprise, “If I had ever dreamed when I stood at the graves of my loved ones and everything seemed to be ended; if I had ever dreamed when I saw the specter of atomic war creeping upon us; if I had ever dreamed when I faced the meaningless fate of an endless imprisonment or a malignant disease; if I had ever dreamed that God was only carrying out his design and plan through all these woes, that in the midst of my cares and troubles and despair his harvest was ripening, and that everything was pressing on toward his last kingly day—if I had known this I would have been more calm and confident; yes, then I would have been more cheerful and far more tranquil and composed. (Yancey, Prayer, pp. 325-326)
The astonishing belief is that God wants a personal relationship with you. He uses the most powerful relationship pictures available to human beings. He wants you to be His child. The Holy Spirit gives you the assurance that you are adopted into His family and that in the future, God will one day complete this glorious work of salvation. It is a future certainty. Until then, He helps you pray to the Father. What privileges Christians have from the Father.
PRAYER
INVITATION
Some things are either so grievous or wondrous that they demand a response. 9-11 demanded a response. As a nation we had to defend ourselves. God’s Son so loving sinners that He died in their place for their sins and rose three days later to offer them salvation and sonship with the Father is so wondrous that it demands a response from you. If a poll were taken by God this morning, there would be no category for “undecided.” You must decide to accept Him or reject Him.
