A Biblical Perspective Of Suffering

 

Pastor D.L. Richardson, PhD

Introduction1. Where did suffering come from?

 

The Beginning of Suffering

According to the Bible, “suffering” began when sin entered into the world. Both mankind and all creation were afflicted with “thorns and thistles,” sin, death, and decay (Gen. 3:16-19; Rom. 8:18-21). Because of sin, misery is a common human experience, and our short life is full of trouble (Job 14:1-6). It is impossible for human beings to avoid natural calamity, physical injury, and interpersonal conflict.

 

Introduction2. Why does God allow suffering?

 

1. To produce the fruit of patienceRom. 5:3; James 1:3-4; Heb. 10:36Trials stir patience (hupomonē): endurance, fortitude, stedfastness, constancy, perseverance. The word is not passive; it is active. It is not the spirit that just sits back and puts up with the trials of life, taking whatever may come. Rather it is the spirit that stands up and faces life's trials, that actively goes about conquering and overcoming them. When trials confront a man who is truly justified, he is stirred to arise and face the trials head on. He immediately sets out to conquer and overcome them. He knows that God is allowing the trials in order to teach him more and more patience (endurance).

 

2. To produce the fruit of joy Ps. 30:5; 126:5-6Do not view your present troubles as if it will last forever; it is not the end, by any means, but only a means to the end. God promises that sorrow is our sowing and rejoicing shall be our reaping. If there were no sowing in tears there would be no reaping in joy. If we were never captives we could never put our captivity in captive. It is through suffering that God fills our lives with the joy of laughter and happiness.

 

3. To produce the fruit of maturityEccles. 7:3; 1 Pet. 5:10

It is through the adversities of life that God develops us into stronger, wiser, and better Christians. Our character becomes: perfect (to bring to wholeness; established (to set fast); strengthen (to make sturdy; and settled (to lay as a foundation. These terms all mean strength and immovability.

 

4. To produce the fruit of righteousness Heb. 12:11It will never look like it from the natural perspective, but from the faith perspective, discipline is one of God's richest and most rewarding blessings on His children. Therefore, we should welcome the discipline of God that is designed to make us better.

 

5. To silence the devil Job 1:9, 10, 20-22Satan suggested that if God removed His protecting hedge around Job and removed everything he owned, then Job would curse God. Satan claimed that Job’s worship was based on what we would receive from God and would not be given if God cut off his blessings. This accusation attacked the integrity of God, for it suggested that the only way He can get people to worship Him is to promise them wealth. Surely God knew Job’s heart, but He used Job as a demonstration to silence Satan. Job silenced Satan by proving that his worship is for real.

 

6. To teach us Ps. 119:67, 71David shares that it is through his afflictions that he learns about obedience. Even though the affliction seemed bad, it worked toward his good. It benefited him in many ways, and he knew it. Whatever he may have thought while under the affliction, he perceived himself to be better after the affliction. It was through his afflictions that he became more obedient to God.

 

7. To purify our lives Job 23:10; Ps. 66:10-12; Isa. 1:25; 48:10; Prov. 17:3; 1 Pet. 1:7It is through suffering that we are given the opportunity to shine for God because His name is on the line. God allows suffering to come our way to move us toward holiness. Suffering is like a refiner, it removes the impurities out of our lives. God wants to make silver and gold out of your life. His ultimate desire is to make you valuable to the kingdom.

 

8. To make us like ChristHeb. 12:9, 10; 1 Pet. 4:12-13; Phil. 3:10; 2 Cor. 4:7-10God expresses His love toward us through chastisement and through the process we become partakers of holiness; partakers of the nature and likeness of Christ. It is through these experiences that the Christ-likeness process is advanced.

 

9. To glorify God Ps. 50:15; John 9:1-3; 11:1-4; 21:18-19; Phil. 1:19-20The Lord has promised to supply us in our times of trouble if we call on Him. He feeds the young ravens when they call upon him (Psalms 147:9), but first they must call. God withholds from us many times because we don’t ask and many times not asking expresses a desire not to have.

 

Whenever God delivers us from suffering, the primary purpose is so He can be glorified. So your approach to suffering when others ask you about what you’re going through should be somewhat like this, “ I don’t know how and I don’t know when, all I know is God will get the glory out of this”.

 

10. To prevent us from sinning2 Cor. 12:7, 9-10God balances our blessings with burdens lest we become prideful because of the blessing. God would send these burdens with our blessings so we do not get overly excited and exuberant because of our blessings and then sin. If blessings cause us to sin, we are guilty of turning a blessing into a bane.

 

11. To make us confess when we do sin Judg. 10:6-7, 15-16; Ps. 32:3-5; Hos. 5:15; 6:1; 2 Chron. 15:3-4The Israelites suffered greatly and were in terrible distress. But this was exactly where they needed to be—broken and helpless, desperate and crying out for help. Through suffering, God's people were being slowly driven to their knees, broken to the point that they would cry out to God and repent of their terrible evil.

 

12. To chasten us for our sin1 Pet. 4:17God through suffering purges and purifies the believer so that the church will become strengthened. The judgment upon the believer will be worse than the chastising of the believer. The believers' suffering will be for development; the sinners' suffering will be destruction.. The believer's suffering will end; the sinners' suffering will be eternal.

 

13. To prove our sonship Heb. 12:5-6When God allows you to encounter suffering, always focus on His fatherly love. We are God's children. God loves His children and is bound by His own nature and His own covenant to do them only good. Therefore, whatever we receive from God's hand, including discipline, is from God's love. More than any earthly father, the heavenly Father wants his children to be righteous, mature, obedient, competent, responsible, capable, and trusting. We benefit in all these ways, and many more, when we accept His discipline.

 

14. To reveal ourselves to ourselvesJob 42:6; Luke 15:18

Suffering brings us face to face to what’s really in our heart. When Job went through his trials, He accused God of being unfair and he repented. It was through his suffering that he became acquainted with the sovereignty of God. The Prodigal son discovered who he really was through suffering.

 

15. To help our prayer life Isa. 26:16Trouble causes us to make more visits and longer visits with God. God used suffering to cause Israel to cry out to him like a woman cries during child-bearing because of the pain. The goal is always to birth righteousness from us but many times we delivery unrighteousness and therefore the labor pains continue.

 

16. To become an example to others2 Cor. 6:4-5; 1 Thess. 1:6-7

God allows us to suffer so we can show others how to deal with the difficult days and troublesome times of life and keep our joy. The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteous, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Ro. 14:17). God wants to make your life a blueprint for others when they encounter suffering.

 

17.To qualify us as counselorsRom. 12:15; Gal. 6:2; 2 Cor. 1:3-5God wants us to express a genuine interest in the experiences of other. God's purpose in comforting us is to make us a testimony to others.God comforts us so that we can comfort others who are suffering.

 

God carries us through trials so that we can carry others through trials.God strengthens us so that we can strengthen others.God helps us so that we can help others.God encourages us so that we can encourage others.

 

18. To further the gospel witnessActs 8:1-5; 16:25-34; Phil. 1:12-13; 2 Tim. 4:6-8, 16-17Preaching is from euangelizō, which refers to proclaiming the gospel. All the scattered believers were involved in evangelism. Although some are specially gifted as evangelists, all Christians are called to proclaim Christ. Satan's persecution promoted the very thing it was designed to destroy. It fired the believers with new zeal to proclaim the gospel in new areas.

 

Because of the strong testimony of Paul and Silas during their terrible trials, it prepared the heart of the unsaved for the gospel. God will use your suffering to further the gospel. How you handle your trials will become a testimony to others.

 

19. To make us more than conquerors2 Cor. 2:14; Rom. 8:35, 37

"Always" may not seem apparent in our circumstances, but in due time we will see that God has worked every circumstance to give us the victory. Regardless of the circumstances:Tribulation: to undergo struggle, trials, temptation, suffering, or affliction.Distress: to suffer anguish, trouble, strain, agony; not knowing which way to turn or what to do.

 

Persecution: to be abused, mocked, ridiculed, shamed, mistreated, ignored, neglected, harassed, attacked, or injured.Famine: to have no food, to be starving and have no way to secure food.Nakedness: to be stripped of all clothes and earthly comforts; to be bare, having all earthly possessions taken away.Peril: to be exposed to the most severe risks; to be confronted with the most terrible dangers to one's body, mind, soul, property, family, and loved ones.Sword: to be killed; to suffer martyrdom.

 

20. To give us insight into God's natureJob 42:5; Rom. 8:14-15, 18It is through the ministry of suffering that we come face to face with God’s greatness. Suffering prepares the believer to participate in the glory of Christ. It is the necessary condition for exaltation. Suffering and struggling are a refining process through which the believer must pass. It refines the believer by forcing him to expand his trust in God more and more.

 

Suffering drives a believer to cast himself more and more upon the care of God; therefore, the believer moves closer and closer to that perfect trust and care in God.

 

21. To drive us closer to God1 Pet. 4:14; 2 Cor. 12:10God’s presence refreshes the believer during his suffering. Suffering causes us to look to God for the help needed in our times of trouble.

 

Whenever God delivers us from suffering, the primary purpose is so He can be glorified. So your approach to suffering when others ask you about what you’re going through should be somewhat like this, “ I don’t know how and I don’t know when, all I know is God will get the glory out of this”.

 

Whenever God delivers us from suffering, the primary purpose is so He can be glorified. So your approach to suffering when others ask you about what you’re going through should be somewhat like this, “ I don’t know how and I don’t know when, all I know is God will get the glory out of this”.