Suffering and the Gospel

The glorious gospel was provided out of the suffering of the Saviour, Jesus Christ.  Life on earth for everyone includes suffering in various degrees.  The difference between the believer and unbeliever when it comes to suffering is our LORD Jesus has consolation for all suffering He allows.  There is divine purpose and redemption illustrated in Christ's sufferings, and when we suffer for His sake there is great blessing we receive.

Not all suffering we endure is for Jesus' sake, for sometimes we suffer as a result of our sinful choices.  The children of Israel suffered when they disobeyed God and persisted in unbelief.  They imagined the problem was the cruelty of their oppressors and enemies when the real problem was in their own hearts in not trusting and obeying the living God.  Suffering can be physical and also emotional, suffering by the impact of the decisions of others.  Again, this suffering can be protracted and intensified because we have neglected to cast our cares on Jesus and have given place to bitterness.  The book of Job reveals not all suffering is a direct result of personal sin.  Job's friends assumed his suffering must have been due to his sin, whereas God's intent was to reveal His mercy and compassion (James 5:11).  It seems impossible at times to make God's ways and wisdom fit into our painful experiences, yet faith in the God we know is able to bridge the gaps of the unknown.

I read an insightful passage in A Praying Life by Paul Miller:  "In the gospel, Jesus took my sin, and I got his righteousness.  That is how gospel stories work...Whenever you love, you reenact Jesus' death.  Consequently, gospel stories always have suffering in them.  American Christianity has an allergic reaction to this part of the gospel.  We'd love to hear about God's love for us, but suffering doesn't mesh with our right to "the pursuit of happiness."  So we pray to escape a gospel story, when that is the best gift the Father can give us.  When I was sitting on the plane thinking, Everything has gone wrong, that was the point when everything was going right.  That's how love works." (A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World. NavPress, 2009. Page 214)  There are many people who suffer without having received the love of God or the gospel.  Not all suffering is a "gospel" story.  But when believers choose to walk in love like Joseph did towards his brothers or like Jesus towards those who rejected Him, praying for their forgiveness without bitterness, the gospel does shine forth.

One thing I have grown to appreciate more over the years is the redemptive aspects of suffering God allows.  It would be foolish and unkind to compare the suffering of one person to another for the sake of saying, "You really haven't suffered" when only the LORD knows how they suffer.  When are suffering and fix our eyes upon Jesus who suffered for us, it provides a new perspective on how God redeems suffering for good.  1 Peter 5:8-11 teaches us God allows suffering even from the devil to accomplish His good plans:  "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ¹⁰ But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ¹¹ To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

Those who persevere through a distance race voluntarily suffer in a way the casual spectator sitting in the shade with a cold drink does not.  The sun beats down upon the heads of runners as their lungs burn and legs strain to push towards the finish.  See the end of suffering Peter says God has in mind:  to perfect, establish, strength and settle us.  The God of all grace calls us to follow Him and run with endurance the race set before us that will involve suffering.  Distance running can feel like you are dying, and it is in dying to self we begin to live for Christ.  We are not called to focus on the finish line, desiring the end of our suffering:  rather we are to look to Jesus who suffered for us and overcame for all our needs.  As God allows us to suffer, looking to Him in faith makes our lives a gospel story that points to Him.