July 1, 2024 • 24 mins
Have you ever wondered why we suffer and how to find hope amidst the pain? As someone who has faced significant trials, I, Jason Hopkins, invite you to explore the biblical paradigm of suffering on the Hopeful Perspective podcast. Drawing from personal experiences and scripture, we examine how God's faithfulness provides a way out of our struggles, as promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13. We also reflect on the call to participate in Christ's sufferings and the challenges posed by societal pressures and internal conflicts, guided by teachings from Luke 14:27 and Paul's letters to Timothy. This episode aims to shift our focus from the "why" to the "who" we become through adversity, offering insights from the lives of Job, Joseph, David, and ultimately, Jesus.
We don't stop there. This episode also unravels common misconceptions about the relationship between suffering and sin, turning to Jesus' correction in John 9 for clarity. Embracing faith in Christ, we discuss how enduring hardships can strengthen us and lead to praise and honor when Jesus is revealed. Looking ahead, we share our plans to expand the podcast's reach by interviewing individuals who have found hope in their darkest times. Your support has been crucial, and we're excited to continue this journey together, spreading the message that hope is real and steadfast, even in the midst of suffering. Join us for an episode filled with faith, hope, and perseverance.
Are you inspired by what you hear today? Jason deeply appreciates his listeners taking their time to listening, downloading, and sharing The Hopeful Perspective Podcast. Please help me spread 'hope' to others by writing a review for the podcast making it reachable for all who need to be inspired, encouraged, and changed by hoping once again. Further, understand that downloading the podcast is a surefire way to help increase the algorithm thus the reach of The Hopeful Perspective, even if you delete the episode after listening so as to not affect your data storage. I have also provided a (Support the Show) link DIRECTLY ABOVE THIS PARAGRAPH to click on for those who have shared with me they are "all in" and feel called to financially support the mission and vision of The Hopeful Perspective. A special thank you to those who have made this humble step to financially support the podcast. Without you, there is no US!
Jason Hopkins can also be reached on Facebook as well as Instagram and Threads (jayhop9953). You can also follow 'The Hopeful Perspective' FB page; where you can find more information as well as learn about upcoming news and episodes on the The Hopeful Perspective Podcast.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to the Hopeful Perspective podcast.
I am your host, jason Hopkins.
Today we begin our first timetogether, having spent the first
six episodes working through myown personal story of suffering
and redemption, I hope that asyou listen, you were inspired
and edified in your faith withhow I myself was transformed
(00:24):
from a survivor to a thriver andchanged from a victim to a
victor.
I look forward to exploring thedepths of the hopeful
perspective and our story forhis glory that is continuing to
be authored.
So I encourage you to grab yourfavorite snack, your hot or
cold beverage of choice.
Get comfortable and come onthis journey with me today as we
(00:46):
explore the biblical paradigmof suffering.
Whenever we have a conversationabout suffering in our world,
it should begin and end with thecross of Jesus Christ.
One of my greatest stumblingblocks throughout my own
redemption journey was that Ifound it difficult to relate to
those who hadn't been throughsignificant pain or suffering or
(01:08):
had difficulty sharing theirown pain.
Whenever I share my story ofredemption, the most common
response from my audience isthat, no matter what they have
been through, they find itdifficult to relate to the
levels of trauma that Iexperienced.
Difficult to relate to thelevels of trauma that I
experienced.
Yet Paul teaches us in 1Corinthians, chapter 10, verse
(01:29):
13, that no temptation hasovertaken you except what is
common to mankind.
And God is faithful.
He will not let you be temptedbeyond what you can bear, but
when you are tempted, he willalso provide a way out so that
you can endure it.
In other words, even at ourgreatest overwhelmed point when
facing adversity, we should knowthat we will be granted a way
(01:52):
out.
This encourages me in a fewways.
God is not unaware of our pain,and he alone understands how
much we can bear.
This truth is significant whenreconciling our pain and
suffering.
When I found it difficult torelate to counselors and
psychologists due to the ethicalwalls they had that prevented
(02:13):
the sharing of themselves, Ifound a perfect counselor in
Christ who sacrificed all ofhimself and in doing so,
experienced one of the mosttortuous manners of suffering
one could endure.
He understands and identifieswith our suffering.
What's more difficult to acceptespecially in the Western church
, I believe is that we arecalled to participate in the
(02:38):
sufferings of Christ.
As a matter of fact, jesushimself stated that a
requirement of his followers wasto be to pick up their cross.
This wasn't an option nor apossibility.
Luke 14.27 records this.
And whoever does not carrytheir cross and follow me cannot
(02:59):
be my disciple.
To carry our cross Now, most ofus who have chosen to follow
him, will not be called to bemartyred or executed like in the
first century.
Rather, carrying our crossmeans we are called to die to
our old self, our old will, andto submit to God's will in every
(03:20):
way Not in some ways or mostways, but again in every way.
It would seem.
Our Lord knew that we wouldexperience opposition and
defiance, as it pertained togiving up everything I know.
For me personally, thisopposition came from within, due
to the spiritual programming Ihad as a child that set up
(03:41):
double binds in order toinfluence me, to rely on myself
and my dissociative system whenI would experience trials of
many kinds At times.
The opposition comes fromoutside, whether that be the
social and cultural influencethat we now face in the music
industry, news and media, socialmedia, or even our own
(04:02):
upbringing, and even at times inour churches, when Paul was
instructing Timothy about how tobe prepared to face opposition,
to follow his example, when he,paul, was experiencing
suffering persecution, hecautioned that Timothy be aware
of those inside the church.
(04:22):
2 Timothy 3.12 says, in fact,everyone who wants to live a
godly life in Christ Jesus willbe persecuted, while evildoers
and what Imposters will go frombad to worse, deceiving and
being deceived.
Beware of imposters, oflookalikes, those who look like
(04:45):
they are following Christ.
Last episode I mentioned, andyou probably have found this to
be true, that truth in ourpost-post-modern culture is
often seen as arbitrary andsubjective.
You see, when the cultureaffects the church more than the
(05:07):
church affects the culture,devastating outcomes occur, and
scripture says that those whopersevere and maintain the truth
of scripture will faceopposition, if not suffering and
possible persecution.
The book of 1 Peter has a lot tosay about the subject of
suffering and perseverance.
1 Peter 1, 6-7 says and all ofthis you greatly rejoice, though
(05:33):
now, for a little while, youmay have had to suffer grief in
all kinds of trials.
These have come so that theproven genuineness of your faith
, of greater worth than goldwhich perishes even though
refined by fire, may result inpraise, glory and honor when
Jesus Christ is revealed.
Do you see it?
(05:53):
Whatever the source of ourtrials may be, we can take
solace in the fact that Christis revealed to the world around
us when our faith proves to begenuine.
1 Peter 2 19-21 goes this far.
For it is commendable ifsomeone bears up under the pain
of unjust suffering because theyare conscious of God.
(06:14):
But how is it to your credit ifyou receive a beating for doing
wrong and endure it?
But if you suffer for doinggood and you endure it, this is
commendable before God.
To this you Do.
You remember a few seconds agohow Luke 14 bears Christ's
commands that whoever calls himor herself a disciple must pick
(06:40):
up their cross and in doing so,are following his example?
Whenever we persevere for thesake of Christ, we can be
assured he is getting the glory.
1 Peter 3.14 grants us thisadditional reassurance.
But even if you should sufferfor what is right, you are
blessed.
Do not fear their threats, donot be frightened.
(07:02):
1 Peter 4.1.
Therefore, since Christsuffered in his body, arm
yourselves also with the sameattitude, because whoever
suffers in the body is done withsin.
1 Peter 4.12-13,.
Dear friends, do not besurprised at the fiery ordeal
that has come on you to test you, as though something strange
(07:22):
were happening to you, butrejoice in as much as you
participate in the sufferings ofChrist, so that you may be
overjoyed when his glory isrevealed.
And 1 Peter, 5, verse 10, saysand the God of all grace, who
called you to his eternal gloryin Christ, after you have
suffered a little while, willhimself restore you and make you
(07:42):
strong, firm and steadfast.
We observe in these versesdrawn from three chapters in 1
Peter that when we adopt theattitude of our Redeemer, who
was called to offer himself as asacrifice for our sin that
separates us, that we cannothelp but have a hopeful
perspective.
His sacrifice was made in orderto usher us into his kingdom
(08:06):
forever, and this hope of heavenis our sweetest prize.
In addition, our faith will bemade stronger and, as we read in
1 Corinthians 10, verse 13,since he knows what we can bear,
we will not be broken beyondhis ability to restore us.
Check out how Paul shows usthis a few chapters earlier in 2
(08:28):
Corinthians 4, verses 8-10.
We are hard-pressed on everyside, but not crushed.
Perplexed but not in despair.
Persecuted but not abandoned.
Struck down but not destroyed.
We always carry around in ourbody the death of Jesus, so that
the life of Jesus may also berevealed in our body.
(08:52):
When I read this verse, I cannothelp but to identify many of
the enemy's lies that I havepersonally believed throughout
my life when I was walkingthrough adversity, that I will
be crushed, I will be perplexed,persecuted and even struck down
, and yet we are given thereassurance and the weaponry to
battle these lies within thetruth.
(09:14):
I have not arrived by any meansin my walk, but I am learning
how to arm myself with theattitude of Christ as it
pertains to pain andperseverance in this life.
With the attitude of Christ asit pertains to pain and
perseverance in this life, andas we have read, or should I say
heard, I have had plenty ofopportunities to persevere.
Philippians 3, verse 10, says Iwant to know Christ, yes, to
(09:36):
know the power of hisresurrection and participation
in his sufferings, becoming likehim in his death.
Now, like Paul and, I hope,like all who call themselves
Christian, I want to know Christmore, and the apostle makes it
clear that we see the power ofhis resurrection when we put to
(09:56):
death our old self and arerestored into the new creation.
When I approach my sufferingwith the attitude of Christ, I
boast not in my accomplishment,but rather, as Romans 5 declares
to us, I boast in the glory ofGod.
In my life, I see the next twosections of scripture Romans 5,
(10:16):
verses 2 through 5, from Paulthe Apostle, and from James, the
half-brother, to Jesus in hisbook, chapter 1, verses 2
through 4, as being likecompanion verses that affirm one
another.
Romans 5, 2-5 says Therefore,since we have been justified
through faith, we have peacewith God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom we havegained access by faith into this
(10:39):
grace in which we now stand andwe boast in the hope of the
glory of God.
Not only so, but we also gloryin our sufferings, because we
know that suffering producesperseverance, perseverance,
character, and then character,hope, and hope does not put us
to shame because God's love hasbeen poured out into our hearts
(11:01):
through the Holy Spirit who'sbeen given to us.
And then again in James 1, 2-4,.
Do you see how they are related?
(11:26):
I learned in my trauma therapythat maturity has a holistic,
emotional and mental definitionthat far exceeds our limited use
of the term concerning humandevelopment, for example.
He is so immature or justchildlike.
Truly mature individuals areemotionally secure in their
(11:46):
attachments with one another,that is, the bonds they have in
their relationships, and theyhave the ability to process,
complex emotion.
Now, complex emotions are madeup of two or more basic emotions
, so feelings like grief,jealousy, regret are considered
complex.
One who is emotionally maturemay indeed feel these emotions,
(12:09):
but they also have the capacityto be self-aware and to utilize
healthy tools to work throughthese feelings.
Biblically speaking, we worktoward that maturity when we
face trials and we perseverethrough them.
I can attest in my ownexperiences that my past
(12:29):
experience working throughtrauma of many kinds and the
eventual restoration of thattrauma has led to my capacity
and emotional maturity beingconsiderably higher than it once
was.
Friends, I know that, whetheryou are a believer in Christ or
not, that the issue of sufferingis amongst the most mysterious
(12:52):
of challenges for us tounderstand, and more so to try
and reconcile in terms oftheology and if you have
experiences of your own, saywatching a loved one suffer
through cancer until their death, you or a loved one
experiencing child abuse, orperhaps a friend or loved one
actually ending their sufferingby taking their own life.
(13:14):
There are plenty of examples ofwhich we are impacted by the
broken world we experience andour ability to reconcile a
loving God with the evil andsuffering of the world may
appear to initially be achallenge.
Yet having worked through someof the most traumatic events you
can think of in my own life, Ihave found that the Christian
(13:35):
theistic worldview is the onlyone that enables us to
understand the problem of eviland suffering in our world.
Whereas it may have seemedadvantageous to the devil that
God in the flesh, in Jesus,would suffer through trauma,
temptation, torture, hunger,thirst, persecution and
eventually execution, little didthe enemy know that, by having
(13:58):
a suffering Savior, that wewould forever have the ultimate
answer to injustice, that, forall the evil and the suffering
that has ever been experiencedor ever will be in the future,
that our God and Savior wouldultimately purchase the penalty
of this evil and sin through hissacrifice.
I love the parallels drawn fromthe Old Testament that point to
(14:21):
a Messiah who will come andrescue his people.
I would encourage you, as abeliever, to become familiar
with the Old Testament.
Mess point to a Messiah whowill come and rescue his people.
I would encourage you, as abeliever, to become familiar
with the Old Testament messianicprophecies, the prototypes and
the pictures that far exceedhistorical narrative.
They rather portray a powerfulillustration of God's sovereign
plan throughout history.
You see, the Bible isstartlingly realistic when it
(14:43):
comes to the issue of sufferingthroughout humanity.
The book of Job is a difficultread, yet a powerful picture of
one man who undergoes the mostintense suffering you have ever
heard of.
Though his trials came as aresult of a conversation between
the Lord and Satan, job isn'tnecessarily aware as to the
reasons he undergoes suchtribulations.
(15:04):
We see through multiplechapters that his friends have
difficulty understanding Job'ssuffering and when Job is
finally confronted by the Lord,all that he can do, despite his
great pain, is remain silent inGod's presence.
This demonstrates the faiththat Job has amidst his trials
and, though he never necessarilyreceives a direct reason for
(15:25):
his pain, he instills his trustin the sovereign plan of the
Lord.
His understanding is perhapsthe most accurate answer we will
receive regarding how toapproach suffering, this side of
eternity.
Another such picture ofsuffering and God's sovereignty
amidst our trials is portrayedin the story of Joseph in the
(15:45):
book of Genesis.
If you recall, he was sold intoslavery by his own brothers,
yet he eventually is promoted tothe second most powerful man in
Egypt as a result of God'ssovereignty and Joseph's
endurance.
We see a foreshadowing of thecross in Genesis, chapter 50,
(16:06):
verses 19 through 21, whenJoseph addresses the sinful
actions of his brothers,declaring you intended to harm
me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now
being done the saving of manylives.
So then, don't be afraid, Iwill provide for you and your
children.
2.
We see all throughout thePsalms that David has a faith so
(16:30):
strong that even amidst hisworst trials he still turns to
the Lord.
Make no mistake as we read howDavid honestly battled lies of
the enemy, temptations and evenhis own sin.
Yet he does not lose the hopehe has.
Psalm 22, david cries out,cries out my God, my God, why
(16:55):
have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from savingme, so far from the words of my
groaning?
We see a powerful picture againin the New Testament at Calvary
, when the Messiah shows how heidentified with the suffering of
David by uttering the exactsame cry to the Father as David
did in Psalm 22.
(17:16):
Friends, looking at the whole ofthe biblical perspective on
pain and suffering in thisfallen world, we can deduce this
statement God permits sufferingbecause God has a purpose for
our suffering.
In the New Testament we areassured that we know in all
things God works for the good ofthose who love him who have
been called according to hispurpose In Romans 8, 28.
(17:36):
Before I knew Christ, I couldnot understand the depth of this
conclusion.
Yet when I submitted to him, Iwas able to recognize his
sovereign hand on my life, evenamidst my suffering.
Yet why do Christians todaytend to be surprised when they
encounter pain and suffering intheir life?
(17:57):
Even with scripture being soclear, I think it's interesting
to note that we see, even in theOld Testament, the Jewish
worldview that often sufferingwas tied to personal sin.
Even in the New Testament, thedisciples of Jesus reveal their
thinking in John, chapter 9.
It reads that as he, jesus,passed by, he saw a man blind
(18:20):
from birth, and his disciplesasked him Rabbi, who sinned this
man or his parents, that he wasborn blind?
And Jesus answered are hisparents that he was born blind?
And Jesus answered it was notthat this man sinned or his
parents, but that the works ofGod might be displayed in him.
Jesus corrects the thinking ofthe disciples and essentially
(18:43):
turns their logic on its head.
The blind man's darkness wasn'tcaused by personal sin, but
rather that God's glory would berevealed.
God doesn't prevent sufferingand sin, because God has a
purpose for it.
I believe that part of the issuein today's church and their
understanding of pain andsuffering is due to a similar
(19:06):
inability to reconcile pain withthis purpose.
We tend to praise God for allthe gifts and the good things he
grants us, Yet when weencounter pain and suffering,
spiritual warfare, temptation,we're prone to abandon our
faithful conviction and ratherseek alternatives to Jesus that
can immediately anesthetize ourpain.
We fail to see that when we areunable to remain present in our
(19:31):
pain and handle it withintegrity, we are actually
denying the works of God toreveal himself.
Through our brokenness, we are,in essence, bypassing an
opportunity to be more likeChrist and experience the hope
of the glory of God, to trulyknow him.
I have had to repent many timesin my own Christian walk for my
(19:53):
own idolatry in regards togiving in to said temptations.
So that, all being said, I wantto be candidly clear that I do
not fully understand thetheology of suffering, and I too
possess a lot of questionsregarding matters like kids who
are subjected to atrocitiesbefore they can even make a
(20:16):
conscious decision to followChrist.
Much like my own story, thereare a lot of questions I have
been confronted with throughoutmy pastoral and counseling
ministry that I've had to justhonestly respond.
I do not know.
Isn't that where our faith istruly made stronger, though, or
where our trust in the Lord isgenuinely tested?
(20:38):
I will say that I would ratherdirect the flock to deflect
their I's and their Y'sregarding suffering and redirect
their attention to the who'sthey are becoming walking
through this adversity.
We have biblical examples ofpeople, from Job to Joseph,
david to Paul, that show us howto reconcile our trials and
(21:02):
tribulations by understandingthat God has a plan for our
lives to those who love him.
So, again today, I ask of you,my listeners have you made the
ultimate decision to sacrificeyour own wants and will for the
will of the Lord?
Have you said yes to Jesus,repenting for your sins that
(21:24):
separate you from the Father?
As you have heard, having faithdoes not end our hardships.
Rather, having faith helps usthrough them.
So if you have not said yes toJesus, I want to encourage you
towards this faith.
Consider being in a quiet,non-distracting location and
praying some version of thisprayer from the heart Lord Jesus
(21:45):
, I repent of my sins and Isurrender to you my life.
Wash and cleanse me.
I believe that Jesus Christ isthe Son of God, that he indeed
did die on the cross a naturaldeath for my sins and then rose
again on the third day for myvictory.
(22:05):
I believe that in my heart, andI make confession with my mouth
, that Jesus is my Savior and myLord, and I will follow him all
the days of my life.
If you have agreed with thisprayer today from the depths of
your heart, I welcome you to theeternal family of God.
(22:26):
There is so much to celebrate.
I encourage you to find anOrthodoxodox, biblical-based
faith family who worships theLord passionately.
Also, devote yourself to thereading of the scriptures.
Many pastors recommend,beginning in the book of John.
Next time, on the HopefulPerspective podcast, I will be
(22:49):
taking a look at Jesus' commandto forgive even and especially
those who have trespassedagainst us.
What do forgiveness,restoration and reconciliation
have in common and how are theydifferent?
Why do they matter at all as itpertains to our holistic
wellness?
Until then, I want to thank youfor joining me along this
(23:14):
journey and, if you'd be so kindto follow, subscribe and, most
importantly, to rate and write areview for others who may need
the hopeful perspective, I wouldgreatly appreciate that Now you
can even contribute monetarilyby pressing our support the Show
link that is embedded on yourplatform.
(23:34):
All of your contributions areutilized to grow the podcast, to
broaden our reach and to sharethe hope of Christ.
For example, our next stepwould be to purchase a second
mic, headphones and necessaryadapters and equipment so as to
have interviews with others whohave experienced hope amidst
their trials.
I want to shout interviews withothers who have experienced
hope amidst their traps.
I want to shout out to thosewho have already made this
(23:56):
commitment to support thepodcast financially.
I am so gratefully humbled byyou.
My desire is to reach as manypeople with the message of hope
that have lived lives asdifficult and dark as I have, or
anyone who needs to be remindedthat hope is real.
So thank you so much in advanceand until next time, remember
(24:19):
you are loved.
Welcome to the Hopeful Perspective podcast.
I am your host, jason Hopkins.
Today we begin our first timetogether, having spent the first
six episodes working through myown personal story of suffering
and redemption, I hope that asyou listen, you were inspired
and edified in your faith withhow I myself was transformed
(00:24):
from a survivor to a thriver andchanged from a victim to a
victor.
I look forward to exploring thedepths of the hopeful
perspective and our story forhis glory that is continuing to
be authored.
So I encourage you to grab yourfavorite snack, your hot or
cold beverage of choice.
Get comfortable and come onthis journey with me today as we
(00:46):
explore the biblical paradigmof suffering.
Whenever we have a conversationabout suffering in our world,
it should begin and end with thecross of Jesus Christ.
One of my greatest stumblingblocks throughout my own
redemption journey was that Ifound it difficult to relate to
those who hadn't been throughsignificant pain or suffering or
(01:08):
had difficulty sharing theirown pain.
Whenever I share my story ofredemption, the most common
response from my audience isthat, no matter what they have
been through, they find itdifficult to relate to the
levels of trauma that Iexperienced.
Difficult to relate to thelevels of trauma that I
experienced.
Yet Paul teaches us in 1Corinthians, chapter 10, verse
(01:29):
13, that no temptation hasovertaken you except what is
common to mankind.
And God is faithful.
He will not let you be temptedbeyond what you can bear, but
when you are tempted, he willalso provide a way out so that
you can endure it.
In other words, even at ourgreatest overwhelmed point when
facing adversity, we should knowthat we will be granted a way
(01:52):
out.
This encourages me in a fewways.
God is not unaware of our pain,and he alone understands how
much we can bear.
This truth is significant whenreconciling our pain and
suffering.
When I found it difficult torelate to counselors and
psychologists due to the ethicalwalls they had that prevented
(02:13):
the sharing of themselves, Ifound a perfect counselor in
Christ who sacrificed all ofhimself and in doing so,
experienced one of the mosttortuous manners of suffering
one could endure.
He understands and identifieswith our suffering.
What's more difficult to acceptespecially in the Western church
, I believe is that we arecalled to participate in the
(02:38):
sufferings of Christ.
As a matter of fact, jesushimself stated that a
requirement of his followers wasto be to pick up their cross.
This wasn't an option nor apossibility.
Luke 14.27 records this.
And whoever does not carrytheir cross and follow me cannot
(02:59):
be my disciple.
To carry our cross Now, most ofus who have chosen to follow
him, will not be called to bemartyred or executed like in the
first century.
Rather, carrying our crossmeans we are called to die to
our old self, our old will, andto submit to God's will in every
(03:20):
way Not in some ways or mostways, but again in every way.
It would seem.
Our Lord knew that we wouldexperience opposition and
defiance, as it pertained togiving up everything I know.
For me personally, thisopposition came from within, due
to the spiritual programming Ihad as a child that set up
(03:41):
double binds in order toinfluence me, to rely on myself
and my dissociative system whenI would experience trials of
many kinds At times.
The opposition comes fromoutside, whether that be the
social and cultural influencethat we now face in the music
industry, news and media, socialmedia, or even our own
(04:02):
upbringing, and even at times inour churches, when Paul was
instructing Timothy about how tobe prepared to face opposition,
to follow his example, when he,paul, was experiencing
suffering persecution, hecautioned that Timothy be aware
of those inside the church.
(04:22):
2 Timothy 3.12 says, in fact,everyone who wants to live a
godly life in Christ Jesus willbe persecuted, while evildoers
and what Imposters will go frombad to worse, deceiving and
being deceived.
Beware of imposters, oflookalikes, those who look like
(04:45):
they are following Christ.
Last episode I mentioned, andyou probably have found this to
be true, that truth in ourpost-post-modern culture is
often seen as arbitrary andsubjective.
You see, when the cultureaffects the church more than the
(05:07):
church affects the culture,devastating outcomes occur, and
scripture says that those whopersevere and maintain the truth
of scripture will faceopposition, if not suffering and
possible persecution.
The book of 1 Peter has a lot tosay about the subject of
suffering and perseverance.
1 Peter 1, 6-7 says and all ofthis you greatly rejoice, though
(05:33):
now, for a little while, youmay have had to suffer grief in
all kinds of trials.
These have come so that theproven genuineness of your faith
, of greater worth than goldwhich perishes even though
refined by fire, may result inpraise, glory and honor when
Jesus Christ is revealed.
Do you see it?
(05:53):
Whatever the source of ourtrials may be, we can take
solace in the fact that Christis revealed to the world around
us when our faith proves to begenuine.
1 Peter 2 19-21 goes this far.
For it is commendable ifsomeone bears up under the pain
of unjust suffering because theyare conscious of God.
(06:14):
But how is it to your credit ifyou receive a beating for doing
wrong and endure it?
But if you suffer for doinggood and you endure it, this is
commendable before God.
To this you Do.
You remember a few seconds agohow Luke 14 bears Christ's
commands that whoever calls himor herself a disciple must pick
(06:40):
up their cross and in doing so,are following his example?
Whenever we persevere for thesake of Christ, we can be
assured he is getting the glory.
1 Peter 3.14 grants us thisadditional reassurance.
But even if you should sufferfor what is right, you are
blessed.
Do not fear their threats, donot be frightened.
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1 Peter 4.1.
Therefore, since Christsuffered in his body, arm
yourselves also with the sameattitude, because whoever
suffers in the body is done withsin.
1 Peter 4.12-13,.
Dear friends, do not besurprised at the fiery ordeal
that has come on you to test you, as though something strange
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were happening to you, butrejoice in as much as you
participate in the sufferings ofChrist, so that you may be
overjoyed when his glory isrevealed.
And 1 Peter, 5, verse 10, saysand the God of all grace, who
called you to his eternal gloryin Christ, after you have
suffered a little while, willhimself restore you and make you
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strong, firm and steadfast.
We observe in these versesdrawn from three chapters in 1
Peter that when we adopt theattitude of our Redeemer, who
was called to offer himself as asacrifice for our sin that
separates us, that we cannothelp but have a hopeful
perspective.
His sacrifice was made in orderto usher us into his kingdom
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forever, and this hope of heavenis our sweetest prize.
In addition, our faith will bemade stronger and, as we read in
1 Corinthians 10, verse 13,since he knows what we can bear,
we will not be broken beyondhis ability to restore us.
Check out how Paul shows usthis a few chapters earlier in 2
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Corinthians 4, verses 8-10.
We are hard-pressed on everyside, but not crushed.
Perplexed but not in despair.
Persecuted but not abandoned.
Struck down but not destroyed.
We always carry around in ourbody the death of Jesus, so that
the life of Jesus may also berevealed in our body.
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When I read this verse, I cannothelp but to identify many of
the enemy's lies that I havepersonally believed throughout
my life when I was walkingthrough adversity, that I will
be crushed, I will be perplexed,persecuted and even struck down
, and yet we are given thereassurance and the weaponry to
battle these lies within thetruth.
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I have not arrived by any meansin my walk, but I am learning
how to arm myself with theattitude of Christ as it
pertains to pain andperseverance in this life.
With the attitude of Christ asit pertains to pain and
perseverance in this life, andas we have read, or should I say
heard, I have had plenty ofopportunities to persevere.
Philippians 3, verse 10, says Iwant to know Christ, yes, to
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know the power of hisresurrection and participation
in his sufferings, becoming likehim in his death.
Now, like Paul and, I hope,like all who call themselves
Christian, I want to know Christmore, and the apostle makes it
clear that we see the power ofhis resurrection when we put to
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death our old self and arerestored into the new creation.
When I approach my sufferingwith the attitude of Christ, I
boast not in my accomplishment,but rather, as Romans 5 declares
to us, I boast in the glory ofGod.
In my life, I see the next twosections of scripture Romans 5,
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verses 2 through 5, from Paulthe Apostle, and from James, the
half-brother, to Jesus in hisbook, chapter 1, verses 2
through 4, as being likecompanion verses that affirm one
another.
Romans 5, 2-5 says Therefore,since we have been justified
through faith, we have peacewith God through our Lord Jesus
Christ, through whom we havegained access by faith into this
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grace in which we now stand andwe boast in the hope of the
glory of God.
Not only so, but we also gloryin our sufferings, because we
know that suffering producesperseverance, perseverance,
character, and then character,hope, and hope does not put us
to shame because God's love hasbeen poured out into our hearts
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through the Holy Spirit who'sbeen given to us.
And then again in James 1, 2-4,.
Do you see how they are related?
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I learned in my trauma therapythat maturity has a holistic,
emotional and mental definitionthat far exceeds our limited use
of the term concerning humandevelopment, for example.
He is so immature or justchildlike.
Truly mature individuals areemotionally secure in their
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attachments with one another,that is, the bonds they have in
their relationships, and theyhave the ability to process,
complex emotion.
Now, complex emotions are madeup of two or more basic emotions
, so feelings like grief,jealousy, regret are considered
complex.
One who is emotionally maturemay indeed feel these emotions,
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but they also have the capacityto be self-aware and to utilize
healthy tools to work throughthese feelings.
Biblically speaking, we worktoward that maturity when we
face trials and we perseverethrough them.
I can attest in my ownexperiences that my past
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experience working throughtrauma of many kinds and the
eventual restoration of thattrauma has led to my capacity
and emotional maturity beingconsiderably higher than it once
was.
Friends, I know that, whetheryou are a believer in Christ or
not, that the issue of sufferingis amongst the most mysterious
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of challenges for us tounderstand, and more so to try
and reconcile in terms oftheology and if you have
experiences of your own, saywatching a loved one suffer
through cancer until their death, you or a loved one
experiencing child abuse, orperhaps a friend or loved one
actually ending their sufferingby taking their own life.
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There are plenty of examples ofwhich we are impacted by the
broken world we experience andour ability to reconcile a
loving God with the evil andsuffering of the world may
appear to initially be achallenge.
Yet having worked through someof the most traumatic events you
can think of in my own life, Ihave found that the Christian
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theistic worldview is the onlyone that enables us to
understand the problem of eviland suffering in our world.
Whereas it may have seemedadvantageous to the devil that
God in the flesh, in Jesus,would suffer through trauma,
temptation, torture, hunger,thirst, persecution and
eventually execution, little didthe enemy know that, by having
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a suffering Savior, that wewould forever have the ultimate
answer to injustice, that, forall the evil and the suffering
that has ever been experiencedor ever will be in the future,
that our God and Savior wouldultimately purchase the penalty
of this evil and sin through hissacrifice.
I love the parallels drawn fromthe Old Testament that point to
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a Messiah who will come andrescue his people.
I would encourage you, as abeliever, to become familiar
with the Old Testament.
Mess point to a Messiah whowill come and rescue his people.
I would encourage you, as abeliever, to become familiar
with the Old Testament messianicprophecies, the prototypes and
the pictures that far exceedhistorical narrative.
They rather portray a powerfulillustration of God's sovereign
plan throughout history.
You see, the Bible isstartlingly realistic when it
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comes to the issue of sufferingthroughout humanity.
The book of Job is a difficultread, yet a powerful picture of
one man who undergoes the mostintense suffering you have ever
heard of.
Though his trials came as aresult of a conversation between
the Lord and Satan, job isn'tnecessarily aware as to the
reasons he undergoes suchtribulations.
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We see through multiplechapters that his friends have
difficulty understanding Job'ssuffering and when Job is
finally confronted by the Lord,all that he can do, despite his
great pain, is remain silent inGod's presence.
This demonstrates the faiththat Job has amidst his trials
and, though he never necessarilyreceives a direct reason for
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his pain, he instills his trustin the sovereign plan of the
Lord.
His understanding is perhapsthe most accurate answer we will
receive regarding how toapproach suffering, this side of
eternity.
Another such picture ofsuffering and God's sovereignty
amidst our trials is portrayedin the story of Joseph in the
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book of Genesis.
If you recall, he was sold intoslavery by his own brothers,
yet he eventually is promoted tothe second most powerful man in
Egypt as a result of God'ssovereignty and Joseph's
endurance.
We see a foreshadowing of thecross in Genesis, chapter 50,
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verses 19 through 21, whenJoseph addresses the sinful
actions of his brothers,declaring you intended to harm
me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now
being done the saving of manylives.
So then, don't be afraid, Iwill provide for you and your
children.
2.
We see all throughout thePsalms that David has a faith so
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strong that even amidst hisworst trials he still turns to
the Lord.
Make no mistake as we read howDavid honestly battled lies of
the enemy, temptations and evenhis own sin.
Yet he does not lose the hopehe has.
Psalm 22, david cries out,cries out my God, my God, why
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have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from savingme, so far from the words of my
groaning?
We see a powerful picture againin the New Testament at Calvary
, when the Messiah shows how heidentified with the suffering of
David by uttering the exactsame cry to the Father as David
did in Psalm 22.
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Friends, looking at the whole ofthe biblical perspective on
pain and suffering in thisfallen world, we can deduce this
statement God permits sufferingbecause God has a purpose for
our suffering.
In the New Testament we areassured that we know in all
things God works for the good ofthose who love him who have
been called according to hispurpose In Romans 8, 28.
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Before I knew Christ, I couldnot understand the depth of this
conclusion.
Yet when I submitted to him, Iwas able to recognize his
sovereign hand on my life, evenamidst my suffering.
Yet why do Christians todaytend to be surprised when they
encounter pain and suffering intheir life?
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Even with scripture being soclear, I think it's interesting
to note that we see, even in theOld Testament, the Jewish
worldview that often sufferingwas tied to personal sin.
Even in the New Testament, thedisciples of Jesus reveal their
thinking in John, chapter 9.
It reads that as he, jesus,passed by, he saw a man blind
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from birth, and his disciplesasked him Rabbi, who sinned this
man or his parents, that he wasborn blind?
And Jesus answered are hisparents that he was born blind?
And Jesus answered it was notthat this man sinned or his
parents, but that the works ofGod might be displayed in him.
Jesus corrects the thinking ofthe disciples and essentially
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turns their logic on its head.
The blind man's darkness wasn'tcaused by personal sin, but
rather that God's glory would berevealed.
God doesn't prevent sufferingand sin, because God has a
purpose for it.
I believe that part of the issuein today's church and their
understanding of pain andsuffering is due to a similar
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inability to reconcile pain withthis purpose.
We tend to praise God for allthe gifts and the good things he
grants us, Yet when weencounter pain and suffering,
spiritual warfare, temptation,we're prone to abandon our
faithful conviction and ratherseek alternatives to Jesus that
can immediately anesthetize ourpain.
We fail to see that when we areunable to remain present in our
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pain and handle it withintegrity, we are actually
denying the works of God toreveal himself.
Through our brokenness, we are,in essence, bypassing an
opportunity to be more likeChrist and experience the hope
of the glory of God, to trulyknow him.
I have had to repent many timesin my own Christian walk for my
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own idolatry in regards togiving in to said temptations.
So that, all being said, I wantto be candidly clear that I do
not fully understand thetheology of suffering, and I too
possess a lot of questionsregarding matters like kids who
are subjected to atrocitiesbefore they can even make a
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conscious decision to followChrist.
Much like my own story, thereare a lot of questions I have
been confronted with throughoutmy pastoral and counseling
ministry that I've had to justhonestly respond.
I do not know.
Isn't that where our faith istruly made stronger, though, or
where our trust in the Lord isgenuinely tested?
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I will say that I would ratherdirect the flock to deflect
their I's and their Y'sregarding suffering and redirect
their attention to the who'sthey are becoming walking
through this adversity.
We have biblical examples ofpeople, from Job to Joseph,
david to Paul, that show us howto reconcile our trials and
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tribulations by understandingthat God has a plan for our
lives to those who love him.
So, again today, I ask of you,my listeners have you made the
ultimate decision to sacrificeyour own wants and will for the
will of the Lord?
Have you said yes to Jesus,repenting for your sins that
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separate you from the Father?
As you have heard, having faithdoes not end our hardships.
Rather, having faith helps usthrough them.
So if you have not said yes toJesus, I want to encourage you
towards this faith.
Consider being in a quiet,non-distracting location and
praying some version of thisprayer from the heart Lord Jesus
(21:45):
, I repent of my sins and Isurrender to you my life.
Wash and cleanse me.
I believe that Jesus Christ isthe Son of God, that he indeed
did die on the cross a naturaldeath for my sins and then rose
again on the third day for myvictory.
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I believe that in my heart, andI make confession with my mouth
, that Jesus is my Savior and myLord, and I will follow him all
the days of my life.
If you have agreed with thisprayer today from the depths of
your heart, I welcome you to theeternal family of God.
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There is so much to celebrate.
I encourage you to find anOrthodoxodox, biblical-based
faith family who worships theLord passionately.
Also, devote yourself to thereading of the scriptures.
Many pastors recommend,beginning in the book of John.
Next time, on the HopefulPerspective podcast, I will be
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taking a look at Jesus' commandto forgive even and especially
those who have trespassedagainst us.
What do forgiveness,restoration and reconciliation
have in common and how are theydifferent?
Why do they matter at all as itpertains to our holistic
wellness?
Until then, I want to thank youfor joining me along this
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journey and, if you'd be so kindto follow, subscribe and, most
importantly, to rate and write areview for others who may need
the hopeful perspective, I wouldgreatly appreciate that Now you
can even contribute monetarilyby pressing our support the Show
link that is embedded on yourplatform.
(23:34):
All of your contributions areutilized to grow the podcast, to
broaden our reach and to sharethe hope of Christ.
For example, our next stepwould be to purchase a second
mic, headphones and necessaryadapters and equipment so as to
have interviews with others whohave experienced hope amidst
their trials.
I want to shout interviews withothers who have experienced
hope amidst their traps.
I want to shout out to thosewho have already made this
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commitment to support thepodcast financially.
I am so gratefully humbled byyou.
My desire is to reach as manypeople with the message of hope
that have lived lives asdifficult and dark as I have, or
anyone who needs to be remindedthat hope is real.
So thank you so much in advanceand until next time, remember
(24:19):
you are loved.
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