THE BIBLE DOESN'T SAY THAT
(Understanding Christian Suffering - June 26, 2022)
Series Big Idea: "This series compares what the Bible says versus what it doesn't say"
Sermon Big Idea: "Suffering in this life is unavoidable, but Jesus brings real peace"
Key Scripture (John 9:1-3)
Introduction
I want to remind you that we are in this sermon series comparing what people in the world quote to be biblical versus what the Bible says. The two phrases we have examined are “God helps those who help themselves", and “Obedience always leads to financial blessings.” Today we will talk about suffering and focus on whether the phrase "Suffering always comes from sin" is true."
When suffering, troubles, and heartache happen, does it always come from a specific sin in our lives? Some people say yes. There are those who immediately search their lives for some terrible sin they have committed and conclude that is the reason they are experiencing suffering. But is this always true? The short answer is no. To help us unpack this a little more, I want us to examine how Jesus responded to His disciples when He was asked this very question.
(John 9:1-3)
As He was passing by, He saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples questioned Him: “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” Jesus answered. “This came about so that God’s works might be displayed in him.
The prophet Isaiah prophesied that a number of signs would take place during the messianic period. "Eyes that are blind" would be opened by the Messiah (Isaiah 42:7; Isaiah 29:18; 35:5). (Matthew 9:27– 31; 12:22–23; 15:30; 20:29–34; 21:14.) When Jesus walked the earth, He frequently healed blindness. Because Jesus had just identified Himself as "the Light of the world," this miracle in John 9 is noteworthy (8:12). He restored sight to a man who was born blind as public proof of His claim.
But early Jewish culture often thought that bad things happened because of some big sin. The disciples that were with Jesus at this event obviously had been taught this same thing because they were the ones who asked Him the question of who sinned. Jesus used this man's hardship to teach about faith and to glorify God. So, what does the Bible say about suffering and its sources? Is specific sin responsible for all my suffering?
Again, the short answer to this question is no, but let's examine the topic of suffering in general to get a better understanding of why God allows it.
1. The goal of Christian Suffering is to glorify God
Sin can sometimes lead to pain, but this is not always the case. In the same way, being good does not always lead to wealth. Even people who love God can have trouble. James (James 1:2-4) uses trials or tests to describe the many types of hardship that we as Christians will encounter. He makes no distinction between whether or not they are in consequence to particular sins we have done. According to him, faith is put to the test in every form of suffering. Every hardship demonstrates that God is reliable, wise, wonderful, and precious, as well as all-sufficient for our circumstances. Every challenge we face as Christians ultimately serve to magnify Jesus through our endurance, our faith, and our compassion for others.
Certain sins in our life may have caused some of those hardships, but not all of them. However, both have the same objective. The aim of Christ-exalting steadfastness includes identifying and confessing any specific sins in our life. The objective remains the same—to glorify Christ through faith, repentance, and love—even if specific sins are not immediately apparent.
It is not crucial if we can identify a single sin as the cause of a specific suffering. The main idea is this: let each experience have its own sanctifying impact, destroying sin and increasing faith, patience, and love. Confess the sin if it is known. If it is unknown, pray that the Lord would keep you safe, to forgive you of any unconfessed sins (as the psalmists do in Psalm 19:12; 139:23–24), and to strengthen your faith and patience.
Conclusion:
As God's chosen, loved, justified, and secure children, whenever pain enters our life, we are tempted in two different ways: first, we are tempted to ignore the suffering as a chance to demonstrate our faith and endurance. The other is the worry that we are being judged and not treated as God's children.
Whatever causes pain and suffering in our life, Jesus has the ability to help us cope with it. Try not to wonder, "Why did this happen to me?," whether you experience an illness, a tragedy, or a handicap. Ask God to give you the courage to endure the hardship and to give you a clearer understanding of what is taking place instead.
In order to grow in our assurance that we are God's children, and if children, then heirs for sure, knowing that we must go through suffering with Him on the way to being glorified with Him, we must all establish ourselves in the word of God, in the redeeming work of Christ, in the sealing work of the Holy Spirit, and in the process of sanctification (Romans 8:16–17).
Pastor Beaver's thoughts and ideas are inspired by:
Holman Christian Standard Bible
English Standard Version Bible
King James Version Bible
Christian Standard Bible
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Zondervan, Kent Dobson, and Ed Dobson
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