Suffering as a Christian

 

In his book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” Rabbi Harold Kushner wrote about God. “I recognize His limitations. He is limited in what He can do by laws of nature and by the evolution of human nature and human moral freedom.” ¹

Professor Clay Jones takes an entirely different approach to the problem of evil than Rabbi Kushner and others who write about God being unable to stop evil. In his book “Why Does God Allow Evil?” Professor Jones wrote, “I’ve come to realize we have gotten the problem of evil exactly backward. There is a problem with evil all right. But it isn’t God’s problem—It’s humankinds' problem because we are the ones who do evil. With that perspective in mind, the question changes from “Why does God allow evil? to “Why does God allow humans?” ²

Speaking at the Legionnaire National Conference on March 25,2011, R. C. Sproul Jr made an amazing grace statement about suffering. “Why do bad things happen to good people? Well that only happened once, and He volunteered.” ³  

When He was called a good teacher, Jesus replied. “No one is good—except God alone” (Mark 10:18 NIV.) God who only is good overcame evil with good. “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it”—the cross (Colossians 2:13-15 NKJV).

Jesus overcame evil with good. The Victim became the Victor! And He asks His followers to do the same. “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me” (Luke 9:23 NLT) To take up a cross is volunteering to suffer as Jesus did overcoming evil with good. In his first letter, Peter expanded upon the commandment of Jesus. ‘“To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. ^‘He committed no sin,
and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly”’ (1 Peter 2:21-23 NKJV).

Followers of Jesus Christ are no longer of the world, those who are in rebellion against God. And immediately after becoming a follower of Jesus the world will seek to destroy them just as they did Jesus and His followers. Jesus encouraged His followers. “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

The title of 1 Peter 4:12-16 in the Greek New Testament is “Suffering as a Christian.” In those verses of Scripture, Peter tells us how Christians are to respond to suffering: “Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 

“If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.”

“Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you” (Matthew 5:11-12).

“And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes and commanded to beat them. And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God” (Acts 16:22-25).

“And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:3-5 CSB).

“But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy” (1 Peter 4:13).

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing” (James 1:2-4 NKJV). “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again, I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). “Rejoice evermore” (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

Paul also wrote about Christian suffering. “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him” (Philippians 1:29 NLT). And in Romans 8:35, he asks, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?” Then, he lists some of the things that happen to those who are justified by faith in Jesus Christ. “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Therefore, everyone who receives Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord should be taught about suffering as a Christian before or immediately after becoming a disciple of Jesus that they may be so grounded in the teachings of Jesus and the apostles that when suffering comes, they won’t have to ask, “God, why are you letting this happen to me?” Rather, they will know and rejoice! 

 

Robert P. Holland

 

Endnotes

¹       Harold Kushner, “When Bad Things Happen to Good People,” 134.

²       Clay Jones, “Why Does God Allow Evil?” 73.

³       R. C. Sproul Jr., 2011 Legionnaire National Conference, Session 6, March 25,2011, accessed September 12, 2016, ttp://www.legioner.org/blog/2011-legioner-national-conference-session6-6rcsproul-jr/.