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Reconciling God’s Love and Present Suffering
By William R. Cunningham
May 7, 2006
Scripture Lesson:
Romans 8:28 (NKJV) -- {28} And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
Introduction
Wouldn’t it be nice if once someone becomes a Christian that everything from that point on is trouble-free? Wouldn’t it be nice if every time trouble would come upon us that it would quickly be dissolved by the power of God? Wouldn’t it be nice if all Christians would not have any financial problems, health problems, or relationship issues? Whether these would be nice or not is beside the point because they are not the case. They do not represent reality. We can quickly see this in our everyday life and in the picture that God presents to us in the Bible.
Special Privileges
One may reason that Christians should have special privileges and therefore experience a trouble-free life. Again, that is beside the point because such is not the case at least as it relates to our life here on earth. Some argue that we are children of the King and therefore should have special blessings that the world does not have. They argue that we can have homes, cars, jewelry, boats, designer clothes, etc. However, we all know and must admit that things simply are not that way. Is it because we do not have enough faith? Is it because we have a secret sin?
However, the reality of this doesn’t hit us as hard as when trouble comes upon us and there seems to be no special treatment between us and the non-Christian. I am at this point reminded of something that Jesus Christ said which further demonstrates that the life that we see here on earth is typical for all. Jesus said, “…for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust“(Matthew 5:45). This is actually referring to the love of God for all people and how He provides for all. There is therefore no reason why we should expect things to be different for us (Christians).
The Righteous and Unrighteous Experiences
The reality of it is that Christians suffer just like anyone else. The reality is that everyone else is seemingly blessed as we would like to believe is reserved for the righteous. It seems in general that there is no difference between the righteous and the unrighteous in this world. The righteous have mortgages and the unrighteous have mortgages. The unrighteous are laid off from their jobs and the righteous are laid off. The unrighteous get sick and the righteous get sick. The unrighteous die and so do the righteous. So what is the difference between the righteous and the unrighteous? What advantage does the righteous have over the unrighteous?
In this discussion we are going to examine the reconciliation of God’s love for His children (the Body of Christ) and the issues that they face in life. If we all seem to suffer the same things in this life then what difference is there between those who love God and those who do not? Why should anyone strive to do good when we all seem to suffer the same fate?
A good look at God First
When something bad happens to us we tend to want to know why. We ask God why He didn’t save us or deliver us from the problem. We want to know why God didn’t come to our rescue when we needed Him most. We expect things to be different for us than for the world, but they don’t appear to be different. At this point many may become angry with God or even disillusioned with God. Some may even begin to blame God for there suffering and falsely accuse Him of a variety of things. For example, some may have to deal with the following thoughts when they are going through trouble.
- God allowed this to happen
- God doesn’t care about me
- God let this happen to teach me something
- There is no God so all things happen to all people
- God doesn’t get involved in the affairs of men (Deism)
- God doesn’t love me
These are only some of the things that may be entertained in the thoughts of people as they deal with the issues that befall them.
God’s Revelation on Life
However, we have to take a look at God first. What did God say about life on earth? Did He say that it would be different for those who love Him than those who don’t? We know for a fact that there are many people that reject God and worship another and yet they seem to prosper. We see people that are in crime and yet they seem to have the things that we dream about. Again, we have to realize that God never told us that it would be any other way. He never told us in His word that the righteous would live an easy life until the culmination of salvation while the wicked would live a life of destruction.
On the contrary, Jesus taught us that the two would grow together and be separated at the end. The weeds will be weeds and the wheat would be wheat and then at the end (harvest time) they would be separated. See Matthew 13:24-30 for the parable of the wheat and the tares.
What God is Really Like
Another thing that we should be careful of before we accuse God is to know what God is to really like. How do we know what God is really like? Do we learn about the nature of God through trouble? I don’t think that would be a good thing to do because our perception through trouble would not be very objective. Instead we can know God based on what He told us about Himself. Yes, but you might argue that anyone would make themselves out to be good. However, God is just and His testimony is true.
John 8:17-18 (NKJV) -- {17} It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true. {18} I am One who bears witness of Myself, and the Father who sent Me bears witness of Me.”
Our perspective of God tends to be based on utopia based ideals. We don’t perceive things based on the way that they really are, but rather in a way that we wish it would be. However, we know from personal experience that things are not usually as we want them to be. Therefore, we should have an objective look at God, which is based on the revelation of God given to us by Himself in His word (the Holy Bible).
God’s Love
We should also consider that God is love and that He loves us. God demonstrated His love towards us by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins.
John 3:16 (NKJV) -- {16} For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Romans 5:8 (NKJV) -- {8} But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
God loves us and He really cares about us. However, we would like to believe that such a love is manifested in a utopia type life. We would like to believe that all would be nice and easy for us because God loves us. Here again we see that even in our own lives we know that such a love isn’t always manifested in a manner that is pleasant or considered nice.
An Example of Parental Love
It is safe to say that most parents love their children. However, this love isn’t manifested in niceness all of the time. Sometimes the concept of “tough love” is enacted to promote proper development in the child. I know that the general philosophy of parenting in this day and age is the non-spanking approach to child raising. However, I’m “old school” and I believe in spanking the child.
- Proverbs 13:24 (NKJV) -- {24} He who spares his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him promptly.
- Proverbs 23:13 (NKJV) -- {13} Do not withhold correction from a child, For if you beat him with a rod, he will not die.
- Proverbs 23:14 (NKJV) -- {14} You shall beat him with a rod, And deliver his soul from hell.
The parent will do all he or she can do for the child, but at the same time the parent knows that he or she should not spoil the child. Therefore, there is a balance in things seemingly good and things seemingly unpleasant. Here again I find that today’s philosophy in child raising is devoid of Biblical wisdom. Many parents in my generation are more concerned with appeasing the child instead of training the child. Many parents today are more concerned and work more towards appeasing their children and creating an environment of utopia instead of training the child and teaching the child the truth. The child should be disciplined and the child should not be led to believe that he or she can have whatever he or she wants. The child should know that sometimes he or she will not get what he or she wants and that it is OK. The child should know that sometimes things don’t go their way, but that doesn’t mean that life is over or the like. It is the parent’s job to teach the child these things.
I suppose that since many parents in my generation live in this type of fantasy land that they would project that same thing onto God. Perhaps that is why they are so gullible when ministers tell them that they could have whatever they claim and other things pertaining to the prosperity teachings. Sooner or later we need to wake up and realize that God’s love is not a passive “give the child some candy” type of love. The love of God on our lives does not mean that everything will go nicely. However, we can have the confidence that God will be with us through it all and at the end we will be victorious. We need to consider the entirety of life and not just our existence on earth. Therefore, this victory may not be until the end (See Revelations 21).
The Problem With Our Perception
The problem here is that we don’t judge or consider our spiritual life to be as important as the materialistic world that we operate in every day. The things that we would like to have are more tangible than the reality of spiritual things such as salvation and eternal life. What we deem as important tends to be misplaced. Consider the following statement by Jesus Christ.
Matthew 6:19-21 (NKJV) -- {19} “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; {20} but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. {21} For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
We measure things based on a worldly or earthly perspective. We judge things on the ideal that we have of life. The problem is that our ideals are not consistent with reality and especially not with what God has revealed to us.
Christians should remember that there really is not end for them. We will live eternally with the Father. What could possibly compare with that?
Romans 8:18 (NKJV) -- {18} For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
The Good, the Bad, and the Meaningless
Good things happen to Christians and bad things happen to Christians. God things happen to the saved and bad things happen to the unsaved. We said previously that there appears to be no difference between the righteous and the unrighteous so why should we strive for righteousness. The key here is the realization that our life is not measured by the summation of good works. Those who are saved are declared righteous because of the redemptive act of Jesus Christ and their faith in Him. Paul called this justification.
So we shouldn’t measure good things merely on the merits of a utopic ideal. Consider the following Scripture, which is our scripture lesson.
Romans 8:28 (NKJV) -- {28} And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
The context of this scripture is Christian suffering. All things would work together for Good to those who loved God and were called according to God’s purposes. That is to say, that God will work all things out to accomplish His ultimate goal in the end. We may suffer, but ultimately God’s will is done. This doesn’t mean that everything that happens is God’s will. You surely can’t believe that a bus crashing into the river is God’s will. You surely cannot believe that people being killed as a result of a bomber are God’s will and yet people will claim that it is. I believe that God grieves over the pains that we suffer. I believe that God looks on and cries with us so to speak because of the pain that we endure. This doesn’t mean that God can’t do anything about it. The fact is that He already has. God doesn’t see life in terms of the earthly. God apparently does not judge life in the context of our existence on earth. Besides, we are the ones that have messed things up on earth. We really shouldn’t blame God anyway.
Imagine a person that works hard for five years to acquire training for a particular position. He spends very little time in leisure. He spends very little time with his loved ones and with friends. Most of his time is consumed by the training and studying that he must endure until he reaches the goal that he decided to accomplish. Then the day comes when his goal is accomplished and he receives all of the benefits because of it. He enjoys a happiness that he never knew and a sense of satisfaction that will remain with him the rest of his life. One thought he would have is that it was all worth it.
We too can say that as well. It is all worth it. All of the suffering and all of the pain was worth it. It is all worth it when we consider the joy and happiness that we will have with God forever. We didn’t give up and we kept the faith. We believed and now we see the rewards. That is how it will be in the day of the Lord. So life is more than the here and now. It is also the here after.
Sometimes in life things go well and sometimes things go awry. However, there are also times when things are totally meaningless in my opinion. Unfortunately these are the things that we may spend much time over. We may consider that having abundance in things is good, but the Bible declares that it is ultimately meaningless. Solomon said, “Vanity, vanity. All is vanity” (See Ecclesiastes 1:2). That is to say, “Meaningless. All is meaningless.” Here it refers to striving in vain as in trying to grab a mist. All that we do in an attempt to find meaning to life is like trying to grasp steam or a mist. All of our efforts would be fruitless. The meaning of life is not found in things. Solomon Goes on to say that what really matters is to fear God and do what He says.
We later find in the New Testament that doing what God says leads us to salvation being that He says to believe in Jesus Christ.
1 John 3:23 (NKJV) -- {23} And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment.
People work their whole lives to acquire happiness, security, love, etc. They work real hard at a career or business. They work real hard to get the best house, the nicest car, etc. However, they neglect the thing that matters the most. They don’t consider their relationship with God. After all God has done all that He did regarding Jesus Christ because He wants a relationship with us.
Reconciling it All
So what does all of this mean? Well I have only scratched the surface of this topic. There is much that we could say about the problem of pain and reconciling that with the love of God. However, what we must remember is that we should not judge God based on the circumstances of the typical life on earth. We should perceive God based on what He has ultimately done for us in regards to eternity, which none of the pain we have now compares to.
It is definitely easier said than done, but we have to begin on that journey to see things as they really are. It may not happen all at once, but over a period of time we could obtain a faith like the Apostles, early Christians, and the persecuted Christians around the world. People loose everything, but they keep their faith. People suffer much because of their faith in Christ. They don’t judge God on what they don’t have, but what they do have, which is eternity with the Father.
Reconciling these things is simply a matter of viewing life through the eyes of the word of God and realizing that God’s love is not measured in the good things that happen to us. The love of God is measured in what He sacrificed, namely Jesus Christ. We should not dismiss the great sacrifice that God gave for us even though we were not thinking about Him. Our love for God should not be measured on how many “good” things that he does for us. Though God is not behind all that happens to us, he does give us gifts and pleasantries and sometimes his correction hurts.
We need a different scale when we try to reconcile the pains of life and the goodness of God. We need to see things from a different perspective when we try to make sense out of all that happens in the world. Of course we have to realize that we are at fault many times. It, after all wouldn’t make sense for God to make everything go right when we defiantly oppose what He tells us in order to do our own thing.
We thank God for His goodness. We thank God for the fact that He loves us. We thank God for his patience with us and that He is not like man. We thank God for the salvation that He has provided to us through His son Jesus Christ, who died on the cross so that we would live. Reconcile pain and the love of God by the reality that God has shown us and not the illusion that the world has displayed. Amen.