- Suffering should be expected and embraced by Christians.
Jesus promised believers they would be “hated by all” for his sake (Mt. 10:22), delivered up to courts, flogged (Mt. 10:17), betrayed by friends (Lk. 21:16-17), and thrown into prison (Rv. 2:10). Paul said we must enter into the kingdom of God “through many tribulations” (Ac. 14:22).
Jesus warned Paul that he would suffer much (Ac. 9:16). “Do not be surprised,” John said, “that the world hates you” (1Jn. 3:13). “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2Tm. 3:1
2. Suffering began at the Fall and lands upon everyone.
Death is the only way to avoid suffering. Adam and Eve were created posse non peccare (able not to sin) but were told that if they ate of the wrong tree, they would die (Gn. 2:17). They disobeyed, bringing immediate spiritual death. Their sin also brought other forms of suffering, like pain in childbirth to women (Gn. 3:16), difficulty in labor to men (Gn. 3:17-19), and eventual death to all people (Gn. 5:5; Rm. 5:12).
Today, suffering is universal, as common as sparks that drift upwards (Job 5:7). Job, who lost all of his children, possessions, and health, said he was “few of days and full of trouble” (14:1). Jesus said: “In the world you will have tribulation” (Jn. 14:33).
- Suffering comes in different forms.
The world is filled with physical pain, illnesses, natural disasters, diseases, and misery. The centurion’s servant was paralyzed (Mt. 8:6), a boy had seizures (Mt. 17:15), Simon’s mother-in-law battled a high fever (Lk. 4:38), and Trophimus was left ill in Miletus (2Tm. 4:20). Emotional pain is also common, as when King David was taunted by his enemies (Ps. 42:10). This caused him to shake and his heart to pound (Ps. 55:4-6).
“Anxiety in a man’s heart weights him down” (Pr. 12:25), as when Mary lost her brother (Jn. 11:32-35) and Paul endured “sorrow upon sorrow” over the sickness of Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:27). Suffering brought Job frustration (Job 23:8-9), Naomi bitterness (Ruth 1:20-21), David bereavement (2Sm. 18:33), and Nehemiah sadness (Neh. 2:1-3).
- Suffering traces its roots back to sin, though the immediate cause may stem elsewhere.
Satan afflicted Job with terrible boils (Job 2:7). He also caused a woman to be sick for eighteen years (Lk. 13:16), afflicted Paul in some painful way (2Cor. 12:7) and caused believers in Smyrna to be cast into prison (Rv. 2:10). Some suffering comes through demon possession (Mt. 8:28) or by natural disasters (Job 1:16; Joel 1:4), and also by mere accidents, as when Mephibosheth’s nurse fell and he became lame (2Sm. 4:4) or when Ahaziah fell through the lattice (2Kgs. 1:2).
In a greater sense, all suffering comes from God, which is sometimes called a gift (Phil. 1:29).God never does evil, but he ordains all things–including suffering–meaning he has willed and planned it from eternity past (Eph. 1:11).
Sin often is the immediate cause of suffering. Men endure the wrath of God because of their “ungodliness” (Rm. 1:18). The flood came (Gn. 6:5), Israel wandered (Num. 14:33), fools suffered (Ps. 107:17), Ananias and Saphirra died (Ac. 5:5), Sodom was destroyed (Jude 7), Jezebel was thrown into a sick bed of suffering (Rev. 2:22) and King David lost his child (2Sm. 12:9) all because of their sin.
However, not all suffering stems immediately from sin.Jesus said the man wasn’t blind because of his sin or his parents’ sin (Jn. 9:3). Job suffered much, despite being “blameless and upright” (Job 9:3). King Hezekiah, a righteous man, became sick in the prime of his life (2Chr. 32:24).
- Suffering was fully felt by Christ, especially on the cross for sin.
It was foretold by prophecy (Ac. 3:18) that Christ would suffer on the cross (Lk. 24:26) and have his heel bruised (Gn. 3:15), as pictured by Abraham offering Isaac (Gn. 22:2-13), the Passover (Ex. 12:22-23) and the sacrificial lambs (Heb. 13:11-12). Jesus willingly suffered (Mt. 26:42; Isa. 53:5) without complaint (Isa. 53:7).
Jesus understands our suffering (Hb. 4:15) and can help us (Hb. 2:18). He gives peace, which the world does not understand (Jn. 14:27) and this peace dissolves fear (Phil. 4:7). “A bruised reed he will not break and a faintly burning wick he will not quench”(Isa. 42:3). A great lesson to be learned from Christ’s suffering is that Christians must follow in his footsteps of suffering. “A servant is not greater than his master” (Jn. 13:16).
- Suffering often appears unjust, so we must be careful to avoid poor responses to it.
Habakkuk wondered how a holy God could remain silent as the wicked swallowed up the righteous (1:13). Job claimed his suffering was unjust (Job 19:7). Asaph asked why God would strike the sheep of his pasture (Ps. 74:1) and David said he agonized through no sin on his part (Ps. 59:3-4). Some react to hardship with a hard heart (Rv. 16:9), like Pharaoh, who refused to repent (Ex. 7:22). Others, like Manasseh (2Ch. 33:12) and the prodigal son (Lk. 15:17-18), repented humbly, saying with the Psalmist: “It was good for me that I was afflicted, that I might learn your statutes (Ps. 119:71).
We must guard against several improper responses. (1) We mustn’t claim that God is unjust (Ezek. 18:25). (2) We mustn’t resent God, as Job’s wife did (Job 2:9-10). (3) We mustn’t argue with God, as Job did (Job 40:2). (4) We mustn’t envy the wicked in their prosperity (Ps. 73:3). (5) We mustn’t become disillusioned and quit in the Christian life (Ps. 73:13). Fake Christians do not persevere in hardship (Mk. 4:17). “When tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles” (Mt. 13:21). (6) We mustn’t threaten or use abusive language amidst our suffering (1Pt. 2:23).
- Suffering must be met with a biblical response.
God often uses hardship to test his children. “The Lord tests the righteous” (Ps. 11:5). Thus, we must respond biblically and wisely.
(1) We must humbly submit to God amidst suffering, as Job did when he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb and naked I shall return. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). (2) Christians must thank God that suffering can only kill the body but not the soul (Mt. 10:28). (3) We must trust the Lord that He will always do right (Gn. 18:25; Ps. 56:3). (4) We must cast our difficult circumstances and anxieties upon the Lord, as he can be trusted to address them wisely (Ps. 55:22-23; 1Pt. 5:7). (5) We must pray for help. “They cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress (Ps. 107:6, 13, 19). (6) We must keep faith in God, even if our suffering brings death, as modeled by Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (Dn. 3:17-18). (7) We must read the Scriptures for encouragement. “This is my comfort in affliction, that your promises give me life” (Ps. 119:50). (8) We must rejoice amidst suffering, taking “joy in the God” of our salvation (Hb. 3:17-18), even while there are no herds in the stalls.
(9) We must remember that God cares for the afflicted. He does not forget their cry (Ps. 9:12). He sees (2Kgs. 14:26), knows (Ex. 2:25), and hears (Jms. 5:4) His people’s anguish and laughs at the wicked (Ps. 59:8). Though bad things happen to God’s people, He “delivers him out of them all” in that his children will never be fully destroyed by suffering (Ps. 34:19).
(10) We must consider it a privilege to suffer “the reproach of Christ” (Hb. 11:26; Mt. 5:10-12; Ac. 5:41; 2Tm. 1:8; 1Pt. 2:19). (11) We must weep with those that weep (Rm. 12:15). (12) We must help carry the burdens of others (Gal. 6:2). (13) We must remember that God causes all things to work together for good to those that love him (Rm. 8:28). (14) We must take heart that Christians have the victory in the end. Satan will be crushed (Rm. 16:20) and we will rise from the dead (1Cor. 15:20). (15) We must call the elders of our church to pray for us (Jms. 5:14). (16) We must remember that there will be no suffering in heaven (Rv. 21:4).
- Suffering yields manifold blessings.
(1) It develops character, such as steadfastness (Jms. 1:3), obedience (Hb. 5:8), and endurance (Rm. 5:4). (2) It teaches us to rely on God (2Cor. 1:9). (3) It builds up the church (Col. 1:24). (4) It makes the joy of blessing so much greater after many tears of sorrow (Ps. 126:5-6). (5) It helps us comfort others in their own suffering (2Cor. 1:3-5). (6) It helps us demonstrate our love for others (Col. 2:1). (7) It keeps us from going astray (Ps. 119:67).
(8) It helps us bear much fruit (Jn. 15:2). (9) It reveals the genuineness of our faith (1Pt. 1:6-7). (10) It causes our joy to bubble over when we see Christians in pain still persevering (2Th. 1:4). (11) It prepares us for heaven (2Cor. 4:16-5:4). (12) It leads people to believe in Christ (Phil. 3:8-10). (13) It helps us to see our own weaknesses and His strength (2Cor. 12:9-10). (13) It increases our bond and fellowship with other suffering believers (1Cor. 12:26). (14) It helps us to see the fulfillment of God’s promises (Ps. 119:50). (15) It teaches us how to be content (Phil. 4:11). (16) It gives us an opportunity to “share” in the trouble of others (Phil. 4:14).
- Suffering puts us in a long line of godly men and women who have endured the same.
All of the apostles were killed for their faith, save John, who was boiled in water and imprisoned. Clement of Rome was tied to an anchor and drowned. Polycarp was burned at the stake at age 86. Cyprian was beheaded. Chrysostom was exiled repeatedly. Hubmaier was tortured and burned at the stake and his wife was drowned. William Tyndale was betrayed and executed.
John Milton became in the center of life. Samuel Rutherford and John Bunyan were imprisoned for years. Charles Spurgeon battled painful gout. Elizabeth Elliot saw her husband murdered on the mission field. The Hall of Faith in Hebrews 11 reveals great Christians who suffered mightily, like Joseph that was wrongly imprisoned, Moses that was thrust into the desert, and other who were mocked and flogged.
- Suffering can only be correctly dealt with by the Christian worldview.
Evil and suffering presupposes there is already a standard for goodness–God. The Psalmist cried: “How long, O LORD” (Ps. 6:3; Hab. 1:2). This shows we can never fully understand God’s plans in our suffering. Some claim suffering proves there’s no God, or that God’s goodness, knowledge and power are limited so as to prevent it. Atheists often claim that most suffering is pointless.
Theodicies do not answer every objection to suffering, but they offer many cogent reasons from Scripture. (1) Suffering is deserved because man is evil, not good. As RC Sproul said: “Why do bad things happen to good people? That only happened once, and he volunteered.” (2) God allows and ordains suffering to bring about a greater good. For example, if God had not ordained sin to enter the world, there would be no cross, not resurrection, no grace. (3) Just because humans cannot see the point doesn’t mean there is no point. God is infinitely wiser than us.