PART 20

I have every confidence that Paul would say the same about being willing to be spiritually dammed for non-Jews if it would bring about their salvation (see Paul’s Passion for Gentiles). Nevertheless, merely consider the suffering non-Christian Jews inflicted on him. They seem to have done actually more to persecute him than the Gentiles and often stirred up the Roman authorities to attack and, they hoped, permanently silence him (Details). Soon after his conversion, the Jews conspired to kill Paul (Acts 9:23). In another time and place, they stoned him and left him for dead (Acts 14:19). Not once or twice but on five separate occasions, Paul received “from the Jews . . . forty stripes minus one” (2 Corinthians 11:24 – Comment). And yet Paul so loved them that he was not only willing to endure all of this in the hope of them finding Christ, he would willingly suffer eternally for them, if that were possible.

John has been called the apostle of love, and yet it takes little thought to realize that Paul has truly earned that title. In fact, I don’t know what anyone could do to display greater love than Paul:

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

Romans 5:7-10 For one will hardly die for a righteous man. . . . But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. . . . while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son . . .

What gives hope for us all on our path to Christlikeness is that although John and Paul ended up loving like Christ, both started off so far from it they burned with murderous rage toward those they disapproved of (Luke 9:54; Acts 9:1).

A moving display of Christlike love is powerful in winning people to Christ. Paul, who under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1, NIV), proved his love by his suffering.

An angel can talk about love and anyone rich and/or powerful can give impressive gifts, but it is suffering that provides by far the greatest proof of love.

Love is at the heart of the book of Job. This man’s behavior was exceptionally righteous but Satan’s argument was that Job was only that way because of what he got out of it (Job 1:8-11; 2:3-5). It was only through his suffering that Job was able to prove to the world and to anti-God powers just how genuine he was.

It is noteworthy that, as with Christians suffering little persecution, the attack on Job and his possessions and family was physical but the source was spiritual (satanic), rather than human persecution because of his beliefs. As is typically also the case among us, a significant human source of his torment was not the ungodly but his marriage partner (Job 2:9 – probably drunk with pain over her own grief) and his righteous friends with their less than helpful attempts to support and advise.

Everything mentioned in this section dovetails with Jesus’ emphasis that our forgiveness hinges on our willingness to forgive others.

We are acutely aware that the Son of God suffered horrifically, despite being perfect and innocent like no one else, and the darling of God’s heart. We know there is no way that we are greater than our crucified Lord. Nevertheless, we Christians tend to think – I certainly have – that because Christ graciously suffered on our behalf, at least those who are exceptionally close to God should be spared earthly suffering.

We have been seeing, however, that God’s precious Word is emphatic that this is not so. Through our suffering Lord, we are headed for an eternity of perfection that is completely free from pain and suffering. Despite the hopes of some, however, not even the greatest Christian, is guaranteed an easy, pain-free time in the here and now.

It is understandable that we are not instantaneously whisked away to heaven the moment we surrender to Christ. We are needed down here. The nagging question, however, is why are Christians who are currently fulfilling an earthly mission not divinely placed in some sort of protective bubble so that now that they are in spiritual union with Christ they are spared earthly suffering?

Not even the best of us deserve divine forgiveness. Jesus alone was truly innocent and suffered horrifically for you to be forgiven. We were once God’s enemies and were rescued from eternal damnation only because God loves his enemies.

The Lord, whom many of us secretly consider to be too good, makes the sun rise and life-giving rain fall both on those we consider respectable and those we look down on (Matthew 5:44-45). There are those we consider unworthy of God’s kindness, when the humiliating reality is that the only thing any of us are worthy of is death from the moment of our first sin (Romans 6:23).

We have seen that although suffering is totally contrary to the perfection of God’s will, our sins – our actions that were totally contrary to the perfection of God’s will – that God tolerated until we eventually came to our senses (and sins we have even dared commit afterward) – slander, cheating, lying, stealing, and so on – have inflicted suffering on people.

For even the best of us, the Lord had to keep enduring our rebellion against him until we eventually came to our senses and accepted divine pardon through Christ. Do we, then, have the hide to claim the Lord who wants no one to perish but all to come to repentance (Isaiah 45:22; Ezekiel 33:11; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9) should not also be patient toward those we dislike?

It’s mighty hard to read the Bible without concluding that it is possible for dynamic, faith-filled Christians to suffer devastating persecution, including not just the plundering of one’s worldly goods (Hebrews 10:34) but incarceration, torture and death. Jesus even pronounced special blessings on the persecuted. And it’s harder still to believe we are spared such suffering because we are more devout. But what of other forms of suffering?

Does anyone believe he reveres God’s Word and yet claims to have more faith and spiritual understanding that the inspired writers of the New Testament who either suffered horrific persecution or taught that others can expect it? Such arrogance would be mind-boggling but I guess some today might feel forced into that dark corner because we live in the pleasure-seeking era prophesied in Scripture in which people will turn from “sound doctrine” and only want to hear what suits them (2 Timothy 3:1-5; 4:3).

All of us have been mercifully spared most of the innumerable forms of suffering – every form of natural disaster, physical disabilities, mental afflictions, the vast number of different illnesses (even if eventually healed), rape, betrayal, not being understood, loneliness, death of loved ones, poverty, the ravages of aging, and on and on – and yet it is rare for the most impressive, Spirit-filled Christians to float through a long life without being hit by at least one or two of the possibilities. And while they are suffering, dare we accuse them of lacking faith?

I have a vast number of other webpages, but the following are particularly pertinent to this topic.

A highly relevant webpage that I urge you to read, if you haven’t already, has the unlikely title Biblical Examples of Unanswered Prayer & the Implications for Us. What connects the two pages is that our natural reaction to suffering is to pray against it. If, however, suffering involves loftier purposes than we suppose, the high good and our greatest glory might be achieved by those prayers not being answered. The page contains valuable biblical insights into suffering that have not been covered above.

The Surprising Joy of Trials

Christian Insights into Martyrdom and Persecution

God isn’t fair?

God’s Execution of Justice on Behalf of Those who have Suffered

Insights From a Sufferer of Chronic Pain

More About God & Suffering

Repentance: Why We Can’t be Forgiven While Refusing to Let Go of Sin

Biblical Examples of Unanswered Prayer & the Implications for Us

Receive More Spiritual Revelation: The Help You Need to Find Deep Spiritual Secrets

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