Rethinking the Benefit of Suffering

 

Trophimus have I left at Miletum sick. 2 Timothy 4:20. Why would Paul leave him sick when he had power to heal?

 

It happened that the father of Publius lay sick with fever and dysentery. And Paul visited him and prayed, and putting his hands on him, healed him. And when this had taken place, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured. Acts 28:8-9

 

God must have reasons for allowing His people to suffer – when it is in His power to heal.

 

James, under inspiration, said something that many could almost quote by heart – they’ve heard it so often:

 

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2-4

 

Apart from the normal polite greetings, those words are the way James begins his letter to fellow-Christians. And it’s almost as striking as the way James ends the same letter:

 

My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. James 5:19-20

 

Among all the beliefs that needed correction, is perhaps also the idea that “God will heal all our diseases,” Psalm 103:3 – a common misunderstanding among many Pentecostal believers today. The Hebrew word for ‘diseases’ here has various possible meanings, including ‘grievances.’

 

The bottom line is that – while it is much easier to say than to bear – there is divine benefit in suffering. Even eternal divine benefit. Jesus’ suffering is the supreme example. We can learn from His suffering.

 

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. Hebrews 12:1-4

 

If suffering draws us closer to God, it has accomplished much that is positive.

 

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:5-7

 

I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me. Philippians 4:12-13

 

If suffering draws us closer to our brothers and sisters in Christ, it has accomplished much that is positive.

 

Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church Colossians 1:24

 

If suffering draws us back to reading and obeying the Scriptures, it has accomplished much that is positive.

 

Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. 14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.

16 Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. 17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. 18 Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.

19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; 20 for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing. James 1:12-25

 

The word ‘peirasmos’ is the word for test, trial or temptation – the meaning dependent on the context. This is the

word James uses six times in just three verses in the Scripture above. God tests us; He sends us trials; but He

never tempts us.

 

Our suffering can test our faith and build our character, but it can also tempt us to sin.

 

God sends us trials. He has also sent us the Scripture. Our salvation is the purpose of both. Our trials should send us to God and the Scriptures to improve our Christ-walk as we prepare for eternity. Is this not James’ point?

 

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:13-16

 

In my congregation, a brother who is suffering with cancer, recently sent me a reference to this Scripture (James 5:13-16) as he closed his email. I thought he may have been asking for my prayers, or other help, and I offered to come and be with him to encourage him. But he said he was just reminding himself of the attitudes he needed to have at this time.

 

It’s a tricky passage in some respects, isn’t it?

 

If you’re suffering, pray!

 

If you’re sick, call for the elders of the church and let them do the praying! Their righteous prayers will raise you up from your sickness, and if you’ve also sinned, you will be forgiven. Compare 1 John 5:16.

 

But, what’s the difference between suffering and being sick??

 

Well, in the Greek James is using, suffering is kakopathei, while sick is astheneo. Suffering implies suffering misfortune or trouble, while sick implies sick and weak.

 

When you are suffering misfortune of some kind, pray for wisdom to know how to handle it. This is what we read in James 1:5.

 

But when you’re really sick, you may not even have enough mental strength to pray. However, you can possibly send a message via a brother or sister to the effect that someone righteous pray for you.

 

So suffering is not often easy to handle, but when handled spiritually, it can benefit the sufferer, and it can also benefit others in the same church with the sufferer.

 

It benefits others in that it presents them with opportunities to pray and extend love and other forms of help.

 

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Philippians 2:1-4

 

I have thought it necessary to send to you Epaphroditus my brother and fellow worker and fellow soldier, and your messenger and minister to my need, for he has been longing for you all and has been distressed because you heard that he was ill. Indeed he was ill, near to death. But God had mercy on him, and not only on him but on me also, lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow. I am the more eager to send him, therefore, that you may rejoice at seeing him again, and that I may be less anxious. So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honour such men, for he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me. Philippians 2:25-30

 

The Weight of Evidence: God’s Glory

 

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. 2 Corinthians 4:16

 

The Hebrew word for glory, ‘kabod,’ means ‘weight.’ Most of the known universe is made up of unknown substances that scientists call “dark matter” and “dark energy”. They call it dark because they cannot see it or detect it with any scientific instruments but they know it is there, and it has mass, because they can see the effects of it. It is interesting that this invisible substance in the universe makes up most of the mass (weight) in the universe. It holds celestial bodies of the universe in place and it also causes the motion of stars, planets, and galaxies.

 

Jesus is called the brightness of God’s glory. Who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. Hebrews 1:3 The word upholding means to carry or move; it is Jesus who holds together and moves all things in the universe. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. Colossians 1:17 The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork. Psalms 19:1.

 

Except for the heading, excerpt from The Glory of God, the manifestation and revelation of His love. https://god.net

 

David Hunter