Notes on “Suffering: Understanding the Love of God”
A chapter by chapter study of a book on John Calvin's comments on the topic of Suffering..... Absolutely fantastic notes - - a must read !!:
Chapter 1 - Living under the cross- 13 Purposes of Suffering......
The first chapter, entitled "Living under the cross", focused on some purposes for suffering in the lives of Christians - - including, but certainly not limited to, the following 13 purposes.
1. All suffering endured by God's people serves, in one way or another, to work together for their salvation.
Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin." Jeremiah 36:3
2. Suffering under the cross stimulates prayer. The chief advantage of affliction is that they make us aware of our wretchedness, and they stimulate us to beg for God's favor.
17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. 18 Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins. 20 Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you. 21 May integrity and uprightness protect me, because my hope is in you. Psalm 25 v17-18; 20-21
3. Living under the cross means trusting in God's power.
When God divests us of confidence in our own strength,.... it is then we take refuge in the grace of God.
4. Suffering teaches us patience, hope and obedience. God desires evidence of His grace at work in the lives of believers.
In order that we do not ...grow proud... the Lord interferes by means of the cross, subduing our arrogance.... As we do not all labor under the same disease, we do not all need the same difficult cure....so we do not undergo the same discipline.... God's purpose is to provide a cure for all..and since all are diseased with sin, none of us is left free and untouched.
5. Suffering is meant to further our salvation
32But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world. 1 Cor 11:32
11My son, do not reject the discipline of the LORD Or loathe His reproof, 12For whom the LORD loves He reproves, Even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights. Prov 3:11-12
6. God may take the faithful thru the same adversities that he punishes the ungodly
"Fire is the test of gold; adversity, of strong men." Seneca
9"And I will bring the third part through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, 'They are My people,' And they will say, 'The LORD is my God.'" Zecharia 13:9
For You have tried us, O God; You have refined us as silver is refined. Psalm 66:10
7. God's purpose is that we be conformed to His Son
Since our triumph is in heaven, we must be prepared for combat while we live here on earth. Suffering for the sake of God' truth is for our greater good, and if this idea is repugnant to us it is because we seek our rest here below rather than in the Kingdom of God.
8. Faith is more precious than gold
The fire of affliction reveals the quality of our faith
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:6-7
9. Sorrow and joy together
Christians rejoice even while they truly sorrow - - because their rejoicing is in the hope of heaven....While joy overcomes sorrow, it does not put an end to it.
10. Christian joy centers in Christ
Joy is a fruit of the Spirit
It is a sustained mood of exultation coming from the assurance of God's favor and the hope of an inheritance in the heavenly kingdom
In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 1 Peter 1:6-7
2Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 4And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. James 1:2
We view trials like death, poverty and prison as evils - - but when we understand they are turned through God's guidance into helps and aids to our salvation, it is ingratitude to complain and not willingly submit to such trials.
11. Suffering must lead us to patience
1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. 3And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; 4and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; 5and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. Romans 5:1-5
"Through his suffering, the Christian, by God's all sufficient grace, is strengthened in spirit, and though weak in body, is made more trusting, patient, humble, compassionate and thankful."
"The Christian regards whatever he bears as being dispensed to him by the hand of the most generous Father, and therefore, the Christian can glory - for whenever salvation is promoted, there is no lack of reason for glorifying."
"If tribulations do not accomplish the habit of patience in us, it is our sinfulness obstructing the Lord's work."
"Hope does not disappoint as it regards salvation as most certain."
Romans 5:1- is saying that the trials evoke patience in us and the patience encourages us to entertain hope.
12. Suffering is not all bad
28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; Romans 8:28-29
71It is good for me that I was afflicted, That I may learn Your statutes. Psalm 119:71
2Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2
34"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. John 13:34
4Look to the right and see; For there is no one who regards me; There is no escape for me; No one cares for my soul. Psalm 142:4
13. Suffering prepares us for eternal glory
Suffering is not meaningless; though we may not in this life discover the meaning or purpose for the suffering
17For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, 18while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. 2 Cor 4:17-18
Chapter 2 - Treasuring up bright designs - God's sovereignty in suffering.....
The second chapter, entitled "Treasuring up bright designs", focused on God's sovereignty in all situations.
"If God is not in some sense responsible for bad things, then he is not responsible for good things either. If we do not "blame" God for death, we should not praise God for life. We cannot have it both ways." Joseph Hill
1. God governs all things at all times
Because of this.... the true believer has nothing to fear....
3For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence. 4He will cover you with His pinions, And under His wings you may seek refuge; His faithfulness is a shield and bulwark. 5You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; 6Of the pestilence that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. Psalm 91:3-6
6The LORD is for me; I will not fear; What can man do to me? Psalm 118:6
3Though a host encamp against me, My heart will not fear; Though war arise against me, In spite of this I shall be confident. Psalm 27:3
4Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4
30"But the very hairs of your head are all numbered." Matt 10:30
1The LORD reigns, He is clothed with majesty; The LORD has clothed and girded Himself with strength; Indeed, the world is firmly established, it will not be moved. 2Your throne is established from of old; You are from everlasting. Psalm 93:1-2
Other verses on God's sovereignty:
Over our lives:
Psalm 139:16 - 16 your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
Psalm 139:13 - 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
Psalm 139:4 - 4 Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.
Matthew 10:30 - 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Over our circumstances:
Lamentations 3:34-38 - 34 To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land, 35 to deny a man his rights before the Most High, 36 to deprive a man of justice— would not the Lord see such things? 37 Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? 38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?
Acts 2:23 - 23This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.
Exodus 4:11 - 11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ?
Amos 3:6 - 6 When a trumpet sounds in a city, do not the people tremble? When disaster comes to a city, has not the LORD caused it?
Matthew 10:29 - 29Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father.
Over World Leaders:
Proverbs 21 :1 - The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases.
John 19:11 - 11Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."
His Purposes fulfilled:
Proverbs 16:4 - 4 The LORD works out everything for his own ends— even the wicked for a day of disaster.
Psalm 115:3 - 3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.
2. God is exalted and glorious but cares about his people
"The Calvinist is one who has seen God in his glory, is filled, on the one hand, with a sense of his unworthiness to stand in God's sight as a creature, much more as a sinner, and on the other hand, with adoring wonder, that nevertheless, this God is a God who receives sinners." Benjamin B. Warfield
4The LORD is high above all nations; His glory is above the heavens. 5Who is like the LORD our God, Who is enthroned on high, 6Who humbles Himself to behold The things that are in heaven and in the earth? 7He raises the poor from the dust And lifts the needy from the ash heap, 8To make them sit with princes, With the princes of His people. 9He makes the barren woman abide in the house As a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD! Psalm 113:4-9
4The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD'S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. Psalm 11:4
3. God takes notice of his people in their times of trouble
"Nothing is more profitable for us than to have our eyes continually set upon the providence of God, which alone can best provide for us everything we need". John Calvin
18The LORD knows the days of the blameless, And their inheritance will be forever. 19They will not be ashamed in the time of evil, And in the days of famine they will have abundance. Psalm 37:18-19
4. God is always the supreme cause of all that happens
6Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. Psalm 135:6
"God is the primary cause of all that happens, the bad as well as the good - though he is not the author of sin."
"We no doubt all agree that the world is governed by the hand of God, but if this truth were deeply rooted in our hearts, then our faith would be distinguished by far greater steadiness and perseverance in overcoming the temptations with which we are assailed in times of adversity. But when the smallest temptation which we meet dislodges this doctrine from our minds, it is clear that we have not been truly and in good earnest convinced of its truth."
"The forces of evil can neither conceive any mischief, nor plan what the have conceived, nor, however much they have planned, move a single finger to perpetrate, except so far as God permits; no, except so far as He commands. They are not only bound by fetters, but also are even forced to do God service."
"Pay attention to God's control, even of the ungodly, and you will at once perceive that ignorance of divine providence is the greatest of all miseries, and the knowledge of it the greatest happiness."
"Certainty about God's providence helps us in all adversities. Since God is the supreme cause of all that happens to us, we should rest content, knowing that God wills all things for our advantage."
"There is no more effective remedy for anger and impatience than meditation on divine providence."
"When we are unjustly assailed by men, we must overlook their malice and remember to ascend to God and hold firmly to the knowledge that whatever an enemy has wickedly committed against us was permitted and send by God's righteous indignation."
5. Good people suffer, too
6Whatever the LORD pleases, He does, In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps. Psalm 135:6
The prosperity of the wicked, in which they greatly rejoice, should by no means trouble the children of God, because it will soon fade away. On the other hand, although the people of God may be afflicted for a time, they still will have every reason to be contented with their lot. All this depends on the providence of God, for unless we are convinced that he governs the world in righteousness and truth, our minds will soon stagger and at length completely fail us.
See Psalm 37.....
6. Does God inflict suffering on his people?
Nothing, including human suffering, happens by chance......
In Psalm 88, the psalmist acknowledges that whatever adversities he endured proceeded from the divine hand: Psalm 88:6-9 - 6 You have put me in the lowest pit, in the darkest depths. 7 Your wrath lies heavily upon me; you have overwhelmed me with all your waves. Selah 8 You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape; 9 my eyes are dim with grief. I call to you, O LORD, every day; I spread out my hands to you.
Psalm 37:23-24 - 23 If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm; 24 though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.
Proverbs 24:16 - 16 for though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again, but the wicked are brought down by calamity.
Psalm 39:9 - 9 I was silent; I would not open my mouth, for you are the one who has done this.
Scarcely one in a hundred recognizes in his troubles the hand of God. So men allow themselves to indulge in bitter complaints without ever thinking they offend God in doing so.... David keeps silent because he knows the affliction he is suffering is from the hand of God.
See Psalm 71 - the author attributes his troubles to God's providential dealings, but also acknowledges God's gracious deliverance in vv20-21: Psalm 71:20-21 - 20 Though you have made me see troubles, many and bitter, you will restore my life again; from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up. 21 You will increase my honor and comfort me once again.
Consider the Book of Job - For all the afflictions that come to Job were not simply by the permission of God; but God willed them to test the patience of his servant. It is therefore God who afflicted Job. Now, by whose hand was Job afflicted? We see that the devil was the agent of all this, and still he can do nothing except in so far as God commands him. And Job, when he was thus beaten down, know well that it was with God that he had a dispute.
1st Century Christians who suffered persecution relied on 1 Peter 3:17 - "17It is better, if it is God's will, to suffer for doing good than for doing evil." Calvin comments that if we suffer justly, it is not by chance, but by divine will. So the faithful always have this comfort in their miseries, they know they have God as their witness, and they know also that they are led by him to the conflict in order that they may, under his protection, give proof of their faith.
7. God's providence cannot be fully grasped
1 Corinthians 3:12 - "12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. "
Calvin makes much of the mystery of God's will, which is ultimately incomprehensible.
When it appears God has "left me", like the Psalmist (Psalm 88:5 - 5 I am set apart with the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom you remember no more, who are cut off from your care.)
Although we cannot fully comprehend God's providence in our lives, especially in our personal adversities, sorrow and distress, we can take courage that God is not only sovereign over all things and events, but also infinitely gracious, and that in due tine "He will make it plain".
When sorrow or distress or pain press hard upon us, we can take comfort in the Lord's promise to Joshua (Joshua 1:5 - 5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. ) and in the assurance that God not only regards our sorrows but keeps them in remembrance.
Psalm 56:8 - 8 Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll — are they not in your record?
Matt 10:30 - 30And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Consider Paul's' "hymn to God's providence" - Romans 8
Chapter 3 - Suffering and God's goodness- Sometimes, God gets angry.....
1. Sometimes God does get angry
Jeremiah 44:2-3 - 2 "This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You saw the great disaster I brought on Jerusalem and on all the towns of Judah. Today they lie deserted and in ruins 3 because of the evil they have done. They provoked me to anger by burning incense and by worshiping other gods that neither they nor you nor your fathers ever knew.
Jeremiah 44:11-13 - 11 "Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am determined to bring disaster on you and to destroy all Judah. 12 I will take away the remnant of Judah who were determined to go to Egypt to settle there. They will all perish in Egypt; they will fall by the sword or die from famine. From the least to the greatest, they will die by sword or famine. They will become an object of cursing and horror, of condemnation and reproach. 13 I will punish those who live in Egypt with the sword, famine and plague, as I punished Jerusalem.
Habakkuk 1:13 - Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves?
God's answer - God is sovereign and in His own way He will deal with the wicked. In the meantime, follow" Habakkuk 2:4b - " but the righteous will live by his faith."
Romans 9:20 - 20But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? "Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, 'Why did you make me like this?'
The one of faith must respond like Habakkuk 3:17-18 - 17 - "Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior."
God's anger is the effect of his holiness and is expressed in his punishment of sin.
God's anger and wrath is apparent in both the OT and NT.
Psalm 90:7 - 7 We are consumed by your anger and terrified by your indignation.
Romans 1:17-18 - 17 - For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." 18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness....
Calvin observed that certain diseases are not only a result of immoral practices but also God's punishment for sin:
"After 50 years, is it not clear that God has raised up new illnesses connected with fornication? From where do these things come if not from the hand of God? [In response to these diseases] The world was astounded, and people were terrified for a time, but they have not, to this day, observed the hand of God."
HIV has affected some 60 million people; AIDS has caused the death of 20 million; 14 million children have been orphaned by the disease; and the orphans # is expected to triple by 2010.
HIV is often transmitted sexually - -is it a punishment from God for immoral or unnatural sexual contact? The Bible addresses:
Leviticus 18:22 - 22 " 'Do not lie with a man as one lies with a woman; that is detestable."
Romans 1:24-27 - 24Therefore, God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. 25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen. 26Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. 27In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.
"The Lord punishes those who alienate themselves from his goodness by casting them headlong into various courses that lead to perdition and ruin. "
"It is certain that God not only permits men to fall into sin by secretly allowing them to do so, but that he also, by his equitable judgement, so arranges things that they are led and carried into that sin by their own lusts, as well as by the devil. Paul uses the phrase "God gave them up" to their sin." This doesn't mean God is cruel or that we are innocent. Paul plainly shows that we are only delivered to satan's power when we deserve such a punishment; God is not the cause of sin...
2. God's punishment is chastisement for His people
Psalm 6:1 - O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
The calamity David was experiencing had, perhaps, been inflicted by men, but David considers that he has to deal with God. Those who undergo infliction miss the point if they don't immediately look closely and clearly at their sins, to be convicted that they deserved God's wrath.Consider that Job turns to God when he is afflicted.
David yields to God the right to rebuke and desires and prays only that God will limit the punishment - not that God take away the punishment.
Jeremiah 10:24 - 24 Correct me, LORD, but only with justice— not in your anger, lest you reduce me to nothing.
God is angry with sinners when He punishes them, but mixed with his anger is the sweetness of his grace to mitigate their sorrow.
Calvin would summarize - "Lord, I deserve to be destroyed and brought to nothing. But as I would not be able to bear the severity of your wrath, do not deal with me as I deserve, but rather pardon my sins, by which I have provoked your anger against me."
Psalm 66:10-12 - 10 For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver. 11 You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs. 12 You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us to a place of abundance.
When visited by affliction, it is of great importance that we should consider it as coming from God and as expressly intended for our good.
3. God administers chastisement in love
Psalm 74:1 - 1 Why have you rejected us forever, O God? Why does your anger smolder against the sheep of your pasture?
Here, Calvin states, God chastises them, intending them to reflect on the seriousness of their sin.
Although God's wrath is exercised against the ungodly, his chastisement of the faithful proceeds rather from love than wrath, since according to God's plan, all things must work together for our salvation - even when we are painfully disturbed by our sins.
If the temptation of the elect says God is our enemy because he is angry with us, faith objects - "He is merciful even when he afflicts, because chastisement proceeds rather from love than from wrath."
It is difficult for us to understand how persecution could do us good, yet that is the conclusion drawn by the author of Hebrews and by Calvin.
Calvin states, "the apostle teaches us to understand how persecution which we endure for the gospel's sake is useful to us , because they are remedies to destroy sin.
Hebrews 12:4-11 - 4In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: "My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, 6because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son." 7Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? 8If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. 9Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! 10Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. 11No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
When God chastises the godly, he has no other end in view as to the elect, but to promote their salvation; it is a demonstration of his paternal love.
Everyone that he is chastised by God must immediately be led to this thought, that he is chastised because he is loved by God.
Our aversion to parental discipline goes back to childhood - this punishment we detested was not "being made to stand in the corner", but the feeling that our parent was angry with us.
Psalm 119:67 - 67 Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word.
God repeatedly subjects us to discipline - He does this in different ways; Some are humbled by poverty, some by shame, some are brought low by disease, some by troubles at home and some by hard and painful labor. In this way according to the diversity of sin to which we are prone, he applies to each its appropriate remedy.
4. What is a faithful response to chastisement?
"The Scriptures never explain suffering apart from the connection between sin and judgement."
"Scripture instructs us to respond to God's judgement with humility and faith."
Psalm 102:8-10 - 8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse. 9 For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears 10 because of your great wrath, for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
David, unlike us, declares that his own sin subjects him to constant anguish of mind.
We will never seriously apply to God for pardon until we have obtained such a view of our sins as affects us with fear.
The more easily satisfied we are under our sins the more we provoke God to punish them with severity, and if we really desire absolution from his hand, we must do more than confess our guilt in words; we must institute a rigid and formidable scrutiny into the character of our transgressions.
Psalm 38:1 - A psalm of David. A petition. 1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me in your wrath.
David's response - He recognizes his affliction comes from God and then turns to his own sin as the cause of the divine displeasure. David is satisfied in his own mind that God is not a tyrant who exercises cruelty needlessly, but a righteous judge who never manifests his displeasure by inflicting judgement except when he is grievously offended.
1 Peter 5:6 - 6Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.
Calvin adds to this verse - "let us therefore learn that there is no other way by which we can obtain consolation in our afflictions than by laying aside all stubborness and pride and humbly submitting to the chastisement of God."
"Tears that are shed in time of affliction are rarely tears of penitence, but more likely they are shed out of self pity and pain or sorrow."
5. Suffering is not always punishment
God has different reasons for inflicting suffering on people:
Example 1 - John 9:1-11 Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind - 1As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" 3"Neither this man nor his parents sinned," said Jesus, "but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. 4As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." 6Having said this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man's eyes. 7"Go," he told him, "wash in the Pool of Siloam" (this word means Sent). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing. 8His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, "Isn't this the same man who used to sit and beg?" 9Some claimed that he was. Others said, "No, he only looks like him." But he himself insisted, "I am the man." 10"How then were your eyes opened?" they demanded. 11He replied, "The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see."
Calvin - "Christ does not say that the blind man and his parents were free from all blame; but he declares that we ought not to seek the cause of blindness in sin. Consequently, when the causes of afflictions are concealed, we ought to restrain curiosity, so that we may neither dishonor God, nor be malicious towards other people."
Example 2 - Job 1:6-12 - One day the angels came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. 7 The LORD said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered the LORD, "From roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it." 8 Then the LORD said to Satan, "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." 9 "Does Job fear God for nothing?" Satan replied. 10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and strike everything he has, and he will surely curse you to your face." 12 The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger." Then Satan went out from the presence of the LORD.
Calvin - sometimes he doesn't look at their sins, but only tests their obedience, or trains them to patience.
"Those who say that all afflictions are sent on account of sins are false interpreters - as if the measure of punishments were equal, or as if God looked to nothing else in punishing men than what every man deserves."
6. Chastisement is mingled with grace
Psalm 103:3-4 - 3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
Calvin - "Before, behind, on all sides, above and beneath, the grace of God presents itself to us in immeasurable abundance, so there is no place devoid of it."
Calvin - "Let us learn to fix our eyes on the moderation of God's chastening, by which he encourages us to entertain good hope. From seeing this moderation, let us rest assured that, although he is angry, yet he does not cease to be a father."
"Although God may chastise us, he testifies that our salvation is the object of his care."
"So that we will not be overwhelmed with the weight of chastisement, God restrains his hand and makes considerable allowance for our weaknesses."
Isaiah 48:9 - 9 For my own name's sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to cut you off.
"for my own name's sake" - means because of God's grace
Proverbs 3:11-12 - 11 My son, do not despise the LORD's discipline and do not resent his rebuke, 12 because the LORD disciplines those he loves, as a father the son he delights in.
Calvin - "God afflicts us, not in order to ruin or destroy us, but rather to deliver us from the condemnation of the world.
Chapter 4 - Standing on the promises - stand on the promises of God in His Word, despite circumstances
Standing on the promises
The foundation of our Christian faith is the absolute trustworthiness of God's promise that He will protect us and keep us safe, even in the midst of adversity and suffering
Psalm 12:6 - And the words of the LORD are flawless, like silver refined in a furnace of clay, purified seven times.
There is no truth which is more generally received - than that God is true; but there are few who openly give him credit for this when they are in adversity.
The Christian needs to stand on the promises of God in His Word, despite the circumstances they find themselves in.
1. The promise of God is the foundation of our faith
Paul, after an enumeration of all possible adversities (Romans 8:39), glorifies that they can never separate us from the love of God; and in his prayers, he always begins with the grace of God, from which all prosperity proceeds.
Romans 8:35-39 - 35 - - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
And David - - Psalm 23:4 - Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me ; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (The promise here is that God is with us and will comfort us)
Faith admits God's truthfulness in all things; Faith properly begins with the promises of God, on which it stands and on which it ends. (When you say I have faith in God - you're saying I have faith in the promises of God)
Faith seeks in God the promise of undeserved mercy! Where does this mercy come from - - - - Christ....
When pain and suffering strike, our faith is well founded if it is standing on the promises of God. For all of God's promises have strong confirmation in Christ (2 Corinthians 1:20 - For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God.)
"All the promises of God rest upon Christ alone as their support...., and it is in Christ alone that they are fulfilled."
Because of our faith in God's promises thru Christ - - -we have nothing to fear.....
When we are standing on the secure foundation of God's grace in Christ, the light of God's grace can clear away the clouds of doubt since:
Psalm 27: 1 - The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?
Psalm 43:3 - Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.
Light=favor; Truth=promises
2. Faith in God's promises sometimes falters
In times of trouble and suffering, faith in the promises of God is often overshadowed by doubt and overcome by temptations.
David is an example - how often his mind was far from peace is documented by innumerable complaints:
Psalm 42:5 - Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior
Psalm 31:22 - In my alarm I said, "I am cut off from your sight!" Yet, you heard my cry for mercy when I called to you for help.
Psalm 77:9 - Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?"
David's conclusion -
Psalm 42:5b - Put your hope in God
Psalm 31:22b - You hear my cry....
Psalm 27:14 - Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.
Psalm 116:7 - Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
Calvin concludes - strangely, among the commotion, faith sustains the believer's heart -- we see David's response in 27:14....and the conclusion of Psalm 42:5b and 31:22b - - only the person who knows the promises of God can make these type of conclusions........
Calvin comments on Psalm 42:5 -
Faith often fails in times of suffering from disease or of some special difficulty, consequently, we are so overcome by fear that we lack courage and are afraid to enter into the conflict.
Remember - the Godly are frequently called into situations requiring subduing the desires of the heart and to contend against feelings of distrust. As James tells us - - - its a test of our faith....(James 1:2-3 - 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance)
2 evils assail our heart - sometimes at the same time - one is discouragement; the other disquietude ("a state of uneasiness" leading to grumbling, complaining and worrying)
The answer is David's answer in 42:5b- Hope in God - - - 27:14 - Wait for the Lord......why? because the promises of God are true....
3. God's promises are solid and sure
God is the number one promise keeper, and if we rely on God alone and persevere thru the trials, we will experience the certainty of his promises.
Prayer is an evidence of our trust that we consider all his promises to be stable and sure. (Why would you pray to someone who couldnt answer the prayer?)
And faith "lies idle and even dead without prayer" (an evidence of faith is prayer - - you pray to deepen your relationship with Christ)
So, if we have faith - we have prayer......... David confirms one of th epromises of God - "God hears our prayers":
Psalm 145:18 - The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
"All who call on him in truth"=believers; therefore, God is near to believer's prayers
If our faith supports us in times of trouble, it is only because faith is founded on the promises of God; without faith in God's promises we become distressed and discouraged beyond measure.
David would have perished one hundred times over had he not trusted in the promises of God !
4. We must rest on the promise of God
When David was being pursued by Saul, he penned Psalm 11 - - - When advised to flee to the mountains and hide, David responded with Psalm 11:1 - In the LORD I take refuge. How then can you say to me: "Flee like a bird to your mountain."
Psalm 11:1 teaches us that no matter how much the world may hate and persecute us, we must stay steadfast at our post so that we may not deprive ourselves of a right to lay claim to the promises of God.
Another psalmist cried out: (Psalm 119:107 - I have suffered much; preserve my life, O LORD, according to your word.)
The psalmist here may be at the point of death....
Calvin notes that at the beginning of our trials, we may call upon God with much promptness, yet when the trial increases in severity, our hearts fail, our confidence fails, and fear sets in. However, here the psalmist is calling upon God near the point of death......He is still confident in God to keep his promises....even to the point of death....
Another example:
Habakkuk 3:17-18 - Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
Habakkuk trusts in the promises of the God of our salvation. - - the evidence in that trust is that he has joy depsite circumstances....
Only the inward joy that faith can bring to us can overcome all fears, terrors, sorrows and anxieties...(So, trusting in the promises of God leads to joy....... Consider the promises of eternity... what joy this should evoke in the believer)
5. Fulfillment of promises is sometimes deferred
When we are suffering affliction, we become agitated and impatient if our prayers for recovery are not answered speedily.
Psalm 62:1 - My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from him.
When God does not immediately answer our prayers for deliverance from affliction, we tend to look elsewhere for relief.
Psalm 13:1-2 - How long, O LORD ? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? 2 How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?
The Lord doesn't promise a timetable for his promises....
When suffering goes on and on and we grow weary and impatient, read Psalm 37 with its star-promise (v4) "Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Calvin reminds us, regardless of our lot in life, if we are satisfied in the enjoyment of God alone, he will bestow upon us all that we desire....(Psalm 16:5-6 -LORD, you have assigned me my portion and my cup; you have made my lot secure. The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; surely I have a delightful inheritance.)
In Psalm 37:9, David promises - - For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
But, promises are not always realized this side of eternity....because it is the will of God that we live as strangers here, that we don't have easy lives so that they may more desire the everlasting dwelling place of heaven.
The flesh is always seeking to build its nest here for all time, and if we were not tossed here and there and were allowed to just rest, we would forget heaven and the everlasting inheritance.
While we may languish in despair, God is non the less faithful, kind, and good.
6. A prayer
We pray not to provoke your wrath against us, Lord. We know that the hardness and obstinancy of our flesh is so great that it is necessary for use to be inflicted in various ways; so, grant that we bear your chastisement AND under a deep feeling of sorrow, flee to your mercy. May we, in the meantime, persevere in the hope of your mercy, which you have promised, and has been exhibited in Christ, so that we may not depend on the earthly blessings of this perishable life, but relying on your Word, may proceed in the course of our calling, until we reach our true home, heaven, through Christ our Lord, Amen.
Chapter 5 - Pour out your heart- Prayer..........
Pour out your heart
The question is - - how does God want us to pray so that He will listen to us?
The Heidelberg catechism (1563AD) asks that same question and includes the following response:
First - we must from the heart call upon the one true God only, who has revealed Himself in His Word, for all that He has commanded us to pray. Second, we must thoroughly know our need and misery, so that we may humble ourselves before God. Third, we must rest on this firm foundation, that although we do not deserve it, God will certainly hear our prayer for the sake of Christ our Lord, as He has promised us in His Word.
1. Pour out your heart before him
Psalm 62:8 - 8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
God tests his children with afflictions, but they are taught to abide them with constancy and courage. And yet, we always find that when the heart is pressed under a load of distress, there is no freedom in prayer. Under these trying circumstances we must comfort ourselves by reflecting that God will extend relief, provided we just freely roll our burdens over upon him.
Consider David:
Psalm 25:17-18 - 17 The troubles of my heart have multiplied; free me from my anguish. 18 Look upon my affliction and my distress and take away all my sins.
Although God, who from His very nature is merciful, may withdraw Himself and cease for a time to manifest His power, yet He cannot deny Himself. That is to say, He cannot divest Himself of the feeling of mercy which is natural to Him and which can no more cease than His eternal existence can. Although the goodness of God may sometimes be hidden, it can never be extinguished.
Calvin implores his readers to pour out their hearts to God and follow the pattern of David:
Psalm 22:1 - 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?
Psalm 22:19 - 19 But you, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.
David does not pray in a doubting manner, as he hoped for the result he desired.
Thomas Moore (1779-1852) wrote this - - Come to the mercy seat; fervently kneel; Here bring your wounded hearts; here tell your anguish; Earth has no sorrows that heaven cannot heal.
However, there is a psalm without a single note of hope (Psalm 88)
Psalm 88:13-15 - 13 But I cry to you for help, O LORD; in the morning my prayer comes before you. 14 Why, O LORD, do you reject me and hide your face from me? 15 From my youth I have been afflicted and close to death; I have suffered your terrors and am in despair.
Psalm 88 is a prayer - and in a state of hopelessness, we should pray most fervently. The faithful know in their heart of hearts that when things seem most hopeless, God's ears are open to our cries.
And David, when he was pursued by Saul, in his lonely prayer vigil in the cave of Adullam, said the following:
Psalm 142:1-4 - (A maskil of David. When he was in the cave. A prayer.) 1 I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. 2 I pour out my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. 3 When my spirit grows faint within me, it is you who know my way. In the path where I walk men have hidden a snare for me. 4 Look to my right and see; no one is concerned for me. I have no refuge; no one cares for my life.
Calvin says regarding Psalm 142 - Note that David did not pour out his self-pity to the people around him, but passionately made known his complaint to God, with submission and confidence in God's mercy.
Lay your fear before God - - do not brood over your anxieties inwardly to your own distress - - take them to God first and not others.... and with confidence in God's mercy that He will hear your prayers....
One may conclude - - God knows my problems anyway - why take them to Him? and complaining will only make me feel worse - - but David's prayers reveal that we should open our hearts before God, even though God already knows what we are going through - consider Psalm 38:9-10.
Psalm 38:9-10 - 9 All my longings lie open before you, O Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you. 10 My heart pounds, my strength fails me; even the light has gone from my eyes.
The reason most people don't profit from complaining grievously in their sorrow is that they do not direct their prayers and sighs to God.
David is assured God will be His deliverer and says that God has always been a witness to his sorrows and was well acquainted with them. (and because of this - - we need to take them to Him first)
2. The gate of prayer is always open
Prayer doesn't change things - - God changes things in answer to prayer
And we pray because we know that God has heard our complaints and requests in the past - - and has answered.
We also pray because when we do, we have an inner feeling of being in God's presence when we pray
But the chief reason we pray and know God has heard our prayer is the Holy Spirit's testimony in Scripture.
Psalm 34:15 - 15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their cry;
Psalm 34:17 - 17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
Psalm 34:18 - 18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
2a. The prayers of the saints
The story of Hannah - -
1 Samuel 1:6 - 6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her.
1 Samuel 1:10 - 10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD.
1 Samuel 1:20 - 20 So in the course of time Hannah conceived and gave birth to a son. She named him Samuel, saying, "Because I asked the LORD for him."
The name Samuel means "heard by God" and is a reminder that the Lord's ears are open to the cries of His saints.
2b. The declaration of Jesus and the apostles
Jesus encouraged his disciples to pray in one of his final disclosures:
John 14:13-14 - 13And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. 14You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.
The author of I John:
I John 5:13-14 - 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
Paul:
Ephesians 3:12 - 12 In Him and through faith in Him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
Romans 8:15 - 15 For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship, and by him we cry, "Abba, Father."
Calvin - Calvin's desire is that the children of God pray unceasingly and passionately that God may supply all their wants and needs in accordance with God's will.
2c. The intercession of Christ
Christ is our intercessor who represent us before God.
Hebrews 8:1; 7:24-25 - 1The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, [Heb 7:24-25 - 24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.]
Because of Christ's eternal and unchangeable priesthood - 1 John 3:21-22 is true - - 21Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God 22and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him.
Calvin says these 2 things are connected - confidence and prayer - - and that none can really pray to God but those with a pure heart fear and worship Him.
Calvin is not saying the faithful need a good conscience to approach God in prayer - - we rely on Christ the mediator who gives us comfort in our pain and trouble because He continually intercedes for us.
When we pray to God, our prayers must be sanctified and consecrated by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ and we may rest assured that God will not reject the sacrifice with which He is very well content - and by which He has been reconciled to us and made one with us forever
2d. The intercession of the Holy Spirit
We have many models of prayer in Scripture including the Lord's Prayer (Matt 6:9-13)
But we still don't know how to pray - - Romans 8:26 - 26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
We are not only taught by the Spirit how to pray and what to ask in our prayers but also, per Calvin, the "Spirit has annexed prayers to the anxious desires of the faithful; for God does not afflict them with miseries so that they may inwardly feed on hidden grief, but that they may unburden themselves by prayer, and thus exercise their faith."
Calvin states
- no one can of himself give birth to devout and godly aspirations
- the manner of praying must be suggested by the Spirit
- the Spirit intercedes by stirring up in our hearts those desires which we ought to entertain
- the Spirit affects our hearts in such a way that those desires by their fervency penetrate into heaven itself
Calvin says "we are indeed bidden to knock; but no one can, of himself, say one syllable except that by God by the secret impulse of his Spirit knocks at our door, and thus opens for Himself our hearts."
Romans 8:27 - 27And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
This verse is a "remarkable reason for strengthening our confidence" that we are heard by God when we pray through the Spirit
3. When God seems not to hear our prayers
"It is natural for us to become impatient and even discouraged if God's help is delayed - especially when we pray earnestly and faithfully. But instead of abounding hope, we should remember that God is faithful too. He may simply be trying our patience or calling us to the discipline of prayer."
Persistence in prayer is a mark of one who is faithful.
David expresses in Psalm 9:18 the subject of hope , thereby encouraging us to pray. The reason why God seems to take no notice of our afflictions us because he would have us to awaken him by means of our prayers - and David reminds us that God may not respond immediately in order that we may persevere in hoping well.:
Psalm 9:18 - 18 But the needy will not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the afflicted ever perish.
Luke 18:1-5 - The Parable of the Persistent Widow - 1Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.' 4"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "
Contrast that judge with the judge of heaven - Psalm 86:5 - "5 You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you. " Calvin comments that God is bountiful and inclined to compassion - - - His mercy is so great to render it impossible for Him to reject any who implores His aid - - the Psalmist says "all" may be encouraged confidently to take himself to the mercy and goodness of God.
Our prayers for relief from suffering may be answered, not according to our petitions but in some other way that seems best to God - consider Paul and his 3 prayers for relief from the thorn in the flesh:
II Corinthians 12:7-10 - 7To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
We ask in simple terms for things for which we have an express promise (ie hallowing God's name, remission of our sins, etc) - - and we ask confidently - - but it does not belong to us to prescribe the means..
Calvin said "If, with minds framed to obedience, we allow ourselves to be governed by the laws of divine providence, we will easily learn to persevere in prayer."
4. Faith is indispensable
Throughout Scripture, faith is the foundation of prayer
Psalm 34:6 - 6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; He saved him out of all his troubles.
When we pray in times of trouble, God does not regard our goodness or kindness or generous treatment of others - he looks, rather ,upon His Son, our Intercessor, in whom we trust.
Before we can approach God acceptably in prayer, it is necessary that His promises should be known to us, without which we can have no access to Him. (Ephesians 3:12 - - 12In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. )
5. How then should we pray?
5a. Persevere in prayer
1 Thes 5:17 - 17pray continually;
Perseverance in prayer is a mark of David's life of devotion:
Psalm 55:4-5 - 4 My heart is in anguish within me; the terrors of death assail me. 5 Fear and trembling have beset me; horror has overwhelmed me.
Psalm 55:17 -17 Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.
Romans 12:2,12 - 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will; 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
Calvin says joy and patience are far above our strength, so we must be diligent in prayer, continually calling on God.
Paul expressly requires perseverance in prayer for we have continued warfare - as new conflicts arise daily. Even the strongest are not able to sustain the battle unless they frequently gather new rigor.
5b. Pray with a humble spirit
When men are sorely oppressed by adversity is when they are made to feel nothingness (in their own minds) in the sight of God.
Psalm 131 is a pattern - Psalm 131 A song of ascents. Of David. 1 My heart is not proud, O LORD, my eyes are not haughty; I do not concern myself with great matters or things too wonderful for me. 2 But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. 3 O Israel, put your hope in the LORD both now and forevermore.
If we are ruled in life by a humble and quiet spirit, our daily prayers and our cries for help in times of trouble will be framed in the same spirit.
5c. Pray in accordance with God's will
We cannot know God's secret will for our lives, except as God has revealed it to us in Christ and in Scripture
Romans 8:26 - 26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Proper prayer is grounded upon the Word of God
1 John 5:14 - 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
God teaches us by His Word what He would have us ask in prayer, and He also sets over us His Spirit as our Guide and Ruler, to restrain our feelings.
Psalm 25:4-5 - 4 Show me your ways, O LORD, teach me your paths; 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long.
5d. Pray in hope
If we pray with sincere and confident trust in God's unfailing goodness, we will be rewarded with hope that does not disappoint
Romans 5:5 - 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Psalm 25:20 - 20 Guard my life and rescue me; let me not be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
We should ask God - - to increase our hope when it is small, awaken it when it is dormant, confirm it when it is wavering, strengthen it when it is weak and raise it up when it is overthrown.
5e. Pray with thanksgiving
The Heidelberg Catechism says - prayer is the most important part of the thankfulness which God requires of us.
God will give His grace and the Holy Spirit only to those who constantly and with heartfelt longing ask Him for these gifts and thank Him for them.
Philippians 4:6 - 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
Chapter 6 - Waiting for God- Patience..........
Patience springs from faith
2 Thessalonians 1:3-4 - 3We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one of you has for each other is increasing. 4Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
Calvin says that faith and patience are exceptional virtues in those that suffer. Patience is the fruit and evidence of faith. (One then may conclude - - if I have no patience, then I have no faith)
There is nothing that sustains us in tribulation as faith does; hence, the more proficiency anyone makes in faith, the more he will be endued with patience for enduring all things.
From David - - Psalm 40:1-2 - - 1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
It is God's will to try our patience in this life by afflictions of various kinds.
We must guard against despondency - - David waited patiently, and as a result, the Lord turned and heard....
James 1:2-3 - 2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.
If God were not to test us, there would be no patience.
Paul (Romans 5:3) and James says that tribulation is the means by which patience is produced.
Satan takes advantage of our impatience
Unfortunately, we know that faith is likely to weaken in times of adversity.
Even David said in Psalm 31:9 - 9 Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief (the Greek word for grief is kaas - or anger).
Satan is not troublesome to the indifferent and careless and seldom looks near them, but to the patient individual, satan displays all his forces of hostility.
Hebrews 10:32-39 - - 32Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. 33Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. 34You sympathized with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. 35So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. 36You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. 37For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. 38But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him." 39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
Patience is necessary, not just because we have to endure to the end, but because of the schemes of the devil (Eph 6:12)
This endurance requires exercise of patience, faith, prayer and continuance in the way of righteousness
Patience is not just putting up with things
Suffering in silence is not necessarily patience. You can suffer without hope but true patience can be sustained only if you hope that things will get better.
Psalm 94:12-13 - 12 Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law; 13 you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.
One mark by which God distinguishes the true from the false disciple is that of being prepared to bear the cross and of waiting quietly for the divine deliverance without giving way to impatience.
True patience is not an obstinant resistance to evil or an unyielding stubborness but a cheerful submission to God, based upon confidence in His grace.
A truly patient sufferer hurts and is not too proud to admit it; but feeling pain and shedding tears he or she takes it to the Lord in prayer.
The enabling power of God's grace
If we find it hard to pray and affirm the goodness of God, we need the prayers of a pastor or a friend for consolation and srength.
And we may do this for others, like Paul - Colossians 1:10-11 - 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience...
The man is blessed who has learned to be composed and tranquil under trials. The rest, during trials, enjoyed by the believer, is the inward kind. The truly happy man has so far profited from the Word of God as to sustain the assault of the evils from without, with peace and composure.
Psalm 94:12-13 - 12 Blessed is the man you discipline, O LORD, the man you teach from your law; 13 you grant him relief from days of trouble, till a pit is dug for the wicked.
Psalm 130:5-6 - 5 I wait for the LORD, my soul waits, and in his word I put my hope. 6 My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen wait for the morning, more than watchmen wait for the morning.
Patiently and prayerfully waiting for God is the rule of life
The prophets as an example of suffering and patience
James 5:10 - 10Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.
Calvin notes the example and pattern of the prophets -- but he adds - - the prophets were blessed in their afflictions, for they courageously endured them - - and James is saying to us - - will the same judgment be formed for us in the midst fo our own trials?
Peace and joy - the rewards of patience
Psalm 116:7 - - 7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you.
Calvin states - If the faithful regain their peace of mind only when God manifests himself as their Deliverer, what room is there for the exercise of faith? Assuredly, to wait calmly and silently for God's favour is the undoubted evidence of faith.
Philippians 4:7 - 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus
Chapter 7 - Continuing by grace - God's grace........
Continuing by Grace
Calvin states - When our faith is tested by suffering "as gold is tried in a furnace" and we depend with confidence on God and rely entirely on his help, we will be granted the most excellent gift of patience and through faith "we may victoriously persevere to the end."
Newton - "tis grace has brought me safe thus far and grace will lead me home"
Hebrews 12:1-3 - - 1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Calvin states that the answer to Paul's prayer to remove the thorn was renewed spiritual strength and consolation, both gifts of divine grace.
God answers us when he strengthens us inwardly by his Spirit and sustains us by his consolation, so that we do not give up hope and patience.
Calvin in his writings constantly encourages us to recline on God alone, to be aware of our own weakness, and to tranfer our confidence to God, trusting in his help, so as to continue invincible to the end, standing by His grace.
Reliance on the grace of God and the strength of the Holy Spirit guarantees our perseverance.
The very best method for obtaining relief when we are about to faint under he burden of adversities is to call to mind the former lovingkindness of the Lord
Perseverance and endurance are gifts of grace
2 Corinthians 4:8-9 - 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
2 Thes 2:16-17 - 16May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
God's grace even prevails over death
Romans 8:39 - 39neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Psalm 69:1-3 - - 1 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me. 3 I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God.
With the love of God supporting us, how can we not endure all things and persevere in faith and hope to the very end of life? The same God who sustained David in Psalm 69 maintains his true church throughout the ages.
Psalm 48:14 - 14 For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.
2 Timothy 2:1-3 - 1You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. 2And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others. 3Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
Calvin says - Jesus is our captain and we need not fear in the slightest; let our enemies do the worst they can, but we will go on boldly and this is because we are safe in the hands that promised God He will not lose eventhe smallest part of that which the Father has given Him, but will keep it and give the Father a good account of it at the last day.
Endurance - Shackleton's voyage to the Antarctic
By endurance we conquer - by God's continuing grace
Chapter 8 - Standing in the shadow- Secure under God's care....
Standing in the Shadow
Psalm 91:4 - 5: 4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. You will not fear the terror of night, nor the arrow that flies by day,
If we place our trust with reliance upon the protection of God, we will be secure from every temptation and assault of Satan. It is important to remember that those whom God has taken under his care are in a stable of absolute safety.
Are we always secure under God's care?
In national security issues, the Bible presents no call to arms...It summons us instead to prayer for national security and demands that we relinquish all national pride in military might and begin to rely more confidently on the invincible power of God.
What should we do - - - Psalm 112 says to "fear the Lord"
Psalm 112:7-8 - 7 He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD. 8 His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.
Indifference to national security issues is insensibility, however. The point is where is your absolute trust??
National security issues certainly alarm the faithful, but it cannot make them fainthearted, because it cannot shake their faith...The confidence placed in God rises above all the cares of the present life...
Psalm 37:1,9 - Psalm Of David. 1 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; 9 For evil men will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.
Calvin says "for those who put their trust in Him, everything in the end will be well with him....."
At the same time we are to put our trust in God, we are to follow after goodness and truth......
Consider Psalm 121 :
Psalm 121 A song of ascents. 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? 2 My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; 4 indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; 6 the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; 8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.
The psalmist declares that the purpose for which God is our keeper is that he may hold us up.....So, verse 7 above states "the Lord will keep you from all harm"........ well, how do you define "keep you from harm"??? If we define it as, in the midst of trials, God will "hold us up" if we trust in him - - then "harm" will come our way....but the Lord will protect us.......
As a trusting Christian, we must eliminate anxiety and fear in the midst....but also, we must acknowledge God's protective care.......
In the shadow of God's wings
Shadow is a metaphor signifying God's presence......
God's protection examples:
Paul and Silas in jail at Phillipi
When Saul pursued David...... Psalm 63:7-11 - 7 Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. 8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. 9 They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. 10 They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. 11 But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God's name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
In times of uncertainty, fear or affliction, know that our life is hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:3)........ The psalmist says the same thing - Psalm 119:114 - - 114 You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.
The Christian must live this - - that the preservation of their lives is entirely owing to the protection of God - -
The truth that we have a "hiding place in God" must be cherished - - - and confirmed in our hearts....
God's protection is clear in the Psalms:
Psalm 27:4-5 - 4 One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple. 5 For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his tabernacle and set me high upon a rock.
Psalm 17:8 - 8 Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings
Consider that the tabernacle was a constant symbol of God's presence and protection in the OT!
Psalm 61:3-4 - 3 - David - fleeing Saul and Absalom - - - For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. 4 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings. Selah ......... Notice, this is when David was fleeing - - - he considered it more important to "be under God's care" then to remain King........
Do angels protect us?
Angels are spiritual beings who serve at God's command and will, to deliver his messages, protect His people and punish His enemies.....
Hebrews 1:14 - 14 Are not all angels ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation?
Hebrews 12:22 - 22 But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly......
Note - - The Bible does not say that each of God's children has a "guardian angel".
Psalm 91:10-11 - 10 then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. 11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
A summary statement is - "however great may be the number of our adversities and the dangers surrounding us, the angels of God (not just a "guardian angel", but all angels), armed with invincible power, constantly watch over us and arrange themselves on every side to aid and to deliver us from evil."
Example - Acts 12:3-11 - Peter's release from jail by an Angel
God's protection when the church is under fire
We must pray for the persecuted church as well as support humanitarian aid efforts on behalf of suffering Christians - - we, being those who can worship in freedom....
Matthew 16:18 - 18 - And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Matthew 16:18 has a wonderful promise, but also a devastating truth - that the church on earth will always be under attack and that satan will always be an enemy of the church.
Isaiah 54:7 is about the church - - "no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD.
Psalm 46:1-2 - God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, ....... Calvin says that while the faithful will not be shielded from trouble, the Church, overall, will survive the attacks of Communist atheists in China, radical Islamic Jihad forces in the Middle East and post modern liberals in America and Europe.
In life or in death, God is our protector
We are not forsaken by God in life or in death.....for those whom God brings safely by his power to the end if their course, he at last receives to Himself at their death.....
Psalm 23:4 - 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
God protects the faithful in death, but not necessarily from death
God receives us to Himself at our death - - Psalm 49:15 - "But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself."
We are under the protection of Christ
We are helpless to defend ourselves against the schemes of the devil, unless we have Christ as our guardian.
And to be under this guardianship, we must be "poor in spirit"; humbled....
Chapter 9 - Joy in the morning- Sorrow...... and then joy!
Joy in the morning
"The next time you go thru one of those deep valleys in your life, think about the peak at the end of it. For as surely as the Lord will carry you thru the darkest time of your life, He will pull you up to the brightest, most wonderful times, and He will always be with you." Rich Miller
Darkness, then light; sorrow then joy
Psalm 30:5 - For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Saying - - even if the Lord overwhelms us for a time with the darkness of affliction, always, in his own time - - ministers matter for joy, just as the morning arises after the night......
Phil 4:4 - 4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
Joy is a quiet gladness of heart as one contemplates the goodness of God's saving grace in Christ Jesus.
Joy comes from faith and it is given by the Holy Spirit.......
Phil 1:25 - 25Convinced of this, I know that I will remain, and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith
Rom 14:17 - 17For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,
In whatever way God is pleased to help us, he asks nothing in return from us but that we should be thankful for it and remember it.
Like David, we should tune our hearts to praise God even before God grants deliverance from our troubles. This a matter of faith and hope.... David says he has sorrow in his heart dauly (Psalm 13:2), "but I have trusted in your mercy; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord because He had dealt bountifully with me." (Psalm 13:5-6)
David can praise God in hope of deliverance - - - why? On account of the joy which is reserved for us in the future, although we do not yet experience it....
Kierkegaard said "It takes moral courage to grieve; it requires religious courage to rejoice"
Celebrate God's mercy with joy and thanksgiving
Whenever God's church (in the Old Testament days) experienced a remarkable deliverance from some calamity, they went to the place of worship to offer sacrifices. Today, the sacrifices of the Law have been abolished, and the distressed church offers the sacrifice of praise
Hebrews 13:5 - 15Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.
James 5:13 - 13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise.
How many of us lavish hypocritical prasies on God when our careers bring good fortune? The same people, when subjected to difficult situations, are impatient, curse and lash out in anger...... The best evidence of our true piety is when we sigh to God under the pressure of our afflictions and show by our payers a holy perseverance in faith and patience; while afterwards we come forward with the expression of our gratitude.
Joy and thanksgiving expressed in prayer and praise according to the Word of God are the heart of the Church's worship.
God's word is the ground of our joy
As we need the Holy Spirit's help to pray (Romans 8:26 - 26In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.), so we need His Word to teach us how we should praise God
Psalm 56:4 - 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
it seems David would glory in God in spite of seeming abondonment, and although there should be little outward appearance of help, David would rest contented with the simple security of God's Word.
The call to praise God is for all the saints
Psalm 34:1 - I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
Psalm 34:3 - Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.
We must induce others by our example of praise and devotion!
Praising God when we are sorrowful, ill, or depressed
There are times when the burden of grief, or the lingering pain of an injury or the darkness of despair make thanksgiving and praise most difficult, even for people of great faith.
1 Thes 5:16-18 - 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
Calvin says Rejoicing refers to moderation of spirit when the mind keeps itself in calmness under adversity and does not give indulgence to grief. Constant praying is the way of 'rejoicing perpetually', for by this means we ask from God alleviation in connection with all our distresses.
"We can experience joy in adverse circumstances by holding God's benefits in such esteem that the recognition of them and meditation upon them shall overcome all sorrow."
If we consider what Christ has conferred upon us, there will be no bitterness or grief so intense that it may not be alleviated and give way to spiritual joy.....
Very ungrateful is one who does not set so high a value on the righteousness of Christ and the hope of eternal life as to rejoice in the midst of sorrow.
Praise is a lifelong exercise
Psalm 34:1 - I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.
Psalm 104:33 - 33 I will sing to the LORD all my life; I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Christ is our mediator and leader
Acts 16:25-34 - 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28But Paul shouted, "Don't harm yourself! We are all here!" 29The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30He then brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household." 32Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized. 34The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole family.
Others will listen to us also, if, under trying circumstances in times of sorrow, praising God and praying -- and they will ask us - - what must I do to be saved?
Chapter 10 - The fellowship of his sufferings - Destined to suffer for Christ....
The fellowship of his sufferings
In suffering for the course of God we are walking step by step after the Son of God and have him as our guide
The atrocities against Christians spring chiefly from 2 idealogies throughout the world - godless communism and radically militant Islam
Faith tested by persecution
We are destined to suffer for Christ
Peter wrote this to the suffering church in the 1st century:
1 Peter 4:12-13 - Suffering for Being a Christian- 12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Consider what Paul wrote and we must conclude that those who work to be exempt from persecutions must necessarily renounce Christ -
2 Timothy 3:11-12 11 - what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted,
We are called to follow Christ
The self denial implies that we ought to give up our natural inclinations and part with our affections of the flesh and give our consent to be reduced to nothing:
Matthew 16:24-25 - 24Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.
The self denial is daily:
"When Christ calls a man, he bids him to come and die" - Bonhoeffer
The call of Christ sets a man in the middle of the daily arena against sin and the devil. Every day we must suffer anew for Christ's sake
A Christian, even if persecuted must always have one foot lifted to march to battle. Also, the Christian must have their affections withdrawn from the world.
Hebrews 13:3 - 3 Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
Paul said "we are called and appointed to suffer."
Following Christ means bearing the cross
Matthew 8:34- 34Then the whole town went out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they pleaded with him to leave their region.
Romans 6:5-6 - 5 - If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with that we should no longer be slaves to sin
Galatians 2:20 - 20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Luther - He who does not know Christ does not know God hidden in suffering. Therefore, he prefers works to suffering, glory to the cross, strength to weakness, wisdom to folly. For they hate the cross and suffering and love works and the glory of works. Thus they call the good of the cross, evil and the evil of a deed, good. God can only be found in suffering and the cross.
These are the people whom the apostle Paul calls "enemies of the cross".
Philippians 3:18 - 18For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ.
Persecution is our condition as Christians that Christ has assigned to us; we are appointed to it; we are forewarned to this appointment which allows us to fight more bravely.
1 Thessalonians 3:3 - 3so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.
The sufferings of Christ are the means of forgiveness of sin and eternal glory
By sorrows and tribulation we are sanctified for glory as Christ was; that why we embrace the cross - becasue the reproach of the cross disappears and its glory shines forth.
Heb 2:9-10 - 9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10In bringing many sons to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the author of their salvation perfect through suffering.
Christ came to this inheritance by the cross; we must come to it in the same manner - by suffering and sacrifice
Romans 8:16-17 Listen to this passage 16The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
1 Peter 4:14 - 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
That which is counted most reproachful among men excels in dignity and glory in the sight of God and his angels
Acts 5:41 - 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.
The marks of Jesus are imprisonment, chains, scourgings, blows and stoning in bearing testimony to the Gospel.
Galatians 6:17 - 17 Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
We are called to renounce worldly goods
The real proof of spiritual poverty is to patiently endure the loss of worldly goods and without any regret when it pleases our heavenly Father that we should be despoiled of them.
Matthew 19:23-24 - 23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Matthew 19:27 - 27Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"
We are privileged to share in Christ's sufferings
All the children of God are destined to be conformed to Christ. The more we are afflicted with adversity, the surer we are made of our fellowship with Christ:
Philippians 3:10 - 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
2 Thessalonians 1:4-5 - 4Therefore, among God's churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring. 5All this is evidence that God's judgment is right, and as a result you will be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are suffering.
When we suffer for Christ:
Galatians 6:17 - 17Finally, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.
2 Corinthians 4:10 - 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
Philippians 3:10 - 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,
The death and resurrection of Christ means:
expiation and destruction of sin
freedom from condemnation
satisfaction of God's justice for the forgiveness of sin
victory over death
attainment of righteousness
the hope of a blessed immortality
There's a 2 fold participation and fellowship in the death of Christ
1. inward - mortification of the flesh/crucifixion of the old man
2. outward - mortification of the outward man - the endurance of the cross
2 Timothy 2:11 - 11Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him;
Calvin - it is by the cross of Christ that tries our faith and we become partakers with Christ
It is a cause for joy when God sets persecution before us but also bids us to rejoice:
1 Peter 4:12-14 - 12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
Paul has joy becasue he is a partaker with Christ. Christ's sufferings are "lacking" until the second coming - - but Paul's sufferings are not redemptive but missionary; Paul rejoices for the sake of Gentile converts:
Colossians 1:24-25 - 24Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ's afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 25I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness—
It is fixed by God that we must be conformed to Christ in endurance of the Cross:
2 Corinthians 4:10 - 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.
2 Timothy 2:10 - 10Therefore, I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.
1 Corinthians 1:21 - 21For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
1 Corinthians 1:25-26 - 25For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength. 26Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
Galatians 6:2 - 2Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
The church is the communion of saints
Chapter 11 - The hope of glory- the return of Christ.....
Christ, the hope of glory
Faith is the foundation on which hope rests. Hope nourishes and sustains faith
Romans 3:23 - 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
2 Corinthians 4:4 - 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Hope linked with faith in Christ can never be disappointed because nothing can separate us from the love of God, which has been poured out in our hearts.
Hope in Christ regards salvation as most certain.
Our salvation is gradually advanced by adversities
Romans 5:1-5 - 1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Christian hope rests upon faith in Christ
God will cover us with his wings:
Psalm 57 - When he had fled from Saul into the cave. - 1 Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for in you my soul takes refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
Peter reminds the faithful that they should direct their thoughts to eternal salvation:
1 Peter 1:3-9 - 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
Faith does not promise us length of days, riches and honors but is contented with the assurance that God will never fail us. The chief security lies in the expectation of future life, which is placed beyond doubt by the Word of God.
Job 19:25-27 - 25 I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; 27 I myself will see him with my own eyes—I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!
Job 13:15 - 15 Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him; I will surely defend my ways to his face.
Waiting and hoping for the coming of Christ
God intends to test his faithful ones
We must understand that God has good reason for doing all this and we need to be exercised.
If we are given gold, would we not test it to determine it's value? If we doubted its genuineness - we would test it by fire...
Titus 2:11-14 - 11For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
Romans 8:17-18 - 17Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Future Glory - 18I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.
Romans 5:5 - 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Romans 5:21 - 21so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 Corinthians 4:16-17 - 16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.
Looking beyond the sunset
Things that are seen are temporal; things that are unseen are eternal..
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 - 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.
While Paul doesn't minimize the importance of the present life; we should view our life in a heavenly perspective
Colossians 3:3-4 - 3For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Colossians 3:1-2 - 1Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. 2Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Jesus said - Matthew 6:33 - 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
Suffering should turn our eyes heavenward towards the life to come, anticipating the glory of the heavenly kingdom.
The prospect of future glory should fill us with joy.
Even those Christians whose situation is hopeless may find comfort in the prospect of heavenly glory.
If our joy is derived from the hope of a future life, then patience will grow up in adversities; for no kind of sorrow will be able to overwhelm this joy
No one will calmly and quietly submit to bear the cross except those who have learned to seek their happiness beyond this world.
Joy and patience are far above our strength.... We must persevere in prayer that he may not permit our hearts to faint.... Prayer and perseverance are necessary in our daily conflicts. The best remedy to the weariness is diligence in prayer.
The triumph of grace
Time heals all wounds is partly true; time and grace together heal the wounds of sorrow and renew the spirit.
Do we fear death?
"Death, do not be proud, though some have called you Mighty and dreadful, for thou are not so." John Donne
Hebrews 2:14-15 - 14Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Psalm 56:3-4 - 3 When I am afraid, I will trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?
1 John 5:4 - 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.
Received at last to glory
Scripture's meditation on the future does not center on man's attainment of eternal happiness, but on the glory of God, on salvation by grace, on the marriage of the Lamb.... Worthy is the lamb who was slain!
Chapter 12 - A place where gold is refined - Today - - Cast your burden on the Lord
Overall
Calvin provided 159 sermons on the Book of Job
Calvin does not attempt in his sermons to solve the problem raised by Job's suffering; but rather he points to the incomprehensibility of the divine purpose
Job 40:2 - 2 "Will the one who contends with the Almighty correct him? Let him who accuses God answer him!"
Job 40:8 - 8 "Would you discredit my justice? Would you condemn me to justify yourself?
Job 40:4 -4 "I am unworthy—how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.
A place where gold is defined
Job 23:10 - 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
God doesn't answer all of Job's questions
God does not charge Job with sins
God doesn't rebuke Job for asserting his integrity
God's approach is to reveal Job's weaknesses and ignorance in comparison to God's power and wisdom. The revelation brings Job to his knees in humble repentance and reverent respect in the presence of His Creator.
Calvin says that man's goals is usually that the world think well of them and that the world thinks they're honest - - as man "boldly defends their own case, they have no regard for God."
God's ways are incomprehensible
Job 28 1 "There is a mine for silver and a place where gold is refined. "
Job is persuaded that God does not always punish men according to the measure of their sins.
Our best response is to humble ourselves before God and wait until God reveals His secrets to us, the secrets that are incomprehensible to this day.
We must remember that despite the difficulty or tragedy, that God is always righteous and that His ways are good and right; although incomprehensible to us today.
Let us be silent before God
The true wisdom of the faithful is to know no more than it has pleased God to show them...
Let us keep silent before God until we see Him face to face.....
Both the righteous and the wicked suffer
It is not God's will that his righteousness should always be known to us.
Am I being punished?
When God afflicts men, it is not always with the purpose of punishing their sins; He sometimes intends it to test their patience.
Calvin asserts that God cannot be unjust; God has diverse reasons for afflicting men
satan is not in charge
Job 2:6 - 6The LORD said to Satan, "Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life."
satan cannot overwhelm us if we are armed with faith
God is our strength in trouble
"Whenever you feel yourselves weak, do not say "I am weak", but seek the remedy - for it is God's Word...."
Go read the Word - - and give ear to the promises that are contained therein.....
Job: A Model of self control and patience?
Patience is not being "unfeeling" and just taking it...
Patience means we are not overwhelmed by the difficulty and that we never cease to glorify God and is righteous in all respects
The virtue of simplicity
Cast your burden on the Lord
Psalm 55:22 - 22 Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.
Ephesians 3:2-3 - 2Surely you have heard about the administration of God's grace that was given to me for you, 3that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly.
Philippians 4:7 - 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Prayer does not always change things; we must learn patience.
When God doesn't appear to hear our cries:
God's name is a sure stronghold for all who flee to enter into it
God has promised to hear us before we open our mouth
The answer is - - God is responding in His own manner - - and His ways are above ours....
It is certain that before we call upon God He is willing and ready to help us because - - where comes the desire to pray? Does it not come from the Holy Spirit? For a man would never of his own mind resort to God.
Even though God does not appear to hear our prayers - we must continue to call upon Him.
We should never cease to pray - - in times of prosperity or in times of distress.
We must wait patiently; for His promises are true; We will see in the end that He has not forgotten us, nor ceased to hear us.
Consider this - if we are patient and able to continue to pray - - that, in and of itself, is a token that God has heard already and has given you this grace to continue to turn to Him....
Christ's priesthood our certainty
Christ our hope of Heaven
If we lived one day in this world it would be enough to taste of God's goodness and mercy and to confirm our faith.
Death, be not proud
Death is contrary to our nature....
On the other hand, we are held prisoner in a body of sin, some ravaged with sickness...
And we know - - death is the entrance gate to life
And - Christ, as our Lord and Savior, has gone first and ahead of us and now, death has no power over us.
Tested as gold in a furnace
Job 23:8-10 - 8 "But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. 9 When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. 10 But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold.
The point is Job cannot know all of God - - but God can know all of Job....
From John Calvin's final sermon on Job
Afflictions of God's children lasts only a short time; and at times they serve as medicines...
