Overcoming Suffering

Text:

“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:7–10)

Introduction

Last time, we talked about depression and suffering. In this talk, I want to talk about overcoming suffering. The reason for this is that most people who are suffering from depression, are suffering…from depression. And, as I mentioned in the last talk, suffering has its reasons. It makes sense that if we can find the reasons, we can stop, change, or perhaps think differently about the suffering. Sin may not cause depression, but we can sin while experiencing depression.

If it is true that depression is the body’s reaction to the stress of life, then what we are saying is that we are suffering because of whatever else is going on. It is important to know that we can make our suffering better or worse by how we think and live in the midst of our suffering. So, let’s spend a few minutes talking about suffering and where Jesus is in all this.

Gospel

It all starts with the Gospel (Good News) of God. Just what is that? Paul told the Corinthians what the basics of the Gospel was in 1 Cor. 15:3-8. That’s the main point of the whole gospel: Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead—according to the Scriptures. But what does according to the Scriptures mean? And can you have good news without bad news? And what’s that thing about for our sins? And what does all that have to do with buying toothpaste or who we marry or what suffering is about and how to handle it? Everything. It covers everything in our lives. And grace is right at the center of it all.

Redemption

The Bible says that when we were saved (when we believed) part of what that meant was that we were redeemed. Redeemed means that God paid for us by shedding Jesus’ blood on the cross. The Bible says we were redeemed from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13, cf. Rom 8:3), from every lawless deed (Tit 2:14), from this present evil age (Gal 1:4), from the dominion of darkness (Col 1:13-14), etc. We were set free from those things that held us in real bondage.

He purchased the church (ESV has obtained) with his blood (Acts 20:28). This word is closely related to that redemption word, but whereas redeemed might mean that God paid for us to be set free (from every constraint). And sometimes we think that freedom means not having any boundaries at all. That kind of freedom is not really freedom at all, and it isn’t the way God created the world. The fact is that God bought us from the world and its system and brought us into his dominion. We were slaves of sin, now we are slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:18). We belong to Christ (1 Cor 7:22; Eph 6:6; 1 Pet 2:16). We have been set free from the chaos that comes with no boundaries (like a swamp), to the freedom that comes to servants of God (like a river).

God as Slave Owner

The great thing is that God is the most benevolent slave owner. Being God’s slave is freedom indeed.

“Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (Jn 8:31–32) 

“Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” (Jn 8:36) 

“And having been set free from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Rom 6:18)

“But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life.” (Romans 6:22) 

Here’s how it works. In the garden, Adam and Eve were totally free. Even in the command to not eat from the knowledge of good and evil the context was that they were free not to eat from it rather than that they couldn’t eat from it. It didn’t become a temptation until Satan planted the idea in Eve’s head that maybe God was holding back all the blessings that he could be giving, “Now the serpent was more cunning than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God indeed said, ‘You shall not eat of every tree of the garden’?” (Gen 3:1) What God actually said was, “And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen 2:16–17) So you see the subtle shift? God was protecting them from death. Satan accused God of withholding something.

God loves us and blesses us and in his “ownership” of us, he is totally giving himself to us. His prohibitions and commands are statements that are meant to protect us from false gods and from causing us to drift away from the joy we have in knowing Him.

In Christ, we are set free from sin, and the consequences of sin, that so easily entangles (Heb 12:1-3).

Suffering

Various words used for suffering in the Bible include:

Tribulation, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (Jn 16:33)

Afflictions, “Many are the afflictions of the righteous, But the Lord delivers him out of them all.” (Ps 34:19) 

 Trials, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,” (Jas 1:2) 

Suffering, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,” (Phil 1:29) 

The Bible is full of suffering for various reasons, the main reason being that the sin of Adam, allowed Satan to have a different role in the world than he would have had without Adam’s sin. And so, sin is the main reason for suffering.

Suffering is bad. It hurts. It isn’t any fun. Sometimes it is the consequence of our sinfulness. Sometimes it is the result of something wrong in our bodies (this doesn’t diminish the fact that it isn’t any fun). Sometimes it is the result of other people’s sin. And sometimes it is the result of our reactions to all of these things, and it shows up in our lives as depression.

God And Suffering

What is going on when we suffer? What is God up to? How should we think about ahead of time, in preparation for suffering? And how should we think if we are suffering right now? We need to think about the hardships of life differently from the way the world thinks of them. The world thinks of suffering in terms of victimhood or injustice or something else. But at the center of it all is man. In the Bible, God is always at the center and so we need to ask the question about suffering from the vantage point that God is good, that he loves us, that he is all-powerful, he is just, and he is all-knowing. This means there is more going on here than just bad things.

We know that suffering is part of the fallen world. It wouldn’t exist had sin not entered the world. So, it is part of the world, flesh, and the devil (Eph 2:2-3). But Jesus died on the cross to cancel it out and to switch it all around and to make it, in an odd sense, glorious.

Here is a list of ways to think about suffering:

• Suffering proves God’s existence and that he has placed his law in our hearts. This one is a little difficult to get our heads around. If God did not exist, then there would be no right or wrong. If there were no right or wrong, everything would just be. So, things that we call suffering would simply be another way of living. There would be nothing wrong with it, it would simply be different. But no one thinks suffering is just another way of living, therefore, God exists. And we know it because God has written his law on our hearts (Rom 2:15).
• God uses suffering to drive/bring/draw us to the Cross and Christ. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”” (Mt 11:28–30) 

“Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.” (Ps 51:1–2) 

• Suffering helps us to take our eyes off of the world around us and put them on Christ where they belong. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” (Phil 4:6–7) 
• Suffering is one of the ways God changes us into the likeness of Christ. “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” (Rom 12:2) 
• Suffering is one of the ways God tests us. “By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises offered up his only begotten son,” (Heb 11:17)

Our Response to Suffering

We need to make sure we understand the Gospel of God and are entrusting ourselves to the loving hand of God. Then we can believe what was just said about why suffering has come upon us.

1. Draw near to God and believe that he has drawn near to you (Jas 4:8).
2. Believe as a matter of fact, that God has you exactly where he wants you for your good and his glory. “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.” (Romans 8:28–30) 
3. Study and understand the situation that brought the suffering (Depression) on you in the first place.
4. Forgive where necessary (Mt 6:15).
5. Confess your sin (1 Jn 1:9).
6. Seek forgiveness (Is 55:6).
7. Receive and believe that you have been forgiven (Acts 10:43).
8. Imitate God in not remembering your own sin or the sins of others (Eph 5:1).
9. As you spend time with him (reading, meditating, singing, studying the Word) and his saints (Church, Bible Study, small groups, coffee, etc.), make it your goal to study God and get to know him so that you will think like he thinks, talk like he talks, treat others the way he treats them, etc. (1 Cor 11:1).
10.  Thank God for the suffering (Phil 4:6).
11.  Rejoice in the suffering (Jas 1:2-4; Col 1:24; 2 Cor 7:4).
12.  Glory in the suffering (Rom 5:3-5).
13.  Boast in the Suffering (2 Cor 12:7-10).

Conclusion

In the garden, way back when, before that apple thing, Adam and Eve lived with God in perfect bliss. After the fall, things got hard (Pro 13:15). Sin makes life hard. But God did not leave us without a plan and a remedy. He sent Jesus to take our sin, to free us from our sin, and the ultimate consequences of our sin. But he also sent his Spirit to live inside us so that we don’t have to sin anymore. And when we do sin, Jesus is our advocate and will stand up for us so that when we confess our sin, the Father will forgive us. Then, we draw near to him and he draws near to us and he fills us with his joy. Can you join Jesus in his joy? Even in the midst of your depression?

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay