Understanding suffering
Rom 8:28-39 What is one of the first objections we hear when we say ‘God loves you”…? ‘If God loves me what about all the suffering…?”
Nothing exists that God didn’t create so there is absolutely nothing created, thinkable or unthinkable—that can get between us and God's love
‘BUT that doesn’t add up’ I hear you say, surely if we are suffering that proves that God doesn’t Love us?’
Do you believe that if you do everything right, read your bible, obey scriptural principles, surrender your life completely to God then you will always be healthy, safe, no bad things will happen to you?
If so, then you are only living a godly life to manipulate God into making you happy.
That’s not worship that’s manipulation – idol worshippers relate to their gods in the same way.
But if we can manipulate God by our behaviour to do what we want then we are God and He is your servant!!
It’s time to re-think our theology about suffering. Suffering comes into our lives for many different reasons
1. Sometimes we suffer because we are experiencing the consequence of our own choices … God has nothing to do with it.
2. We can suffer mentally from unhealthy thinking
3. Then there is the suffering that comes about through Man’s inhumane acts towards his fellow Man. This is the suffering of innocent
4. Then there is suffering that comes not because we have sinned but because we are godly. It is possible to be suffering yet you are in the centre of God’s will
5. Then you could be suffering for the same reason Jesus suffered. Heb 5:8-9
In Rom 8:28-39 is attacking the illusion that sets us up to be disillusioned!!!! People are offended by suffering because they have a short-sighted view of their own existence
But we are to transcend the offense of suffering because we know that we are eternal souls that will never cease to exist and that’s why God will never sacrifice something eternal to give you something temporary
