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why do we suffer?

8/21/2017

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Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 
 
OBEDIENCE: G5218, hupakoē, hoop-ak-o-ay'
From G5219; attentive hearkening, that is, (by implication) compliance or submission: - obedience, (make) obedient, obey (-ing).
 
I believe Jesus Christ was God, is God, and will always be God. When we read in the Book of Genesis about the LORD God walking in the Garden of Eden…it was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ.
 
Gen 3:8  And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. 
 
When we read about the LORD meeting with Abraham…it was the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ.
 
Gen 18:1  And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; 
Gen 18:2  And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 
 
Invariably when people meet the LORD in person, they bow themselves toward the ground. Bowing towards the ground is always associated with worship, and “worship” was an act reserved by God to Himself!
 
WORSHIP: H7812, shâchâh, shaw-khaw'
A primitive root; to depress, that is, prostrate (especially reflexively in homage to royalty or God): - bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, WORSHIP.
 
 
Mat 4:8  Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 
Mat 4:9  And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 
Mat 4:10  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt WORSHIP the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 
 
The New Testament forbids people from worshipping angels.
 
Col 2:18  Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 
 
Rev 19:10  And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: WORSHIP God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 
 
On the other hand, the Bible COMMANDS the angels to worship the Son of God.
 
Heb 1:5  For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? 
Heb 1:6  And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God WORSHIP him. 
 
Jesus Christ commands our worship because He DESERVES to be worshipped! Jesus Christ commands our obedience because He DESERVES to be obeyed! Jesus Christ commands our love because He DESERVES to be loved! This is what separates Jesus Christ from Satan and the governments of the current Babylonian system. Jesus Christ (God) has presented us with unquestionable evidence of His love, His selflessness, and His WORTHINESS!
 
Rev 5:9  And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art WORTHY to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. 
 
WORTHY: G514, axios, ax'-ee-os
Probably from G71; deserving, comparable or suitable (as if drawing praise): - due reward, meet, [un-] worthy.
 
Not only is Jesus worthy to be our High Priest and our King of kings, He has redeemed us with His own blood and made it possible for the saints of God to be worthy to be a nation of kings and priests!
 
People have the mistaken notion that suffering is the result of our sins. I guess the Bible does teach that the disobedience of Adam and Eve caused them to fall from grace; HOWEVER, if you read the Bible carefully, you will understand that there is NOT a direct link between our personal sin and our personal suffering.
 
As a matter of fact, the Bible teaches that the wicked seem to be running the world (and ruining the world), but the righteous suffer just as much or more than the wicked.
 
Job 9:22  This is one thing, therefore I said it, He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked. 
Job 9:23  If the scourge slay suddenly, he will laugh at the trial of the innocent. 
Job 9:24  The earth is given into the hand of the wicked: he covereth the faces of the judges thereof; if not, where, and who is he? 
 
King David observed that the wicked were causing a lot of suffering, and then it seemed that they were getting away with all their wickedness.
 
Psa 10:2  The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor: let them be taken in the devices that they have imagined. 
Psa 10:3  For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous, whom the LORD abhorreth. 
Psa 10:4  The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. 
Psa 10:5  His ways are always grievous; thy judgments are far above out of his sight: as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them. 
Psa 10:6  He hath said in his heart, I shall not be moved: for I shall never be in adversity. 
Psa 10:7  His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity. 
Psa 10:8  He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages: in the secret places doth he murder the innocent: his eyes are privily set against the poor. 
Psa 10:9  He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den: he lieth in wait to catch the poor: he doth catch the poor, when he draweth him into his net. 
 
Like in the Book of Job, King David’s experience was leading him to believe that being righteous appeared to be less beneficial than being wicked.
 
Psa 73:3  For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 
Psa 73:4  For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 
Psa 73:5  They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. 
Psa 73:6  Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. 
Psa 73:7  Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 
Psa 73:8  They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. 
Psa 73:9  They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. 
 
However, David the Prophet King, like Job before him, received a direct revelation from God about the Last Days.
 
Psa 73:17  Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end. 
Psa 73:18  Surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castedst them down into destruction. 
Psa 73:19  How are they brought into desolation, as in a moment! they are utterly consumed with terrors. 
Psa 73:20  As a dream when one awaketh; so, O Lord, when thou awakest, thou shalt despise their image. 
Psa 73:21  Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins. 
Psa 73:22  So foolish was I, and ignorant: I was as a beast before thee. 
Psa 73:23  Nevertheless I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by my right hand. 
Psa 73:24  Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. 
Psa 73:25  Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee. 
Psa 73:26  My flesh and my heart faileth: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 
Psa 73:27  For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from thee. 
Psa 73:28  But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works. 
 
Worldly power and wealth is actually a snare to the wicked. Wealth may be able to help us to smooth over some of the temporal troubles that we encounter in this life, but when it comes to providing us with “eternal” salvation and security, the Bible says that worldly wealth is absolutely worthless.
 
Psa 49:6  They that trust in their wealth, and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches; 
Psa 49:7  None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him: 
 
Only God can provide for both our temporal AND our “eternal” welfare.
 
1Ti 6:17  Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 
 
When we read the Bible, we can begin to glimpse a far higher purpose for suffering than just the normal consequences of our sin. Our temporary suffering in this life is preparing the saints of God to be WORTHY kings and priests during the future millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
 
2Ti 2:11  It is a faithful saying: For if we be dead with him, we shall also live with him: 
2Ti 2:12  If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: 
2Ti 2:13  If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.
 
In the gospels we see that Jesus’ disciples were under the same mistaken notion that is still taught in churches today…that our suffering is the result of our personal sins.
 
Joh 9:1  And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 
Joh 9:2  And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 
Joh 9:3  Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 
 
Jesus quickly corrected His disciples. It is foolish to blame a person’s sin for their problem when they are “born” blind! However, when we read the rest of the story, we find out that after Jesus heals the blind man, the Pharisees then call the newly healed blind man a sinner, and they kick him out of the synagogue. This is a pretty typical reaction when people’s long held idiotic beliefs are exposed…they get angry!
 
Joh 9:35  Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 
Joh 9:36  He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 
Joh 9:37  And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 
Joh 9:38  And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him. 
 
Another mistaken notion is that rich people are blessed by God while poor people are under God’s curse. Jesus tried to correct this belief with the story of Lazarus.
 
Luk 16:19  There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 
Luk 16:20  And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 
Luk 16:21  And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 
Luk 16:22  And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 
Luk 16:23  And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 
Luk 16:24  And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 
Luk 16:25  But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 
 
Isn’t it interesting that the rich man is tormented in hell while the beggar is comforted in the bosom of Abraham? It appears that suffering on earth is rewarded while living in luxury is punished! Jesus comes straight out and tells us that it is nearly impossible for rich people to enter into the kingdom of God.
 
Mat 19:24  And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 
 
Isn’t it strange that the modern Church seems to be encouraging people to gather wealth and to avoid suffering while Jesus and His Apostles say just the opposite?
 
Jas 5:1  Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 
Jas 5:2  Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 
Jas 5:3  Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 
 
The Bible plainly teaches that there is a reward for suffering with the people of God:
 
Heb 11:24  By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter; 
Heb 11:25  Choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; 
Heb 11:26  Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. 
 
It appears that suffering and patience is linked with our faith and love. We see over and over again that the saints of God suffered trials and tribulations, circumstances that they would not have ordinarily chosen to experience, because God had a higher purpose for them. The same is true for all of us.
 
Rom 5:1  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 
Rom 5:2  By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 
Rom 5:3  And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 
Rom 5:4  And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 
Rom 5:5  And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. 
 
I believe that right now, and in the not too distant future, all of God’s saints will be going through trials and tribulation, but that does not mean that God does not love us. Although our suffering may not make sense to us now, I believe that eventually we will not only understand, but we will even be thankful for our trials and tribulations. We will joyfully bow down and worship our LORD and Savior because eventually He will be revealed in and through us.
 
Rom 8:18  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 
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