This blog contains highlights from the sermon “The Truth About Suffering and Tribulation” by Clint Byars. We encourage you to watch the full message.
““Do you finally believe?” Jesus replied. “Look, an hour is coming and has already come when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and you will leave Me all alone. Yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take courage; I have overcome the world!””
God is not the author of your suffering. It's not in his script for your life. Tribulation and suffering are in the world, but they're not from God. If you should find yourself suffering religious persecution, God promises that He will comfort you.
These two passages address the issue of suffering.
Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only that, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out His love into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, whom He has given us.
2 Corinthians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction (tribulation), so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction (tribulation), with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. 5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort. 8 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction (tribulation) we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. 9 Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that "was to” (was meant to) make us (But that made us) rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. 10 He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again.
Verse 9 can be a little confusing; here's how it reads in the original language.
Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that made us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead.
We usually read it this way.
But that was meant to make us rely not on ourselves…
The word "meant" is implied unnecessarily. The implication is that God purposed or allowed them to suffer, so they would rely on him and not themselves. But what Paul is saying is that it happened, and their response was to rely on God.
It's a subtle nuance, but it's an important one. When we find ourselves suffering due to persecution, our response should be to rely on God for comfort. And when we're comforted, we can then comfort others because we know that God will comfort them too.
It clearly says God will comfort us in suffering, but it does NOT clearly say the suffering was from God, you have to read that into the text.
God is not the author of our suffering. He comforts us when we find ourselves in it. And the only kind of suffering that God says we must endure is for preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of Jesus.
Suffering With Christ
2 Corinthians 1:5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
Aren't we supposed to share in Christ's sufferings? In other words, if Christ suffered, aren't we supposed to experience the same things?
It's a fair question; let's look at what Jesus endured.
He was persecuted for saying that God was his father.
He was called a blasphemer for claiming to be the Messiah.
He was arrested by Rome on the Jew's behalf, for claiming to be the Messiah.
Once arrested, he was beaten and tortured.
He was nailed to a cross.
He was made to be sin for us.
He passed into the grave from which he rose again.
You could be persecuted like Jesus was persecuted, but only partially. You may be persecuted for preaching that Jesus is the Messiah. You may be arrested and beaten for preaching the Gospel. You may be killed for not rejecting your faith in Jesus. But you cannot suffer for your own sin, Jesus did that for you. You can not be beaten to gain healing, by His stripes you were healed. And God will not kill you as a sacrifice for the salvation of the world.
The only suffering that we can share in is the preaching of the kingdom of God
Life's Circumstances
There is no Biblical context for God, causing someone to suffer through ordinary life circumstances. Here's my point; some teach the illness, job loss, lost property, sick children, and depression are part of God's plan, so you'll suffer and turn to him.
There is no Biblical corroboration for the idea that God will cause adverse situations in your life to make you suffer and learn patience or become more holy. People make that stuff up.
People find themselves in difficult circumstances and wonder why God allowed it or what he's trying to teach them. In difficulty, we often turn to God and come out of it more dependent on him. Because of the outcome, we wrongly assume God allowed it for that desired end. That sounds logical, but it's unbiblical, there is no case of God treating people that way, ever. You may say, "what about Job," I address that in the video above.
Conclusion
You might suffer, even to the point of losing your life, for preaching the Gospel. In that situation, God promises that he'll comfort you. Paul teaches us that if we find ourselves under religious persecution, we can turn to God and be strengthened. As we're strengthened, it helps us persevere, and we come out with hope and patience. But you can not say that God will mess around with your life's circumstances, to make you suffer, to teach you patience.
