How does the Bible Relate to My Suffering? | Theocast Clips

We want to know why this happened. Well, God doesn't tell you why it happened, other than sin came into the world and sin destroyed the world, and that's all we know.

Justin Perdue I'll happily lead us into this piece. I want to go ahead and give people a little chalking of the field. Here are some things that we can say with certainty.

Stop trying to read through the lines of providence. Stop trying to read the tea leaves. Stop trying to figure out everything God's up to, but you can know these things about Him.

You said what I was about to say is that what's interesting is that James says establish your heart in the future.

What is to come? He does not say try to figure out because we're trying to find closure. We want to know why this happened.

Well, God doesn't tell you why it happened, other than sin came into the world and sin destroyed the world, and that's all we know.

Justin Perdue Right. I'll say this now too. I want to land us on all just sweet eternal promises.

I know you do too. We need to stop using verses as platitudes. Romans 8 .28,

you slap it on the refrigerator, God works all things for good, and we think that we've solved the problem of pain. A lot of times we will say to people, maybe we don't literally say, though sometimes

I fear we do literally say, in the midst of heartbreak and pain, we'll say, well,

God's going to work it for good. I'll say it this way in a safe way.

At a minimum, the primary emphasis of the Apostle in those verses is an eternal eschatological reality, not a temporal one.

I would say all. It's obvious.

The context of Romans 8 .18, James 1, Romans 5, what

God's producing in us through these things, that's good temporally. Ultimately, Romans 8, that context from verse 18 and following, that's all about the creation groaning, all of this, and the creation is waiting to be liberated.

It's awaiting the revealing of the glory of the sons of God as we await the consummation of our redemption, which is the resurrection of our bodies.

This is clearly an eternal, forward -looking thing. Then we all of a sudden forget that when we read

Romans 8 .28. We'll just look at each other and say, God's going to work it for good. He has ultimately promised us an unshakable kingdom.

He has told us that we have a heavenly country that we're going to be citizens of. We're going to live with him one day, and we're going to be delivered from pain.

We're going to be ripped from the grave, and we're going to be raised incorruptible and imperishable. All things together for our good, but that does not mean that I'm going to see earthly good in things that I go through.

This goes back to when Paul says in reference to suffering,

I can do all things through Christ. What he means is I can endure this.

I'll make it through to the end. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. He doesn't mean as we often flip that as you know, however you want to use it.

The point of it is there's nothing in this world that will rip me from the hope I have from Christ.

That's the promise of the gospel because he loses none. He uses that which is horrible, which is the trial.

God says, don't worry. It's a good thing because I'm going to prove to you that there's nothing that's going to separate you from me.

Nothing. Nothing will separate you. Justin Perdue That's right. Nothing. God's promised us that one day we'll be with him and he's going to wipe away every tear.

All really will be made new and well. We know that that's what's coming.