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Suffering and Ease

How many times do Christian testimonies suggest that becoming a Christian has made life easier? It seems that many describe the benefits of Christianity in terms of a quality of life that would be desireable even apart from God. However, the apostle Paul takes exception to this in 1 Corinthians 5:19, 15:32 and Romans 5:3-4:

"If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied

"If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die"

"We exult in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance produces proven genuineness, and genuineness produces hope."

Apart from Christ, the chosen path of affliction and suffering, is to be pitied.

There are two counterfeits that are resisted by these passages. The first is to expect a life of human delights and comfort through Christianity. God does not promise this but does give true hope and real joy amid suffering.

"Whatever things were gain to me, these things I have counted as loss for the sake of Christ. More than that, I count all things to be loss on account of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ . . . I share his sufferings . . . that if possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead." (Philippians 3:7-11)

"If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake, he will save it." (Luke 9:23-24)

"A slave is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you." (John 15:20)

The second is to view suffering as good, in and of itself. However, apart from faith in God and hope of the resurrection, suffering is empty. There is no personal holiness that is attained on the basis of suffering and no forgiveness of sins that occurs because of it.

In Desiring God, John Piper wrote, "If we do not communicate that he is the goal and the ground of our joy in suffering, then the very meaning of our suffering will be lost. The meaning is this: God is gain. God is gain. God is gain ... And I pray that He would make it plain that the pursuit of joy in God, whatever the pain, is a powerful testimony to God's supreme and all-satisfying worth. "

Posted by tim at April 21, 2004 1:09 PM

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