We have a hope for the future, a hope beyond death. When I was in Virginia this past week, I met a number of wonderful Christians -- some of whom I had met before, others who were new to me. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. It comes from the heart of a Father who is putting you through some development that you desperately need to grow into the kind of a person you desperately want to be. They both managed to escape and called the police, who came and took their son to a mental hospital. But the cross is God's testimony that there is no other way. And yet we know, if we are Christians at all, that in that place where man's inadequacy is so fully demonstrated, we also have the clearest testimony that God loves us. That is why it says, "At the right time, in due time, Christ died." This revelation was given at the organization of the Church, on the date named, in the home of Peter Whitmer Sr. Six men, who had previously been baptized, participated. Third, we find that reliability produces something. For so persecuted they the prophets before you," (Matthew 5:11-12 KJV). Subject to permissions policy, all rights reserved. The Bible (from Koine Greek τὰ βιβλία, tà biblía, "the books") is a collection of religious texts or scriptures sacred to Christians, Jews, Samaritans, Rastafari and others. So now we are back to hope again. He means he is proud; he is confident and bold. The Greek word for character carries with it the idea of being put to the test and approved. That brings us to the fourth step that Paul mentions here, and that is that hope does not disappoint us. What kind of a nut is this Paul, anyway? But Paul goes on. ...God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given to us. You are faithful and do not allow us to be tempted above that which we are able to bear. It is a very significant verse because it is adding a thought that we have not had in this book up to now. Your Eternal Reward: Triumph & Tears at the Judgment Seat of Christ by Erwin Lutzer. Usually you get the standard answers, but I was amazed at his. It's not human, not natural!" He said, "I want to be a returned missionary." There are probably women here this morning who will gladly go through childbirth again because they want a child. Mighty in its influence Respect Making Decisions Civil Government Justice Law, Ot Favouritism Lawsuits Partiality. What else is it not? In his letter to the Philippians, Chapter 1, Verse 29, the Apostle Paul puts it very plainly, "For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake," (Philippians 1:29 RSV). A veteran has been through something and has been tested and proven. Many people pride themselves on how much they can take. It is something our faith enables us to know, a kind of inside information that others do not share. They don't know what's happening to them. But it is instructive to note that not only does Paul tell us to rejoice, but this is the unanimous testimony of every writer of the New Testament. . What the Lord had shown him, and how the Lord supported and sustained him through this terrible tragic time means so much to this man that he didn't care what anybody thought about it. That's a veteran. Nor is he saying that we merely are to pretend that we are happy. Hope, or certainty, produces confidence and boldness. What is the verse about casting our crowns before the feet of Jesus? (Although I am disappointed in that translation.) It is easy to feel rejected, unloved. By unanimous vote these persons expressed their desire and determination to organize, according to the commandment of God (see section 20). If you didn't suffer you would never have that quality. There are many who feel this way. We are not like God, we don't act like God. So the third and fourth times a trial comes up, you are steadier. There are certain things it does not mean, though many people think it does: First, it is clear from Scripture that rejoicing in suffering is not simply stoicism. This Scripture clearly tells us to have a genuine sense of rejoicing. You finally learn that you are not going to be destroyed, that things will work out. It is productive. I met another man whose son is so mentally disturbed that he has to be kept in a very expensive hospital for treatment which costs $50,000 a year. Instead, they are being made bitter and resentful and angry, even to the point of denying their faith. but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. That did not arrest the course of his disease, and he ultimately died because of it. Now that is not it. Now, to my mind, this is one of the most important verses in the book of Romans. "Why, I don't understand, pastor. 5And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. You learn something -- you learn about yourself, first. Worldlings lack it totally. The Holy Spirit will shed abroad in your heart an experience of the love of God so rich and radiant and glorious that you will not be able to help but rejoice in your suffering. If we have been disciplined by the fathers of our flesh, and we know they love us, why can't we believe that God loves us when he puts us through times of testing and pressure and suffering. The Resurrection The power of Christ Conforming Suffering christ Sharing Power transition experience Feeling Lost Knowing God Resurrection, Spiritual. "Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Something that we know will cause us to rejoice in our suffering. That is what suffering does. Joy is rooted in who God is. Lack Of Rejoicing Good Friends. 3Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. I think that when God sends us tribulation, he expects us to tribulate a little bit!". We were really crushed and overwhelmed, and feared we would never live through it. Neither the apostles nor the Scriptures ever ask us to be unreal and phony. Philippians 3:10. We even want to at times, but we don't. You don't get quite so panicky. We need to be very careful to see how Paul presents this concept here because the love of God is the subject he develops in Verses 6-10. The first one is found in Verses 1-2: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access into this grace in which we now stand. We are told by all to rejoice in our suffering. Responsorial Psalm . You were just like the disciples in the boat on the Sea of Galilee when the storm was raging. He's been through some tough things, but he knows that God can take him through them, and he will. And he loves you enough that he will not let you off, but will take you through it. It is the child that makes it all worthwhile. There we learn that we are enemies of God, enemies sabotaging God's plan to help us, wrecking everything he tries to do to reach us. First Peter 4:12 says, "Think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is coming upon you to test you, as though some strange thing happened to you." What do I need to do to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant" when I arrive in heaven? First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. For the yoke that burdened them, the pole on their shoulder, and the rod of their taskmaster you have smashed, as on the day of Midian. Greek philosophers had taught, and that didn't help. Even though you are suffering, even though you don't feel loved right now, even though it seems as though God is against you, how much more you can count on the fact that God loves you. That connection is important because these verses have been extracted from their context and used for evangelistic preaching so many times that we have forgotten what they originally meant. Not only is this so, but there is something more, … It goes like this: When we have exhausted our store of endurance, If there were any other way to get to God, then there never would have been a cross. It is clear from this that Christians are expected to experience suffering. . You don't panic, you don't bail out. At the right time, Christ died on the cross so that men could see how helpless and powerless they were to save themselves. You go through a time like that and you're all panicky; then the Lord stills the storm and you think, "Thank God that's all over. Up to now, Paul has not said anything about the love of God, but now it is "the love of God that is shed abroad in our hearts, by the Holy Spirit, who is given to us.". That's a great thing! You have met people like that, who aren't happy unless they're miserable. For out of His infinite riches in Jesus, She kept complaining and grousing and griping about it. You wanted to bail out much sooner than you thought you would. If you have any empathy in you, you can't help but feel deeply hurt with her because she is going through such pain. If you take their misery away from them, they are really wretched, because it is their misery that gives them a sense of contentment. Now we come to the force of Paul's argument. We are not merely expected to enjoy the pain. How do you get to the place where you can rejoice in suffering? Then what does suffering produce? That is a figure of speech called litotes, which is the use of a negative to express a positive idea. After the test is over, they hold the tire up and it looks like it's never been out of its wrapping! And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. There is an awareness that this suffering has done something of supreme value; therefore, you wouldn't have missed it. Second, not only does suffering produce steadiness, but steadiness, Paul says, produces character. Do you remember when you first became a Christian and went through a trial? Just a few days before his death I visited him in the hospital and he said something to me that I never forgot because it so perfectly expresses what Christian rejoicing in suffering means. But, if you see your suffering as evidence of God's wrath, you will be rendered frustrated and angry and resentful and miserable. Don't you know we're about to perish?" "God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son," (John 3:16 KJV). It is not simply a 'grin and bear it' attitude, or 'tough it out' and see how much you can take, or 'just hang in there until it's over' and 'don't let anything get you down,' or 'keep a stiff upper lip.' That is not what Paul is saying. Suffering produces something worthwhile. Rejoicing in suffering is not merely being stoical. That is the initial and introductory phase of Christian growth. Verse Concepts. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. That is why Paul brings in this description of God's love for us. What do we know? We felt we were doomed to die and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for he can even raise the dead. The apostle says there are four things that suffering produces: First, suffering produces perseverance. I know some Christians who are suffering, but are not being made steady and reliable and confident. And he did help us, and he saved us from a terrible death; yes, and we expect him to do it again and again. Some horses will react with anger, rearing back and trying to get away -- even striking out with their forefeet at their trainer. Even the Lord Jesus told us, in the Sermon on the Mount, "Blessed are you when men persecute you for righteousness' sake, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise. [What does he say?] Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! The best translation I can think of is the English word steadiness. Perseverance is the opposite of panic, of bailing out. Let us take a closer look at what this really means. You learn that he can handle events in ways that you couldn't dream of or anticipate. 2 Better to go to the house of mourning than to the house of feasting,+ for that is the end of every man, and the living should take it to heart. I'll never have to go through that again! WATCH: Amid crises that have shaken our world, the global Christian family was awakened to the urgent need to heal our relationships with creation and with each other during the ecumenical Season of Creation. We know it works, and that is what makes us rejoice. We don't like that fact, but, nevertheless, it is a fact. Most of us would feel the same way. There are non-Christians who can do that. We are being changed. We are becoming more like Jesus. And two weeks later, there is another storm. You can go through suffering as a Christian and be filled with anger and rage and resentment against God. They don't know what in the world is happening to them. Without a word, he suddenly shot them both. But there are people who feel that way -- they are called masochists -- they like to torture themselves. He began to study and to grow. It is not fleeting or based on circumstances. We are so used to thinking that love is something that blesses us and warms us and takes care of us that it is almost impossible for us to think we are being loved when we are hurting.    Our Father's full giving is only begun. We lose our fear of ridicule and shame, and we speak up and share out of the reality of our experience of what God has brought us through. All rights reserved. They say, "I can't buy that! Our Father, it is encouraging to us to realize that you are a God of utter realism, that you know thoroughly and completely the raw hurt, the agony, the pain, the bleeding that we can go through. And that is what Paul plainly says: "We also rejoice in suffering.". We are involved in things that are hurtful. Hebrews 12 helps us there. I have always like that word. When the mother tried to crawl away, the boy shot her a second time. He said, "I never would have chosen one of the trials that I've gone through, but I wouldn't have missed any of them for the world!" It is of value. Website © 2021 by Ray Stedman Ministries. To our amazement, a certainty grows in our hearts that God is doing his work just as he promised. He says it is "because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." The rejoicing comes immediately. When you see that truth, then you can rejoice, because you know that suffering will produce the things that make you what you want to be. Therefore, this suffering is not coming into your life because God is angry with you; it is coming because God loves you. Some think this passage is saying that when you are out in public, you should put on an artificial smile and act happy, when inside your heart is hurting like crazy. At that time in history God amply demonstrated to all the world that man could not save himself. For years we fight back and resist God's efforts to love us and to draw us to himself. That is rejoicing in suffering. We have the capacity to do so, but we don't. We are being mellowed. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die.    He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again. In past weeks, we’ve covered the history of the candles and wreath as well as the candle of peace and the candle of hope.. For this week, we’ll cover the third candle known as the candle of joy. The theme for this study from the fifth chapter of Romans is how to handle Christian suffering. Paul says, "Knowing that suffering produces..." Suffering does something, accomplishes something. The tire is twisted and pulled and stretched in every direction, and you are amazed at what that tire can take! That is not what Paul is saying. Suffering produces steadiness. We have a hope for the future, a hope beyond death. That is what Hebrews 12 argues, isn't it? Then you learn something about the Lord -- you learn how gracious he is. Pressure is something we want to get out from under, but suffering teaches us to stay under, to stick in there and hang with it. (Romans 5:5b-11 NIV). During the month of September, elders had begun to return from their missions in the eastern states and to make reports of their labors. Saul, the King of Israel, had been trying to kill David. His love has no limit, His grace has no measure; When I was a boy in Montana, I used to help a man break horses, working in a corral with 3-year-old horses that had never had saddles on their backs. I heard a man some years ago put this very clearly. Bible Verses About Joy - Rejoice with Scriptures on Happiness Bible verses about joy can help Christians who may be going through a difficult season as a reminder of the calm happiness through faith in God. (2 Corinthians 1:8-10 Living Bible). Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, September 22 and 23, 1832. No, he is saying, "There's more coming, but God will take us through." Years ago I stayed in a home and asked a 9-year-old boy there, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" You learn that you're not as strong as you thought you were. Suffering, you see, does not produce these qualities automatically. In the cross of Jesus Christ you always see two things: First, you see yourself. We rejoice because we are going to be with the Lord. So if some of you are going through difficulty or danger, you are not alone. Scriptures on Being Faithful to God. Steady up, and people start counting on you. James 1:2 says, "Count it all joy, my brethren, when you fall into various tribulation." Phoniness of any kind is a false Christianity. Watch a woman in labor; watch the expression on her face. And yet I suppose there is no question that is more difficult for us to handle than this one. I was always interested in watching the horses when they first felt a saddle thrown on their back. Now that is what this word character means. We feel broken, we feel worthless, we feel forgotten. The apostle's answer is, "We rejoice in suffering because we know..." We rejoice because we know something. 1 Samuel 26:23 – “May the Lord repay every man for his righteousness and his faithfulness, for the Lord delivered you into my hand today, but I would not stretch out my hand against the Lord’s anointed.”. "Why do Christians suffer?". Others will just stand there trembling, shaking like a leaf. We have all seen the tire advertisements on television. That is what this passage brings before us, and that is what we need to know. How easily you panicked and cried out to the Lord, "What's gone wrong?" Many people feel that if they do that, they are fulfilling the Word and "rejoicing in suffering." It is the explanation, above all else, of how to rejoice in suffering. The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” As he spoke, it was evident that a man who previously had been ashamed to speak of Christ was now confident and bold. That is what Paul is saying here. Paul does this in Romans 1:16 when he says, "I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ because it is the power of God..." What does he mean? He stopped her and said, "I don't think you should talk that way. Thank you that through the pressure and testing you give a deep sense of joy. We thank you for this in Jesus' name, Amen. More insights from your Bible study - Get Started with Logos Bible Software for Free! Thank you, Lord, for that. Questions about Heaven, Hell, and Eternity. 7 A good name* is better than good oil,+ and the day of death is better than the day of birth. But one thing that impressed me was the number of people who were going through very severe trials and suffering. Revelation given to Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Fayette, New York, April 6, 1830. You were in a panic over what was happening, fearful that it would wreck everything and destroy your hopes and dreams. And quiet came. It can range from minor annoyances that we go through every day, to major disasters that come sweeping down out of the blue and leave us stricken and smitten. We have the hope that God is producing the image of Christ in us right now. Verse Concepts. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). Then you will experience that love in the midst of the suffering. But you wouldn't have chosen it, either! We see ourselves changing. This is also the very first time in this book that the love of God is brought in. What is that place? Ecclesiastes. Message transcript and recording © 1976 by Ray Stedman Ministries, owner of sole copyright by assignment from the author. Right at the moment of hurt, you are not going to feel like rejoicing, but it should soon follow that you rejoice in your suffering. Sometimes people who are not Christians will put us to shame by the things that they can take without complaining. We are becoming like Christ -- stronger, wiser, purer, more patient. Now, that's a veteran speaking. I've learned my lesson!" What makes the difference? He began to learn things that he had never learned before. What are the five heavenly crowns that believers can receive in Heaven? You see him work things out in ways that you could never have guessed. I was simply amazed at the number of people struggling with severe problems. Paul goes on to explain why our hope does not disappoint us. Suffering produces steadiness. So those who think that becoming a Christian will remove them from suffering have been seriously misled and self-deceived, for the Scriptures themselves teach that we are to expect suffering. That must be a frightening experience to an animal. You are even showing us how much we are able to bear, when we think we can't bear very much. You learn that you don't have the 'stick with it' that you thought you had. The Romans had come in with their military might, and law and order was imposed over the course of the whole world of that day, and that didn't help. 2 Corinthians 1:24 ESV / 149 helpful votes Helpful Not Helpful Not that we lord it over your faith, but we work with you for your joy, for you stand firm in your faith. In Verse 2, Paul spoke of "rejoicing in hope," the hope of sharing the glory of God, a hope for the future beyond death.