Why Christians Suffer
Part One
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:6-7)
(the following is excerted from the book Gold Under Fire, by Gary Crandall, a PleasantWord publication, 2005)
It was barely dawn as the women set about their grim task. The burial spices they had prepared the day and evening before constituted their precious cargo. Perhaps they tried to brace themselves for the awful sight which most assuredly awaited them: the scarred body of their dead Lord. What they found instead seemed for the moment even more disastrous. The stone was rolled away and the body of Jesus was gone. “Why?!” resounded in their already broken hearts.
Looking back on this resurrection event through enlightened eyes, we see a glorious moment. We realize the victory that was won there. We celebrate this event dramatically every spring. We may have a hard time identifying with the feeling of perplexity these women experienced.
A careful look at Luke 24:4 may help us understand these women and ourselves better. The verse explains what was happening inside their hearts and minds. We are told: “And it happened, as they were greatly perplexed about this, that behold, two men stood beside them in shining garments.” We are chiefly concerned with the word “perplexed.” It is the English translation of a Greek word that means literally “to be without a way.” It was used in a variety of fashions to indicate being at a loss, in doubt, or uncertain.1 If we plug this idea back into the verse, we begin to see the frustration these women experienced. Something terrible had happened and they were at a loss. They were completely “without a way” to explain the empty tomb. The overbearing question which loomed before them was why? Why? Why?!
In my years as a pastor I have been asked that question more than any other. I have asked it myself more than once. It is a frank and often frustrating admission on our part that we are “without a way” to explain what has transpired in our lives.
In my first year as a pastor, the husband and father of a family in the church died. They knew he was in heaven. They knew his suffering was over. They knew God was with them. But all that knowledge did not answer their “whys.” Why did he have to die now? Why did he have to die in that manner? Why did he have to leave them? Why did God allow it to happen? Why did they have to go through this? As I was bombarded with these questions, I could only offer a lamentable “I don’t know” and wonder myself why such things happen. I felt like a man in a cave looking for a star. In knew that the answers, if they existed at all, did not lie within me. Although I had wondered “why” before, now my search began in earnest to discover both the answer to “why” and the way to respond.
Is it okay to ask “why”? Before we answer that question, we need to understand that it is not okay to question God’s goodness or knowledge or judgment or power. We must agree with the Psalmist that “As for God, His way is perfect” (Psalm 18:30). It is not okay to substitute knowledge for faith. Ultimately, what is most important is not that we know but that God knows. It is not okay if our attitude is one of demanding instead of humble request. Our goal must be to bring into focus God’s purpose, not to call into question God’s authority. Beyond such limits, however, the question “why” is not only appropriate, it is often necessary. Was it important for the women to know why the tomb was empty? Yes! It was part of God’s plan for them. Notice that they had the privilege of being the first ones to proclaim the risen Lord!
We may not always be able to understand “why.” That, however, is based upon our own limitations and does not invalidate the question. In fact, since God often uses adversity as a teaching tool, it is helpful to ask, “why am I experiencing this difficulty?”
The quest before us is not for more information. The quest is to know God better, to seek to discern His purpose, and to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18).
Stay tuned for more
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I was delighted to find this blog with the excert from the book – Gold Under Fire. Having read this book I would like to make a recommedation to those of you who have not yet read it. It is an excellant Biblical treatment on the question of why Christians suffer. It is now in its second printing and being read and used world wide. It can be ordered through CBD (www.christianbook.com) – search under the title and the author’s name.
For those of you who are still unsure I would suggest that you keep reading the postings on this sight. May God use this to bless and encourage you for His glory.
Good message, pastor.
As troublesome as the response, “How could a loving God do/permit this?” is the equally common, “God is weeping?” or some such ill-informed response to tragedy–either personal or national. After every cataclysmic event a reporter will surely find someone (often, sadly, a member of clergy) who will remonstrate that God is “saddened” over what has just occurred. This politically correct response lowers God to our level, as only sightseers. It also turns around your statement–”…it is helpful to ask, ‘why am I experiencing this difficulty?’ “–to, “We need to let God know we don’t like this sort of thing, and expect Him to be more proactive in our defense the next time.”
You conclude that “our quest is not for information” but to know God better. I believe you may have inadvertently overstated your case. What is knowledge but the state of having information? Even if you took a more philosophical approach to the definition of knowledge, classic Platonic philosophy states that knowledge is “justified true belief” . . . about information. The quest for knowledge, then, cannot be separated from the quest for information. If I understand your point, perhaps your conclusion could be better stated that our quest is not for more knowledge/information about our circumstances, but instead more knowledge/information about God.
You also earlier concluded that “it is not okay to substitute knowledge for faith.” Again, I don’t believe that this is really what you intend. Faith requires knowledge. If our faith is not based on knowledge, then it is groundless and useless; it then becomes no more than superstition and false hope. Moreover, it is desirable to substitute knowledge for faith; more than that, it is required of us. Is not this the essence of spiritual growth? We move as babes from a naive and ignorant faith to mature faith by knowing God and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. Using your illustration of the empty tomb, wasn’t it critical for the women to substitute the knowledge/information about why the tomb was empty for their faith in the sovereignty of God? Would it have been better for them to go their whole lives in faith rather than having the knowledge of the reason for the empty tomb? What God has revealed to us, we are required to know; and it is better to know what God has revealed, and believe it, than to simply have faith in God without knowledge of his revelation. Perhaps a better statement would be “lack of knowledge should not result in lack of faith,” since if God has chosen not to reveal the “whys” of some situation to us, we must proceed in faith based upon the knowledge of what he HAS revealed.
These are not merely academic distinctions. Many in the emerging church movement have seized on these types of ideas (“our quest is not for information” and “it is not okay to substitute knowledge for faith”) to conclude that theology (knowledge/information about God as revealed in His Word) is not important as long as one “has faith” and “loves” his brother. This leads to a groundless religion, tossed about by every wind of doctrine, sacrificing the truth of God’s Word for the sake of “unity” and fellowship, making Christianity little different than universalism. I know this is not what you intended.
@ dsl
You are right to be critical of those who use the “Why?” question to imply that (1) God is not sovereign or (2) God is not good. But God being sad is not mutually exclusive with his sovereignty or goodness. God can be saddened and sovereign and good all at the same time, and there are many such examples in Scripture. For instance, was God saddened by the death of His Son? did He mourn over the sin that bought it about? was He in sovereign control? was He good to His Son? did He glory through that evil? I think the answer is “yes” to all these questions.
Great questions David! First of all, in regard to what I wrote about our “quest not being for information but to know God better” you rightly deliniate between knowledge of the circumstance and knowledge of God Himself. Another way I could have perhaps worded that better is to say “our quest is not for MERE knowledge…”
Secondly – I totally concur that true faith is based on knowledge of truth. Jesus said “I am the truth…” and He says of God’s Word “Your word is truth…” That God revealed Himself – and this is true whether we think in terms of general or specific revelation – involves the impartation of information/knowledge to us. We are made in His image, in part, in order to be receptors of His revelation. There can be no true faith without the Truth. God has revealed what we need to know of Truth (not necessarily all there is to know)so that we have “all things that pertain to life and godliness.”