Deliver us from evil - Suffering and pain

1. Why me?
2. Where‘s God?
3. How can I
stand this?
-Os Guinness
The three questions people
ask when tragedy strikes

Source #1: Satan
―Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.
Your adversary, the devil, prowls
around like a roaring lion, seeking
someone to devour. ‖ (1 Peter 5:8)

―For we wanted to come to you—I, Paul,
more than once—and yet Satan
hindered us. ‖ (1 Thessalonians 2:18)

―And there was a woman who for
eighteen years had had a sickness
caused by a spirit; and she was bent
double, and could not straighten up at
all. ‖ (Luke 13:11)

www.confidentchristians.org

Satan is on a Leash

―Does Job fear God for nothing? Hast Thou not
made a hedge about him and his house and all that
he has, on every side? Thou hast blessed the work
of his hands, and his possessions have increased in
the land.‖
(Job 1:10)

Source #2: The Fallen World
―Therefore everyone who hears these
words of Mine and acts on them, may be
compared to a wise man who built his house
on the rock. ―And the rain fell, and the
floods came, and the winds blew and
slammed against that house; and yet it did
not fall, for it had been founded on the
rock. ―Everyone who hears these words of
Mine and does not act on them, will be like
a foolish man who built his house on the
sand. ―The rain fell, and the floods came,
and the winds blew and slammed against
that house; and it fell—and great was its
fall.‖ ‖ (Matthew 7:24–27)

The same storm came upon the wise man
and the fool

God’s Dual Promise

―These things I have spoken to you, so that in
Me you may have peace. In the world you have
tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome
the world.‖
(John 16:33)

Source #3: Punishment from God
―You have forgotten the exhortation which
is addressed to you as sons, ―My son, do
not regard lightly the discipline of the
Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by
Him; For those whom the Lord loves He
disciplines, And He scourges every son
whom He receives.‖ It is for discipline that
you endure; God deals with you as with
sons; for what son is there whom his father
does not discipline? But if you are without
discipline, of which all have become
partakers, then you are illegitimate children
and not sons. Furthermore, we had earthly
fathers to discipline us, and we respected
them; shall we not much rather be subject
to the Father of spirits, and live? ‖
(Hebrews 12:5–9)

Punishment that Bears Fruit

―For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to
them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may
share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not
to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been
trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of
righteousness. ‖
(Hebrews 12:10–11)

―God whispers to us in our
pleasures, speaks in our
conscience, but shouts in
our pains: it is His
megaphone to rouse a
deaf world.‖
- C. S. Lewis


Source #4: Persecution
This is a voluntary form of suffering that
comes from following Christ. It likely
involves a combination of the previous
sources mixed together.

―You will be hated by all because of
My name‖ (Matthew 10:22)

―If the world hates you, you know that it
has hated Me before it hated you. ‖
(John 15:18)

―Indeed, all who desire to live godly in
Christ Jesus will be persecuted. ‖
(2 Timothy 3:12)

―The wind still blows toward
hell and the man who is
walking in the opposite
direction will have the wind in
his face. And we had better
take this into account when
we ponder on spiritual things.
If the unsearchable riches of
Christ are not worth suffering
for, then we should know it
now and cease to play at
religion.‖
- A. W. Tozer

Expect Persecution

―Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which
comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were
happening to you; 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. If you are reviled for the name of
Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God
rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or
thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler; but if anyone suffers as a
Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.‖
(1 Peter 4:12–16)

The End Result of Persecution

―For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an
eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we
look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but
the things which are not seen are eternal. ‖
(2 Corinthians 4:17–18)

Source #5: Sinful Humanity
Sin, working within fallen people, produces
a huge amount of pain and suffering in the
world.

―Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which
are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry,
sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of
anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying,
drunkenness, carousing, and things like these,
of which I forewarn you, just as I have
forewarned you, that those who practice such
things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ‖
(Galatians 5:19–21)

―Because lawlessness is increased, most
people‘s love will grow cold. ‖
(Matthew 24:12)

Is there more to Suffering and


―The more improbable a
statement is, the more
information it contains.‖
- William Dembski


―If God has singled you
out to be a special object
of His grace you may
expect Him to honor you
with stricter discipline and
greater suffering than less
favored ones are called
upon to endure.‖
- A. W. Tozer


Radical Truth or Plain Wrong?
This radical statement stands in
stark contrast to what most
Christians believe regarding
suffering in their lives and what many
health-and-wealth preachers teach.
It reveals that God may intentionally
use suffering in His plan for
maturing His saints. Tozer‘s
statement is so revolutionary
compared with how most view pain
and suffering that it simply must be
given attention. What evidence can
be found to support such an
assertion?

Evidence From Scripture
 Joseph – abandoned by his brothers, sold into slavery, falsely accused
for sexual misconduct and imprisoned, and forgotten in jail for two years
after helping fellow prisoners.
 Moses – rejected by his own people, ‗forgotten‘ for forty years, walked
every mile with the disobedient Israelites in the desert, and oftentimes
was challenged and overwhelmed by Israel‘s demands on him.
 Elijah – fled from a wicked king (and perhaps a more wicked queen) after
delivering God‘s judgment, forced to endure life on the run in remote
parts of the wilderness, and was so depressed and exhausted that he
despaired of life before being comforted by God in a remote cave.
 David – the man after God‘s own heart composed countless psalms from
a weary and tearful heart after being on the run from King Saul as well as
experiencing many other painful trials.
 Daniel – taken into captivity by the Babylonians, persecuted by jealous
political enemies, and thrown into what should have been certain death in
the lion‘s den.

―The more we believe that God hurts only to heal, the less we can
believe that there is any use in begging for tenderness. A cruel man
might be bribed – might grow tired of his vile sport – might have a
temporary fit of mercy, as alcoholics have fits of sobriety. But
suppose what you are up against is a surgeon whose intentions are
wholly good. The kinder and more conscientious he is, the more
inexorably he will go on cutting. If he yielded to your entreaties, if he
stopped before the operation was complete, all the pain up to that
point would have been useless. But is it credible that such extremities
of torture should be necessary for us? Well, take your choice. The
tortures occur. If they are unnecessary, then there is no God or a bad
one. If there is a good God, then these tortures are necessary. For
no even moderately good Being could possibly inflict or permit them if
they weren‘t.‖
- C. S. Lewis


―For to you it has been granted for Christ‘s sake, not only
to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake‖
(Philippians 1:29)

―Pain is the gift
that nobody
wants‖
- Philip Yancey


Do You Want to be Made Like Jesus?

―Make me like You, Lord, make me like You.
You are a servant, make me one too.
Lord, I am willing, do what You must do,
To make me like You Lord, make me like You.‖

Do You Want to be Made Like Jesus?
―He was despised and forsaken of men, a man
of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and like
one from whom men hide their face, He was
despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely
our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows
He carried; yet we ourselves esteemed Him
stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He
was pierced through for our transgressions, He
was crushed for our iniquities, the chastening
for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His
scourging we are healed . . . But the Lord has
caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him. He
was oppressed and He was afflicted . . . By
oppression and judgment He was taken away . .
. But the Lord was pleased to crush Him,
putting Him to grief . . .‖
(Isaiah 53:3-10)


―For whatever reason
God chose to make man
as he is – limited and
suffering and subject to
sorrows and death – He
had the honesty and
courage to take His own
medicine.‖
- Dorothy Sayers


―The nations of the world
got together to pronounce
judgment on God for all
the evils in the world, only
to realize with a shock that
God had already served
his sentence.‖
- N. T. Wright


The Apostle Paul: Glory and suffering

―I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago—whether in the body I do
not know, or out of the body I do not know, God knows—such a man was
caught up to the third heaven. And I know how such a man—whether in the
body or apart from the body I do not know, God knows— was caught up
into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which a man is not permitted to
speak. On behalf of such a man I will boast; but on my own behalf I will not
boast, except in regard to my weaknesses. For if I do wish to boast I will not
be foolish, for I will be speaking the truth; but I refrain from this, so that no
one will credit me with more than he sees in me or hears from me. Because of
the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from
exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of
Satan to torment me—to keep me from exalting myself! ‖


Scary Thought

Could it be possible that the
closer you get to God, the
more He reveals Himself to
you, that more suffering will
come into your life to keep
you humble?


―It is doubtful whether
God can bless a man
greatly until He has hurt
him deeply.‖
- A. W. Tozer


Is there Good to Suffering and


Power in Weakness

―Concerning this I implored the Lord three times that it might leave
me. And He has said to me, ―My grace is sufficient for you, for power
is perfected in weakness.‖ Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast
about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me.
Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with
distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ‘s sake; for
when I am weak, then I am strong. ‖

The Perfect End result

―Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various
trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.
And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be
perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.‖
(James 1:2-4)

The Perfect End result

―And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing
that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance,
proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does
not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out
within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.‖
(Romans 5:3-5)

―And we know that God
causes all things to work
together for good to those
who love God, to those
who are called according
to His purpose. ‖
(Romans 8:28)


―As for you, you meant evil against me, but God
meant it for good in order to bring about this
present result, to preserve many people alive. ‖
(Genesis 50:20)

―About the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a
loud voice, saying, ―Eli, Eli, lama
sabachthani?‖ that is, ―My God, My God,
why have You forsaken Me?‖ ‖
(Matthew 27:46)

―Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus
the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God
with miracles and wonders and signs which
God performed through Him in your midst,
just as you yourselves know— this Man,
delivered over by the predetermined plan and
foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross
by the hands of godless men and put Him to
death. ‖ (Acts 2:22–23)

When God seemed the farthest away from
Jesus, He was dead center in the Father‘s
will. God was redeeming good from evil.

Is there an End to Suffering and


―Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first
heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no
longer any sea. ‖
(Revelation 21:1)

―I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and
be glad in My people; And there
will no longer be heard in her The
voice of weeping and the sound of
crying. ‖
(Isaiah 65:19)

―and He will wipe away every tear
from their eyes; and there will no
longer be any death; there will no
longer be any mourning, or crying,
or pain; the first things have
passed away.‖
(Revelation 21:4)

1. Why me?
The Bible makes it clear we all will suffer in some
form or fashion; in fact, it seems that those who
God uses most endure more suffering than others.

2. Where‘s God?
In control, redeeming good from evil.

3. How can I stand this?
God tells us His grace is sufficient and that He will
bring an end to the suffering either in this life or the
next.

Suffering, Pain, and


Deliver us from evil - Suffering and pain

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