glory to GOD FOR TRUTH Amen ! WHY IS IT THAT WE MUST SUFFER? Excerpt from According The Purpose by the late Geo. Hawtin, author of The Page Undoubtedly there is a day coming when every intricate detail of His fathomless purpose shall be revealed to our wondering eyes. Then and then alone shall we see the reason behind the storms that beset us. Then we shall understand the reason for pain and suffering and see what PURPOSE it had in our molding and making. Then we shall understand the PURPOSE of death and sorrow, and why it was that war darkened our horizons and disappointment deferred our hopes and dashed our ambitions. And though we cannot understand it all now, how it lightens our load and fills our hearts with love and understanding when we know that back of it all is one great revealing truth—GOD’S PURPOSE. Divine, infinite purpose lies behind all things and the moment this wonderful truth dawns upon your spiritual understanding, all things begin to make sense and your love for God springs from a new foundation, even the foundation of wisdom and understanding. You may not yet understand the purpose of any of the things that have puzzled you or the reason for the doubts and fears, the pains and woes that often come upon you, but your heart rejoices that in the process of your making, God is using the proper methods to make you according to His purpose. Can you not see the tremendous value of the desperate vanity and night of the fall as you read these truths? Can you not see that by the travail, darkness, pain, and temptation of this dismal night of sin God is building something into the ENTIRE CREATION that will shine and blaze in transcending splendor in the glory of the ages yet unborn? Now listen further while we read the introduction to the above passage. In Rom. 8:18, 19 Paul says, “For I reckon that the SUFFERINGS OF THIS PRESENT TIME ARE NOT WORTHY TO BE COMPARED WITH THE GLORY THAT SHALL BE REVEALED, for the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the MANIFESTATION OF THE SONS OF GOD.” There is PURPOSE in the suffering of this present time. There is glorious unequaled design, for it is the suffering and night the world is enduring now that will bring forth unequaled and unexcelled glory, even the glory of SONSHIP in the image of God. There is definite purpose in all suffering. It is producing the very image that God desires. He cannot make the kind of sons He wants without the blazing furnaces of suffering and affliction. Do not forget this truth and do not forget that this kind of fiery trial that is to try you could not have existed without the FALL OF MAN. Oh, how much we miss by adhering to our jejune and stupid traditions which make the fall to be an accident brought about by the cunning of Satan and the inattention of the Lord. Christians of all ages have diligently enquired, “Why do the righteous suffer?” The answer is very, very simple in the light and understanding of His infinite purpose. Few subjects in scripture receive more attention than suffering an affliction and the Holy Spirit has constantly pointed out that suffering and affliction that come as a result of the FALL OF MAN are for our eternal benefit in bringing us to perfection and sonship. Even of the blessed Christ Himself it is clearly stated, “Though HE WERE A SON YET LEARNED HE OBEDIENCE THROUGH THE THINGS HE SUFFERED, and BEING MADE PERFECT He became the AUTHOR OF ETERNAL SALVATION.” Heb. 5:8. Listen to James as he exhorts us. “Take, my brethren, the prophets as an example of SUFFERING AFFLICTION and of PATIENCE. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job and have seen the END OF THE LORD; that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy.” Jas. 5:10, II. Listen to Peter as he declares, “For as much then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, ARM YOURSELVES with the same mind: For he that hath SUFFERED IN THE FLESH hath CEASED FROM SIN, that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the WILL OF GOD.” 1 Pet. 4:1, 2. And again, “But the God of all grace, who hath CALLED US UNTO ETERNAL GLORY by Jesus Christ, AFTER YOU HAVE SUFFERED A WHILE make you PERFECT, STABLISH, STRENGTHEN and settle you.” 1 Pet. 5:10. Listen to Paul again, as he declares, “For our light affliction which is but for a moment is WORKING IN US A FAR MORE EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY.” 2 Cor. 4:17. I cannot go on with the scriptures that show the vast benefits derived from suffering, affliction, sorrow, heartache, pain, deferred hopes, loss, disappointment, and the thousand other things men endure. You may study them all for yourselves. Let me assure you, however, of this: the anguish and sorrow of all these things are the furnace that refines the gold and brings us to SONSHIP AND THE IMAGE OF THE LORD. When God proclaimed, “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE AND AFTER OUR LIKENESS,” little did any creature know the eternal methods and fires He would use to perfect that image beyond the power of destruction. None of these things could have been accomplished without the FALL OF MAN, for without the FALL none of them would have existed at all. When we realize that even some we are brought to understand as never before why it was necessary for God to bring into being a race of sons who knew experientially the dire results of sin, and so, being wise through knowledge and experience and not innocent, they would know both good and evil and could choose the good and refuse the evil. Never again will sin darken the universe, for a race of SONS OF GOD who have been redeemed and cleansed from sin shall reign in righteousness eternal. Suffering and affliction, the results of the fall, are even carrying their eternal benefits to those who are still in the world of sin. This is clearly indicated by Peter when he says, “Whom resist in faith KNOWING THAT THE SAME AFFLICTIONS ARE ACCOMPLISHED IN YOUR BRETHREN THAT ARE IN THE WORLD.” 1 Pet. 5:9. I have long believed that God saves some first and teaches them after, but others, He teaches first and saves them after. But every day God reaps an enormous harvest from mankind.
Posted on: Wed, 11 Sep 2013 14:36:37 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015