Questions of Suffering
Bob Yandian
What are the sufferings of this life?
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31)
The problems and adversities of the Christian life come from Satan and the curse he brought into the earth, the world’s system and our own flesh nature. What is the world, the flesh or the devil next to God? Our problems next to us seem big. Our problems next to God are small.
If the Father did the hardest thing He ever did when He gave us eternal life, why can’t He provide for our problems in life which are much simpler?
“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)
The important teaching of the word of God is not the life of Jesus, but His death and resurrection. Through them, we have eternal life and earthly life more abundantly. Salvation is free and so is everything for this life on earth. Now that we are joined to Him, grace still gives with no strings attached.
Who is the one who comes against us?
Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” (Romans 8:33)
It is Satan who brings charges against us in heaven. “Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him” (Zechariah 3:1). See also Revelation 12:10). It is God who justifies us and Jesus who defends us (1 John 2:1). God is NOT our condemner.
Who condemns us?
“Who is he who condemns us? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us.” (Romans 8:34)
The opposition of people, believers, and unbelievers, who condemn us. Our true enemy is Satan and our deliverer is God. This verse says, who has the right to judge? To judge you must be in a position to do so. Judges sit in high places. Only one person has the right to spiritual judgment, Jesus Christ. He purchased that right through death, burial, resurrection, ascension, and seating at the right hand of God.
Who can separate us from Christ?
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Romans 8:35)
Tribulation - extreme pressure
Distress - anguish or worry
Persecution - pressure from unbelievers
Famine - lack of food
Nakedness - lack of clothing
Peril - life-threatening situations
Sword - war
Look at salvation from the Father’s eyes of love. There is not one believer the Father does not love. Seven things are mentioned in this verse which are extreme to us but cannot separate us from God’s love. God’s love is bigger than anything we can imagine. We think of deliverance in peril, food in famine, clothing in times of nakedness. But God never forgets us. He is asking us to think of His faithfulness and His word in every situation we face. The answer to our problems will be delivered to us in due time.
“As it is written: “For Your sake, we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” (Romans 8:36)
We are in danger all day from unseen forces because we are believers and have His life and nature. We are always enemies to Satan. We are not sheep for the slaughter, but accounted, viewed or seen, as sheep to be killed and eaten. This is seen from the viewpoint of the wolf (Satan). He looks at us as prey, easily taken. But when our defense is the word we are protected from him. Our protection is the love of the Shepherd.
We are more than conquerors through Him
“Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37)
Jesus Christ is our personal strength through the Holy Spirit and the word of God. We are greater than Satan, demons, unbelievers, carnal Christians or the problems of life through Jesus Christ who loves us.
