Our nation has endured some truly tragic events in the last decade. We endured the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, which took the lives of almost 3,000 people. We experienced tremendous natural disaster in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina in August of 2005, which claimed the lives of almost 2,000 and left approximately 80 billion dollars in damages. The suffering from these events captured the attention of our nation and the world. In each of these events, the talking heads on TV speculated about who was to blame. We do the same thing when suffering comes to us on an individual level. When we are laid off work…when a loved one is diagnosed with cancer…disaster strikes us…we ask the question, “Who caused this suffering – Who’s fault is this?” A simple question, but filled with so much significance, for I don’t believe that is the question that is really being asked. I believe that it hints at the deeper question, “God, WHY is this happening?” The answers to these questions can be found in the Bible.

In studying the topic of suffering, my attention was drawn to the Apostle Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. At the time of this letter, Paul is imprisoned by the Roman government, accused of breaking Jewish law. Though he is under arrest, he is able to receive visitors and continue his ministry of writing. The church in Philippi had provided a great deal of financial support for Paul’s ministry and has sent him an assistant, Epaphroditus. Epaphroditus has suffered illness and Paul returns him to Philippi with this letter of instruction for the church. As a young congregation, they may be inclined to question Paul’s authority as an Apostle and question the legitimacy of his doctrine. After all, why would God cause or allow one of his servants to suffer?

Part of Paul’s purpose in writing to the Philippian church is to explain God’s purposes in his suffering. In Philippians 1:12, Paul explains that he wants the Philippians to understand that “the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel.” Paul knows that God is sovereign over all things, including his imprisonment. He recognizes that God has used his imprisonment for furthering the Good News of Jesus Christ. He says,

So that my bonds in Christ are manifest in all the palace, and in all other places. (Philippians 1:13)

While Paul was under arrest, he was able to share his testimony and the gospel in public, with roman officials and their households and continue his ministry while writing and receiving guests. A full account of Paul’s imprisonment can be found in the book of Acts, chapters 21-28. He also knew that his imprisonment had emboldened other Christians to share their faith. He says,

Many of the brethren in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. (Philippians 1:14)

Paul states his understanding that,

Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. (Philippians 1:20)

The overall theme of the passage is Paul’s suffering is purposeful, orchestrated by God for the furtherance of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Does God really cause suffering? This question was answered by Christ to his disciples:

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. (John 9:1-3)

Jesus told them that the suffering of this blind man came from God to fulfill his purposes in the world. Several other passages illustrate God’s sovereignty over suffering.

[God] worketh all things after the counsel of his own will. (Ephesians 1:11)

The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up (I Samuel 2:6-7)

Shall there be evil [disaster, calamity] in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? (Amos 3:6)

Clearly, Scripture teaches that God causes suffering. What causes us difficulty is when we begin to question God’s purposes in suffering. We are assured that God is sovereign over all things for His purposes

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love
God, to them who are the called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28)

We don’t always see how God uses our suffering or the suffering around us. Even the Apostle Paul testifies to our lack of understanding concerning God’s ways when he says,

For now, we see through a glass darkly; but then, face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as I am known. (I Corinthians 13:12)

We can find comfort in suffering knowing that God remains in control and uses every situation to fulfill His redemptive plan for mankind. If one knows Christ as Lord and Savior, comfort is especially found in the knowledge that,
We have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.(Herbrews 4:14-15)
Christ experienced the human condition. He lived in poverty. He suffered tremendous indignities and injustice. He was beaten and died the worst death imaginable. All to fulfill God’s purpose in redemption. Christ understands our suffering and urges us to,

come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:16)

He promises the grace to make it through suffering. Like Paul, those who know Christ as Lord and Savior can proclaim that, “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life or by death” and will experience the promise of future grace when,

God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be anymore pain; for the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:4)

If you are reading this and are experiencing suffering, I encourage you to look to Christ, prayerfully studying his word to discover God’s purpose and plan in your situation.

Here are some additional resources on Suffering and the Sovereignty of God

Suffering and the Sovereignty of GodBy John Piper & Justin Taylor, eds. / Crossway Books & Bibles In the last few years, 9/11, a tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, and many other tragedies have shown us that the vision of God in today’s churches in relation to evil and suffering is often frivolous. Against the overwhelming weight and seriousness of the Bible, many Christians are choosing to become more shallow, more entertainment-oriented, and therefore irrelevant in the face of massive suffering. In Suffering and the Sovereignty of God, contributors John Piper, Joni Eareckson Tada, Steve Saint, Carl Ellis, David Powlison, Dustin Shramek, and Mark Talbot explore the many categories of God’s sovereignty as evidenced in his Word. They urge you to look to Christ, even in suffering, to find the greatest confidence, deepest comfort, and sweetest fellowship you have ever known.

The Suffering of Man & the Sovereignty of God: Twenty-five Selected Sermons on the Book of JobBy C.H. Spurgeon / Fox River Press Disease, death of loved ones, taunting by his friends—Job endured tragedy after tragedy. But why did a righteous man suffer so much pain? And for what reason? In 25 of his finest sermons on the Book of Job, Spurgeon offers explanations and encouragement to those who suffer, while always affirming God’s sovereignty and goodness. 378 pages, softcover from Fox River.

Technorati Tags: Jesus Christ, Suffering, Doctrine, Sovereignty of God, Philippians, Apostle Paul

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Here’s a little fun for those of you who’re familiar with Wayne Grudem.

Lyrics:

Why, this man is thematic, he’s charismatic, he’s systematic…
Why he’s Wayne Grudem! (Wayne Grudem)
He did not author Scripture but provides a clearer picture – Oh Yeah!
(Keep reading, whoa keep reading)
Wayne may not be Jesus but he writes mean exegesis – Oh Yeah!
(I’ll buy a copy, I’ll kill to buy a copy)
You put it on the floor and it props open your door,
Or if you need to sit – you can climb on top of it – with Wayne Grudem
Go, go, go, go, go , go, go, go, go, go
Go Wayne Grudem with your intellectual writing style,
(Wayne Grudem, go Wayne Grudem)
Go Wayne Grudem you make hard doctrines less of a trial
(Wayne Grudem, go Wayne Grudem)
You are extreme, but God’s supreme, oh Wayne Grudem
Go, go, go, go, go , go, go, go, go, go
(There are) many heresies which we now clearly see – Oh Yeah!
(oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
Despite him being bald, hundred-thousand copies sold – Oh yeah!
(oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh-oh)
His six appendices leave you praying on your knees
Although he’s not inerrant, he’s a heresy deterrent – Wayne Grudem
Go, go, go, go, go , go, go, go, go, go
Go Wayne Grudem with your intellectual writing style,
(Wayne Grudem, go Wayne Grudem)
Go Wayne Grudem you make hard doctrines less of a trial
(Wayne Grudem, go Wayne Grudem)
You are extreme, but God’s supreme, oh Wayne Grudem
Grudem, Grudem, Grudem, Grudem
Grudem, Grudem, Grudem, Grudem Yeah!

Books by Wayne Grudem

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine By Wayne Grudem / Zondervan The Christian church has a long tradition of systematic theology, that is, studying theology and doctrine organized around fairly standard categories such as the Word of God, redemption, and Jesus Christ. This introductory textbook on systematic theology has several distinctive features: A strong emphasis on the scriptural basis for each doctrine and teaching Clear writing, with technical terms kept to a minimum A contemporary approach, treating subjects of special interest to the church today A friendly tone, appealing to the emotions and the spirit as well as the intellect Frequent application to life Resources for worship with each chapter Bibliographies with each chapter that cross-reference subjects to a wide range of other systematic theologies

Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know By Wayne A. Grudem, edited by Elliot Grudem / Zondervan God doesn’t call every Christian to go off to seminary, but there are certain matters of doctrine—that is, the church’s teaching—that every Christian simply must know. Theology is important because what we believe affects how we live. If you’re a relatively new believer in Jesus, or if you’re a more mature Christian looking for a quick brush-up on basics of the faith, Christian Beliefs is for you. This readable guide to twenty basic Christian beliefs is a condensation of Grudem’s Systematic Theology. He and his son, Elliot, have boiled down the essentials of Christian theology for the average layperson and made them both clear and applicable to life. You will learn about the Bible, the characteristics of God, what it means that we are created in the image of God, what God has done for us in Christ, the purpose of the church, and much more. Each chapter includes questions for personal review or group discussion.

Bible Doctrine By Wayne Grudem / Zondervan How do we know the Bible is God’s Word? What is sin and where did it come from? How is Jesus fully God and fully man? What are spiritual gifts? When and how will Christ return? If you’ve asked questions like these, then “systematic theology” is no abstract term. It’s an approach to finding answers every Christian needs to know. Abridged from Grudem’s Systematic Theology and made accessible to the average reader, Bible Doctrine covers the same essentials of the faith, giving you a firm grasp on seven key topics: The Doctrine of the Word of God The Doctrine of God The Doctrine of Man The Doctrine of Christ The Doctrine of the Application of Redemption The Doctrine of the Church The Doctrine of the Future Like Systematic Theology, this book is marked by its clarity, its strong scriptural emphasis, its thoroughness in scope and detail, and its treatment of such timely topics as spiritual warfare and the gifts of the Spirit. But you don’t need to have had several years of Bible school to reap the full benefits of Bible Doctrine. It’s easy to understand—and it’s packed with solid, biblical answers to your most important questions.

Technorati Tags: Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology, Doctrine

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I don’t watch a lot of television. Not that there isn’t anything on that I’d like to see, I just don’t have the opportunity to watch a lot. I spend more time in front of the computer screen than the television. I take in a lot of news, mostly online so that I can pick and choose what’s relevant to me. Occasionally, I’ll watch the local news if there’s a story on that I want to see. So, unless something is making big headlines, I may miss out on it.

Something has caught my eye recently, not on the television, but in public, and I’ve been wondering how I missed it. I’ve seen several folks reading the same book, Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth. After seeing a third or fourth person walking around with this book tucked in a pocket book or under an arm, it makes you take notice and raises your curiosity a little. I knew nothing about Tolle or his books and I wondered what could be drawing people to him. It wasn’t until encountering some online media concerning the connection between Tolle and Oprah Winfrey that I began to dig for a little more information about why I keep seeing and hearing his name.

I don’t watch Oprah. I never have and probably never will. Even if you don’t personally tune into her show, there’s no question about her influence on American culture. She has a very powerful platform from which to speak and a large segment of our population listens. In January, 2008, Winfrey announced Eckhart Tolle’s A New Earth as her book club selection, which undoubtedly helped catapult the book to the top of the NY Times’ bestseller list. This book, subtitled “awakening the purpose in your life” is a modern repackaging of buddhist teaching peppered with christian language to make it more palatable to an audience with a judeo-christian background. Winfrey and Tolle also developed ten online classes, complete with workbooks, newsletters, transcripts, webcasts and podcasts. Winfrey describes Tolle’s book as “one of the most important subjects… presented by one of the most important books of our time.”With Winfrey’s media powerhouse behind him, Tolle has an audience of millions at which to pitch his views. Tolle’s isn’t the first new age media to be catapulted into the limelight by Winfrey. In 2007, it was hard to escape her promotion of “The Secret” another new thought, self-realization vehicle. This is one of the reasons I don’t watch Oprah, but what about the millions who do? Who are they? Who is buying into this new age spirituality? They are regular folk. They are teaching our children. They are sitting in your church pews every Sunday.

For the American church, this means a great deal. We have a serious problem if Oprah Winfrey can equate God, life, conciousness, and universal energy as one and the same and people who call themselves Christians swallow this garbage. I have neither the space nor inclination to identify and address all of the aspects of New Age thought that are being pitched to us on a daily basis, nor do I believe that other ministries need to spend much time dissecting and attacking popular culture and thought. The problem for the church isn’t a lack of people attacking errant teaching. The problem is that there is a lack of clear and concise teaching of Christian doctrine. Those who call themselves Christians do not know what they believe or why because they have been taught a watered-down version of Christianity that looks no different from the latest self-help books. Tolle and others of his strain hold such power over our people because they are, as Scripture describes:

…children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive
(Eph 4:14 KJV)

and

they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
(2Ti 4:3-4 KJV)

They know nothing of the righteousness of God or the depravity of man. They are not taught the consequences of sin or the reality of Hell. They are taught “love thy neighbor” divorced from an understanding of love defined by the sacrificial death and hope found in Jesus Christ. We suffer from weak leadership that has lost faith in the sufficiency of Scripture. Our churches are in desperate need for a return to the advice that Paul gave to Timothy as he prepared to lead the church. Paul says:

Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.
(1Ti 4:13-16 KJV)

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
(2Ti 4:2 KJV)

No fancy programs. No gimmicks. No new plans or formulas for growth. Paul emphasizes the importance of faithfulness in teaching and applying sound doctrine. He urges us to belief in the sufficiency of Scripture and conformation of our churches and lives to the teaching of God’s Word.

Here are some resources worth considering:

Here We Stand!: A Call from Confessing Evangelicals for a Modern ReformationBy P & R Publishing The church in sixteenth-century Europe needed a reformation. Martin Luther precipitated what we call the Reformation with his famous declaration, “Here I stand!” Is the evangelical church of today equally in need of a reformation? Yes, proclaim eight evangelical leaders: David Wells, James Montgomery Boice, Michael Horton, Sinclair Ferguson, R. Albert Mohler, Gene Edward Veith, W. Robert Godfrey, and Ervin Duggan. “Because of our love of Christ, his gospel, and his church,” they affirm in a document called the Cambridge Declaration, “we endeavor to assert anew our commitment to the central truths of the Reformation and of historic evangelicalism.” Evangelicals “have abandoned the truths of the Bible and the historic theology of the church, which expresses those truths,” writes coeditor Boice. “We are trying to do the work of God by means of the world’s “theology,” wisdom, methods, and agenda instead.” Here We Stand! calls churches to return to the authority of the Bible and to apply it faithfully in their worship, ministry, policies, life, and evangelism.

The Deliberate Church: Building Your Ministry on the GospelBy Mark Dever & Paul Alexander / Crossway Books & Bibles Pastors Mark Dever and Paul Alexander provide a model of a biblical church in this resource for pastors, elders, and others interested in the vitality of their church. This highly practical book proposes an attitude of complete reliance on and submission to the Gospel in building a healthy church.

Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, Expanded EditionBy Mark Dever / Crossway Books & Bibles Some churches are thriving, while others are barely surviving. What distinguishes a healthy community from one that’s ailing? In this expanded edition of his classic study, Dever identifies nine marks that set a vigorous, biblical congregation apart, including expository preaching, biblical theology, concern for discipleship and growth, biblical church leadership, and more. 287 pages, softcover from Crossway.

Technorati Tags: Eckhart Tolle, New Age, Christian, Doctrine, Scripture

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