Why, God?
Finding Your Father Amid Life’s Ruins
(Part 2)
The Problem of Sin and the Groaning of the Christian
This month’s study is a continuation of our previous study, and if you haven’t yet seen that one, please go to last month in our archives and take a look at it now, for it lays the groundwork for this (Part 2).
The problem of evil, pain and suffering is one of the deepest, most troublesome questions the heart can ask.
“I'm just going to hope for the best—God’s going to sort all this out in the end,” you say.
Friend, that may satisfy your heart for now, but it’s not good enough. If you haven’t already wrestled with it yourself, I can almost promise you a friend, neighbor, co-worker—or more likely, one of your own children—will question you about the problem of evil. The apostle Peter wisely cautioned that we should always be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is within us (1 Peter 3:15). As believers in Christ, we must delve into these issues and resolve them clearly in our own hearts and minds.
We were looking closely at the predicament man finds himself in— born with a sin nature into a world ruled by sin, man having made that choice for himself back as far as the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). We saw the results of that choice. We looked at the “groaning of all creation” as it fell under the “bondage of corruption” and the curse. Yet God in His mercy and grace did not leave us—or His creation—there.
Read again Romans 8:23:
“And not only they (the creatures), but ourselves also (Paul includes Christians now), which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of the body.”
Every Christian needs to understand that he is not exempt. Being saved provides no immunity from pain and suffering. Many godly people have suffered alongside the ungodly in places of destruction. Why is that? Because our world has a curse upon it. It’s the world in which we live. The virus of sin and its results are everywhere.
Our own personal bodies bear the curse of Adam’s sin. We are not now precisely “in the image of God.” When was the last time you looked in a mirror! We see every day the effects of the Fall of Man.
Adam was created in God’s image, but that image became marred in Adam.
1. Turn to Genesis 5:3. Adam brought forth a son “after ______ __________ and in his _________.”
2. Who is meant by the word “his”? (It’s not God!)
WHO—ME?
Several thousand years later, we find we’ve been born out of a polluted gene pool! We carry the marks of sin in our bodies, and because of that, we suffer.
Some will ask, “Why should I suffer for Adam’s sin?” Forget Adam, you yourself have sinned. We all have. And had we been in the Garden, eventually we would have done the same. Thank God that in response to one man’s sin (Adam), there is the answer by another, the Son of Man, Christ Jesus. I don’t mind a one-man condemnation if I can have a one-man salvation.
Turn now back to Romans, chapter 5, verses 1-2.
3. Therefore being ____________ by __________, we have __________ with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
4. Who do we now have peace with? ______________
5. “Peace with God” and “justification” come through whom? ___________________
6. So now we (fallen sinners until this) have ______________ by faith into this _____________
wherein we stand. Beloved, we need to grasp that were it not for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross and His shed blood—believe it—we would not be “standing” anywhere—and certainly not in the presence of God!
This is a beautiful, comforting verse, and if it just ended there, we’d love it, but it doesn’t. Continuing to vv. 3-5:
7. And not only so, but we glory in ____________________also: knowing that tribulation worketh _______________; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. (Romans 5:3-5)
8. What? We “glory” in tribulation? Why would we ever want to do that? Paul explains why in the next several phrases. Write your own answer to this question here, putting Paul’s explanation in your own words.
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 A CLOSER LOOK: PEACE AND TRIBULATION IN TENSION WITH ONE ANOTHERGod says not only do we have this peace, but also we have tribulation. They exist side by side. The word tribulation literally means “pressure,” like the crushing of grapes in a wine press or olives in an oil press. |
TRIBULATION—IT COMES WITH LIFE
So many Christians fail to understand that whether you are saved or lost, tribulation is a part of life. Are you one of those? If so, you are not reading your Bible.
Look again at our key passage, Romans 8:23. Paul said:
“We (Christians) also which have the first-fruits of the Spirit, groan” because of tribulation. It’s a false gospel that says if we come to Christ, there’ll be no adversity, no misfortune, no persecution, no pain.
Now turn to 2 Corinthians 4:8. The apostle said of himself:
9.We are _____________ on every side, yet not distressed; we are ______________, but not in despair; We are ________________, but not forsaken; _______ _______, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body [our bodies] the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.
What is Paul saying? “Look, there’s trouble on every side.” Ask yourself: Are you better than the apostle Paul? _______ You’re not going to get out of this world unscathed. Tribulation is here—it cannot be avoided. God is going to use it to teach us patience.
PATIENCE THAT ENDURES
A crisis doesn’t “make” a person. It reveals what the person is made of. The same sun that melts the ice hardens the clay.
The word patience used in Romans 5 is the word for “endurance” or “perseverance.” One translation reads “brings about perseverance.” Another says “produces endurance.” What kind of endurance is this? Courageous endurance that enables us to keep on going without quitting.
Precious friend, if you’ve been through tribulation, disaster, or anything else, stay true to God. Don’t quit. Endure. Winston Churchill reminds us that a bulldog’s nose is pointed backward so he can continue to breathe while he still holds on. You’re not a failure until you quit.
William Barclay described this kind of endurance and patience:
It is not the patience that can sit down, and bow its head, and let things descend upon it, and passively endure until the storm has passed. It is the spirit that can bear things not simply with resignation but with blazing hope…the spirit that bears things because it knows that these things are leading to a goal of glory. It is not patience that grimly waits for the end, but patience which radiantly hopes for the dawn.
As a Christian, you are going to suffer. There will be tribulation. It will work patience and endurance into your heart and life. I wish I could tell you there’s an easy way to escape this, but there is not. Jesus said plainly, “In the world you will have tribulation.”(John 16:33)
In light of this, what can you do? How will you react? You have several options.
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO…
Retreat. You can try to run away. Buy a plane ticket. Take a pill. Turn up a bottle. Stick in the needle. Drop out. Give up. That’s retreat. Don’t do it.
Resent. You can complain against God and shake your fist in His face. You can become critical, even blaspheme God. But don’t do it.
Resign—just throw in the towel and give up. Don’t do it!
You need to rely. Don’t give way to discouragement and despondency. Depend upon the Lord Jesus Christ and say with Job…
10. “___________ ____ ________ ____, ____ _____ __ __________ _____.”
(Job 13:15)
Romans 8:24 says, “For we are saved by hope.” Thank God there is hope.
| A CLOSER LOOK AT: HOPE
|
The Promise of Strength and the Groaning of the Comforter
Likewise the Spirit also helps our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us (notice this) with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searches the hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because He (the Holy Spirit) makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Romans 8:26-27
Do you see that—thank God—we don’t have to bear our groanings alone? The Spirit within us is actually praying for us in agonizing longings which can never find words.
God enters into our suffering with us. He does not spare us from the furnace of affliction. He joins us in it. Hallelujah for the Holy Spirit of God within my heart and yours.
Sometimes we are inarticulate. We pray until we’re out of breath. All we can do is simply sigh and groan. That’s when God steps in. The dear Holy Spirit says, “He needs help! She needs help!” And He intercedes for us.
Interestingly, that word helps in “the Spirit helps” (v. 26)is only used one other time in the Bible: the occasion when Martha was complaining about Mary! These two sisters loved Jesus. Martha’s love was her homemaking, and Mary’s was her devotional life. Martha was in the kitchen working while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. Martha came out with flour up to her elbows, so to speak. I can see her in my mind, putting her hands on her hips and saying, “Jesus, tell Mary to come help me.” It meant “Tell Mary to bear her part of the load.” That’s the same word used here in “the Spirit helps our infirmities.”
The Holy Spirit is there to help you bear part of the load…to inspire, guide, energize, and sustain your praying.
WHEN WE ARE NUMB
Sometimes we don’t know how to pray or what to pray for. In tragedy we’re almost numb. We’re so close to the wall, we can’t even tell what color it is. Thank God, the Holy Spirit is interceding. Just say, “Lord God, I love You. I trust You,” and the Holy Spirit of God will make intercession for you with groanings which cannot be uttered.
Precious friend, if you’ve just passed through a storm, if you’re in the midst of a storm, or about to enter a storm, thank God there’s One Who groans for you, the Holy Spirit, the Comforter.
| A CLOSER LOOK AT: ”COMFORTER”
The word comforter literally means “with strength,” com meaning “with,” and fort meaning “strength” — like a fortress. He comes alongside you with His strength. GOD IS THERE God is there for you. You say, “Well, I don’t understand it all.” You don’t have to understand it. He does. We live by promises, not by explanations. Around us we see— Take all of that and arch the rainbow of hope over it. Written upon it is Romans 8:28: And we know that ________ things ________ together for _________ to them that love God, who are called according to His purpose. |
In the midst of tribulation, how do we respond?
- Trust the Lord. He is still in control. Lean hard on Him.
- Find someone you can help. Show the love of Jesus to all that you meet. Everyone, whether they’ve been in a storm or not, is hurting in some way.
- Pray—and look for Jesus to come. All of these calamities are signs of His coming. One day the curse is going to be lifted and, hallelujah, the groans will be gone.
- Finally, if you’ve never really trusted Jesus Christ, come to Him in faith. Jesus died for a groaning creation. For the curse of those thorns that came after the Garden of Eden, Jesus wore a crown of thorns. For the curse of the sweat that was on Adam’s brow, Jesus would sweat drops of blood in Gethsemane. And for the curse of death that Adam entered into, Jesus laid down His life in death for us.
I can promise you that our dear Savior is not a casual spectator to your trouble. He’s knocking at your heart’s door, and He wants to come in.
If you have never committed your life to Jesus Christ, now is the time. Stop right now and pray,
“Lord Jesus, I need You, I want You. Come into my heart. Forgive my sin. Cleanse me. Save me and help me to trust in You through this crisis. And thank You, dear Spirit of God, that You will make groanings and intercessions for me because I need You so much. Save me, Lord Jesus.”
Friend, pray it, say it, and mean it.
LIFE IN A FALLEN WORLD
There is something about disaster that humbles us all. We realize that in spite of our vaulted ingenuity, our computers, atom smashers, particle colliders, philosophers, and our government, along comes a disaster, and we cannot not stop it. We learn we’re not sovereign in this world.
Whether we like it or not, or think God should allow it, we must come to the bottom line: It is the result of sin. We live in a sinful world.
TAKE SIDES AGAINST YOUR ENEMY
Who is really your enemy? Is it God? Or someone else? Turn to John10:10. Jesus makes it clear:
11. “The thief comes but to _________, to ___________ and to _____________. I have come that you might have life and have it more abundantly.” (John 10:10)
Soon after Hurricane Katrina, when families were being relocated to other areas, I heard of a family who was so upset with God about what had happened that when a church reached out to them and offered help, they said “No. We don’t want your help. It was God who did this to us. He allowed it to happen!”
While humanly I can understand their thinking, it is tragic, flawed thinking. They’ve been completely misled by the devil. If a person does not come to the Lord, they have lined up with the enemy. Why would I line up with the one who has hurt me? God is not the One who hurts.
Years ago my wife, Joyce, and I had a heartache that was horrendous in our family. We lost a little baby. He died one Sunday afternoon of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
A few days before that, I had been visiting the hospital and was witnessing to a patient. When I came back shortly after the funeral of our baby boy, the man looked at me and said, “What are you doing here? Are you still serving God after what He did to you?”
I said, “Oh friend, I’m serving God all the more, because I’m not lining up with the enemy. My enemy is Satan. And now Satan has a greater foe than he’s ever had before. Jesus is the only One who has the answer to sin and sorrow and death. I’m giving my heart to Him in a richer, fuller way than I ever have.”
CONCLUSION
No Satan, no sin.
No sin, no suffering.
I choose God.
I’m saying “No” to the perpetrator.
My heart’s desire is that when disaster strikes, people would not dishonor the Lord by failing to turn to Him, but use this as an opportunity to come to Him in a deeper way than ever.
We are the ones who have the answer, a message of hope and love. The wake of any tragedy can be the Church’s finest hour.
Many people across our world don’t know where to turn, what to do or what the future holds. The wonderful thing is that God knows. God is not just a bystander—He is “touched with feeling of our infirmities.” (Hebrews 4:15) He not only knows but enters in with us.
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Father, we see all around us the effects of sin and suffering throughout our world. In this time of suffering, we come to You. Please give us strength in the inner person to stand and rely on You. And where we cannot understand, help us trust. Where there is hurt — physical, emotional, financial — Dear Lord, heal human hurt. Pour in the oil and wine of Your joy.
Lord, all the things we think we own, we know they’re all destined for the fire. The real value is You. And Lord, we’re only as rich as we have these spiritual truths. These are the true riches that can never, ever be taken away. Give us, Dear Lord, the understanding that what really, ultimately matters is our relationship with You.
Give us exceeding joy and help us understand that we are indeed in Your hands, we pray in Jesus’ wonderful, holy name. Amen.
