I admit that these four conclusions which I came to in my youth are all correct; but they come short of the mark. The ultimate object of all suffering is the accomplishment of God's eternal purpose. That purpose has been revealed to us through the Scriptures, but it can only be realized in us through suffering. And its realization involves an experimental knowledge of God, not only as the living God, but also as the God of resurrection.

The experience of every saved person provides at least some evidence that God is the living God, but comparatively few of the saved realize that the God who dwells within them is the God of resurrection. If the distinction between the living God and the God of resurrection is not clear to us, many problems will arise in our experience as we seek to press on. Let me explain this distinction quite simply.

The incarnation marked a mighty crisis in the universe. Prior to the incarnation God was God and man was man. There was no human element in God, nor was there any divine element in man. The two were quite separate. But one day "the Word became flesh," and that day marked a turning point in the history of the universe. It brought one dispensation to an end and ushered in another. (Of course we are talking from our human standpoint as creatures of time, not from God's standpoint in a timeless eternity.)

With the incarnation a dispensation began in which God and man, man and God were blended into one. The Scriptures declared that the Word which became flesh would be called "Immanuel," which means, "God with man." That name does not merely signify the presence of God in the midst of a multitude of men; it signifies His entry into humanity. What took place at Bethlehem was the birth of One who possessed a dual nature. God and man were united in that one Person. Up to that time all the descendants of Adam had possessed only one nature; after that time there was One who possessed two natures, the human and the divine. He was truly man, and He was truly God. That One, Jesus of Nazareth, who was both divine and human, became a source of perplexity to many people. They asked Him: "Who art Thou?" And they asked one another: "What manner of man is this?" They recognized clearly that He was a man, yet because there was so much about Him that was divine, He was a problem to His contemporaries. "Immanuel," "God manifest in the flesh"?that is the meaning of the incarnation!

But the incarnation is only one half of the mystery. The other half is the resurrection. The incarnation is God coming into man; the resurrection is man coming into God. The incarnation brought divine content into human life; the resurrection brought human content into divine life. After the incarnation it was possible to say: There is a Man on earth in whose life there is a divine element. But not till after the resurrection was it possible to say: There is a God in heaven in whom there is a human element. That is the meaning of the resurrection!

 

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"We were excessively burdened, beyond our power, so that we despaired even of living; but we ourselves had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not have confidence in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead" (2 Cor. 1:8-9).

"If indeed our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day. For our momentary lightness of affliction works out for us, more and more surpassingly, an eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:16-17).

"For they indeed disciplined us for a few days as it seemed good to them, but He for our profit that we might partake of His holiness" (Heb. 12:10).

"We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to the purpose. Because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:28-29).

"God...who gives life to the dead" (Rom. 4:17).

"I am...the living One, and I became dead, and behold, I am living forever and ever" (Rev. 1:17-18).

Suffering is the lot of all the inhabitants of the earth. None can evade it. Some people imagine that if you believe on the Lord and live in His fear, you will be immune from all ills; yet numbers of Christians are grievously afflicted, and some who live in vital touch with God are in constant suffering.

The unsaved keep asking: "If God loves the world, why does He allow all this sorrow?" And the saved keep asking: "If God loves His children, why does He let so much trouble befall them?" Others go still further and inquire: "How does it come about that, the more spiritual you become, the more hardship you meet?" These are practical questions, not mere theoretical quibbles, and we have to face them.

Why should man, who has been created by God, be subject to suffering throughout the whole course of his life? Why should men still continue to suffer after they become children of God? And why should men's sufferings increase with the increase of their devotion to God?

In my early days, I spent a considerable amount of time looking into this problem of suffering; but because my knowledge of the Lord was superficial, I was only able to draw these conclusions from my studies: (1) Man is prone to error; therefore suffering is necessary for his correction. (2) Suffering is needful if we are to comfort others, for only they who themselves have suffered can truly help other people. (3) The discipline of suffering is essential if we are to acquire endurance, for, as Romans 5 says: "Tribulation works endurance." (4) Suffering is inevitable if we are to be molded into vessels that will be of use to God.

 

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