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Friday: Further Thought – God and Human Suffering — 20 Comments

  1. "more than anything else revealed to the cosmos the true character of our Creator. The Cross shows us that God is a God whom we can all trust."

    How does the cross show that we can trust God? Trust for or about what?

    (7)
    • Because it shows us to what lengths our God would go to reveal His love for us - that he was prepared to die for us. It shows us that we can trust him because He has the ultimate answer to all our questioning - forgiveness, restoration and a wonderful future with Him! It shows us beyond the shadow of a doubt the true character of our God and what he intended for us in the beginning - a loving relationship with Him.
      What I found so amazing about all this is that Jesus (who was born of a human with the propensity for sin) withstood the tests and trials of this life far better than our original parents, Adam and Eve, who had the luxury of being sinless at their "birth". This gives me the greatest hope for my future! Oh for faith and trust that will see me thru!

      (18)
      • Barb,

        I would encourage you to look up the word "propensity" in EG White index. (86 hits). You only need to see the first 20 to find a challenge to your concept of Jesus' nature. I post this because there is controversy in the SDA church over the nature of Jesus that leads many to defeat in sanctification & their walk with Christ.

        [Moderator note: You can look this up online on EGWWritings.org. Just click on this link.]

        (4)
        • Although this is a little off-topic from the lesson Jim's comment corrects a common misconception in a previous comment.
          For the convenience of our readers, among the 86 references to "propensity," there are these significant ones:

          Be careful, exceedingly careful as to how you dwell upon the human nature of Christ. Do not set Him before the people as a man with the propensities of sin. He is the second Adam. The first Adam was created a pure, sinless being, without a taint of sin upon him; he was in the image of God. He could fall, and he did fall through transgressing. Because of sin his posterity was born with inherent propensities of disobedience. But Jesus Christ was the only begotten Son of God. He took upon Himself human nature, and was tempted in all points as human nature is tempted. He could have sinned; He could have fallen, but not for one moment was there in Him an evil propensity. He was assailed with temptations in the wilderness, as Adam was assailed with temptations in Eden. (Ellen White comment in S.D.A. Bible Commentary, Vol 5, p. 1128)

          This short paragraph is worth reading and re-reading and letting its significance sink in. How were the first Adam and the Second Adam the same? How were they different?

          We must learn of Christ. We must know what He is to those He has ransomed. We must realize that through belief in Him it is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, and so escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Then we are cleansed from all sin, all defects of character. We need not retain one sinful propensity....
          As we partake of the divine nature, hereditary and cultivated tendencies to wrong are cut away from the character, and we are made a living power for good. Ever learning of the divine Teacher, daily partaking of His nature, we cooperate with God in overcoming Satan’s temptations. God works, and man works, that man may be one with Christ as Christ is one with God. Then we sit together with Christ in heavenly places. The mind rests with peace and assurance in Jesus.... In Him there is inexhaustible fullness.... (Ellen White Comment in Amazing Grace, p. 235)

          In his prayer to the Father, Christ said, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” We must learn of Christ. We must know what he is to those he has ransomed. We must realize that through belief in him it is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, and so escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Then we are cleansed from all sin, all defects of character. We need not retain one sinful propensity. Christ is the sin-bearer; John pointed the people to him, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (Ellen White in In his prayer to the Father, Christ said, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” We must learn of Christ. We must know what he is to those he has ransomed. We must realize that through belief in him it is our privilege to be partakers of the divine nature, and so escape the corruption that is in the world through lust. Then we are cleansed from all sin, all defects of character. We need not retain one sinful propensity. Christ is the sin-bearer; John pointed the people to him, saying, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (Review and Herald, April 24, 1900, par. 6)

          (6)
          • Yes, my friend, the fact that we can be fully healed of the damage that has been done is truly good news. God is a wonderful Physician!!

            (3)
          • The propensity to sin in Amazing Grace 235-4 brings to mind Romans 7:18-20, and Ephesians 2:8. Which fits my life? No question. Not what I am unable to do of myself. Does that excuse sin? Not in any of these texts. There is no one that can save themselves.

            (1)
    • Before creation God the Father & Son discussed what they would do if man fell - God the Son decided that He would become the Redeemer in such a case. This to me shows that we can trust God with everything - He did not have to do it, He could have left us to our own natural consequence, but because He loved us so much He came to die for us - this is why I trust Him.

      (4)
      • Elizabeth, our love for God is the most important desire that we can hope for. We understand from the Bible that Jesus was equal with the Father in what ever developed in the universe. Hebrews 1:1-3

        (2)
  2. Despite all the calamities the world is facing today God still remains at His seat. He does not change. All he wants is to see us praise Him amidist those challenges like Job when he said "I know my redeemer liveth". We should not waive our faith and succumb to the worldly pressures. We should not curse God because of our suffering. This reminds me of a book by a christian writer called Phillip Yancey entitled "Where is God when it hurts?". The thing is are we to curse Him because of suffering or praise Him? My personal view is "With Jesus on the vessel we can smile at the storm".

    (17)
  3. I see no other controversy other than that which is between Christ and Satan witch originated in Heaven and continues by using a different method today. The example of Job so far, is understanding for questions that come to our minds often. One being the Questions that CS Lewis struggled with. When Satan is destroyed the controversy will end, Period.
    May God sustain us till then.

    (17)
    • The controversy continued between Cain & Abel. And in Job, between him & his "friends". In Jesus' time it was between Him & the Jewish clergy/teachers. In our time it is between SDA and 99% of Christianity who are antinomians.
      Inside the denomination it is between those who walk with Jesus and those who walk with the world.(1 John 4:5)

      (2)
    • Before the controversy will end, the lies about God and His character (which have infected the universe - now it is only this planet that believes satan's lies) must be fully extinguished from the minds of all sentient beings. The only way that this can be done is by establishing trust based upon evidence. That is what God has been doing for a long time. Sin, and satan, is self-extinguishing.

      (4)
  4. Christ Jesus has suffered more than us.He died for our sake!
    No suffering can surpass the wonderful gift He has in store for us.
    Lord help me so that amidst my pains, I can still acknowledge Him.

    (4)
  5. The author mentions the book, A Grief Observed, by CS Lewis, the 20th Century's greatest Christian apologist. In this brief volume, Lewis chronicles his feelings, thoughts and struggles after the death of his beloved wife, the poet Joy Davidson. It is a demonstration of healthy and healing grief - in that Lewis is authentic enough to yell, to doubt, to figuratively kick at God in his anger. Grief counselors know that anger is a necessary stage for healing to begin, but it is not often encouraged. This book, written in his usual precise and graceful style, was published under a pseudonym and attributed to him only after his death. You can find significant excerpts here: "From A Grief Observed (1961)" I believe that some of our readers will resonate with the author's struggles in this book.

    But that isn't the only book in which Lewis dealt with pain and grief. He also wrote The Problem of Pain in which he directly wrestles with the problem of pain and grief in a world governed by a loving God.

    Unfortunately too many people don't know of CS Lewis's most influential Christian books. Yet those are the ones I read before ever hearing of the Chronicles of Narnia When I was teaching seniors in one of our academies, I was pleasantly surprised that one of my apparently least religiously inclined students borrowed my copy of Mere Christianity and said that it "made sense" and really spoke to him.

    I confess that the first CS Lewis book I ever read was The Screwtape Letters, because it was given to me by my boyfriend, now my husband. A Christian classic - it is a satirical series of letters from a senior demon to a junior demon, giving advice on how to best tempt a young man who converts to Christianity and then falls in love with a Christian woman. While I thoroughly enjoyed the biting humor, there were many moments of recognition that Screwtape spoke truth. But it's not a book for everyone. You have to have a sense of humor to appreciate it. But I fear that I'm getting way off-topic!

    (3)
  6. How long would it take for a full bushel of good apples to change one bad apple to become good again?
    But the situation is that here we have a full bushel of bad apples and only one good apple was put in it. He knew what it took. He became compose for us so that we may all be born again. And he will soon reap himself a whole new crop. God's ways are not our way, never are his thought our thoughts.

    (2)
  7. I must confess,I have never read CS Lewis books. I am not a prolific reader period. I am technically inclined in medical and electronic fields more so than literary interests. The Bible seems to be the main literary source for me. Understanding from other interests is only useful if you use them.

    (2)
  8. Why is it so important for us, right now, to dwell on the Cross, the most powerful revelation we have of God’s love and of what God is like? A very good question we must all ask ourselves. When we keep our eyes on Christ, He will preserve us. Let us stand, sit, or knell, at the foot of the cross daily, constantly is even better. As we look to Jesus, the author and finisher of life, we are safe. Nothing can pluck us from the hand of Our Lord and Saviour. 2Corinthians 3:18.
    James says, "blessed is the man who endoureth temptation, there is eternal life for him." James 1:12. I do believe that being at the cross is the only way to endoure the trials and temptations that come our way. Job had a daily relationship with God. That is why he endured the temptation brought forth by his wife. He did not curse God and die. Then Satan disappeared from the story. Another reason to dwell on the Cross.

    (2)

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