Friday: Further Thought – God and Human Suffering
Further Thought: Christian writer and apologist C. S. Lewis wrote a book talking about the death of his wife and his struggle to come to terms with that death. In it he wrote:
Image © Kevin Carden from GoodSalt.com
“Not that I am (I think) in much danger of ceasing to believe in God. The real danger is of coming to believe such dreadful things about Him. The conclusion I dread is not ‘So there’s no God after all,’ but ‘So this is what God’s really like. Deceive yourself no longer.’”—A Grief Observed (San Francisco: Harper San Francisco, 1996), pages 6, 7. This, too, is the question that Job himself struggled with. As we saw, he never doubted God’s existence; what he struggled with was the question of the character of God. Job had faithfully served the Lord. Job had been a “good” man. Therefore he knew that he did not deserve the things that were happening to him. Thus, he was asking the question that so many people who believe in God ask amid tragedies: What is God really like? And is this not what the great controversy is really about? The question is not about God’s existence but about His character. And though so much is involved in resolving the great controversy, there’s no question that the death of Jesus on the cross, where the Son of God had “given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma” (Eph. 5:2, NKJV), 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.
Discussion Questions:
- Dwell on the question of suffering for those who don’t believe in God. As we saw, they don’t have to struggle with the same questions that believers in God do when facing tragedy. On the other hand, what hope can they have of ever getting answers, of ever finding resolution? Imagine going through all that we go through here in this world and then to believe that it all ends in the grave, with nothing beyond. No wonder so many unbelievers despair of life or of even finding any meaning to life. Secular literature is filled with their exclamations and protests about how meaningless it all is. How can we, then, even amid our sorrows here, draw hope from our faith, despite the difficult questions that remain?
- 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? When we are engulfed by sorrow, by tragedy, by inexplicable evil, what does the Cross tell us about the character of God? When we keep the reality of the Cross always before us, what hope can we draw for ourselves for the ultimate outcome of whatever we face now?
(16)
"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?
can you trust someone who would put off all the glory and leave Heaven for your sake - and moreover wouldn't care to save his life for you to inherit life??
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!
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.]
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:
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?
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!!
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.
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.
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
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".
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.
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)
The greatest part of the controversy will be our very own little time of jacob's trouble.
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.
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.
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!
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.
may God bless you all for the good and inspiring lesson discussion
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.
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.