Reasons Why We Suffer

All of us often wonder why we go through hard times don’t we? Yes we do. Some of it is our own doing, bad choices we make. Some of it is sovereignly brought about by God Almighty to test, try and prove us in a particular area of our lives – that our faith in Him might increase (Gen 22; James 1:2-4,12). And sadly, there are times that people do harmful things to us, and our love ones that bring suffering in our lives. 

The word suffer has various meanings in the Bible. One meaning is to permit. Another meaning is to be ill-treated, to suffer injustice, to bear up under, to endure hardship, etc.

Well, let’s look at some examples in God’s word of those that suffered.

Job’s Suffering

In the book of Job, God allowed Satan to afflict Job (Job 1 & 2). This suffering was divinely ordained. Oddly though, Job never knew why he suffered so much although his so-called friends claimed they had the answers to why he did.  Neither Job nor his companions knew God and Satan had a dispute about him. But we as readers of the account get the inside track. So, what was the lesson of Job’s suffering? To completely trust in the sovereign hands of God even when we do not know why all the evil happened. Also very important, to repent of sin like Job did after God came to him and rebuked Job for his presumptuous speech (Job 38-42).

Jesus Suffering

Jesus suffering was pre-ordained. Jesus suffering was caused by none other than God Almighty. Let’s review some passages to prove this point.

Isaiah 53:3-12 – He is despised and rejected by men, a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone to his own way. And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, and a sheep before its shearers is silent, so He opened not His mouth. He was taken from prison, and from judgement, and who will declare His generation? For He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of his people He was stricken. And they made His grave with the wicked, but with the rich at his death, because He had done no violence, nor was any deceit in His mouth. Yet, it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief.[1] When you make his soul and offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied.

By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great. And He shall divide the spoil with the strong. Because He poured out His soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors, and he bore the sin of many, and He made intercession for the transgressors.

The prophet Isaiah gives a vivid portrayal of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ about 700 years before His actual birth. Jesus’ suffering was for the express purpose of dying for the sins of His people (Matt 1:21). Although Jesus suffered and was murdered by the hands of sinful men, it was providentially orchestrated by God that He would die.

In Act 2:22-24 we read, “Men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know – Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death.

Here the Apostle Peter was preaching on the day of Pentecost, the birth of the Church that Jesus death was planned ahead of time. How else could Jesus predict his death before it actually happened?

Matthew 16:21 – From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

Once again, Jesus suffering was not for nothing. It was fore-ordained by God – for the express reason to die as a sin offering for the world, to appease God’s wrath and just anger against sin, and to save all those who would believe.

Paul’s suffering – Although I am focusing on the Apostle Paul, all believers fall into this category. When Jesus speaks to Ananias in Acts 9:15-16 He tells Ananias that Paul is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name among the Gentiles (nations), kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show Him (Paul) how many things he must suffer, for My name’s sake.

Paul in 2 Timothy 2:8-10 says this, “Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel for which I suffer trouble as an evil doer, even to the point of chains, but the word of God is not chained. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory”.

Paul speaking to the Philippians says this, “For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake” (Phil 1:29).

We see that not only is the ability to believe a gift of God’s grace, so is suffering on Christ’s behalf a gift of God’s grace also. Many would not look at suffering a grace gift, but it is. Paul knew this well for he said, “I suffer the loss of all things and count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ” (Phil 3:8).

Paul talking to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:8-12 says, “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of the Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began, but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles. For this reason I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that day.”

Paul in recounting his sufferings for Christ had this to say to those who were challenging his apostleship:

Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they the seed of Abraham? So am I. Are they ministers of Christ? – I speak as a fool – I am more. In labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils of the wilderness and toil in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst. In fastings often, in cold and nakedness – besides the other things, what comes upon me daily, my deep concern for all the churches (2 Cor 11:22-29).

Paul was an adventurer and warrior for Christ. If anyone could identify with Christ in His sufferings it was the Apostle Paul (Phil 3:10).

In Acts 5:40-41 the Apostles had been beaten for preaching in the name of Jesus. After they left the council they rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for Jesus name.

Jesus in the beatitudes said, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matt 5:10-12).

In summation, Paul’s was chosen by God to suffer shame, humiliation, persecution, and ultimately death for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ and the gospel which he faithfully did. With all Paul went through, it was worth it for his main goal was to save as many with the gospel as he could (I Cor 9:22). Paul was responsible for writing almost half of the NT books – 13 of them[2]. Far more than any other writer in the entire Bible. Paul was used mightily by God and fulfilled his mission (2 Timothy 4:7).

Concluding

Suffering in this life of sin is an inevitability. The question we all must ask ourselves is how will we suffer? Will we suffer for being evil, and die as a result of our foolishness, or suffer like Jesus, the apostles, and holy men and women of God through the centuries suffered; with honor and dignity glorifying God as beacons of light and truth in a dark world? How do you want to live of your life? 

What legacy would you like to leave behind?

The Apostle Peter says, “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, and evildoer, or as a busybody in other people’s matters. Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter” (I Peter 4:16).

It is essential that we must suffer now for the glory of God; for what we go through now is but a light affliction compared unto an eternal weight of glory we will inherit (Romans 8:18). Remember, we have to change our mindset; suffering for righteousness sake is not only a sacred gift, it is a divine privilege. Anyone who is not willing to suffer for Jesus is not worthy to reign with Him in glory. Is not our Lord worth that much?

All those who desire live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12).

The horrible alternative is to suffer as a non-believing sinner in the eternal lake of fire (Rev 14:11; 20:15).

So, we must be willing to suffer for our Lord. If we focus on the promise of our eternal inheritance in Christ Jesus, then we can be willing to endure all things and run this race with joy on this earth because of the eternal weight of glory reserved in heaven for us (I Peter 1:4).

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[1] I believe this is why Jesus cried out, “My God my God why have you forsaken me” (Psalm 22:1; Matt 27:46)? Jesus was being treated as sin although He personally knew any sin. Remember Jesus death was a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins. Our sins were imputed or transferred to Him by God the Father (2 Corinth 5:21).

[2] Paul’s books are: Romans, Galatians, I & 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians, I & II Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon.