- God commands us to give thanks in all circumstances especially in times of suffering.
1 Thess 5:18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
- Why should we give thanks in suffering?
What is God’s Purpose in suffering for which we are commanded to give thanks?
The answer to this question is the secret to living the Christian life.
Answer:
God according to His own Wisdom has ordained that the pathway to eternal glory is the pathway of suffering. And Christ Himself has led the way for us to follow. No Cross, No Crown.
- Christ Himself as forerunner has entered glory through suffering. Luke 24:25-27
- We also having become his children must go through the same path. Rom 8:17, Acts 14:21-22
All Things For Good
- The Christian will go through suffering. The Unbeliever will also go through suffering.
- But God works all things for the good of the Christian. His suffering will work out for his eternal good. Therefore, we must be thankful to God in suffering.
- Not so with the Unbeliever, all things work for evil. His suffering will end in a greater suffering in hell.
- Comparing the Two: The glory far outweighs the suffering. Rom 8:18, 2Cor 4:17
SUFFERING GLORY
Light Weight
Momentary Eternal
- Knowing this is the strength we need to go through all suffering and trials in the Christian life.
Matt 5:11-12
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven,
Rom 8:35-36 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution
or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
- It is in these things (Not out of it) that we are more than conquerors.
CONCLUSION
We always have a reason to be thankful to God, therefore even in our sufferings let our hearts resound with praise and say “BLESS THE LORD OH MY SOUL, AND ALL THAT IS WITHIN ME BLESS HIS HOLY NAME.”