When you see the enormous human suffering (physical, emotional and spiritual) which, to varying degrees, is part of everyone's life, you may be wondering what sort of God it is Who allows such enormous suffering to take place.
When you see the enormous (maybe YOUR) suffering RIGHT NOW and STILL TO COME, as prophesied in God's Word, you may be wondering what, EXACTLY, God is 'up to' or 'after'.
As you ponder these profound questions, keep in mind (and heart) the following attributes of God:
God is Love
God is Spirit
God is Life
God is Light
God is Holy
God is Omnipotent
God is Omniscient
God is Immutable (He does not change)
Gold can only be extracted from the natural elements through the process of REFINING by FIRE!
God's process of REFINING us is very similar.
There's A LOT MORE to be said, but it's a good place to start.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
God is Spirit
God is Life
God is Light
God is Holy
God is Omnipotent
God is Omniscient
God is Immutable (He does not change)
Once you begin to SEE! (through God's Amazing Grace) TRUTH ("I am the TRUTH") ("You shall know the TRUTH and the TRUTH will make you free"), MANY (not all!) of your questions will be answered and you will begin to understand (spiritual understanding) the DIVINE ORDER in God's Universe (including humanity) - including the very important purpose of SUFFERING.
The first CONCLUSION is that: If God allows something that we consider 'BAD' to happen (like Suffering), it's not REALLY 'BAD' but MUST have a NECESSARY purpose and GOOD end result as its (and His) OBJECTIVE. Why? Because God is Love! He LOVES humanity (YOU and me). "The Lord chastens those He loves."
You may be wondering: What's the GOOD in Suffering? (especially while YOU are suffering).
Remember that you and I are born as imperfect beings. Our 'Nature' (the 'Natural Man') is evil. Evil is INCOMPATIBLE with God. It CANNOT PERMANENTLY exist in His presence. Remember the 'Burning Bush' incident with Moses. That's WHY Jesus said: "You must be born again from Above". Only AFTER we are born-again do we obtain spiritual understanding (of the things of God - including things in His 'Natural' world).
Suffering is the ONLY way (because God CHOSE it to the exclusion of other, less 'painful' possibilities) through which our 'abominable SELF' can be TRANSFORMED (a miracle) into a spiritual 'Nature' (the spiritual 'Nature' of Jesus the Christ). Jesus the Christ is the 1st of a new, spiritual humanity (the 'Son of Man' as well as the 'Son of God').
Suffering is a NECESSARY and DESIRABLE part of the learning process of life, through which we are TRANSFORMED and REFINED so that we may EXIST ETERNALLY in God's presence in the NEXT LIFE. JOY is the part of life that we enjoy a lot more! God HELPS us to discover Him through Suffering, as we look for THE EXPLANATION of our life and its purpose. God has made a very important PROMISE in that regard: "Seek {Him} and you shall find". It's up to us to SEEK HIM!
So, you say, once you are born-again, is that the end of your suffering? No way, José! - it's just a different beginning (taking up the Cross)! Then starts the life-long process of PURIFICATION and practicing SELF-Denial until you reach (more like approach) the full stature and perfection of Christ. "To live is Christ and to die is gain" sort of sums it up. Is it all worth it in the end, you ask? Remember that EVERYTHING GOOD comes from our Father in Heaven - life, joy, delight and LOVE - above all! Read the verse at the end of the opening page on my website to catch just a hint of the unfathomable Joy and Blessings which await the children of God when we are with Him for Eternity. What's that worth? It's worth (giving up) EVERYTHING you can possibly have on this Earth - including life, itself! The ONLY alternative (Eternal Life in the absence of God) is more terrifying than we can possibly imagine. Even temporary separation from God, the Father, stressed Jesus the Christ to a depth beyond our comprehension. NO Love, NO Light, NO Joy - just Eternal Darkness with full consciousness. If that does not strike TERROR into every heart, nothing will! God has opened the Door to Himself through Christ - but YOU have to decide to ENTER! Yes, there is a price which must be paid - PRIDE and the sacrifice of the 'Abominable SELF'.
Getting back to suffering, if there were a less painful way by which we could exist eternally in God's presence, HE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF IT! If there were a less painful way to PURIFY us (by absolving us of our sin) than through the suffering and death of His Son, HE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF IT!
So what's the IMPORTANT LESSON to take away from all this, as we celebrate the birth of the Son of God, Jesus the Christ?
If you think there is ANY other way to get to God the Father, you are being DECEIVED (or you are DECEIVING yourself!)The first CONCLUSION is that: If God allows something that we consider 'BAD' to happen (like Suffering), it's not REALLY 'BAD' but MUST have a NECESSARY purpose and GOOD end result as its (and His) OBJECTIVE. Why? Because God is Love! He LOVES humanity (YOU and me). "The Lord chastens those He loves."
You may be wondering: What's the GOOD in Suffering? (especially while YOU are suffering).
Remember that you and I are born as imperfect beings. Our 'Nature' (the 'Natural Man') is evil. Evil is INCOMPATIBLE with God. It CANNOT PERMANENTLY exist in His presence. Remember the 'Burning Bush' incident with Moses. That's WHY Jesus said: "You must be born again from Above". Only AFTER we are born-again do we obtain spiritual understanding (of the things of God - including things in His 'Natural' world).
Suffering is the ONLY way (because God CHOSE it to the exclusion of other, less 'painful' possibilities) through which our 'abominable SELF' can be TRANSFORMED (a miracle) into a spiritual 'Nature' (the spiritual 'Nature' of Jesus the Christ). Jesus the Christ is the 1st of a new, spiritual humanity (the 'Son of Man' as well as the 'Son of God').
Suffering is a NECESSARY and DESIRABLE part of the learning process of life, through which we are TRANSFORMED and REFINED so that we may EXIST ETERNALLY in God's presence in the NEXT LIFE. JOY is the part of life that we enjoy a lot more! God HELPS us to discover Him through Suffering, as we look for THE EXPLANATION of our life and its purpose. God has made a very important PROMISE in that regard: "Seek {Him} and you shall find". It's up to us to SEEK HIM!
So, you say, once you are born-again, is that the end of your suffering? No way, José! - it's just a different beginning (taking up the Cross)! Then starts the life-long process of PURIFICATION and practicing SELF-Denial until you reach (more like approach) the full stature and perfection of Christ. "To live is Christ and to die is gain" sort of sums it up. Is it all worth it in the end, you ask? Remember that EVERYTHING GOOD comes from our Father in Heaven - life, joy, delight and LOVE - above all! Read the verse at the end of the opening page on my website to catch just a hint of the unfathomable Joy and Blessings which await the children of God when we are with Him for Eternity. What's that worth? It's worth (giving up) EVERYTHING you can possibly have on this Earth - including life, itself! The ONLY alternative (Eternal Life in the absence of God) is more terrifying than we can possibly imagine. Even temporary separation from God, the Father, stressed Jesus the Christ to a depth beyond our comprehension. NO Love, NO Light, NO Joy - just Eternal Darkness with full consciousness. If that does not strike TERROR into every heart, nothing will! God has opened the Door to Himself through Christ - but YOU have to decide to ENTER! Yes, there is a price which must be paid - PRIDE and the sacrifice of the 'Abominable SELF'.
Getting back to suffering, if there were a less painful way by which we could exist eternally in God's presence, HE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF IT! If there were a less painful way to PURIFY us (by absolving us of our sin) than through the suffering and death of His Son, HE WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF IT!
So what's the IMPORTANT LESSON to take away from all this, as we celebrate the birth of the Son of God, Jesus the Christ?
"No one comes to the Father except through Me"
Let me repeat that with added emphasis:
"NO ONE comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME"
"NO ONE comes to the Father EXCEPT THROUGH ME"
Gold can only be extracted from the natural elements through the process of REFINING by FIRE!
God's process of REFINING us is very similar.
There's A LOT MORE to be said, but it's a good place to start.
"MERRY CHRISTMAS!"
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