SPECIAL CHRISTIAN LIFE FEATURE COMPLETED IN THIS MAGAZINE
B y L O U I S T. T A L B O T , D . D .
sufferings were for a testimony before a godless, Christ-rejecting world. And who would dare say that unconfessed sin in these godly lives brought them physical suffering and death? The Lord Jesus answered this false argument finally and completely in connection with the healing of the man bom blind. His disciples had asked Him, saying, “Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was bom blind?” Then “ Jesus an swered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:2, 3). In order that the Lord from heaven might perform a great miracle, this man had spent years in blindness. His suffering was for the glory of God! No, my Christian friend; do not let any man trouble you with this false, unjust, unkind argument. Many dear saints have endured long years of pain and sorrow •—•for the glory of God, that the miracle of His grace might be made manifest before an unbelieving world. The second of these is like unto the first. Those who hold it say that if only the suffering saint had more faith, he could be cured of his illness — that sorrow comes from lack of faith. Again, we call to witness such stalwart heroes of the faith as Stephen and Paul. Could any human being have more faith than they had? But there are at least three other New Testament Christians whom we would consider as examples of faith, yet who were sick and in physical need: 1. Epaphroditus. Paul was a pris oner in Rome, and the Church at Philippi had sent him a gift by one o f t h e i r m e mb e r s , Epaphroditus (Phil. 2:26-30). Why? Because of lack of faith on his part? The Word of God says plainly: “For the work of Christ he was nigh unto death , not regarding his life” (Phil. 2:30). And at the hand of this man of faith Paul sent his priceless letter to the Philip pian Church. “ For the work of Christ” Epaphroditus was sick; “ but God had mercy on him” and raised him up in answer to prayer. To say that he was sick because of lack of faith, is to con tradict the Word of God. (Concluded on N ext Page)
and heroines of faith as found in Heb. 11:32-38. Read the history of the early church, and you will find that the Christians of the first three centuries suffered unspeakable torture at the hand of pagan emperors. They were thrown into the arena to be devoured by wild beasts. They were dragged naked through the streets. They were subjected to gross indignities and hor rible physical torture. Why? Why did God permit these early Christians to become martyrs of the Cross? It is said of Charles Haddon Spur geon, the great winner of souls, that toward the close of his ministry he never knew a day without physical pain. On the pulpit of his church in London there was a couch, where he lay during the preliminary services, praying for strength and power from on high to preach the Gospel. Then having given out the message, back to the couch he went. Why did God permit His useful servant to suffer physical pain? This is the question we want to answer from the pages of Holy Writ. And in the answer lies a veritable gold mine of spiritual knowledge and comfort for the people of God. Two False Arguments Before we consider why God allows His children to suffer, let us look briefly at two false arguments often presented in answer to this question. Some say, as did Job’s “miserable com forters,” that suffering is the result of sin in the life, or that it is the result of a lack of faith. Let us consider these two arguments separately. Of course, we know that all tears and sorrows came into the world as the result of sin. In Adam the human race inherited “ the wages of sin” — death, with all that this involves. But those who say that the child of God who seeks to do His will suffers be cause of definite acts of sin and diso bedience ¡-t- those who argue along this line pervert the Scriptures and bring grief to the stricken heart. Stephen and Paul and the Christian martyrs were heroes and heroines of faith. Their lives were above reproach because they were redeemed by the blood of Christ and were utterly con secrated to His service and will. Their
' II ' h e question we are asking today Jl- is not a new one; it has been the cry of the human heart throughout the centuries: Why does God permit His children to suffer? Why the tears and heartaches? Why the sorrow and pain? Since He is able to do all things, why does He not spare His children these trials? We can under stand why the wicked reap what they sow; for sin leaves its impress, and brings forth a harvest of grief and sorrow. But we are not considering here the suffering of the unconverted. We are not even dealing with the sor rows of the Christian who is living out of the will of God. We are think ing only of the godly man or woman who is seeking to do His will and to bring glory to Him. Why does He permit so faithful a follower to suffer? It may be that many readers have long been on beds of pain. It may be that some are going through deep shadows. You do not question God’s power to remove the trial. You do not question His love in permitting it But why? Why does He not re move it? Stephen, the first Christian martyr, was “ a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost” (Acts 6:5). There was no question as to His relationship to God. He “ did great wonders and mir acles among the people” (Acts 6:8). And when he was falsely accused be cause of his witness to the Lord Jesus, “ all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15). Yet the angry mob hurled stones at him, and he became the first martyr of Jesus. Why did God permit it? Surely the world needed the min istry of such a man as Stephen! When the Lord told Ananias to go to Saul of Tarsus and minister unto him, He said: “He is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel: for I w ill shew him how great things he must suffer for my sake” (Acts 9:15,16). Read the book of Acts to see what Paul suffered. Read his own summary of trials en dured for Christ’s sake, as recorded in II Cor. 11:23-33. Read of the sufferings of the heroes
APRIL, 1959
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