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"Our View of Suffering vs God's View" By Ken Williams

OUR VIEW OF SUFFERING VS. GOD’S VIEW Taken From "Toward a Biblical Theology of Suffering" by Ken Williams, Ph.D.

http://www.itpartners.org/articles/Toward%20a%20Theology%20of%20Suffering.pdf

A. Cultural Myths about Suffering

1. As Christians, we should not suffer in this life.

2. When we are living in His will, living godly lives, we should experience few hardships.

3. Suffering means something is wrong. It is an abnormal state.

4. Suffering has no redeeming or positive results.

5. Suffering means we can have no joy. It robs us of the choice to rejoice.

6. Spiritual people don’t hurt emotionally when they suffer.

7. If God really loves us He won’t let us suffer very much. His love means that He will put
a hedge around us to keep terrible trials from entering our lives.

8. When we do suffer, God is punishing us out of anger. He is vindictive and wants us to suffer when He is angry with us.

B. How God Views Suffering

1. In fact, we are called to suffer for Jesus. Phil. 1.29, 1 Pet. 2.20-21

2. We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God; we were destined for
trials. Acts 14.22, 1 Thess. 3.3

3. Suffering is normal and inevitable in the Christian life. 2 Tim. 3.12

4. God uses suffering for our good, to conform us to the likeness of His Son. Rom. 8.28-29

5. We have a choice to rejoice in our suffering.

6. Spiritual people feel many painful emotions when they suffer. Mark 14.33-34, 2 Cor. 2.4

7. He didn’t prevent His own Son from suffering. Rom. 8.32 And He didn’t prevent
Paul, Peter, John the Baptist, Job, and others He loved from suffering greatly.

8. Suffering may be God’s loving discipline, for our good. Heb.12.7-11.

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