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Pain and Suffering

It’s human nature to not want any sickness, pain and suffering of any kind in our lives.  Yet, we all experience it.

There are some who believe that the Christian should not suffer illness.  The scripture that is often used to make their case is – “But he was wounded (pierced) for our transgressions, he was bruised (crushed) for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”  (Isaiah 53:5)

This is an obvious prophetic reference to the Lord Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of Himself for our sins. 

Taking a careful look at that scripture, “healed” does not refer to what is physical, but spiritual.

Before we were saved, our spirits were “broken,” not allowing for fellowship with God.  The Lord Jesus has made them “whole” because of what He went through at Calvary as our Substitute.  This is the spiritual healing of our spirit, not the physical healing of our body. We have peace with God which resulted from the punishment that was placed on Him.  That allows us to communicate and have fellowship with Divine Persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Think of Timothy for a moment.  There was a time when he was having stomach and other health issues.  Paul, the apostle, told him, “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities.”  (1 Timothy 5:23)

Paul was suggesting to Timothy to drink a little wine, in addition to water, for his stomach and frequent illnesses he had been having.

If anyone should have been exempt from illness, one would think Paul would.  Consider that he was in prison often, was flogged and was close to death a number of times – “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one.  Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.  (2 Corinthians 11:24-27; NIV)

Yet, despite all of the hardships and sufferings that Paul went through, he was given a “thorn in the flesh” (2 Corinthians 12:7).  He pleaded with the Lord three times to have it removed, but, as far as we know, it never was.  “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”  (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Another point to consider – the verse in Isaiah 53 says we are healed.  That is past tense.  So, future sickness or illness does not apply.  Again, this indicates that the verse refers to what is spiritual, that is, our soul has been made whole by what the Lord Jesus Christ did for us at Calvary.  This spiritual healing is a one-time event and happened the moment we received Christ as our Lord and Saviour.

Whenever we suffer in a physical way, we have a source of help and strength – the Lord Himself and His grace – allowing us to deal with it, as Paul did.  It is God’s choosing as to whether we are physically healed or not.

The thought of the Lord Jesus being wounded for our transgressions, as we read in Isaiah 53, so that we could be healed spiritually and be made “whole,” reminds us of that hymn –

He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions

He was wounded for our transgressions
He bore our sins in His body on the tree
For our guilt He gave us peace
From our bondage gave release
And with His stripes and with His stripes
And with His stripes our souls are healed

He was numbered among transgressors
We did esteem Him forsaken by His God
As our sacrifice He died
That the law be satisfied
All our sin and all our sin
And all our sin was laid on Him

We had wandered we all had wandered
Far from the fold of the Shepherd of the sheep
But He sought us where we were
On the mountain bleak and bare
And brought us home and brought us home
And brought us safely home to God

Who can number His generation
Who shall declare
All the triumphs of His cross
Millions dead now live again
Myriads follow in His train
Victorious Lord victorious Lord
Victorious Lord and coming King

He Was Wounded for Our Transgressions by Thomas O. Chisholm; Merrill Dunlop. 

© 1941, renewed 1969, Singspiration Music/ASCAP.

How to Tell If You Are Born Again

First, let’s define “born again.”

You may recall that “There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.  After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”

Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”

“What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”  (John 3:1-4)

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.  The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.”  (John 3:6-8)

Clearly, the Lord Jesus was saying to Nicodemus that what was needed was not another physical birth.

Being descendants of Adam, and because of sin, we are born into this world spiritually separated from God.  Remember Adam tried to hide from God after he sinned in eating the forbidden fruit?  Our spirit is dead.  Once we receive Jesus as our Lord and Saviour, we are “born again,” given “newness of life” and our spirit is made alive so that we can enjoy fellowship with God! 

“The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,”  (Romans 8:16).

The Bible says to “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove (or test) yourselves.”  (2 Corinthians 13:5)

Sometimes a doubt comes in that causes us to question whether or not we truly are born again.

To help answer that, I would suggest that we ask ourselves some questions:

Do we have a desire to

Read the Bible?

Pray?

Be with the Lord’s people?

Meditate upon and study the scriptures?

Tell others about the Lord Jesus and share the gospel with them?

The Lord said, “For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also”  (Matthew 6:21).

That begs the question, “Where is our treasure?”

Listen to the words of the Lord Jesus – “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”  (Matthew 6:19-20)

“Will you set your eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.”  (Proverbs 23:5)

Should not, then, our “treasure” be in heaven, where our Lord Jesus Christ – the Lord of Glory, is?

Paul, the apostle, says, “Since ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.  Set your affection (mind) on things above, not on things on the earth.  For ye are dead (to this life), and your life is hid with Christ in God.” (Colossians 3:1-3)

We need to judge ourselves – to examine ourselves – as to whether we are showing evidence of “new life” by some of the things mentioned above, to answer, if indeed, we are genuinely “born again.”

In the end, “…The Lord knoweth them that are His… (2 Timothy 2:19).

Heaven is where the Lord Jesus Christ is.

The Lord Jesus Christ is appearing before the Father on our behalf… “For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:”  (Hebrews 9:24)

He is seated in heaven – at God’s right hand – “… when [God] raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,” (Ephesians 1:20).  See also Hebrews 8:1 and 12:2.

We are seated in the heavenlies with him…. “And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:”  (Ephesians 2:6)

He told the disciples that he had to go away, but promised to come back —  … “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”   (John 14: 2-3)  

This is the Christian’s hope, “Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”  (Hebrews 6:19-20).

Because He lives, our future is bright!!!!!!

Because He Lives*

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

How sweet to hold a newborn baby,
And feel the pride and joy he gives;
But greater still the calm assurance:
This child can face uncertain days because He Lives!

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

And then one day, I’ll cross the river,
I’ll fight life’s final war with pain;
And then, as death gives way to victory,
I’ll see the lights of glory and I’ll know He lives!

Chorus
Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

*Because He Lives by Bill & Gloria Gaither. © 1971 by William J. Gaither, Inc.