Assurance in Trials

Romans 8:18-25

If you’ve watched episodes of the Biggest Loser, You may have been stricken by the different attitudes of the contestants. Some are only there because they want the big prize while others are more concerned with getting their health back for one reason or another. Most want to quit when it becomes difficult, or they don’t win an episode. The trainers work to try to make the contestants understand that the long term benefits to their health will greatly outweigh the physical discomfort.

Some never get the picture and drop out rather than keep struggling. Others continue a while, focused on the money and prizes, but if they do not begin to see the health improvement itself as a desirable result, they quit if they lose a few times. Almost none finish who do not begin to look at their health as the primary goal. None finish who do not decide that the goal is worth the pain and struggle to keep up. Those who become convinced their health is worth the pain continue even when voted off the show.

Some of those who quit feel they just aren’t good enough or that others just have it so much easier. Many Christians develop similar attitudes, and become discouraged or quit. Without the reassurance of their salvation all would probably quit. What many do not seem to understand, especially those who have had relatively easy lives, is that struggles and trouble are normal. Those who have usually gotten what they wanted give up over things others consider irrelevant or insignificant.

Job 5:7 makes it clear that trouble is normal for everyone. “Yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.” Not having trouble, not being picked on, and not having to struggle and do without that is abnormal. Not understanding that has a created a very selfish and self absorbed society. Many bring the same philosophy to being a Christian. They believe that if you are God’s child, you ought to live as a child of the king, prosperous and protected from every problem. While it is quite popular, it is an invalid belief.

Jesus warned us that as Christians we are going to have problems. In John 16:33 he warned, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” Our peace must come from him, because we are surrounded and inundated with problems. Being more spiritual and living better, or a better prayer life does not alleviate the problem. Paul warns, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,” in II Timothy 3:12.

Matthew 14:22-33 tells the story of Jesus walking on the water to meet his disciples in the midst of a storm. Peter requested permission to go to the Lord, and Matthew 14:29-31 describes the results. “And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

The storm did not get worse when Peter saw the wind and waves. He just began to pay attention to it, and that’s when he began to sink. It is a good picture of what happens to many. Usually, the problems don’t get worse, we just notice them more. As long as Peter was focused on going to Christ, his goal, he wasn’t troubled by the waves. Paul is teaching that we need to stay focused on the end result here.

“For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” (Romans 8:18-21)

Most of the struggles are not the result of some failure on our part, nor are they aimed at us specifically. They are a natural consequence of sin in the world. We didn’t ask for them or cause them all. They would have happened regardless of us. Mankind only escape them when God ends the state of sin in the world. In the meantime, all of creation, not just humans suffer from the consequences of sin. This includes Christians.

“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” (Romans 8:22-23)

Like the contestants on Biggest Loser, we have to have hope of a time when the goal will be attained. It is that hope that sustains and enables one to keep on going. Those who have completed the course no longer hope. They know the effort reduced their weight. It did. We need to have the patience, like they did, to keep hoping until the end is achieved.

"For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.” (Romans 8:24-25)