Believers are Not Exempt from Pain

Hebrews 12:12-17

How can a loving heavenly Father permit such pain to befall His much-cherished children?  

The natural disasters—earthquakes, hurricanes, mudslides, wildfires, and tsunamis of recent weeks and months often raise these questions because many of God’s children were involved in these terrible events and gravely impacted like all others. You may be aware that some of the most difficult challenges with family, health, employment, and our nation have occurred in the lives of some of God’s choicest servants. Perplexing? It should not be, Joseph, Daniel, Paul, Moses, and Job were fascinating servants of the “Most High,” yet they endured some of the most challenging situations in biblical history! Beloved, God’s children are not exempt from lost, pain, suffering, diseases, and family struggles….

So, why does God permit us, His children, to suffer?

LESSON:

I.                God Allows Suffering for the Purpose of Sanctification: Make the Adjustments to Pursue a Holy Lifestyle (Heb. 12:12-17). In terms of persevering in the spiritual race of Faith (Heb. 12:1-4), what is the meaning of God’s commands in Hebrews 12:12, 13, and 14? What must we do when hardness strikes?

A.    Adjust Your Attitude to Renew Your Strength (Heb. 12:12). God understands our tendency to spiritual weakness, discouragement, and quitting as believers (12:12), and in the light of the truths God has expounded He encourages us to renew our strength. Beloved, we are not to cave in under the adverse circumstances of life; our lapse of faith might have an unfavorable influence on others.

                                                  i.      Shake the discouragement. Drooping hands should be reinvigorated to serve the living Christ.

                                                ii.      Strengthen your resolve. Feeble knees should be strengthened for persevering prayer (12:12).

B.     Adjust Your Course to Continue in Godly Disciplines (Heb. 12:13). If we respect this and pursue the level and “straight paths” which entails real righteousness, transparent prayer, trusting the Word, and spiritual power that the weakest among us (the lame) would not be further disabled, but rather healed. Our lives strengthened in the Lord would benefit weaker Christians.

                                                  i.      Faltering feet should be guided in straight paths of Christian discipleship.

                                                ii.      Williams writes:

All who follow the Lord fully smooth the path of faith for feeble brethren; but those who do not follow fully, roughen the path for others’ feet and create spiritual cripples.

                                              iii.      G. H. Lang gives a fine illustration:

A weary traveler, tired of the road and the buffeting of the tempest, stands dispirited and limp. With shoulders bowed, hands hanging slack, knees bent and shaking, he is ready to give up and sink to the ground. Such can God’s pilgrim become, as pictured by our writer.

But one comes to him confident of mien [demeanor], with kindly smile and firm voice, and says, “Cheer up, stand erect, brace your limbs, take heart of grace. You have already come far; throw not away your former toils. A noble home is at the end of the journey. See, yonder is the direct road to it; keep straight on; seek from the great Physician healing for your lameness. ... Your Forerunner went this same hard road to the palace of God; others before you have won through; others are on the way; you are not alone; only press on! And you too shall reach the goal and win the prize.”

                                              iv.      Happy is he who knows how to sustain with words him that is weary (Isaiah 50:4). Happy is he who accepts exhortation (Hebrews 13:22). And thrice happy is he whose faith is simple and strong so that he finds no occasion of stumbling in the Lord when His discipline is severe. –MacDonald: Believer's Bible Commentary

C.    Adjust Your Relationships to Pursue Peace with Others (Heb. 12:14).

                                                  i.      As we run the Christian race, what is our goal? The writer explained the goal in Hebrews 12:14: Peace with all men, and holiness before the Lord. (Remember “the peaceable fruit of righteousness,” Heb. 12:11.) These two goals remind us of our Lord’s high priestly ministry—King of peace and King of righteousness (Heb. 7:1–2). –Wiersbe: The Bible Exposition Commentary

                                                ii.      Pursue Peace with all people (14).

1.      Peace with all men as well as personal holiness must be vigorously sought since without holiness no one will see the Lord. Christians should strive for peaceable relations with all people and at all times (Ps. 34:14; Matt 5:9; Mk 9:50; Rom. 12:18; 14:19; Js. 3:17-18).

2.      But this exhortation is especially needful when persecution is prevalent, when some are defecting from the faith, and when nerves are frayed. At such times it is all too easy to vent one’s frustration and fears on those who are nearest and dearest. This is the first danger.

D.    Adjust Your Surveillance to Pursue Righteous Values and Principles (Heb. 12:14-17).

What dangers must a strong Christian avoid, and why must we avoid them? (Heb. 12:14-17). The dangers Christians must avoid are all related to some degree of apostasy. These include: lack of spiritual diligence—failing to watch over their lives, bitterness against the Lord or others (see Deut. 29:18), sexual immorality, and decision making that reflect worldly and fleshly priorities.  How can we avoid these dangers?

                                                  i.      By Habitually Pursuing Practical Holiness (12:14).

1.      Pursue a holy lifestyle before God constantly (14).

a.       We should also strive for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord (12:14).  Since no sin can stand in God’s presence, Christians must—and will be—sinless when we see the Lord (1 John 3:2). That realization offers motivation for pursuing holiness here and now (Ps. 15:2; 94:15; Rom 6:22; 2Cor 6:17; 7:1; Phil. 3:12; 1 Thess. 4:7; 1 Pet 1:15-16).

b.      It is not that we earn the right to see God by living holy lives; Jesus Christ is our only claim to heaven. But there must be a pursuit of practical holiness as this evidences new life within. A pursuit of holiness and growing in righteous living, is proof the Spirit is leading the believer and the Spirit’s life is within (Rom. 8:11-14). When the Holy Spirit indwells a person, He manifests His presence by a separated life. It is a matter of cause and effect; if Christ has been received, the rivers of living water will flow.

2.      Pursue holiness to see God more clearly. I believe something else is intimated here…. The thought that our perception of God even now is conditioned by our real measure of personal holiness (see Matt. 5:8; 1Jn. 3:2-3). 

3.      Pursue holiness continually. Practical or progressive holiness is something that involves our obedience and cooperation; we must cultivate such devotion continually. The fact that we must follow it is proof that we do not fully attain it in this life. The second danger is a failure to progress in holiness. 

                                                ii.      By Diligently Walking in Grace to Avoid the Dangers (12:15-17).

It requires diligence to run the race successfully lest we “fail of the grace of God” (Heb. 12:15).  To fail means to fall behind in the race and/or fail to reach the goal. Grace is once more emphasized at the end of the chapter (Heb. 12:28). If we fail to take advantage of God’s grace, we will face the following conditions.

1.      Lest we fail of the grace of God (15).

a.       God’s grace does not fail, but we can fail to take advantage of His grace and therefore not finish our course or reach our spiritual potential. We are encouraged to depend on the grace of God by considering the failure of Esau.

b.      Esau certainly failed to act on God’s grace. The account is given in Genesis 25:27–34; 27:30–45.  God’s grace will never let you down or prove inadequate for any obstacle or challenge we face, but we can choose to get angry instead of trust God or blame God for all our problems and not depend on God’s grace (Gal. 5:4). Esau is a warning to us not to live for lesser things.

2.      Lest we are troubled by bitterness (15).

a.       As a grim reminder of what can happen among believers, we are warned that if we fail to use the grace of God we may become like a bitter root whose infidelity to God affects others. Deuteronomy 29:18 comes to mind where an OT apostate was called a “root that beareth gall and wormwood;” the “root” produces a bitter poison that negatively influences others. It is clear from Moses that the “root’ is a person who is inclined towards apostasy and departing from the True and Living God. Perhaps they are inclined to revert back to Judaism or the pursuit of some form of sensuality. They perhaps view apostasy as a safe and easier way to handle the persecutions and troubles instead of continuing in faithfulness to Christ. This is another warning against the single sin of apostasy and these sins are all related to it.

b.      Full apostasy is a root of bitterness; such individuals may have failed to obtain the grace of God. They may look like a Christian, talks like a Christian, professes to be a Christian, but they have never been born again. Such a person turns sour against the Lord because of suffering and repudiates the Christian faith (Matt 13:20-22). His defection can become contagious. Others are defiled by his complaints, doubts, and denials.

3.      Lest we become profane (godless and worldly) fornicators (16-17).

a.       Esau was “a profane person,” which means “a common person, one who lives for the world and not God.” (Our English word literally means “outside the temple,” or not belonging to God.) A profane person is a godless, unholy, secular, desecrated person with zero respect for spiritual things—a reprobate. Esau despised his birthright and sold it to Jacob, and he missed the blessing because it was given to Jacob. (It was supposed to go to Jacob anyway, but it was wrong for Jacob to use trickery to get it. See Gen. 25:19–26.) Afterward, Esau tried to get Isaac to change his mind, but it was too late. Even Esau’s tears availed nothing.

b.      What sins will rob us of the enabling of God’s grace? These verses tell us: lack of spiritual diligence, bitterness against others (see Deut. 29:18), sexual immorality, and living for the world and the flesh. Some people have the idea that a “profane person” is blasphemous and filthy; but Esau was a congenial fellow, a good hunter, and a man who loved his father. He would have made a fine neighbor—but he was not interested in the things of God. –Wiersbe: The Bible Exposition Commentary

Conclusion:

We are clearly warned not to yield to temporary pressures and forfeit our spiritual blessings and inheritances. If some do, they will ultimately regret the foolish step and might find their inheritance privileges irrevocably lost as were Esau’s. This would of course be true of any believer who ended his Christian experience in some backslidden state. The book of Hebrews has continually warned against this possibility. –Adapted from MacDonald,

So, why does God allow His children to suffer? Well, he permits suffering to correct and change us. Holiness, righteousness, faith, and continuing with holy power are His grand designs for us. He is wise and patient in this task and there is much we need to learn…. Trust Him still, Beloved. Trust Him still.

Jowett explains:

The purpose of God’s chastening is not punitive but creative. He chastens “that we may share His holiness.” The phrase “that we may share” has direction in it, and the direction points toward a purified and beautified life. The fire which is kindled is not a bonfire, blazing heedlessly and unguardedly, and consuming precious things; it is a refiner’s fire, and the Refiner sits by it, and He is firmly and patiently and gently bringing holiness out of carelessness and stability out of weakness. God is always creating even when He is using the darker means of grace. He is producing the fruits and flowers of the Spirit. His love is always in quest of lovely things. –MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary