![]() ![]() There is no way to make sense of the biblical storyline if the suffering of God’s people is not taken into consideration. The final book of the Bible (Revelation) gives hope to the people of God who are suffering for the faith. In the New Testament, we are confronted with vivid images of suffering in the lives of Paul and Peter. He points to the slavery of God’s people in Egypt and other periods of foreign oppression described in the Old Testament. “Scripture assumes that, since the fall, the people God has chosen are sufferers” (76). Instead, it is often the mark of God’s people. Suffering is not necessarily a sign that we have done something wrong. When doubt arises in our hearts, or temptation comes, or disillusionment takes hold, the Christian is commanded to remember the God whose image we bear and in whom we find forgiveness and restoration.Īs “sufferers,” we need to be reminded of the fallen world we live in, and the evils from “outside ourselves” that confront us during our earthly existence. The Word consistently reminds God’s people that they are set apart for His missional purposes in the world, to bring Him glory and to find their joy in Him. We are defined by our relationship to God. Our identities are not wrapped up in our jobs, our families, our wealth, or our hobbies. It could be that a seemingly unrelated symptom presents itself and leads the Christian to request counseling, but the underlying root cause will generally fall into one of these three categories.Īs “saints,” we need to be reminded of our relationship with God. These three categories correspond with the experience of the Christian.
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