By the end of this lesson, the student should:

(1) Face suffering with Christian hope.

(2) Appreciate the hope offered by each person of the Trinity.

(3) Recognize the importance of the church in offering biblical hope to suffering believers.

(4) Rejoice in the promise of eternal hope.

► Each student should write or recite 2 Corinthians 7:9–10 from memory.

► Students should share what they learned from Lesson 12 and discuss ways in which they will be better equipped to face suffering in their own lives as a result of the lesson.

David and Nancy Guthrie had a daughter named Hope. Hope was born with a severe genetic disease and lived only six months. The day after they buried their little girl, David said, “We expected our faith to make this hurt less, but it doesn’t…. Our faith keeps us from being swallowed by despair. But I don’t think it makes our loss hurt any less.”[1]

Faith in God does not take away the pain of loss. But it does change our perspective on that loss. Believers learn that we can have hope even while we are weeping. We grieve, but not in the same way as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). Our hope allows us to find joy even in the middle of pain. In this lesson, we will see how the Bible gives hope in times of suffering.

► Imagine these scenarios. How does scripture offer hope in each situation?

• A believer loses their home and all belongings in a natural disaster.

• A believer’s child or spouse is killed by a drunken driver.

• A church leader is falsely accused and forced to leave the church.

• A believer is diagnosed with a fatal disease and has only a few weeks to live.

To find hope in suffering, we must look beyond our pain. If our attention is focused only on the hurt, we may fall into despair. Hope comes when we lift our eyes to God. This does not mean that we deny the reality of our pain. It does not mean that faith makes suffering disappear. It means that the answer to our suffering is found in God.

Brian Han Gregg points out that the Bible gives little attention to the question “Why do we suffer?” Instead, it shows how God responds to our suffering. Scripture teaches us, “God knows about suffering. God cares about suffering. God is at work in the midst of suffering. God is at work against suffering. God reigns over suffering. God suffers. God will one day declare final victory over suffering.”[1] We have hope because God is in control.

► Read Acts 17:26–27.

When they think of God’s sovereignty, some people imagine God governing the universe from far away, like a king who rules from his palace but does not mingle with ordinary people. But Paul gives a different picture. Yes, God rules over the whole world. He has determined when and where every nation will dwell. “Yet he is actually not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27).

This truth is important when we suffer. It reminds us that God not only has a plan for the entire world, he has a plan for each of us as individuals. When you suffer, you can know that the God who rules over all things also rules over your life, and his authority is used for your good.

Because God is both sovereign and loving, you can trust that he has a good purpose, even in suffering. God accomplishes his good purpose through all the things that come into our lives, even those things that are not good in themselves.

The book of Ruth begins with suffering. “In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land…” (Ruth 1:1). The account continues with the deaths of Naomi’s husband and sons. The story is filled with sorrow.

We are not told if the famine was the result of God’s judgment for sin or if it was simply a natural disaster. But regardless of the cause, a loving and sovereign God was working all things together for good. By the end of the book, there is great blessing. Obed (Naomi’s grandson by Boaz and Ruth) fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David (Ruth 4:22).

Because of the famine, a Moabite woman named Ruth came to Bethlehem. She married Boaz and became part of the family line of David—and later, Jesus (Matthew 1:5). Even in suffering, God was accomplishing his good plan. We find hope in suffering because we trust our loving and sovereign Father.

► Read Romans 8:28–30. What do these verses tell us about God’s sovereignty in relation to suffering?

There are two mistakes we must avoid when we read Romans 8:28:

1. We must not say, “God is the cause of the evil in our lives.” Paul does not say that God causes our suffering; he says that God brings good out of our suffering. Some suffering is the result of personal sin; some suffering is the result of the sins of others; even natural disasters and disease are the result of the Fall. God is not the cause of suffering; suffering is the result of sin. But God uses even the suffering caused by sin to accomplish good.

2. We must not say, “Since God has promised to work all things for my good, he will heal my suffering in this lifetime.” Romans 8:28 does not promise an immediate end to our suffering. Instead, it promises that God is working all things for the ultimate good of us being transformed into the image of Jesus Christ. That is our greatest good. When we remember that eternal life with Christ is greater than anything in this world, we can find hope even if we are not healed in this life.

Asaph, a Temple musician, wrote of his anguish in the face of trouble: “…My soul refuses to be comforted” (Psalm 77:2). He asked painful questions: “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” (Psalm 77:7–9).

Yet in his pain, Asaph found hope when he remembered God’s past faithfulness. He said, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders of old” (Psalm 77:11). He remembered how God redeemed Israel from trouble. As Asaph remembered God’s power and mercy, he found hope in suffering.

Hearing this, a suffering believer may ask, “What is God’s good purpose in my pain?” This is where the wise pastor must have the humility to confess, “I do not know God’s specific purpose in your situation.” We do not always know the reason for what happens in life. But even then, we can trust the heart of our good God.

To find hope in God’s sovereignty, we must believe that he is good even when we do not understand his ways. Knowing that God is in control does not remove the mystery of suffering or answer every question. Our hope rests, not in having every answer, but in trusting God’s wisdom, love, and power.

Jesus experienced real human weakness. A body that suffered colic and diarrhea as a baby. A body that caught colds and the flu. Legs that grew tired as he walked along the roads between Galilee and Jerusalem. He faced the struggles of childhood, the awkward teenage years, and the normal illnesses of adulthood. He was fully human.

In times of suffering, we may be tempted to doubt God’s love. We may ask, “Is he really doing what is good for me?” In his humanity, Jesus models trust in our Father. When religious leaders rejected him, Jesus trusted the Father’s approval. When his own family questioned his sanity, Jesus trusted the Father’s call on his life. When soldiers nailed him to a cross, Jesus trusted the Father’s plan. Because Jesus trusted the Father, we too can trust that God is working for our good—even when we do not understand.

[1]The clearest example of Jesus’ suffering is his death on the cross. One biblical scholar wrote that the primary reason we know “that God can be trusted in the midst of suffering is that… God himself has firsthand experience of suffering.”[2] Or, as another theologian wrote, “The cross reveals the kind of God we trust.”[3] We find hope in the fact that the Father did not remain aloof from our broken world. He sent his only Son to share in our pain.

John Stott pointed to several ways in which the cross of Christ helps us in our suffering.[4] Three of these are related to principles we have studied in this course.

(1) The cross is the path to mature holiness.

The writer of Hebrews says that Jesus was made perfect through suffering (Hebrews 2:10, Hebrews 5:8). This does not mean that Jesus was sinful. But as Jesus lived his earthly life with all its pain and difficulties, he was prepared to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. As we follow Christ in his suffering, we are brought to maturity (James 1:2–4).

None of us would choose suffering, but God allows our suffering as part of his plan for bringing us to spiritual maturity. Scripture shows how God perfects his children like:

• A father who disciplines his children for their good (Deuteronomy 8:5, Hebrews 12:5–11).

• A metalworker who refines and purifies gold (1 Peter 1:6–7).

• A gardener who prunes a vine to make it more fruitful (John 15:1–8).

Stott notes that pruning can appear cruel to an onlooker. A beautiful bush is cut back until it looks bare. “But when the spring and summer comes around again, there is much fruit,” Stott writes. In the same way, God’s work in our life sometimes appears cruel to onlookers. But his work prepares us for greater fruitfulness. God intends suffering to be a means of grace in the life of his people (Psalm 119:67).

As we accept the painful process of discipline, refining, and pruning, God uses suffering to build perseverance, purify faith, and develop humility in each of us. As we take up our cross, we travel the path to mature holiness.

(2) The cross is a symbol of suffering service.

The mission of Jesus, the suffering servant of Isaiah, has become the mission of the church (Isaiah 49:6, Acts 13:47). “For the church, as for the Savior, suffering and service go together.”[5] Just as Jesus’ mission could not be accomplished without suffering, our mission cannot be accomplished without suffering. “Suffering is indispensable to fruitful or effective service,”[6] as Jesus explained in John 12:23–26.

In fact, Stott suggests that “the greatest single secret of evangelistic or missionary effectiveness is the willingness to suffer and die.” Preaching a biblical gospel may require death to popularity. Relying on the Holy Spirit instead of our own abilities may require death to pride. Identifying with those we are called to serve may require death to our prejudices. And adopting a simple lifestyle for the sake of ministry may require the death of material comfort. Fruitfulness requires death.

(3) The cross is the proof of God’s presence with us in our pain (Hebrews 4:15).

The cross is the greatest proof possible that God understands our suffering. A trauma surgeon compared Jesus’ sufferings on the cross to the experience of a patient who suffers a heart attack or stroke.

When our chest aches, and when the simple act of breathing feels like misery, how can we know that God still holds us in his palms? How can we believe this? The answer lies at the foot of the cross.

God so loves you that he gave his Son to endure the same gasps and pangs that afflict you. When your chest tightens, remember that Christ’s did also. When oxygen tubing tethers you to a bed, remember that he gave his last breath so you would have eternal life.[7]

The cross is the greatest proof that God works all things for good. On the cross, God brought ultimate good out of ultimate evil. The people who put Jesus to death—the Sanhedrin, Pontius Pilate, and Herod—all acted from sinful motives. Yet God used their evil actions to bring salvation to the world. If God could bring good from this terrible wrong, we can trust him to bring good out of the hard things in our lives. This gives us hope.

The Holy Spirit Intercedes for Us in Suffering

► Read Romans 8:26–27.

Romans 8 is one of the high points of Paul’s theology of the Holy Spirit. Paul first shows that the Spirit gives us power to live in victory over sin. Then he shows that the Spirit helps us in our weakness.

Many believers who have endured prolonged suffering understand what Paul means when he says that we may not know how to pray as we should. There are times when the pain is so great that we cannot find the right words. Paul does not say, “Try harder.” He does not preach, “If you had more faith, you could pray better.” Instead, he assures us that when we do not know how to pray, the Holy Spirit speaks to the Father on our behalf.

The Holy Spirit Ministers Through the Church

The Spirit not only prays for us; he also brings comfort to us, often through our fellow believers. Sadly, many people think they must hide their pain. They are ashamed to admit weakness.

K.J. Ramsey wrote, “The tacit message in our churches, culture, and relationships is this: Success is public; suffering is private.” But when we hide our suffering, we hinder the Holy Spirit’s ability to bring comfort through God’s people. “Hiding and hurting, we become divorced from hope and detached from joy.”[1]

Ramsey imagines the difference it would make for churches to encourage believers to share openly. “I wonder what our lives would look like if the church intentionally made room for suffering…. I wonder how much less anguish we would experience in suffering if the church treated suffering like a story to tell rather than a secret to keep until it passes.”[2]

In 2 Corinthians, Paul gives an example of how we can be open about our suffering. In this very personal letter, the great apostle speaks openly about his suffering. Paul reveals his pain to a congregation of immature believers and asks the church to pray for him.

► Read 2 Corinthians 1:8–11.

Some people in Corinth believed that strong faith always leads to health and success. When they saw Paul suffer, they thought it meant that God was not blessing him.

Paul could have pointed to his successes in places like Philippi and Ephesus. He could have reminded them of the miracles he had performed. Instead, he spoke honestly of his suffering. Then he said something surprising, “You also must help us by prayer…” (2 Corinthians 1:11). Paul knew that he needed other believers.

Later in this letter, Paul described his hardships in Macedonia. He faced physical exhaustion, opposition from enemies of the gospel, and fear. In this trouble, God comforted the apostle. How did God comfort Paul? Not through a mystical spiritual experience or dramatic vision, but through a fellow believer. “But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus” (2 Corinthians 7:6). God comforted the apostle through a fellow believer.

Paul David Tripp gave this advice for those facing physical and emotional pain, “Don’t suffer in heroic isolation.”[3] We were not created to suffer alone. God made us as part of the body of Christ. When one member hurts, the others come alongside. This brings hope when we suffer.

In times of pain, Satan tempts us to doubt God’s goodness. He wants us to forget God’s love and care. At those times, we need other believers to remind us of the truth. In times of suffering, “the Christian needs another Christian who speaks God’s Word to him. He needs him again and again when he becomes uncertain and discouraged, for by himself he cannot help himself….”[4]

After a tragic car accident killed his mother, wife, and daughter, theologian Gerald Sittser said that there was a time when belief seemed impossible. He testified, “I could not muster any faith. Mere survival seemed hard enough. So, I let the church believe for me. I let the church pray and sing and listen for me.”[5] Through other believers, the Holy Spirit ministered grace to a broken heart.

Mark is the father of a beautiful family. But Mark has incurable cancer and is likely to die before his daughter finishes high school. One day, Mark and his friend had breakfast together. His friend was prepared to listen and offer comfort after Mark’s recent diagnosis. Instead, Mark smiled and said, “I am looking forward to heaven!”

Mark knows that he will endure pain and suffering. He is sad that his family will grieve. But he has hope. He knows that he will one day be reunited with his wife and daughter. He has hope because of the promise of eternal glory.

The Promise of Eternal Glory in Paul’s Letters

Again, we turn to Romans 8. We have already seen that God’s sovereignty gives hope to suffering believers. We have seen that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in our weakness. Romans 8 offers another great hope: the hope of eternal glory.

► Read Romans 8:18–25.

Paul wrote these words to believers living under the rule of Nero. Some of them would face persecution. Some were slaves who were treated unfairly by their masters. Paul did not respond to these situations by saying, “If you have enough faith, God will rescue you.” He did not promise wealth or comfort.

Instead, Paul acknowledged their suffering and pointed them to the eternal glory that is coming. He assured them that their present suffering was small compared to their future glory (Romans 8:18). Yes, our suffering is real. But it is small when compared with the glory waiting for us.

Paul’s words may have reminded his readers of Isaiah’s promise of a new earth. God said the new creation would be so wonderful that “…the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind” (Isaiah 65:17). In the same way that a mother forgets the pain of childbirth when she holds her newborn baby, we will forget today’s pains when we experience life on the new earth.

The promise of a new earth gives hope when you are suffering. You can rejoice that “What is will not always be…. Thousands of years into eternity, as you’re living in a perfect world that has been made new in every way, you’ll look back on what now seems unbearable and inescapable as a brief flash of difficulty.”[1]

This truth is important because no answer to the problem of suffering is complete without the promise of eternity. In this life, evil is not always punished. Wicked men may live long and comfortable lives; righteous men may suffer disease and die in poverty. We do not see perfect justice in this life. But scripture teaches that eternity must be part of our calculation when we consider suffering and justice.

► Read 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18.

Paul said that believers do not grieve in the same way as those who have no hope. What is the hope that changes how we grieve? It is the promise that Jesus will return. We will be reunited with loved ones who have died in Christ. Paul ended this teaching by saying, “Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:18).

For Paul, this was not just theory; it was intensely personal. He wrote to the Corinthian believers, “If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (1 Corinthians 15:19). In the middle of persecution, Paul was strengthened by the promise of eternal glory.

We have seen how the apostle described his sufferings in 2 Corinthians 4:8–9. He was afflicted, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down. But in verses 16–17, he could testify, “We do not lose heart….” Why? Because “…this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” When Paul compared his present pain to his future glory, he could rejoice even in hardship.

The Promise of Eternal Glory in Revelation

Genesis shows how sin corrupted God’s perfect creation. Revelation shows God’s plan to restore his perfect world. Genesis teaches that suffering came into the world because of man’s sin, not because God failed. Revelation shows that suffering will be conquered by God’s redemptive plan, not by man’s solutions.

(1) Revelation shows that God’s purpose in human history will be fulfilled.

Today, we do not understand suffering because we do not fully comprehend God’s plans. Our view is limited. But one day we will see clearly. On that day, our questions will be answered. Revelation shows that God’s purposes are being accomplished through pain and suffering.

In Revelation 5, John saw God on his throne holding a sealed scroll. Many commentators believe this scroll represents God’s plan for human history. No one could open the scroll except the Lamb who had been slain (Revelation 5:9). Through the death of Jesus—the ultimate example of innocent suffering—God’s eternal purpose would be revealed and accomplished.

(2) Revelation shows that the prayers of suffering believers are important to God’s purposes in history.

► Read Revelation 5:8 and Psalm 141:1–2, 8–10.

In Revelation 5:8, the creatures and elders around the throne held “…golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” This picture connects to Psalm 141, where David asks God to receive his prayer like the incense used in worship (Psalm 141:2, Exodus 30:1–10). Centuries later, Revelation shows that the prayers of God’s people are also incense preserved in a golden bowl.

These prayers are part of God’s plan to bring justice to the world (Revelation 6:9–10, Revelation 8:3–4). In Revelation 8:3–4, the prayers rise before God like incense. Soon, these prayers are flung to the earth in judgment. Later, the bowls that held the prayers of the saints hold the wrath of God (Revelation 15:7).

In Revelation, prayer is a weapon of spiritual warfare. God’s judgments fall in response to the prayers of suffering believers. When our prayers for deliverance are unanswered, we should not think that God does not hear us or that he is unwilling to answer. He hears. Our prayers are being stored up to be answered in God’s perfect timing. The prayers of God’s people during times of persecution and injustice are part of God’s means of bringing about his purpose in the world.

(3) Revelation shows that the suffering of God’s people is temporary.

In Revelation 21–22, John saw the restoration of God’s perfect creation. In the new heaven and new earth, the effects of sin will be gone. There will be no more death, sorrow, or pain. Although Revelation does not offer a full explanation for suffering, it does offer a final answer to suffering.[2] God will make all things new.

After his family was killed by a drunk driver, Gerald Sittser explained the source of his hope in sorrow. “If this world were the only one there is, then suffering has the final say.” But because Jesus has defeated sin and death, “I end up believing with greater depth and joy than I had before, even in my sorrow.”[3] This is the hope that comes from the promise of eternal glory.

November 1900 may have been the most difficult month of Hudson Taylor’s life. He was in a hospital in Switzerland recovering from illness when the Boxer Rebellion broke out in China. During this uprising, many missionaries and thousands of Chinese believers died as martyrs.

At first, Taylor’s family hid the news from him because they feared the shock might kill him. When he finally heard, Taylor suffered days of anguish. He longed to be with his missionaries in China. In this dark time, Taylor had to trust God’s good heart despite the terrible news. He said to a friend, “I cannot read. I cannot think. I cannot pray. But I can trust.”

What gave Hudson Taylor this trust? The answer is seen in his words after receiving a letter from two missionaries who had been close friends of Taylor and his wife. Just hours before they were killed by a mob, these ladies wrote a farewell letter saying there was no hope of escape. They knew they would soon die.

As Taylor read the letter through tears, he said to his daughter-in-law, “Oh think what it must have been to exchange that murderous mob for the rapture of his presence.… They do not regret it now. A crown that fadeth not away.”[1] In the darkest hour of his life, Hudson Taylor found hope in the promise of eternal glory.

► Pray for people you know who are experiencing personal suffering and difficult situations. Pray that God will help you know how to bring Christ’s love and presence in a meaningful way into the lives of those who are suffering.

Write 1–2 pages summarizing the main lessons you have learned from this course. How will this course equip you to better minister to suffering believers?