Jesus said, “Love your enemies.” (Mt 5:44) Perhaps it’s the cornerstone of all godliness, actively seeking the good of others, even those who’d harm us.
The Passion of the Christ
This is unnatural, certainly; it denies our self-protective instinct. Returning good for evil enables and strengthens our enemies to harm us even more. Yet it is our God’s example. (Mt 5:45)
Living this way as a manner of life requires an energy from another world, a Life beyond our own. It is perhaps the greatest witness of the reality of God, that we commit our physical care into His hands, just as we have our souls and spirits. (1Pe 4:19) It is only then that we live as children of our heavenly Father.
There is a time to resist abuse, and a time to suffer according to the will of God. It is the wisdom of God to tell these apart, but there is never a time to wish ill to another. (Ro 13:10) Let us not fear to follow God in suffering for His name, for our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. (2Co 4:16-18)
There is a place in the heart of God where I must dwell for a while, a mysterious conjunction of His anger, His justice and His mercy. It is the fullness of His love.
Like Micah of old, I will feel all of His love together, at once, in context: “I will bear the indignation of the LORD, because I have sinned against him, until he plead my cause, and execute judgment for me: he will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold his righteousness.”(Mi 7:9)
Indignation: righteous anger; strong displeasure at something unjust, appalling, offensive, insulting or base.
Texas heart tornado
I will bear, endure and accept, agree and align with God’s righteous anger toward me. His is perfect hatred, so beautiful I cannot hide. I drink Him into my innermost being, all of Him, everything about Him, even His strong displeasure … because I have sinned against Him.
I agree with Him: there is no excuse for any of my wrongs. I lie prostrate, afflicted, trembling before Him. It is the safest place in the universe: unprotected, naked, vulnerable before my God. (2Co 5:11)
I will stay before Him, filling myself with all of Him, and I will never leave, because I know … He pleads my cause. He looks over my life and finds nothing in me to defend, yet He pleads for me. He will never find anything good in me, but He will reason, He will argue before the court of Heaven … He Himself will win the case of His own justice against me.
He is the one I have offended … yet He will execute judgement for me … because my righteousness is not in myself. All my hopelies in Another; I have a perfect righteousness in God’s own Son. God sees the travail of His soul and is completely satisfied. (Is 53:11) Yeshua took my place in death, became my sin for me, bearing the dreadful curse on my behalf. (2Co 5:21) He died, now I go free. “He will bring me forth to the light, and I shall behold His righteousness.” My redeemer lives! (Job 19:25-7)
“O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!” (Ro 11:33)
When Christ illustrates God’s kingdom He describes some of those outside of it as “stony ground,” (Mk 4:16-17) people who eagerly embrace the gospel message and enjoy the community of the saints, but when called upon to actually live out their faith, especially in difficult times, they have no interest. It seems that a key factor in identifying the elect lies in their response to God in suffering.
Oliver C Wright: The Malham Ash
Many today gladly receive a promise of forgiveness and a better life, but who counts it a privilege “not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake?” (Php 1:29)
As we do our diligence in making our calling and election sure (2Pe 1:10), we should carefully consider how trials are affecting us. And if we are not also choosing His ways and actively pursuing Him in the small things, should we expect to be faithful when it really gets hard? (Lk 16:10)
If we find our hearts to be shallow and stony let’s not despair, but seek new ones from God (Eze 36:26-7), not training ourselves in lives of ease but in enduring hardness as good soldiers of Christ. (2Ti 2:3) Let’s not find ourselves among those who wither in trial, but triumphant in God as He displays His strength in us. (Ro 5:3-5)
There are times when all the cruelty and suffering in this world moves us to doubt the benevolence of God, His intrinsic goodness. When God allows pain in our lives it’s easy to conclude He doesn’t love us, and even to be angry and resentful toward Him.
Cherry Blossom Tree, Fuji volcano
But where does doubting God’s goodness lead us? Does having no hope in our suffering make it any better? If God really can’t be trusted, if He isn’t ultimately benevolent and kind, how are we going to escape Him? What else is left, if God isn’t faithful?
Giving up on the goodness of God is to give up everything … there’s nothing left worth having.
God invites us, “O taste and see that YHWH is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in Him.”(Ps 34:8) Rather than asking God to explain Himself we can ask Him to help us trust that He knows what He’s doing, and that it’s all for agood reason.
So, what does this actually mean, to say that God is good. It can only mean that He aligns with a moral standard, that His behavior is right and appropriate. Yet, He Himself is this standard; He creates the standard according to His nature, defining for Himself and for us all what is right and appropriate — so the definition in this case is a bit circular. This is, however, not problematic — it is inevitable: such standards cannot create themselves, someone must define them and God is free to do as He wishes simply because He is God. The fact that He voluntarily chooses to live according to His own standard, even when this causes Him to suffer, is indeed impressive.
In the end we can all be sure of one thing: no one in Heaven will be disappointed or angry with God; we will be overwhelmed with delight and gratitude for all He has done. (Re 15:4) One day all His children will understandfully … and will rejoice in Him. (1Co 13:12)
The Psalmist says, “I had fainted, unless I had believed to seethe goodness of the LORDin the land of the living.” (Ps 27:13) Evidence of the unfathomable goodness of God is all around us. We think seeing will help us believe, but the truth is that we need to believeso that we can see. God isn’t asking us to deny the reality of suffering, or to refuse to fully engage in life, but calling us to an expectation and hope that He will bring beauty from ash and life from death. (Ro 8:28, 11:36)
Many thoughtful, intelligent people claim that doubt is intrinsic to faith, that anyone who isn’t doubting is either asleep or kidding themselves. Yet perhaps you’ve met people who claim to know God for sure … and perhaps they are just shallow, religious quacks living in a make-believe world.
Omer Mei-Dan: Cave of Swallows, San Luis Potosi, Mexico
But the question of eternity remains: When we step beyond the edge of this earthly life … and we all will … is it possible to be absolutely sure that we know God, and that we are safe in Him? If so, how, and what practical help can we offer others who are seeking?
God says, “give diligence tomake your calling and election sure” (2Pe 1:10-11) If God encourages us to ensure our election in Him, then this is both possible and extremely important. We’re all going to fall into the abyss of death some day … Isn’t God saying we should ensure we have a parachute … one that works?
How confident are you about eternity? Do you believe? Do you know that you have eternal life? (1Jn 5:13) Are you resting in the fact that God has already made you suitable to partake of the eternal inheritance of the saints in light? (Col 1:12) Has He delivered you from the power of darkness? Has He already translated you into His kingdom? (Col 1:13) Are you redeemed through His blood, having all of your sins forgiven? (Col 1:14) Are you ready to face the indignation of the Lord, knowing He will plead your cause and justify you for the sake of His beloved Son?
If there is any way you could be more sure, you are not yet sure enough: seek Him. You will face Him, alone. There’s time now to get your parachute in order so that when that last day comes … you’ll be ready.
All of life is a response to God; we are constantly reacting to Him, every thought and every act resonates with how we feel about Him. Are we responding to Him more out of unmet expectation and disappointment, or in gratitude and thanksgiving? Our core orientation here tends to define who and what we are, as much as anything can.
Whether we are conscious of it or not, deep down all of us know there is a God and that He is absolutely sovereign(Ro 1:20), governing all of life’s twists and turns. (Ro 11:36) We can be angry with Him for allowing sinand death, and not catering to us the way we’d like … or we can stand in awe of Him, amazed at the breathtaking beauty of His Creation, and that He’s willing to die for us, taking our place on an old rugged cross, bearing our sin and shame. Every one of us is constantly responding to an ultimate primal Goodness.
God calls us to respond to Himself with thanksgiving, giving thanks as a constant pattern of life, not in shallow half-hearted gratitude but in passion and sincerity: “rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith … abounding therein with thanksgiving.”(Col 2:7) Cultivating a thankful spirit, learning to trust that God is good, and to experience His goodness and glory even in the midst of darkness and trial, is the journey of a lifetime … one well worth the taking.
A week ago I stood at the entrance of Stutthoff Concentration Camp near Gdansk Poland, where countless souls passed to humiliation, torture and death during WWII at the hands of Hitler’s ruthless minions. As I read the accounts of their pain, and stood where they were actually brutalized, I realized again that I know very little of suffering.
Many of these dear souls were doubtless my brothers and sisters in the faith, who couldn’t just turn a blind eye to the malice against their Jewish neighbors, and others in Hitler’s sadistic disfavor. I wondered if I’d have been strong enough to stand with them. What an evil day that was!
In He 13:3 we are commanded to remember those who are suffering as if we are suffering with them. This high calling of God is not for the faint of heart; it takes supernatural strength to live like this. It is where God Himself dwells, sufferingwith His people. It seems to me an inevitable cure for all selfishness, arrogance, self-sufficiency, lukewarmnessand hardness of heart.
Such evil days are upon us again, as many suffer under the brutal onslaughts of Islam. I ask for graceto connect with this suffering as if it were upon me, and if I live to see the same myself, that God will give me grace to sufferwell, to walk worthy of Him, Whose goodness I cannot deserve.
Life can be overwhelmingly complex at times, and incredibly demanding. Keeping focus on what’s important can be quite a challenge.
Boynton Canyon, Scott McAllister
I’m finding it helpful to remember that only one thing really matters: pleasing God. Like Paul, we should be saying, “this one thing I do.” (Php 3:13-14) Maybe this can help us stay focused: if God is pleased, what else matters? If God is not pleased, what else matters … really?
But knowing what’s pleasing to God isn’t so easy sometimes; our ways aren’t His ways and He doesn’t see things the way we do. He calls us to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with Him. (Mic 6:8) He must transform our hearts to be like His, and this is a lifelong process. (1Th 4:1) But I think 99% of it’s desire, simply wanting to please Him. As this becomes our focus, He will show us the way.
What kind of life does one lead to be counted among the 24 elders encircling God’s throne? What would that be like, a front row seat in His immediate presence, God’s inner circle, enjoying Him for eternity? (Re 4:10-11)
Tunnel of light, Arizona
Then again, what could Jesus Christ possibly gain from inviting the likes of someone like me to sit with Him in His very throne, to rule and reign with Him? Yet this is His incredible promise to all who overcome. (Re 3:21)
But why long for a seat before the throne of God … or even a place beside Him in His throne … when I have God Himself? What more can I possibly desire when God grants me as intimate a fellowship with Himself as I can possibly stand … as if I were the only one in Heaven … for the endless eons of time? To have my God … is to have all.
What an unspeakable privilege to know this infinite, unfathomable God, and to be known of Him! (Je 9:24) Oh my soul … “that ye would walk worthy of God, who hath called you unto his kingdom and glory!” (1Th 2:12) Is any way too narrow, or any path too difficult for me to walk with Christ down here, when I see Him before me at the end (He 12:2), in all of His unsearchable richness? (Ep 3:8)
The apostle Paul suffered greatly for Christ’s sake (Acts 9:16), yet he called it “our light affliction.” (2Co 4:17) What perspective did Paul have that moved him to rejoice in his sufferings?
Paul knew that all temporal suffering is “but for a moment” when compared to eternity, unworthy to even be compared with the glories that will be revealed in us. (Rom 8:18) Christ suffers in and with us in all our tribulations for a glorious purpose, and Paul counted it a privilege to be the medium through which Christ chose to suffer (Col 1:24); there Paul found priceless fellowship with God. (Php 3:10)
God is constantly choosing to suffer fiercely. Though we cannot yet see all the glory He plans for Himself in this, we should count it a fantastic privilege whenever He invites us to join Him. Our only chance to love Christ sacrificially is now, in this life — in Heaven it will be too late. When we see His nail pierced hands and experience the infinite love of God in person, what will we not give for one more moment back down here among His enemies … to show Him what He means to us?
