Thread: God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Admin
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Posted : 10 Jun, 2011 07:09 AM
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
(J. R. Miller, "The SILENT Christ")
"A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to Him, crying out, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession!' Jesus did not answer her a word!" Matthew 15:22
We are apt to forget that the aim of God with us, is . . .
not to flood us with tenderness all the time,
not to keep our path always strewn with flowers,
not to continually give us everything we want,
not to save us from all manner of suffering.
No! God's aim with us, is . . .
to make something of us,
to build up strong and noble character in us,
to mature qualities of grace and beauty in us,
to make us more like Christ!
To do this�He must ofttimes deny us what we ask for, and must seem indifferent to our cries. "Jesus did not answer her a word!"
There are 'sentimental ideas of God' prevalent, which are dishonoring to Him. There are those who imagine that God's love means tenderness that cannot cause pain. They think that He cannot look a moment on suffering, without relieving it; that He must instantly hear and answer every cry for the removal of trouble.
Not such a God�is the God of the Bible! When suffering is the best thing for us�He is not too sympathetic to let us suffer�until the work of suffering is accomplished in us. He is not too kind to be silent to our prayers�when it is better that He should be silent for a time, to allow . . .
faith to grow strong,
self-confidence to be swept away, and
the evil in us�to be burned out in the furnace of pain!
There is a danger with all of us�our tenderness lacks strength. We cannot tolerate to see people suffer, and so we hasten to give relief�before the ministry of suffering is accomplished. We think of our mission to others, as being only 'to make life easier for them'. We are continually lifting away burdens, which it were better to have left resting longer on our friend's shoulder! We are eager to make life easy for our children�when it were better if it had been left hard.
We must learn that God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way. He is not too tender to see us suffer�if more suffering is needed to work in us the discipline that will make us like Christ!
Here we have the key of many of the 'mysteries of Providence'. Life is not easy for us�and God does not intend it to be easy!
Suppose for a moment, that God immediately gave us everything we ask for�and immediately removed every little pain, trouble, difficulty, and hardness that we seek to have removed; what would be the result on us? How selfish it would make us! We would become weak, unable to endure suffering, to bear trial, to carry burdens, or to struggle. We would be only children always�and would never rise into manly strength. God's over-kindness to us�would pamper in us all the worst elements of our nature, and would make us only poor driveling creatures!
On the other hand, however, God's wise and firm treatment of us, teaches us the great lessons which make us strong with the strength of Christ Himself.
He teaches us to yield our own will to Him.
He develops in us�patience, faith, love, hope and peace.
He trains us to endure hardness�that we may grow heroic, courageous and strong.
It is well for us to make careful note of this�that in all God's delays when we pray�His aim is some good in us.
Perhaps we are willful, asking only for our own way�and must learn to say, "May Your will be done."
Perhaps we are weak, unable to bear pain or to endure adversity or loss�and we must be trained and disciplined into strength.
Perhaps our desires are only for earthly good, not for heavenly blessings�and we must be taught the transitory character of all worldly things, and led to desire things which are eternal.
Perhaps we are impatient�and must be taught to wait for God. We are like children in our eager restlessness�and need to learn self-restraint.
At the least, we may always know that silence is not refusal�that God hears and cares, and that when our faith has learned its lessons�He will answer in blessing!
"The Lord disciplines the one He loves, and punishes every son whom He receives." Hebrews 12:6
"God disciplines us for our good�that we may share in His holiness." Hebrews 12:10
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Posted : 10 Jun, 2011 02:42 PM
I'm not so sure. If you want an easy life, freedom to do as you please, self gratification, etc. then don't follow Jesus!
To follow Christ *is* to endure all manner of persecution and injustice that the world throws at you, but more so, to know that God will do whatever it takes to make you listen. If the gentle whisper of the Spirit doesn't work, then He'll use other less pleasant methods. Don't believe me? What would have happened to Jonah if he'd *still* refused God after being swallowed by the fish? What about the man born blind, "so that the glory of God could be revealed"?
How many of your idols will God allow you to keep? If your career is getting in the way of His will for you, then you can bet you'll be out of work before long. The new car you're so proud of - wrecked or stolen? Even the children you love so much - God will remove them if you put them before Him. I've been there, I've had it happen.
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Posted : 10 Jun, 2011 02:48 PM
255,
You make very good points. God desires us to grow as Christians, and grow in holiness and understanding.
I am a sinful man, and if my life is too cushy, I tend to drift away from God.
I am thankful for my suffering, and trials, because I believe that in the end, it is for my benefit, even though I don't like it at all when it is happening.
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Posted : 10 Jun, 2011 03:06 PM
James I agree with what you said about being a sinful man, but you do not have to be, you can come to Jesus, but you will have to repent of reformed theology, you can not have any other God's before the lord. You are without question subject, dominated by reformation theology so that you do not see or hear truth, and you do not have a heart to hear the truth.
Back to this article, the author uses one line of a text that goes in an entirely different direction than the author of this article does, he does not by any means speak of the author of the bible he honors Satan the God of this world , that has nothing to do with the word of God, and an accurate representation of the God of the word.
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Posted : 10 Jun, 2011 04:01 PM
Well then you do not know Satan, Chevy, do you know some people are not about trying to stir up strife, Satan needs to be exposed, you see if you have accepted false doctrine he is the author of it.
You can get the truth out of this statement, is this the will of God in heaven?
Who is the author of suffering?
Who is the author of God doesn't answer prayer?
Go back to the very beginning, the scripture used and see what the lord did, and then go back and look at the heart of the post.
You can put it in the bank, Satan is the author of this post.
No one can honor God by calling God a liar, please!!
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Posted : 10 Jun, 2011 04:16 PM
No Chevy I never said that, of course he does the word tells us that but religion teaches he uses sickness, lack and every thing else that is in Satan's bag to teach us.
Very Simple: God is light, Satan is darkness, God is life, Satan is death.
The perfect will of God is just what it was in the beginning and waht it is in heaven.
By the way he chastises with his word, satan punishes by lying about the word.
God does not deal with us in this 'sentimental' way!
Posted : 10 Jun, 2011 04:16 PM
I have fallen for no false doctrine, P.J. What I'm saying is God never promised us things would always be peachy. He never even promised us tomorrow. But He did promise to never leave or forsake us and no matter what hardships we go through He is there.
