Lesson for June 25, 2023
The Doctrine of Undeserved Suffering
Lesson 7
Romans 8:35, “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword”?
Separation from the Lord Jesus Christ and His love for us is impossible. Once we believe in Christ, we have God’s righteousness plus the love of each member of the Trinity. Nothing can come between God’s love and believers because they are children of God.
Paul knew a lot about suffering for Christ and he also knew that none of these things could separate him from the love of Christ. Paul was secure in his salvation, as we should be. Paul outlined his many sufferings in II Corinthians 11:23-28. Most of us will never experience the type of sufferings that Paul did, but we will experience some category of undeserved suffering. Through it all, we must know that we can never be separated from God’s love.
Tribulation is the Greek word “thlipsis,” which means pressure or affliction due to the circumstances of life. Pressure and affliction are inevitable. This does not mean that God does not love us. It means that we have an opportunity to utilize the Problem-Solving Devices to handle both divine discipline and undeserved suffering.
(System Testing)
Distress is the Greek word “stenoxwria,” which is a reference to anguish or mental pressure. It literally means narrowness. It came to be used for a condition of being under extreme mental pressure. (Thought Testing)
Persecution is the Greek word “diogmos” meaning to pursue or to drive away. This refers to persecution from someone seeking to cause you harm, discredit you, or malign you. (People Testing)
Famine is the Greek word “limos,” which means being deprived of food or being hungry. Once again, most of us will never experience this, but it can be a form of undeserved suffering and exists today in many parts our world for believers. (Disaster Testing)
The Greek word for nakedness is “gumnotes,” which means to be deprived of sufficient clothing. Clothing is a logistical grace blessing, but there are times when believers are being testing by being deprived of the proper clothing. Paul experienced this, as do many believers in the world today. (System Testing)
Peril is the Greek word “kindunos,” which means physical danger. This could mean a person is in jeopardy of losing their life. Once again, there are those believers like Paul who had experienced this, as many do today. (System Testing)
Sword is the Greek word “machaira,” referring to military suffering, war related suffering or crimes of violence. In the midst of the greatest sufferings of life, a believer still possesses the righteousness of God and still receives blessing from the justice of God. (Disaster Testing)
Romans 8:36, “Just as it is written, “For Thy sake we are being put to death all the day long. We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”
Psalm 44:22 is quoted by Paul regarding the possibility that he and his fellow workers could be killed at any time by those who opposed them. This psalm actually contains a description of what faithful Jews in the Age of Israel had to suffer undeservedly for the Lord’s sake. This verse is quoted by Paul to teach undeserved suffering when some Church Age believers suffer undeservedly.
Romans 8:37, “But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him Who loved us.”
The phrase “all these things” refers back to all those things previously mentioned as undeserved suffering. The key to “overwhelmingly conquering” is a positional truth based on our union with Jesus Christ. It is actually Jesus Christ Who has already secured the victory for us. We are victors because of our faith in Christ. Apart from Jesus Christ there is no true victory in this life. And, for advancing believers, even though they experience undeserved suffering, through the power and guidance of God the Holy Spirit they come out victorious.
It is because of Christ’s victory over Satan that believers can win daily victories over Satan, be delivered from the power of our sin natures, and ultimately be delivered into God’s presence in Heaven.
The Christian Way of Life is a supernatural way of life, and it requires a supernatural power to live it and to overcome the tactics of Satan, his demon army, and his world system. (John 16:33; I Corinthians 15:51-57; I John 5:1-21)
A casual approach to living the Christian life will result in a casual, powerless relationship with God. It is not enough for a believer to occasionally study and apply Bible doctrine. It must be a deliberate, consistent, persistent, ongoing habit if we are going to win victories over Satan and his world system, bring glory and honor to our Heavenly Father, and have the happy, wonderful life He wants for us.
Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.
Convinced means to be confident. For believers who are positive, confidence is one of the things that is being developed in their lives. Testing in the form of undeserved suffering will help develop that confidence. God’s perfect plan for us includes the necessary supernatural power needed to successfully navigate our way through life.
Paul mentioned six categories of undeserved suffering that are unable to separate us from the love of God.
Neither death, nor life. The first category dealt with “death” and “life.” This category refers to the fact that believers are eternally secure in Christ. Whether we are physically alive or physically dead, we are in union with Jesus Christ and always will be.
Nor angels, nor principalities. The second category is a reference to all angels. This includes the entire structure of elect and fallen angels, including Satan. Though angels have great power, especially Satan, none of them are able to separate believers from the love of Christ. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is more powerful than any angelic being. (Ephesians 6:12)
Nor things present, nor things to come. The third category is a reference to present circumstances both now and in the future. Any present danger or unforeseen disaster will not separate us from Christ’s love and can be overcome by the application of accurate Bible doctrine.
Nor powers. The fourth category is human authority like governmental organizations, who have the power over life and death. God’s plan and God’s provision is greater than all the corrupt powers or nations of mankind.
Nor height, nor depth. The fifth category is a reference to anything in the universe and beyond. The love of God and His provision for believers in keeping them eternally secure in Christ is greater than anything. This includes anything in Heaven or in Hell. Even God Himself cannot remove us from His own plan, which includes His love for us.
Nor any other created thing. The sixth category confirms no person, place, or thing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. The emphasis is on the fact that believers are secure in their faith and cannot lose their salvation for any reason. Therefore, when we experience undeserved suffering (and we will), our attitude should be one of full confidence in God and His Word.
Since God the Father loves the Son with an eternal love, He also loves those who are in union with God the Son. Therefore, once a person is in union with Jesus Christ, nothing can separate them from that love. God would have to separate His love from Jesus Christ if that were the case, which can never happen. We are secure in Christ and should exhibit that security through living the Christian Way of Life with full confidence in God and His plan for us.