Comments on: Invited Into the Family http://hopeforlife.org/2007/10/invited_into_the_family/ Thu, 17 May 2012 15:02:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Jannie http://hopeforlife.org/2007/10/invited_into_the_family/comment-page-1/#comment-4 Jannie Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://hopeforlife.dreamhosters.com/?p=10#comment-4 Hi Tim , I agree with all you say. What would you tell someone that has in the past given his life to the Lord , but subsequantly experienced deep pain/hardship and now want nothing to do with God , whom he believes is the creator/allower off all the suffering he experienced? Cheers Hi Tim ,

I agree with all you say. What would you tell someone that has in the past given his life to the Lord , but subsequantly experienced deep pain/hardship and now want nothing to do with God , whom he believes is the creator/allower off all the suffering he experienced?

Cheers

]]> By: Tim Archer http://hopeforlife.org/2007/10/invited_into_the_family/comment-page-1/#comment-5 Tim Archer Wed, 24 Oct 2007 07:00:00 +0000 http://hopeforlife.dreamhosters.com/?p=10#comment-5 You've touched on some of the hard questions of faith, some things that aren't easily answered. Many of the "why"s of suffering go beyond our understanding. And it's difficult for someone to address someone else's suffering without sounding a bit trite or insensitive. Suffering is very much a part of the Christian life. Romans 8:17 says that we are co-heirs with Christ only IF we suffer with Him. We only have to look at the life of Christ to see that life on this earth is not fair. The way I understand it, the only way God could totally remove suffering from this world would be to take away all free will, turning us into to the equivalent of robots. This I cling to: God is good. He will make everything right in the end, but not before then. We must remain faithful until then, trusting that God will bring everything to light in its due time. I know that those words come more easily to me in a time of peace than they do to one in the midst of suffering. But I believe them to be true. May God bless you, and grant you an awareness of His presence and His peace. I pray the same for your struggling friend. Grace and peace, Tim Archer You’ve touched on some of the hard questions of faith, some things that aren’t easily answered. Many of the “why”s of suffering go beyond our understanding. And it’s difficult for someone to address someone else’s suffering without sounding a bit trite or insensitive.

Suffering is very much a part of the Christian life. Romans 8:17 says that we are co-heirs with Christ only IF we suffer with Him. We only have to look at the life of Christ to see that life on this earth is not fair. The way I understand it, the only way God could totally remove suffering from this world would be to take away all free will, turning us into to the equivalent of robots.

This I cling to: God is good. He will make everything right in the end, but not before then. We must remain faithful until then, trusting that God will bring everything to light in its due time. I know that those words come more easily to me in a time of peace than they do to one in the midst of suffering. But I believe them to be true.

May God bless you, and grant you an awareness of His presence and His peace. I pray the same for your struggling friend.

Grace and peace,
Tim Archer

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