Episode Transcript
Justin: That when God does get in the stand and bear testimony like he does with Job and he does other places, we don't like what he has to say.
Jon: That's right.
Justin: We'll hear him and we're like, "Okay, yeah, but that's not enough. Like that doesn't, that doesn't satisfy me." Or, even worse," Like what you're saying, I just don't like, you know, I don't want it to be this way." And such is the problem. I mean, that's what sin has done to us, right? Because we are at emnity with God. The fact that he is these things, it just doesn't sit well with fallen people.
Jon: You even look at like just Abraham as an example, right? God comes to Abraham with the credentials of, I'm God. And tells Abraham what he's going to do. And you know, Abraham, we love the guy. He's such a great encouragement to us.
Justin: Well, the fact that he's the model held up as, you know, being justified by faith. I'm like, Amen.
Jon: But he struggled, and the point of it is, is that we have so many examples in the Old and New Testament of those who have interactions with the father, and our hearts get in the way. Our fleshly, sinful hearts get in the way of the promises of God. So the point of it is, if you're sitting over here and you're wrestling with this and you're struggling, and you're not quite sure, you know, why these things are happening, and it gnaws at you, man, I just think that the instructions from James are so helpful. He says, ground your heart in the coming of the Lord. Like, look past all of this. Don't try and make sense of it today because one day you will see and know because you will stand. As Job says, I will see him in the flesh. With my own eyes, I will see God. Because you can't see him now; you'll die. But when you are redeemed and you have new- you know, the angels, they cover them- they cover their faces. They don't even look upon the Lord and see, but one day we will.
Justin: It's a staggering thought.
Jon: It is. And it's a great hope to go, not only is that here- I'm sorry- not only is that going to happen, but the writers of the New Testament say live every day as if it's going to happen today because it's at hand. It's about to- and he says establish yourself in that, and that will get you through the suffering.
Justin: May God give us grace for that. Yeah, like I'm not huge on apologetics, Jon, and I'm going to kind of conclude us with this thought. I'm not huge on apologetics, but I do think this is compelling. Nobody has the answer. Nobody has a satisfactory answer for suffering and pain in the world.
Jon: Yeah, they have answers; they're just not satisfactory or biblical.
Justin: I don't, I don't care what, I don't care what religion. It doesn't matter, right? You don't have an adequate answer in terms of- to explain all of the nuances of suffering and pain. But one thing that Christianity has to offer is the fact that God the Son took on flesh and dwelt in this world and he suffers these things with us. Like he's, He's not just some distant deity sitting off in the heavens who cannot identify with what we're going through. You know, the John Martin Millon has a song called "The Road, the Rocks and the Weeds" and he says, you know, don't have an answer for, for hurt knees and cancers, but we have a savior. You know, I have a savior who suffers them with me. That's a good word.
Jon: That's right.
Everyday Grace 049
