Pain with a Purpose

Have you ever wondered why we suffer and how to find hope amidst the pain? As someone who has faced significant trials, I, Jason Hopkins, invite you to explore the biblical paradigm of suffering on the Hopeful Perspective podcast. Drawing from personal experiences and scripture, we examine how God's faithfulness provides a way out of our struggles, as promised in 1 Corinthians 10:13. We also reflect on the call to participate in Christ's sufferings and the challenges posed by societal pressures and internal conflicts, guided by teachings from Luke 14:27 and Paul's letters to Timothy. This episode aims to shift our focus from the "why" to the "who" we become through adversity, offering insights from the lives of Job, Joseph, David, and ultimately, Jesus.

We don't stop there. This episode also unravels common misconceptions about the relationship between suffering and sin, turning to Jesus' correction in John 9 for clarity. Embracing faith in Christ, we discuss how enduring hardships can strengthen us and lead to praise and honor when Jesus is revealed. Looking ahead, we share our plans to expand the podcast's reach by interviewing individuals who have found hope in their darkest times. Your support has been crucial, and we're excited to continue this journey together, spreading the message that hope is real and steadfast, even in the midst of suffering. Join us for an episode filled with faith, hope, and perseverance.

Chapters

• 0:01 Embracing Suffering With Hope and Faith
• 14:46 Understanding God's Purpose in Suffering
• 23:34 Expanding Hope Through Podcast Support

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:01

Welcome to the Hopeful Perspective podcast. I am your host, jason Hopkins. Today we begin our first time together, having spent the first six episodes working through my own personal story of suffering and redemption, I hope that as you listen, you were inspired and edified in your faith with how I myself was transformed from a survivor to a thriver and changed from a victim to a victor. I look forward to exploring the depths of the hopeful perspective and our story for his glory that is continuing to be authored. So I encourage you to grab your favorite snack, your hot or cold beverage of choice. Get comfortable and come on this journey with me today as we explore the biblical paradigm of suffering. Whenever we have a conversation about suffering in our world, it should begin and end with the cross of Jesus Christ. One of my greatest stumbling blocks throughout my own redemption journey was that I found it difficult to relate to those who hadn't been through significant pain or suffering or had difficulty sharing their own pain. Whenever I share my story of redemption, the most common response from my audience is that, no matter what they have been through, they find it difficult to relate to the levels of trauma that I experienced. Difficult to relate to the levels of trauma that I experienced. Yet Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, verse 13, that no temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear, but when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. In other words, even at our greatest overwhelmed point when facing adversity, we should know that we will be granted a way out. This encourages me in a few ways. God is not unaware of our pain, and he alone understands how much we can bear. This truth is significant when reconciling our pain and suffering. When I found it difficult to relate to counselors and psychologists due to the ethical walls they had that prevented the sharing of themselves, I found a perfect counselor in Christ who sacrificed all of himself and in doing so, experienced one of the most tortuous manners of suffering one could endure. He understands and identifies with our suffering.

Speaker 1: 2:30

What's more difficult to accept especially in the Western church, I believe is that we are called to participate in the sufferings of Christ. As a matter of fact, jesus himself stated that a requirement of his followers was to be to pick up their cross. This wasn't an option nor a possibility. Luke 14.27 records this. And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. To carry our cross Now, most of us who have chosen to follow him, will not be called to be martyred or executed like in the first century. Rather, carrying our cross means we are called to die to our old self, our old will, and to submit to God's will in every way Not in some ways or most ways, but again in every way. It would seem.

Speaker 1: 3:27

Our Lord knew that we would experience opposition and defiance, as it pertained to giving up everything I know. For me personally, this opposition came from within, due to the spiritual programming I had as a child that set up double binds in order to influence me, to rely on myself and my dissociative system when I would experience trials of many kinds At times. The opposition comes from outside, whether that be the social and cultural influence that we now face in the music industry, news and media, social media, or even our own upbringing, and even at times in our churches, when Paul was instructing Timothy about how to be prepared to face opposition, to follow his example, when he, paul, was experiencing suffering persecution, he cautioned that Timothy be aware of those inside the church. 2 Timothy 3.12 says, in fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evildoers and what Imposters will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. Beware of imposters, of lookalikes, those who look like they are following Christ. Last episode I mentioned, and you probably have found this to be true, that truth in our post-post-modern culture is often seen as arbitrary and subjective. You see, when the culture affects the church more than the church affects the culture, devastating outcomes occur, and scripture says that those who persevere and maintain the truth of scripture will face opposition, if not suffering and possible persecution.

Speaker 1: 5:22

The book of 1 Peter has a lot to say about the subject of suffering and perseverance. 1 Peter 1, 6-7 says and all of this you greatly rejoice, though now, for a little while, you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith, of greater worth than gold which perishes even though refined by fire, may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Do you see it? Whatever the source of our trials may be, we can take solace in the fact that Christ is revealed to the world around us when our faith proves to be genuine. 1 Peter 2 19-21 goes this far. For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you Do.

Speaker 1: 6:25

You remember a few seconds ago how Luke 14 bears Christ's commands that whoever calls him or herself a disciple must pick up their cross and in doing so, are following his example? Whenever we persevere for the sake of Christ, we can be assured he is getting the glory. 1 Peter 3.14 grants us this additional reassurance. But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats, do not be frightened. 1 Peter 4.1. Therefore, since Christ suffered in his body, arm yourselves also with the same attitude, because whoever suffers in the body is done with sin. 1 Peter 4.12-13,.

Speaker 1: 7:16

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you, but rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. And 1 Peter, 5, verse 10, says and the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. We observe in these verses drawn from three chapters in 1 Peter that when we adopt the attitude of our Redeemer, who was called to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sin that separates us, that we cannot help but have a hopeful perspective. His sacrifice was made in order to usher us into his kingdom forever, and this hope of heaven is our sweetest prize. In addition, our faith will be made stronger and, as we read in 1 Corinthians 10, verse 13, since he knows what we can bear, we will not be broken beyond his ability to restore us. Check out how Paul shows us this a few chapters earlier in 2 Corinthians 4, verses 8-10.

Speaker 1: 8:31

We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed. Perplexed but not in despair. Persecuted but not abandoned. Struck down but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.

Speaker 1: 8:52

When I read this verse, I cannot help but to identify many of the enemy's lies that I have personally believed throughout my life when I was walking through adversity, that I will be crushed, I will be perplexed, persecuted and even struck down, and yet we are given the reassurance and the weaponry to battle these lies within the truth. I have not arrived by any means in my walk, but I am learning how to arm myself with the attitude of Christ as it pertains to pain and perseverance in this life. With the attitude of Christ as it pertains to pain and perseverance in this life, and as we have read, or should I say heard, I have had plenty of opportunities to persevere. Philippians 3, verse 10, says I want to know Christ, yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. Now, like Paul and, I hope, like all who call themselves Christian, I want to know Christ more, and the apostle makes it clear that we see the power of his resurrection when we put to death our old self and are restored into the new creation. When I approach my suffering with the attitude of Christ, I boast not in my accomplishment, but rather, as Romans 5 declares to us, I boast in the glory of God.

Speaker 1: 10:11

In my life, I see the next two sections of scripture Romans 5, verses 2 through 5, from Paul the Apostle, and from James, the half-brother, to Jesus in his book, chapter 1, verses 2 through 4, as being like companion verses that affirm one another. Romans 5, 2-5 says Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand and we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and then character, hope, and hope does not put us to shame because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who's been given to us. And then again in James 1, 2-4,. Do you see how they are related?

Speaker 1: 11:26

I learned in my trauma therapy that maturity has a holistic, emotional and mental definition that far exceeds our limited use of the term concerning human development, for example. He is so immature or just childlike. Truly mature individuals are emotionally secure in their attachments with one another, that is, the bonds they have in their relationships, and they have the ability to process, complex emotion. Now, complex emotions are made up of two or more basic emotions, so feelings like grief, jealousy, regret are considered complex. One who is emotionally mature may indeed feel these emotions, but they also have the capacity to be self-aware and to utilize healthy tools to work through these feelings. Biblically speaking, we work toward that maturity when we face trials and we persevere through them. I can attest in my own experiences that my past experience working through trauma of many kinds and the eventual restoration of that trauma has led to my capacity and emotional maturity being considerably higher than it once was.

Speaker 1: 12:45

Friends, I know that, whether you are a believer in Christ or not, that the issue of suffering is amongst the most mysterious of challenges for us to understand, and more so to try and reconcile in terms of theology and if you have experiences of your own, say watching a loved one suffer through cancer until their death, you or a loved one experiencing child abuse, or perhaps a friend or loved one actually ending their suffering by taking their own life. There are plenty of examples of which we are impacted by the broken world we experience and our ability to reconcile a loving God with the evil and suffering of the world may appear to initially be a challenge. Yet having worked through some of the most traumatic events you can think of in my own life, I have found that the Christian theistic worldview is the only one that enables us to understand the problem of evil and suffering in our world. Whereas it may have seemed advantageous to the devil that God in the flesh, in Jesus, would suffer through trauma, temptation, torture, hunger, thirst, persecution and eventually execution, little did the enemy know that, by having a suffering Savior, that we would forever have the ultimate answer to injustice, that, for all the evil and the suffering that has ever been experienced or ever will be in the future, that our God and Savior would ultimately purchase the penalty of this evil and sin through his sacrifice. I love the parallels drawn from the Old Testament that point to a Messiah who will come and rescue his people. I would encourage you, as a believer, to become familiar with the Old Testament. Mess point to a Messiah who will come and rescue his people. I would encourage you, as a believer, to become familiar with the Old Testament messianic prophecies, the prototypes and the pictures that far exceed historical narrative. They rather portray a powerful illustration of God's sovereign plan throughout history. You see, the Bible is startlingly realistic when it comes to the issue of suffering throughout humanity.

Speaker 1: 14:46

The book of Job is a difficult read, yet a powerful picture of one man who undergoes the most intense suffering you have ever heard of. Though his trials came as a result of a conversation between the Lord and Satan, job isn't necessarily aware as to the reasons he undergoes such tribulations. We see through multiple chapters that his friends have difficulty understanding Job's suffering and when Job is finally confronted by the Lord, all that he can do, despite his great pain, is remain silent in God's presence. This demonstrates the faith that Job has amidst his trials and, though he never necessarily receives a direct reason for his pain, he instills his trust in the sovereign plan of the Lord. His understanding is perhaps the most accurate answer we will receive regarding how to approach suffering, this side of eternity. Another such picture of suffering and God's sovereignty amidst our trials is portrayed in the story of Joseph in the book of Genesis. If you recall, he was sold into slavery by his own brothers, yet he eventually is promoted to the second most powerful man in Egypt as a result of God's sovereignty and Joseph's endurance. We see a foreshadowing of the cross in Genesis, chapter 50, verses 19 through 21, when Joseph addresses the sinful actions of his brothers, declaring you intended to harm me, but God intended it for good, to accomplish what is now being done the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid, I will provide for you and your children.

Speaker 1: 16:26

2. We see all throughout the Psalms that David has a faith so strong that even amidst his worst trials he still turns to the Lord. Make no mistake as we read how David honestly battled lies of the enemy, temptations and even his own sin. Yet he does not lose the hope he has. Psalm 22, david cries out, cries out my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning? We see a powerful picture again in the New Testament at Calvary, when the Messiah shows how he identified with the suffering of David by uttering the exact same cry to the Father as David did in Psalm 22.

Speaker 1: 17:16

Friends, looking at the whole of the biblical perspective on pain and suffering in this fallen world, we can deduce this statement God permits suffering because God has a purpose for our suffering. In the New Testament we are assured that we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose In Romans 8, 28. Before I knew Christ, I could not understand the depth of this conclusion. Yet when I submitted to him, I was able to recognize his sovereign hand on my life, even amidst my suffering. Yet why do Christians today tend to be surprised when they encounter pain and suffering in their life?

Speaker 1: 17:57

Even with scripture being so clear, I think it's interesting to note that we see, even in the Old Testament, the Jewish worldview that often suffering was tied to personal sin. Even in the New Testament, the disciples of Jesus reveal their thinking in John, chapter 9. It reads that as he, jesus, passed by, he saw a man blind from birth, and his disciples asked him Rabbi, who sinned this man or his parents, that he was born blind? And Jesus answered are his parents that he was born blind? And Jesus answered it was not that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him. Jesus corrects the thinking of the disciples and essentially turns their logic on its head. The blind man's darkness wasn't caused by personal sin, but rather that God's glory would be revealed. God doesn't prevent suffering and sin, because God has a purpose for it.

Speaker 1: 18:59

I believe that part of the issue in today's church and their understanding of pain and suffering is due to a similar inability to reconcile pain with this purpose. We tend to praise God for all the gifts and the good things he grants us, Yet when we encounter pain and suffering, spiritual warfare, temptation, we're prone to abandon our faithful conviction and rather seek alternatives to Jesus that can immediately anesthetize our pain. We fail to see that when we are unable to remain present in our pain and handle it with integrity, we are actually denying the works of God to reveal himself. Through our brokenness, we are, in essence, bypassing an opportunity to be more like Christ and experience the hope of the glory of God, to truly know him. I have had to repent many times in my own Christian walk for my own idolatry in regards to giving in to said temptations. So that, all being said, I want to be candidly clear that I do not fully understand the theology of suffering, and I too possess a lot of questions regarding matters like kids who are subjected to atrocities before they can even make a conscious decision to follow Christ. Much like my own story, there are a lot of questions I have been confronted with throughout my pastoral and counseling ministry that I've had to just honestly respond. I do not know. Isn't that where our faith is truly made stronger, though, or where our trust in the Lord is genuinely tested? I will say that I would rather direct the flock to deflect their I's and their Y's regarding suffering and redirect their attention to the who's they are becoming walking through this adversity.

Speaker 1: 20:54

We have biblical examples of people, from Job to Joseph, david to Paul, that show us how to reconcile our trials and tribulations by understanding that God has a plan for our lives to those who love him. So, again today, I ask of you, my listeners have you made the ultimate decision to sacrifice your own wants and will for the will of the Lord? Have you said yes to Jesus, repenting for your sins that separate you from the Father? As you have heard, having faith does not end our hardships. Rather, having faith helps us through them. So if you have not said yes to Jesus, I want to encourage you towards this faith.

Speaker 1: 21:38

Consider being in a quiet, non-distracting location and praying some version of this prayer from the heart Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins and I surrender to you my life. Wash and cleanse me. I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that he indeed did die on the cross a natural death for my sins and then rose again on the third day for my victory. I believe that in my heart, and I make confession with my mouth, that Jesus is my Savior and my Lord, and I will follow him all the days of my life. If you have agreed with this prayer today from the depths of your heart, I welcome you to the eternal family of God. There is so much to celebrate. I encourage you to find an Orthodoxodox, biblical-based faith family who worships the Lord passionately. Also, devote yourself to the reading of the scriptures. Many pastors recommend, beginning in the book of John.

Speaker 1: 22:44

Next time, on the Hopeful Perspective podcast, I will be taking a look at Jesus' command to forgive even and especially those who have trespassed against us. What do forgiveness, restoration and reconciliation have in common and how are they different? Why do they matter at all as it pertains to our holistic wellness? Until then, I want to thank you for joining me along this journey and, if you'd be so kind to follow, subscribe and, most importantly, to rate and write a review for others who may need the hopeful perspective, I would greatly appreciate that Now you can even contribute monetarily by pressing our support the Show link that is embedded on your platform.

Speaker 1: 23:34

All of your contributions are utilized to grow the podcast, to broaden our reach and to share the hope of Christ. For example, our next step would be to purchase a second mic, headphones and necessary adapters and equipment so as to have interviews with others who have experienced hope amidst their trials. I want to shout interviews with others who have experienced hope amidst their traps. I want to shout out to those who have already made this commitment to support the podcast financially. I am so gratefully humbled by you. My desire is to reach as many people with the message of hope that have lived lives as difficult and dark as I have, or anyone who needs to be reminded that hope is real. So thank you so much in advance and until next time, remember you are loved.