How to Suffer According to God’s Will

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Related Messages

For further thought on this, consider listening to the following sermons:

Armed for Suffering

Joy in the Midst of Suffering

Our Hope in Suffering

Christ’s Suffering & Ours

Joy in Our Sufferings

“How to Suffer According to God’s Will ” | Watch this episode on Vimeo

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How to Suffer According to God’s Will

Suffering is a part of life in this fallen world; we will all be exposed to some kind of suffering during our lifetime. The difficulties and hardships will vary from person to person, but we all will suffer. But no matter what pains and sorrows come into our lives as Christians, how we respond and deal with them matters greatly. 1 Peter 4:19 says, let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. No one wants to suffer, no one seeks after suffering, and we all avoid it as much as it’s up to us, but here in 1 Peter 4, it speaks of suffering for the will of God. How do we suffer in accord with God’s will as we struggle with pain, sorrow, anguish, grief, and all the rest? Is there a way to do this that is joyful and God-honoring, as we entrust ourselves to God for the outcome, seeking to remain faithful through it all? Join us this week on the Straight Truth Podcast as Dr. Richard Caldwell and Dr. Josh Philpot discuss Christian suffering, pointing us to the One who made us and reminding us to look to Him so that we would know a kind of joy and peace through our sufferings that the world cannot know.

Dr. Caldwell begins by pointing us to what Peter says in this verse. First, we need to know that suffering and the will of God are not combatants. Suffering belongs, in many cases, to doing the will of God. So right there, wherever you are, whatever you’re facing is where God wants you to be. Knowing then that I can suffer in the will of God will involve trusting God in that suffering. Because, inevitably, there are escape hatches; there are ways out of that suffering. You can get out, but you won’t get out in the will of God. You’ll get out by violating His will, by choosing sin over suffering. We have to trust Him in the midst of it and go on entrusting ourselves to Him through it. The next part of the verse speaks of whom we are entrusting ourselves; a faithful Creator. God, whom we are trusting, is the Creator who made everything. He is the sustainer of everything and controls everything. We’ve no reason to fear in our suffering. We can trust Him every step of the way because He is Sovereign over all things. He is faithful and lacks no power when it comes to that faithfulness. There will not be a time or place where God wishes He could do something for us in our suffering but finds Himself unable to do so. He will supply all that we need in it and through it, to the outcome and end that He has for it. And this gets us to the next part of the verse, where Peter says while doing good. How on earth do we do that? Often in the difficulties of our sufferings, we feel as if we are helpless and can’t do anything. But the answer is you can; you can do good right in the midst of that hardship. You can choose the things God has set forth in His word that honor Him. In every situation, no matter the indirect means used that the suffering comes into our lives, the believer has the power of obedient living, the power and ability to do good.

Dr. Caldwell reminds us that suffering is a part of the Christian life, it’s part of walking in the will of God. We are to endure it in the realm of trust. That trust extends to the very character of our God, His sovereignty, nature, attributes, and power. He will make use of our simple obedience to accomplish His ends. And the ultimate end for all that God has made, and all that God does is His glory. We can glorify Him in our suffering by a trusting believing life of faith works. In this way, we will find our hearts satisfied and God glorified. 

Dr. Philpot mentions that even in this same chapter, Peter tells believers not to be surprised when these fiery trials come as though something strange were happening to them. Rather, he exhorts them to rejoice insofar as they share in Christ’s sufferings and be glad when His glory is revealed. So then there is a sense of joy in the fact that you are partaking in this sharing and can look forward to a time when His glory is revealed. Dr. Caldwell affirms that God’s work is displayed in us as a sustaining force for our joy, even as we undergo sorrowful circumstances. But even here, we need to know that there will be well-meaning people all around us who try to point us to the way out, even offering ways to exit our hardships. But we need to have a perspective that is larger than that. We have to hold firm to the Scriptures and remember passages like 1 Peter 4, knowing what the Bible teaches about these things, and embrace the suffering, even when there is a way out. We have to pray like our Savior did in the garden, not as I will, but as You will. And remember that we are right where God has planned for us to be, and we can trust Him in that.

About The Straight Truth Podcast

The Straight Truth Podcast: Christian Opinions in an Increasingly Secular World. Join Dr. Richard Caldwell, Dr. Josh Philpot, and their guests as they discuss news events, current affairs, and cultural issues from a Biblical point of view. Find the truth at www.straighttruth.net

The Straight Truth Podcast is a weekly opinion show hosted by Dr. Richard Caldwell and Dr. Josh Philpot. Straight Truth is available as an audio podcast on iTunes or as a video podcast through YouTube or Vimeo.  The duration of the podcast is approximately 10 minutes. We release new episodes every Thursday.

The topics discussed in the Straight Truth Podcast are current events, matters that challenge traditional Christian values, and questions submitted by audience members. Dr. Caldwell, Dr. Philpot, and their guests seek to answer these questions with Biblical truths and from a Christian conservative point of view. The Holy Bible is the inspired, infallible, and inerrant Word of God; it alone is and will be the basis and authority of
answering any and all questions.

The Straight Truth Podcast is the perfect podcast for those seeking to strengthen their faith, to be informed on how to broach difficult topics with a Christian point of view, to share their faith with unbelieving friends, to challenge the status quo of their own beliefs by viewing them under the lens of the Scriptures, to interpret current news events from a Biblical point of view, and more.

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Season 28 Credits Produced by
Juan Carlos Claveria Executive Producers
Joshua Philpot
David Anders Hosted by
Joshua Philpot Social Media Descriptions by
Michele Watson Graphic Design
David Navejas DP / EDITING / COLOR
JUAN CARLOS CLAVERIA SPECIAL THANKS TO THE
FOUNDERS BAPTIST CHURCH
MEDIA TEAM VOLUNTEERS Special Thanks to
El Centro Network Music by
LynneMusic Motion Graphics
The Media Stock Set Decorator
Molly Atchison