Day 199

1 Chronicles 26:12‐27:34; Romans 4:13‐5:5; Psalm 14:1‐7; Proverbs 19:17

Why We Choose Christ!

Why would anyone choose to follow Christ? To become a Christian? To own this faith and identity? There are probably lots of answers to those questions. Here in this section from Romans 5, we are given several of the many benefits of our being justified.

We have Peace with God. We stand in Grace. We have Hope. We have a process that leads to personal transformation. I cannot help but think of the line I heard one of my beloved seminary professors, Steve Brown, use many times… God loves us just the way we are, but He also loves us enough not leave us that way.

Here comes the hard part: one of the benefits is suffering. It is paradoxical. Come to Jesus; give your life to Him, and in exchange you get to suffer–not the best marketing ploy! It is, however, a reality. Suffering transforms and changes us. Suffering produces in us endurance, character, hope, and we are not disappointed. I know this to be true as I go through difficult things. As I enter tragic and dark places, whether personally or with others, I somehow encounter life, love, and hope.

In the struggle, we are not alone or forsaken. I am reminded of Philippians 3, where Paul cries out, “I want to know Jesus, the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings becoming like Him in His death.” Once again, I do not understand it, but I do know that when I suffer, I am made better, and somehow I have an opportunity to know Jesus in a deeper way as I share in the fellowship of His sufferings.

The question comes, where is God in suffering? That is a hard question, but there are two things to consider.

First, God is not the cause of suffering. God is not the author of suffering or evil. It exists in this fallen and sinful world as a consequence and result of evil.

God redeems suffering in our lives to transform us. Along with these verses, we could examine 1 Peter 5:10; John 16:33; Paul’s Thorn in 2 Corinthians 12:17; The Book of Job; and many more.

Does God use suffering? Yes! The greatest example is the cross of Jesus. He used the pain, brokenness, agony, and bloody sweat of Jesus to bring about my redemption, By His wounds I am healed! (Isaiah 53:5 / 1 Peter 2:24) The Christian life is not easy, but there is no better way to live. These verses in Romans assure us of this fact.

The Rev. Jon Davis