ROBERT@kontu.utu.fi (Robert W. Johnson) (09/25/90)
The God of Resurrection PART I "We were weighted down exceedingly, beyond our power, insomuch that we despaired even of life: yea, we ourselves have had the answer of death within ourselves, that we should not trust ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead." (II Cor. 1:8-9) "Though our outward man is decaying, yet our inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory." (II Cor. 4:16-17) "They ... chastened us as seemed good to them; but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness." (Heb. 12:10) "To them that love God all things work together for good, even to them that are called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also fore- ordained to be conformed to the image of His Son." (Rom. 8:28-29) "God who quickeneth the dead." (Rom. 4:17) "I am ... the Living One, and I was dead, and behold I am living for evermore." (Rev. 1:17-18) Suffering is the lot of all the inhabitants of the earth. None can evade it. Some people imagine that if you believe on the Lord and live in His fear, you will be immune from all ills; yet numbers of Christians are grievously afflicted, and some who live in vital touch with God are in constant suffering. The unsaved keep asking: "If God loves the world, why does He allow all this sorrow?" And the saved keep asking: "If God loves His children, why does He let so much trouble befall them?" Others go still further and inquire: "How does it come about that, the more spiritual you become, the more hardship you meet?" These are practical questions, not mere theoretical quibbles, and we have to face them. Why should man, who has been created by God, be subject to suffering through- out the whole course of his life? Why should men continue to suffer after they become children of God? And why should men's sufferings increase with the increase of their devotion to God? In my early days, I spent considerable amount of time looking into this problem of suffering; but because my knowledge of the Lord was superficial, I was only able to draw these conclusions from my studies: (1) Man is prone to error; therefore suffering is necessary for his correction. (2) Suffering is needful if we are to comfort others, for only they who themselves have sufferd can truly help other people. (3) The discipline of suffering is essential if we are to acquire endurace, for as Romans 5 says: "Tribulation worketh patience." (4) Suffering is inevitable if we are to be molded into vessels that will be of use to God. I admit that these four conclusions which I came to im my youth are all correct; but they come short of the mark. The ultimate object of all suffering is the accomplishment of God's eternal purpose. That purpose has been revealed to us through the Scriptures, but it can only be realized in us through suffering. And its realization involves an experimental knowledge of God, not only as the Living God, but also as the God of Resurrection. The experience of every saved person provides at least some evidence that God is the Living God, but comparatively few of the saved realize that the God who dwells within them is the God of Resurrection. If the distinction between the Living God and the God of Resurrection is not clear to us, manmy problems will arise in our experience as we seek to press on. Let me explain this distinction quite simply. The incarnation marked a mighty crisis in the universe. Prior to the Incarnation God was God and man was man. There was no human element in God, nor was there any divine element in man. The two were quite separate. But one day "the Word became flesh," and that day marked a turning-point in the history of the universe. It brought one dispensation to an end and ushered in another. (Of course we are talking from our human standpoint as creatures of time, not from God's standpoint in a timeless eternity.) With the Incarnation a dispensation began in which God and man, man and God were blended into one. The Scriptures declare that the Word that became flesh would be called "Emmnuel," which, means, "God with man." That name does not merely signify the presence of God in the midst of a multitude of men; it signifies His entry into humnity. What took place at Bethlehem was the birth of One who possessed a dual nature. God and man were united in that one Person. Up to that time all the descendants of Adam had possessed only one nature; after that time there was One who possessed two natures, the human and the divine. He was truly man, and He was truly God. That One, Jesus of Nazereth, who was both divine and human, became a source of perplexity to many people. They asked Him: "Who art thou?" And they asked one another: "What manner of man is this?" They recognized clearly that He was a man, yet because there was so much about Him that was divine, he was a problem to His contemporaries. "Immanuel," "God manifest in the flesh"--that is the meaning of Incarnation! Parts II, III, and IV will follow during the rest of this week. ----- Robert W. Johnson Computer center, The University of Turku, Turku Finland robert@kontu.utu.fi (InterNet) robert@firien.bitnet (BITNET) The preceeding is my opinion and may not express the opinion of my employer.