Principles of
Suffering: The Book of Job
Purposes of
Suffering:
1. Challenge in the spiritual realm between
God & Satan/God's Plan in the Universe(Job)
2. Sin is judged (Cross of the Lord)
3. Perfecting Process of God's Child
(Hebrews 5:9,10, 12:1ff)
Bottom Line:
Experience more important than the reason why
Purpose: To
learn more faith/trust walk with the Lord
God's Answer to
Job: This experience has been important to you
Everything has a meaning even if hidden from man
Tells
him nothing about the reason for suffering
Job Questions
the Purpose of Life/Questions God/Desires Death/Asks Why Me?/Wants to be Left
Alone/Vascillates from faith to doubt
Key: Man is not
the center of the universe, purposes for universe beyond man's comprehension,
natural order not understood by man
Job didn't merit
the suffering he experienced, he was the most righteous, just man on earth
Job's position
as the most righteous was the reason he was chosen by God to suffer
We are the
battlefield, the armor is necessary to make it through experience of suffering
Faith is the
link between theology and experience not rationalization
Man's response
when suffering should be:
1. Search heart for sin
2. Confess sin and abide in Christ
3. Don't speculate why
4. Rejoice in that you are counted worth
to suffer for His name