Having spoken of the adversaries we face as believers, Paul reaches back to Psalm 44 to illustrate that suffering and death have been the lot of believers through the ages. The unbelieving world has always hated and oppressed the christian. Paul recounts his own experiences of suffering in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. Of verse 36, John Gill makes this observation,"this testimony is produced, to show that suffering death has been the common lot of the saints in all ages: and is designed to animate the people of God under the Gospel dispensation, to suffer with cheerfulness". John MacArthur makes this comment,"'The cost of faithfulness to God has always been high. Jesus declared, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it" (Matt. 1O:37-39). Paul assured his beloved Timothy that "indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted" (2 Tim. 3: 12).
Recently, I have seen so many of my friends facing severe physical circumstances. Some dealing with cancer, some dealing with illnesses that defy description. The tendency is to wonder why God would allow such suffering. Those words tribulation, distress, and peril now become very real life circumstances. Facing these things, all of us have said at one time or another,"why God"? Note Vance Havner's perspective,"The Christian meets with sorrow, accidents, sickness and death. All the tribulations of this life are but incidents on the road from Groans to Glory, and a Christian is not a citizen of earth trying to get to heaven but a citizen of heaven making his way through this world". John MacArthur observes,"In this context, the love of Christ represents salvation. Paul is therefore asking rhetorically if any circumstance is powerful enough to cause a true believer to turn against Christ in a way that would cause Christ to turn His back on the believer. At issue, then, are the power and permanence of the love of Christ for those He has bought with His own blood and brought into the family and the kingdom of His Father".
We have faced a number of the adversaries during the years. Sad to say, there were moments of asking "why,God" and there was no response other than searching the Scriptures for wisdom and strength in the situation. Having faced far worse events,the apostle Paul assures us that none of these will separate us from God's love. Verse 37 indicates that it is "in all these things"; afflictions, distresses, persecutions, famine, nakedness, sword, or any other thing of the same kind: we are more than conquerors; not only over sin and Satan, but the world, the reproaches, afflictions, and persecutions of it; which they cheerfully and courageously undergo, insomuch that they are not only conquerors, but "more than conquerors": they have above overcome, they have exceedingly the better of it; for they not only patiently bear afflictions and persecutions, but they glory in them.(John Gill) Paul explains it this way, and He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Threfore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong. (2Cor. 12:9,10)
Trust this will be New Day for you,
SWORDMAN
