In this enlightening episode, Colin Cook discusses the complexities of suffering and its relation to faith in the Christian journey. Listeners are invited to reevaluate their understanding of suffering, not as a punishment or mere burden, but as a participation in Christ’s own sufferings. Through this lens, the trials of life become a profound sharing with Jesus, opening the pathway to peace and a richer faith experience.
00:00:05 The Astonishing Truth of Being Children of God
The richness of Romans chapter 8 is just incomprehensible, really. We’ve come now to this passage that says, “…the Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.” That’s Romans 8, verse 16. children of God, we have been adopted, for you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, Abba, Father, Daddy, Father, our Father, our God is our Father, He is our Daddy. It is just an astonishing truth that is coming out here, and we have to ponder it and think of how rich this is, that we are children of God. We’re not simply servants. We’re not simply His creation. He has taken us into His home. He has adopted us. And more than that, the Spirit himself, God in the spiritual realm, has confirmed and does confirm to us daily, bearing witness to our spirit that we are children of God. You see, our human spirit, as I said yesterday, our natural mind, does not bear witness to us that we’re children of God. It tells us we’re no good, we’re useless, we’re wrong, what’s wrong with you? We’re full of guilt and shame and fear. The human mind has nothing good to say to us at all. But God’s Spirit comes into us as we put faith in Jesus Christ, and by the way, the faith that we have comes from the Holy Spirit, and tells us, your children, You’re my children. Don’t be afraid. Don’t be anxious. Jesus said, you know, in the world you will have trouble, but be of good cheer. Cheer up. I have overcome the world. That’s What faith in God is all about. It is so beautiful. It is so rich. It is so reassuring. It is so comforting. It is so embracing and forgiving. So merciful. All of this is too much to take in to our natural mind. That’s why we need the gift of faith. But there’s even more, look. Because the next verse says, And if we are children, then heirs… Just think of it. Heirs. What are you expecting to inherit? Maybe your parents’ house. Maybe your parents’ fortune. Maybe your parents’ business. Maybe nothing. But the truth of the matter is that as you realize the truth of who Jesus is for you, you are heirs of the universe. the whole universe. This book of Romans is not a book for the elite, not a book for the special. It is for everyone. That is why the message comes to us by faith. It’s a gift to us. The gift of Christ, who has gained victory over all the forces of evil, and is now ruling, Jesus himself said, I have overcome the world, all power in heaven and on earth are mine, and this gift that God gave to his Son, He gives it to us because we are to be joint heirs with Christ. If children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. I mean, this is fairy tale stuff unless we realize how real it is. that God has determined that the creation that he made, that fell into sin, whom he will redeem, which he will redeem by Christ, shall inherit the whole universe as a co-heir with Jesus Christ. What a future we have! You may think you are the poorest person in the world. You may never have had many chances on this earth. And maybe you live in a country where poverty is just the norm, and famine, and terrible things that happen. But as you put faith in Jesus Christ, who is your Savior, you are the richest person on earth. You will inherit the kingdom of God. Not only will you be a child of God, you will be an heir of all that God owns. This is what we look forward to. You remember Psalm 16, O Lord, you are the portion of my inheritance and my cup. David realized how wonderful God was, that he inherits God. Do you realize that you inherit God, the creator of the universe, the one full of love and beauty? Take a moment sometime this spring and look at beautiful things in the garden or in the nursery or wherever, just to remind yourself that God loves beauty. He’s not simply in the business of salvation. Yes, He is in that indeed. But He loves beautiful things and He wants to give all this beauty to you. The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ. But now there comes what some people think is a downer. For he says, the following clause, if indeed we suffer with him. Oh boy, now what’s all that about? You know, it’s very difficult to talk about suffering when people suffer. Suppose you have prayed for the healing of your loved one, your wife, your husband, your son or your daughter, your mother or father, and you prayed consistently, and they were not healed and they died. And you are full of confusion. Why did God not heal my loved one? Why did he or she die? What have I done wrong? Haven’t I had enough faith? Isn’t God pleased with me? Why would he bless some with healing and not others? And on the questions go, and it makes grief all the more difficult, because we are confused. What’s the answer to this? Well, we need to look at the truth, and it is hard, as I say, to talk about this to someone who is actually suffering and going through the grief. But the truth of the matter is that all mankind, all humanity, every single one of us lives in the kingdom of sin and death. This is not the kingdom of life. It is the kingdom of sin and death. Death reigns because of sin. Not our sin, primarily. Adam’s sin, who brought brokenness and ruin upon the human race. But we joined in that sin, didn’t we? So it’s become ours now as well. And the message of the gospel is that God, as we put faith in Jesus Christ, has transferred us all to the kingdom of life and peace. But we live still in the kingdom of sin and death. And so we should expect to die. We should expect that God will have to put this humanity of ours to death, not because he’s mad with us and endlessly angry, but because he’s telling us that this humanity of ours is ruined. It’s broken down. It cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God. And therefore, in a strange kind of way, we Christians agree with our death. We agree, Lord God, you have to put me out, because this humanity of mine cannot inherit the kingdom of God. I agree with you, dear Lord, that this humanity of mine must put on immortality, and this humanity of mine must put on incorruption. Only a new creation, dear God, will suffice for the kingdom that you are giving me, that I am inheriting. And so we agree that the kingdom of death and sin that we live in must go. But now this kingdom of sin and death, you see, is a kingdom of suffering. In fact, it is the same kingdom that Jesus entered into and suffered on our behalf. And so when it says, if indeed we suffer with him, well, of course we suffer with him, or rather, of course we suffer, but the question is, do we suffer with him? Or do we suffer alone without faith and wonder why it’s all happening to us? You see, ours is not a choice between suffering outside of Christ or accept Christ and you will be relieved of all your suffering. No, the gospel message is not that now we become Christians, we’re all happy and wonderful and blessed and things, and we are prospering everywhere, whereas the world is falling apart and going through so much suffering. I do agree. that there is more suffering of a certain kind outside of Christ, because if you’re going to just let it all hang out and do what you feel like and be a drug addict or an alcoholic or any other indulgence you want to engage in, if you are going to do that, obviously you’ll suffer more. But becoming a Christian isn’t a choice between suffer in the world or become a Christian and be happy. No, the choice is that we suffer outside of Christ or we suffer in and with Christ. And when we suffer with Christ, we have an understanding of what it’s all about, that we are joining with Christ in his suffering for the world, because the more a person loves, the more he suffers for those whom he loves. And since God’s love is perfect towards us, then his suffering for us is total and perfect. And so when we suffer, we need to recognize by faith, whether it’s the death of a loved one or our own death or all of our sufferings of pain and difficulty, Lord Jesus, I am entering into your suffering, for I am an inheritor of your kingdom. I am going to inherit all things. And therefore in recognition of that, identifying you with all that you have given to me and done for me, I identify also with all your sufferings you have gone through for me. That’s what we do. Now, it’s not easy. It’s easy for me to sit here relatively without suffering and tell you this. When the day comes and I suffer more than I do now, perhaps I’ll have a hard time of it and I’ll have to remind myself of all that I’m telling you. But it’s true. It is true. that you and I find peace in suffering because we are fellow heirs with Christ, we are inheriting what Christ has inherited, and that means we are also involved in the suffering that he has gone through for the world because the inheritance that we have gained through Christ is through his suffering. And since by faith we trust in him, we therefore identify with him. And when we identify with him, we recognize the suffering that we are going through is his, and his is ours. And we say, Lord Jesus, I thank you in all that I’m going through and all the struggle that you are present with me in this suffering. Thank you for joining me today. This is Colin Cook and this is How It Happens, my broadcast on Monday through Friday for you at 10 o’clock in the evening, repeated at 4 o’clock in the morning on the radio, KLTT AM 670 in the Denver and Colorado and surrounding states. But you may also listen any time of the day or night on your smartphone. Simply download a free app, soundcloud.com or podbean.com and key in how it happens with Colin Cook when you get there. And if you would please consider a donation, it would help this listener-supported radio so much. You can send your donation to FaithQuest, P.O. Box 366, Littleton, Colorado. or make your donation online at faithquestradio.com. Thanks so much. See you next time. Cheerio and God bless.
