July 31st, 2022
Message Text: Acts 27:27-44
Aux Text: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10
Call to Worship: from Psalm 93
“Growth through Storms”
Pastor Keith Porter
Service Orientation: Storms do not prevent the growth of the church; they cultivate it!
The Word for the Day: Prevail
Memory Verses: Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. — James 1:2-4
Background Information:
∙ God has revealed to Paul that he will go to Rome (Acts 23:11; 19:21) and that a shipwreck was inevitable (Acts 27:10, 21), but if everyone stayed with the ship until it was wrecked, everyone would survive. (Acts 27:21-26)
∙ According to verses 9 and 10, Paul, an experienced traveler, warned the centurion that they should stay in fair Havens because it was after the Fast (mid-October) and everyone knew it was dangerous to make that voyage at that time of year. However, because Fair Havens was a rather boring port and the harbor was not ideal for wintering and an enticing south wind began to blow, the captain decided to take a chance and set sail for the much nicer port of Phoenix, about forty miles away. (Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: Acts, 332)
∙ (v. 27) Medieval sailors used the name Adriatic for “the whole Eastern half of the Mediterranean” (with the exception of the Aegean Sea). Luke, then, employs the geographical terminology of his day. (Simon J. Kistemaker, NT Commentary: Acts, 933)
∙ (v. 35) Luke was paralleling the way Jesus broke bread with his disciples (Lk 9:16; 24:30). Thus, Luke was portraying how Christ was present with them and would bring them through this disaster. (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Acts, 442)
∙ (v. 37) Some critics have argued that this is too high a number of people on the ship. However, the historian Josephus wrote of being on a vessel bound for Italy with six hundred fellow passengers. Ships of this size were common. (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Acts, 443)
∙ (v. 38) In the first instance of jettisoning (see 27:18), some of the cargo had to be kept for ballast, lest the ship become completely unmaneuverable. Now, by lightening the load even more, the ship would ride higher in the water and be able to get closer to shore before running aground. (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Acts, 443)
∙ (v. 42) Roman soldiers were charged with the safekeeping and safe delivery of any prisoners in their care. The law required them to pay with their own lives if any of their prisoners escaped (see 12:19; 16:27). In the certain chaos of a shipwreck, it would be relatively easy for prisoners to slip away. The soldiers’ instinctive reaction was to kill the prisoners so as to prevent this from happening. (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Acts, 444)
∙ (v. 43) Julius told his soldiers not to kill anyone. Instead he instructed those prisoners who could swim to jump into the sea and head for shore. He knew that no one would be able to escape from an island. (Simon J. Kistemaker, NT Commentary: Acts, 940)
∙ (v. 44) In the minds of both Greeks and Romans, surviving a disaster at sea was evidence of a person’s innocence. The powerful sea gods were not believed to spare the guilty. (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Acts, 444-5)
∙ (v. 44) The miracle may be made more evident and also famous; for, in man’s judgment, it is a thing impossible that two hundred threescore and sixteen men should escape to land, having suffered shipwreck, without loss of any man’s life. For it is likely that few had any skill in swimming except the mariners. And though they were somewhat refreshed with the meat which they had eaten, yet they were brought so low with sorrows and wearisomeness, that it is a marvel that they were so nimble as that they could move their arms. And now we must consider what a stir they kept; whereas it is seldom seen that twenty or thirty men do so swim in danger, but one of them doth hinder or drown another. Therefore, God did plainly stretch forth his hand out of heaven, seeing all those came to shore safe and sound which had cast themselves into the sea. (John Calvin, Commentary upon The Acts of the Apostles, 406)
What you know about the future completely determines how you process the present. — Tim Keller
How did the Storm Help the Church to Grow?:
I. The Faithful Shine More Brightly in the Darkness of Storms. (Acts 27:31-32; see also: Mt 5:16; 2 Cor 4:7-18; 1 Pt 1:3-9)
Hardships do not change our character . . . they reveal it or they expose it.
In the midst of the hurricane, Paul is a rock of faith. His trust in God is unshakable. He believes God and his Word and he challenges everyone to emulate his example. (Simon J. Kistemaker, NT Commentary: Acts, 938)
The trial of faith is also a test of its character; it is the furnace that tries the ore, of what kind it is: it may be brass, or iron, or clay, or perhaps precious gold; but the crucible will test it. There is much that passes for real faith, which is no faith; there is much spurious, counterfeit metal; it is the trial that brings out its real character. (Octavius Winslow, Personal Declension and Revival of Religion in the Soul, 87)
When a man has that kind of trust in God he can rise to almost any height in time of danger. He is able to set himself completely aside and let the power of God stream through him. If Paul had been going to Rome solely in his own interests, to satisfy his own ambition, that would have been another matter. But Paul was headed toward Rome because he believed that God was sending him there. No danger could daunt him, no delay could make him believe that he would not finally arrive there. (George Buttrick, The Interpreter’s Bible: Vol. IX, 339)
It is evident that this type of living is miraculous, for it is not natural for us to undergo suffering and endure it patiently. It is natural to whine and sigh and cry in adversity. The worldling often lives such a life of failure, and, alas, too many Christians settle down to the same low level. Nevertheless, provision has been made for us to glory even in tribulation, if we will appropriate the resources that are ours for moment-by-moment living in Christ. (Donald Grey Barnhouse, God’s River, 76)
How a person handles trouble will reveal whether his faith is living or dead, genuine or imitation, saving or nonsaving. (John MacArthur, MacArthur NT Commentary: James, 15)
No thinking person chooses suffering. But we can choose our attitude in the midst of suffering. (Joni Eareckson Tada; When Is It Right To Die?, 82)
A season of suffering is a small price to pay for a clear view of God. — Max Lucado
Whatever (virtues) tribulation finds in us, it develops more fully. If anyone is carnal, weak, blind, wicked, irascible, haughty, and so forth, tribulation will make him more carnal, weak, blind, wicked and irritable. On the other hand, if one is spiritual, strong, wise, pious, gentle and humble, he will become more spiritual, powerful, wise, pious, gentle and humble, as the Psalmist says in Ps 4:1: “Thou has enlarged me when I was in distress.”
Those speak foolishly who ascribe their anger or their impatience to such as offend them or to tribulation. Tribulation does not make people impatient, but proves that they are impatient. So everyone may learn from tribulation how his heart is constituted. (Martin Luther, Commentary on Romans, 90-1)
Things were so bad that all hope of our being saved was at last abandoned. That was when Paul began to show the stuff that the human spirit is made of. No time for calculating common sense now! This was the time for heroic spirit and courage. This was the time for that madness which Festus recognized in Paul, that quality that refused to be confounded by death and defeat. Paul therefore stood up in the ship. How wonderful it is that always in time of great danger some human being rises above the danger and rallies the others around him! In this case it was the prisoner who set the others free, for he had something inside him that the others did not have; he was more than a conqueror. (George Buttrick, The Interpreter’s Bible: Vol. IX, 336)
Through it all the character of Paul was the determining factor. He was the one who knew what to do when the winds were against him. He did everything he could to avoid the situation, but once the situation was upon him, he rose above it and mastered it. It is a testimony to the human spirit at its best. Indeed we are not the masters of our fate or the captains of our souls, but we have such strange and wonderful affinity with the God who made us that in a time of adversity we can do more than dumbly endure it; we can exert our wills and stretch our spirits to such a point that in the eyes of future observers it seems as though by the mastery of our touch we had actually changed the course of events. (George Buttrick, The Interpreter’s Bible: Vol. IX, 341)
Smooth seas do not make skillful sailors. (African proverb)
Most of our contemporary life is trying to deal with life so we don’t have trials. And if we can avoid trials then we’ll have joy. But if we have trials, we cannot possibly have joy. Therefore, we have to get rid of these trials in some way so that we can get on with joy. James says, “No”. If you want to know pure unadulterated joy, then you will find it in your trials. (Alistiar Begg in a sermon entitled “When Trials Comes: part 1″ from the James preaching series Faith that Works.)
Trials are the means by which our faith is tested. (Alistair Begg in a sermon entitled “When Trials Comes: part 2″ from the James preaching series Faith that Works.)
More progress is made in the Christian life through disappointment and tears than is ever made through success and laughter. The winds of tribulation blow away the chaff of error, hypocrisy and doubt leaving that which survives the test the genuine element of Christian character. (Alistair Begg in a sermon entitled “When Trials Comes: part 2″ from the James preaching series Faith that Works.)
It is an only-too-often repeated fact that such faith as we possess collapses before the storm of sorrow, or pain, or disappointment, or whatever it may be. We say that we believe that God is our Father, but as long as we remain untested on the point our belief falls short of steady conviction. But suppose the day comes–as it does and will–when circumstances seem to mock our creed, when the cruelty of life denies his fatherliness, his silence calls in question his almightiness and the sheer, haphazard, meaningless jumble of events challenges the possibility of a Creator’s ordering hand. It is in this way that life’s trials test our faith for genuineness. (John Stott, The Message of James, 31)
Without problems, we would never develop endurance. Even men of the world realize that problems strengthen character. Charles Kettering, noted industrialist once said, “Problems are the price of progress. Don’t bring me anything but problems. Good news weakens me.” (William MacDonald, Emmaus Correspondence Course: The Epistle of James, 5)
Happiness is a subjective state, whereas James is instructing us to make a more objective judgment when he says consider it pure joy. “Happiness” might encourage readers to expect a carefree life or a constantly cheerful mood. Neither of these is what James has in mind. He acknowledges the presence of extremely unhappy experiences in his readers’ lives. At the same time, and with no perception of any contradiction, James counsels these readers to rejoice during those very experiences of hardship. (George M. Stulac, The IVP NT Commentary Series: James, 35)
Most of our school tests are designed primarily to reveal what knowledge the students already have in them. The biblical concept of a testing, as James uses it here, is one that does reveal the genuineness of the person’s faith; but James says the test is also designed to develop something that is not yet present in full measure in the person.
This is why, for the one who wants to live by faith, the trial can be a time for rejoicing. How many people today suffer in trials of many kinds, thinking that the issue is whether they have the faith to pass the test? The spiritual reality is that God will use the trial to develop something that they admittedly do not yet possess. James says, “Rejoice in that prospect!” (George M. Stulac, The IVP NT Commentary Series: James, 36-37)
Do you know that there are spiritual attributes or qualities that cannot be developed in any other way than through tribulation, trials or suffering? You cannot learn humility, freedom, compassion or faith by a textbook or lecture or watching it in someone else. These attributes must be learned the hard way . . . God’s way. (Keller)
II. The Faithful Exude Quiet Confidence and Hope in a Sovereign God in the Midst of Storms because of the Promises of God. (Acts 27:33-36; see also: Psa 119:50, 116, 140, 162; Acts 18:9-10; 23:11; 27:23-25; Rom 4:20-21; 2 Cor 1:20; 5:1-10; 7:1; 2 Thess 1:3-7; Tit 1:2; Heb 4:1; 10:23; Jam 1:12; 1 Pt 1:3-9; 4:12-19; 2 Pet 1:4; 2 Pet 3:13; 1 Jn 2:25)
Real gold fears no fire (Randy Alcorn, Safely Home, 149)
There is no attribute more comforting to His children than that of God’s sovereignty. Under the most adverse circumstances, in the most severe trials, they believe that sovereignty has ordained their afflictions, that sovereignty overrules them, and that sovereignty will sanctify them all. There is nothing for which the children ought to more earnestly contend to than the doctrine of their Master over all creation–the Kingship of God over all the works of His own hands–the Throne of God and His right to sit upon that throne…for it is God upon the Throne whom we trust. — C.H. Spurgeon.
Next comes a most human and suggestive episode. Paul insisted that they should eat. He was a visionary man of God; but he was also an intensely practical man. He had not the slightest doubt that God would do his part but he also knew that they must do theirs. Paul was not one of those people who “were so heavenly minded that they were of no earthly use.” He knew that hungry men are not efficient men; and so he gathered the ship’s company around him and made them eat. (William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: Acts, 185-6)
As we read the narrative, into the tempest there seems to come a strange calm. The man of God has somehow made others sure that God is in charge of things. The most useful people in the world are those who, being themselves calm, bring to others the secret of confidence. Paul was like that; and every follower of Jesus ought to be steadfast when others are in turmoil. (William Barclay, Daily Study Bible Series: Acts, 186)
Two years earlier (23:11) Christ had appeared in Paul’s cell in Caesarea and told him to take courage, for he would bear witness for the Savior in Rome. This was an unconditional promise. Paul would go to Rome–no doubt about it. However, God did not promise smooth sailing along the way. (Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: Acts, 333)
We are not left in doubt as to what these tribulations were (cf. 8:35-39; 1 Cor 4:9-13; 2 Cor 1:4-10; 11:23-30; 12:7-10; Phil 4:12; 2 Tm 3:11, 12; 4:14-16). Paramount in his thought was the consideration that these afflictions were for Christ’s sake (2 Cor 12:10), that they gave occasion for the exhibition of the power and grace of Christ (2 Cor 12:9), and that thereby the interests of the church as the body of Christ were promoted (2 Cor 1:4-6; Col 1:24; cf. 1 Pt 4:13). (John Murray, The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Romans, 163)
Now what saves us from despair? What is it that protects us from surrendering to the sorrows that beset us in this world? The saving factor for the Christians, which preserves him in the midst of his present circumstances, is his hope. (RC Sproul, The Gospel of God: Romans, 143)
Paul is in control of the situation and now urges the people to eat so that they may have strength and confidence to face the unknown challenges of the day. He realizes that the men have been on watch for the duration of the voyage, that they have lacked proper appetite for two weeks because of uncertainty and anxiety, and that they have not eaten a decent meal. They are physically exhausted and weak. But if they take some food, they will gain strength and will be able to go on shore. (Simon J. Kistemaker, NT Commentary: Acts, 935-6)
Paul learned of their plot and boldly spelled out the consequences. In essence, he told them exactly the opposite of what their senses told them: “You think you can find life by ignoring what God has said. Not true. You think you will experience death if you heed what God has said. Not true. No matter how desperate your situation seems, ultimate safety is found in remaining in God’s will.” (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Acts, 442)
To Paul life was not a weary, defeated waiting; it was a throbbing, vivid expectation. The Christian is involved in the human situation. Within he must battle with his own evil human nature; without he must live in a world of death and decay. Nonetheless, the Christian does not live only in the world; he also lives in Christ. He does not see only the consequences of man’s sin; he sees the power of God’s mercy and love. Therefore, the keynote of the Christian life is always hope and never despair. The Christian waits, not for death, but for life. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: Romans, 110-11)
The source of Paul’s confidence is immediately indicated–a vision in the night. We are used to the fact that Paul lived by visions, and we do not try to explain them away in the manner of modern materialists. We need not commit ourselves to the nature of the vision. No one will ever ask us to draw a picture of it, and no one ever presumed to ask Paul to describe it in detail. It was Paul’s way of saying that he was living a two-dimensional life, that he was in communication with plans to which his were always secondary, and that he was guided by a wisdom far greater than his own. He lived under God, and the light that came from God gave him direction.
In this instance the vision told him not to be afraid, that he must stand before Caesar, that nothing would happen to prevent his appearance before the emperor. It was his sense of destiny that gave Paul his incredible confidence. He had completely surrendered his life to God and he believed that God was using it for a purpose and that he would not let it go until that purpose had been accomplished. The ship could not sink because Paul had to get to Rome. (George Buttrick, The Interpreter’s Bible: Vol. IX, 338)
Paul is not saying that there is a level of pain and suffering that is equaled or balanced out by a future promise of reward or blessedness. He is not saying that for every ounce of suffering we patiently endure in this world, we will reap the benefit of an ounce of glory in heaven. Paul says that the ratio is not one of equality; in fact, the ratio is such that they are not even worthy of comparison. The principle that he states here is the principle of the how much more–that is to say, the blessing that God has stored up for us is many times greater than the suffering we are called to endure in this world. Our suffering is minute, virtually insignificant, compared to the deposit of glory that is established on our account in heaven. (RC Sproul, The Gospel of God: Romans, 138)
Our values determine our evaluations. If we value comfort more than character, then trials will upset us. If we value the material and physical more than the spiritual, we will not be able to “count if all joy.” If we live only for the present and forget the future, then trials will make us bitter, not better. Job had the right outlook when he said, “But He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). (Warren Wiersbe, Be Mature, 23)
Suffering is heavy. It hurts. It can hurt so intensely that we scream with terror or cry out with pain. But, says Paul, the intensity of our sufferings is not worth comparing with the glory. And he should know. Paul suffered as much as any man has suffered, judging from his descriptions in 1 Cor 4:9-13; 2 Cor 4:8-12; 6:4-10; and 11:16-33. But he also had a vision of heaven’s glory, having been “caught up to the third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2). In his opinion the intensity of the former is not to be compared to the grandeur of the latter. (James Montgomery Boice, An Expositional Commentary: Romans, Vol. 2, 866)
And yet, temptations can be useful to us even though they seem to cause us nothing but pain. They are useful because they can make us humble, they can cleanse us, and they can teach us. All of the saints passed through times of temptation and tribulation, and they used them to make progress in the spiritual life. Those who did not deal with temptation successfully fell to the wayside. -Thomas á Kempis
Suffering is the best context in which to become assured of God’s love. Of course many people will immediately assert the contrary, since it is suffering which makes them doubt God’s love. But consider Paul’s argument. He has traced the sequence of chain reactions from tribulation to perseverance, from perseverance to character, and from character to hope. Now he adds that hope does not disappoint us (5a), and never will. It will never betray us by proving to be an illusion after all. “Such hope is no fantasy” (REB). But how do we know this? What is the ultimate ground on which our Christian hope rests, our hope of glory? It is the steadfast love of God. The reason our hope will never let us down is that God will never let us down. His love will never give us up. (John Stott, Romans, God’s Good News for the World, 142)
As we persevere, we are being formed and molded on the inside–God is producing his character within us. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 102)
III. Unbelievers Come to Respect and Give Credence to the Hope of the Faithful Persevering through Storms. (Acts 27:42-43; see also: 2 Cor 11:16-12:10; 1 Thess 1:4-10. 3:1-10; 1 Jn 4:4; 5:4-5) If you trust in Christ, there is no suffering or set-back that can undo you. (Jn 14:1-6; Rom 6:5-13; 5:3-5; 8:28-30, 32; 38-39; 2 Cor 4:7-5:10; Phil 1:6; 4:13; Heb 2:10; Jms 1:2-4; 1 Pt 1:3-9; 4:13-14; 5:10)
This is the third time during the course of the voyage that Paul speaks. Julius and the soldiers know by now that Paul’s word is true and ought not to be taken lightly. Hence they listen to Paul’s word. (Simon J. Kistemaker, NT Commentary: Acts, 935)
. . . unlike the situation at the beginning of the voyage, Paul had the centurion’s ear and was functioning almost as the commander of the ship. Paul’s words were followed completely, even when they went against common sense. The soldiers derailed the sailors’ plan by cutting the lifeboat free. Without this smaller boat to ferry passengers to shore, everyone aboard was forced to depend on the Lord. (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Acts, 442)
Comfort and prosperity have never enriched the world as much as adversity has. (Billy Graham as quoted in; The Leadership Secrets of Billy Graham, 189)
“The very angels themselves cannot persuade the wretched and blundering children of this world as can one human being broken on the wheels of living… In love’s service only wounded soldiers can serve.” (from Thornton Wilder’s play – The Angel that Troubled the Waters).
The thing which amazed the heathen in the centuries of persecution was that the martyrs did not die grimly, they died singing. One smiled in the flames; they asked him what he found to smile at there. “I saw the glory of God,” he said, “and was glad.” (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: James and Peter, 43)
Paradoxically, of course, it is only these heavenly-minded people who are able to make any real or lasting difference in the world. (James Montgomery Boice, An Expositional Commentary: Romans, Vol. 2, 884)
Huge waves that would frighten an ordinary swimmer produce a tremendous thrill for the surfer who has ridden them… A saint doesn’t know the joy of the Lord in spite of tribulation, but because of it. — Oswald Chambers
While physical pain may be a part of the fall, God can and does use it for our spiritual advancement. Brother Lawrence said God “sometimes permits the body to suffer to cure the sickness of the soul.” (Brother Lawrence, The Practice of the Presence of God, Fourteenth Letter as quoted by Gary L. Thomas, Seeking the Face of God, 170)
Paul and Silas could sing in the Philippian prison because its bars could not prevent their serving Christ’s cause. In that service they found the source of their happiness, so their trials only proved their faith and the steadfastness of their devotion. Christians are not distinguished by their immunity from the trials which are common to mankind, but in the way they meet them and what they make out of them. Theirs is no mere stoical apathy or fatalistic submission to senseless suffering, but the transmutation of adversity into spiritual victory. (Abingdon Press, The Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. XII, 22)
Worship Point: Realize how much God loves you. Realize He loves you far too much to allow you to stay where you are. Worship God because He loves you so much that He literally moves heaven and earth to allow you, as well as others, to become like Jesus. (Psa 66:10-12; 119:71; Isa 48:10; Mt 5:11-12; 24:13; Rom 5:3-5; 8:18-25; Heb 2:10; 5:8; Jms 1:2-4)
“I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my seventy-five years in the world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness, whether pursued or attained. In other words, if it ever were to be possible to eliminate affliction from our earthly existence by means of some drug or other medical mumbo-jumbo, as Aldous Huxley envisaged in Brave New World, the result would not be to make life delectable, but to make it too banal and trivial to be endurable.” (Malcom Muggeridge; A Twentieth Century Testimony: as quoted by Kent Hughes; Liberating Ministry from the Success Syndrome, 121)
Gospel Application: No one had more glory through storms and thus encouraged the Church to grow through storms than did Jesus. (Jn 12:16, 23, 28, 41; 13:31-32; 16:33; 17:1, 4-5; Rom 8:17; Phil 3:10; Heb 2:9-18; 5:8; 12:1-2; 13:12; 1 Pt 2:19-23; 3:17-22; 4:1-2, 12-14)
Suffering is an essential part of the Christian’s identification with the fate and work of Christ. Paul was not an exponent of a health and wealth gospel. He knew firsthand that the Christian life is one of “conflicts on the outside, fears within” (2 Cor 7:5; see his list of hardships in 2 Cor 11:32ff.). He knew that suffering, loathsome as it is, strips away false securities and drives believers to God, the source of all hope and compassion. He knew, bewildering as it may seem, that hardships and sufferings were necessary to prepare believers for the weight of glory prepared for them (2 Cor 4:16-18). (James R. Edwards, New International Biblical Commentary: Romans, 136)
We must reassert the words of Joseph Rickaby: “the Cross does not abolish suffering, but transforms it, sanctifies it, makes it fruitful, bearable, even joyful, and finally victorious.” (Robert Lewis, The Church of Irresistible Influence, 97)
An easy life does nothing to produce character. Character is forged in the crucible of pain. Character is built when we have no alternative but to persevere in tribulation. Those who come out on the other side are those in whose souls God has built character. The result of character is hope (v. 4)–there it is again. Authentically joyful people are those who know where their hope is. They have been through the crucible. They have been through afflictions, persecution, and rejection from their friends. They have been through pain. They have identified with the humiliation of Christ. They have been crucified with Christ and raised in his resurrection and now participate in his exultation. That is the hope that Christian character produces. (RC Sproul, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary: Romans, 151)
When we find ourselves rejecting difficulty, we may find that we are really rejecting the cross–and therefore Christ Himself. It was not just John of the Cross who wrote about this. Consider Thomas a Kempis’ words: “Christ’s whole life was a cross and martyrdom; and dost thou seek rest and joy for thyself? Thou art deceived, thou art deceived, if thou seek any other thing than to suffer tribulations; for this whole mortal life is full of miseries, and signed on every side with crosses. And the higher a person hath advanced in spirit, so much the heavier crosses he oftentimes findeth. (Thomas a Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, III:19:1 as quoted by Gary L. Thomas, Seeking the Face of God, 164)
This is not masochism, however, the sickness of finding pleasure in pain. It is rather the recognition that there is a divine rationale behind suffering. First, suffering is the one and only path to glory. It was so for Christ; it is so for Christians. As Paul will soon express it, we are ‘co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory’ (8:17). That is why we are to rejoice in them both.
Secondly, if suffering leads to glory in the end, it leads to maturity meanwhile. Suffering can be productive, if we respond to it positively, and not with anger or bitterness. (John Stott, Romans, God’s Good News for the World, 141)
This path to glory lies through pain. Consider our Lord Jesus who, “though a Son, learned obedience through the things which He suffered” (Heb 5:8). Even though he was the author of our salvation, He was made “perfect through sufferings” (Heb 2:10). We are not exempted from this program, for it is by suffering (testing) that God is bringing us to maturity. Paul was not a man to belittle suffering. He suffered plenty himself. Perhaps no man, other than Jesus, suffered more for the sake of the gospel. Yet he is saying that anything we have to endure in this life, is nothing compared to the glory that awaits us. It’s natural to suffer in this world. It is unredeemed. (C. S. Lovett, Lovett’s Lights on Romans, 200)
Spiritual Challenge: Learn to see your storms as a time to shine more effectively for Jesus as you exude quiet confidence and glory through the promises of God. (Mt 5:48; Jn 16:33; Rom 5:1-5; 8:28-30; 12:1-2; Phil 3:7-11; Heb 3:14; Jms 1:2-4; 1 Jn 2:19)
Every Christian can have courage amidst life’s storms if he or she uses the proper anchors. (Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: Acts, 334)
Jesus could easily have calmed this storm, yet he allowed the storm to rage. In the midst of the storm, however, God gave a sign of his awareness of their plight and a special promise of his protection. In a similar way, God allows us to weather many storms throughout our lifetimes, but he is present with us and extends his protection to us until it is our appointed time to die. (Clinton E. Arnold, General Editor; Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary, Vol. 2, John-Acts, 475)
If a Christian cannot rejoice in his trials, his values are not godly and biblical. (John MacArthur, MacArthur NT Commentary: James, 24)
Is it possible to have the walls crashing down around you and still experience contentment? I would have never thought so, but I was surprised to learn that we can be content in the midst of suffering—not mere inconvenience, but severe, agonizing suffering. The issue, I learned, is that our circumstances don’t’ determine our contentment, but our faith and trust in God do. (Patrick Morley; The Man In The Mirror, 101-102)
Suffering is like the pressure put on carbon to produce a diamond. As we persevere, we are being formed and molded on the inside–God is producing his character within us. (Bruce B. Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Romans, 102)
You don’t need the Holy Spirit if you are merely seeking to live a semi-moral life and attend church regularly. You can find people of all sorts in many religions doing that quite nicely without Him. You only need the Holy Spirit’s guidance and help if you truly want to follow the Way of Jesus Christ. You only need Him if you desire to “obey everything” He commanded and to teach others to do the same. You only need the Holy Spirit if you understand that you are called to share in Christ’s suffering and death, as well as His resurrection (Francis Chan, Forgotten God, 122-23)
Our inheritance, as children of God, is so inconceivably great that no matter what our earthly sufferings, it is immeasurably insignificant in comparison with what we will inherit in heaven at the redemption (Rom 8:18; see also: Isa 64:4; 65:17-21; Mt 19:28; 1 Cor 2:9; 15:37-58; 2 Cor 3:18; 4:7-5:10; Phil 3:20-21; 2 Tim 2:10; 1 Pt 1:3-9; 4:13-14; Rev 21:1-5; ch 22)
The apostle is not minimizing suffering but maximizing glory. (James R. Edwards, New International Biblical Commentary: Romans, 212)
Any Christian who is unhappy because of suffering, or who is guilty of any of the things I have mentioned under my negative headings, is found in such a condition for one reason only, namely, that he has not been thinking clearly. (D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Romans, Exposition of Chapter 8:17-39, 24)
As followers of Christ, our suffering comes from men, whereas our glory comes from God. Our suffering is earthly, whereas our glory is heavenly. Our suffering is short, whereas our glory is forever. Our suffering is trivial, whereas our glory is limitless. Our suffering is in our mortal and corrupted bodies, whereas our glory will be in our perfected and imperishable bodies. (John MacArthur, The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Romans 1-8, 450)
We must never rely solely on our own wisdom or skills. But it is equally wrong to sit and to nothing when there are still actions we can take to overcome certain problems. Do all that you can to fix the problem. Then trust God to do his part. (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary: Acts, 441)
Generally speaking, one day of adversity can be of more profit to us for our eternal salvation than years of untroubled living, whatever good use we make of the time. (Father Jean Baptiste; Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence, 114)
There is no education like adversity. (Walt Disney)
We acquire maturity not in dingy lecture halls but on crosses. (Calvin Miller; A Hunger for Meaning)
Trials are the soil in which faith grows. (Our Daily Bread 9-19-12)
There is nothing to be won in the perfecting of Christian character without our setting ourselves to it persistently, doggedly, continuously all through our lives. Brethren, be sure of this, you will never grow like Christ by mere wishing, by mere emotion, but only by continual faith, rigid self-control, and by continual struggle. And be as sure of this, you will never miss the mark if, ‘forgetting the things that are behind, and reaching forth to those that are before,’ you ‘let patience have her perfect work,’ and press towards Him who is Himself the Author and Finisher of our patience and of our faith. (Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: 2 Tm – Jas, 559-60)
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved. (Helen Keller)
So What?: Do you think your life is so “together” that you don’t need any storms to help you grow? Realize that God gives Christians storms so they can be refined and also so they can shine for Jesus. (Jn 21:19)
Do with me whatever it shall please thee. For it cannot be anything but good, whatever thou shalt do with me. If it be thy will I should be in darkness, be thou blessed; and if it be thy will I should be in light, be thou again blessed. If thou grant me comfort, be thou blessed; and if thou will have me afflicted, be thou still equally blessed. My son, such as this ought to be thy state, if thou desire to walk with Me. Thou must be as ready to suffer as to rejoice. Thou must cheerfully be as destitute and poor, as full and rich. (Thomas A Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, III:17:1-2)
In these closing moments of this age, the Lord will have a people whose purpose for living is to please God with their lives. In them, God finds His own reward for creating man. They are His worshipers. They are on earth only to please God, and when He is pleased, they also are pleased.
The Lord takes them farther and through more pain and conflicts than other men. Outwardly, they often seem “smitten of God, and afflicted” (Is 53:4). Yet to God, they are His beloved. When they are crushed, like the petals of a flower, they exude a worship, the fragrance of which is so beautiful and rare that angels weep in quiet awe at their surrender. They are the Lord’s purpose for creation.
One would think that God would protect them, guarding them in such a way that they would not be marred. Instead, they are marred more than others. Indeed, the Lord seems pleased to crush them, putting them to grief. For in the midst of their physical and emotional pain, their loyalty to Christ grows pure and perfect. And in the face of persecutions, their love and worship toward God become all-consuming.
Would that all Christ’s servants were so perfectly surrendered. (Francis Frangipane, The Three Battlegrounds, 93-94)
Paul was mature in Christ but was still being shaped through trials. We are often objective-oriented, but God is process-oriented. We just want to get to Rome, but God is even more interested in how we get there. (Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word: Acts, 338)
St. Bonaventure relates that St. Francis of Assisi was afflicted by an illness which caused him great pain. One of his followers said to him, “Ask Our Lord to treat you a little more gently, for it seems to me He lays His hand too heavily upon you.” Hearing this the saint gave a cry and addressed the man in these words: “If I did not think that what you have just said comes from the simplicity of your heart without any evil intention I would have no more to do with you, because you have been so rash as to find fault with what God does to me.”: Then, though he was very weak from the length and violence of his illness, he threw himself down from the rough bed he was lying on, at the risk of breaking his bones, and kissing the floor of his cell said “I thank you, O Lord, for all the sufferings you send me. I beg you to send me a hundred times more if you think it right. I shall rejoice if it pleases you to afflict me without sparing me in any way, for the accomplishments of your holy will is my greatest consolation.” (Father Jean Baptiste; Trustful Surrender to Divine Providence, 67-8)
We are not just to act joyful, in reluctant pretense, but to be genuinely joyful. It is a matter of will, not of feelings, and should be the conscious, determined commitment of every faithful believer. And because God commands it, it is within the ability, under the Spirit’s provision, of every true Christian. When faith in Jesus Christ is genuine, James assures us, even the worst of troubles can and should be cause for thanksgiving and rejoicing. (John MacArthur, MacArthur NT Commentary: James, 21)
That is a paradox. It bids a man to be glad because he has trouble and is sad. It seems ridiculous, but the next verse solves the paradox: ‘Knowing this, that the trial of your faith worketh patience.’ That is to say–if I rightly understand the meaning of this world in its bearing on myself, the intention of my whole life to make me what God would have me to be, then I shall not measure things by their capacity to delight and please taste, ambitions, desires, or sense, but only by their power to mold me into his likeness. (Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture: 2 Tm – Jas, 357)
There will be the tests of the dangers, the sacrifices, the unpopularity which the Christian way must so often involve. But they are not meant to make us fall; they are meant to make us soar. They are not meant to defeat us; they are meant to be defeated. They are not meant to make us weaker; they are meant to make us stronger. Therefore we should not bemoan them; we should rejoice in them. (William Barclay, The Daily Study Bible Series: James and Peter, 43)
Our attitude is to be one of pure joy (genuine rejoicing). This is not joyful anticipation for trials. Instead, it is joy during trials. The joy is based on confidence in the outcome of the trial. It is the startling realization that trials represent the possibility of growth. In contrast, most people are happy when they escape trials. But James encourages us to consider it pure joy in the very face of trials. (Bruce Barton, Life Application Bible Commentary; James, 5)
