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What is Suffering?

It hurts is what most of us say when we are in pain. I don't want to glorify suffering, because most of us try for our whole lives to avoid it, but what can be gained by suffering is wisdom and redemption. I believe that God came to this earth in the person of the Son Jesus Christ, and suffered more than any human being will suffer this side of eternity. God's suffering was redemptive meaning that he redeemed mankind through his suffering and death. Jesus allows humans to participate in the suffering that he endured for our forgiveness, so that we too can help make our suffering redemptive. There is nothing that we can add to our own suffering, in that united with Jesus we can participate in the Divine Mystery of salvation.

It is through our faith that we are justified in Christ, and it is also through our suffering that we are united in a death like his, Romans 6:5 NIV "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his." This is talking about our new life in Christ that we enter in through faith, and baptism. How can we be united with Christ through our death and our suffering? Through Christ's suffering and death he revealed a new covenant to mankind, that through faith in Jesus we can have our sins forgiven. We celebrate our new life through faith, and the church, for by it provides sacramental grace and facilitates a community of grace, where we can live our life of Christ on this earth. Grace is the way in which God continues to save us through Jesus Christ's sacrifice on the cross. When we believe that Christ paid the penalty for all our sins, we are forgiven eternally through the continuous intersession of Jesus in Heaven, Hebrews 7:25 NIV "Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them." 

 Because Christ is alive now, he remains the eternal mediator or high priest between God and man, and those of us who have trusted in God's salvation can be assured that as we are faithful, Jesus will remain faithful. We live in a painful world, and we all long to be set free from suffering, so it is when we understand that mankind's pain can lead us to Heaven and is redemptive in the sense that when God sees our heart, he knows that our suffering can lead us to Christ. Not all pain is redemptive only the pain we give to Jesus, God Son, can it be used to bring about our salvation and the salvation of others. Jesus Christ's death on the cross opened up a new relationship with God and man. Every Christian has free access to grace, provided they come through faith. God is in Heaven, and one day we will be with God as long as we continue to work out our salvation, Philippians 2:12 NIV "Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling," 

 Faith is required to go to Heaven because we don't yet see what God has in store for believers. Trust is another way of saying that we have faith, because to trust something means that I am willing to rely on that thing trusted to get me where I am going safely. The bible teaches that without faith it is impossible to please God, so when we suffer God askes everyone to have faith. This is Mike. 

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