Bible Studies

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Feeling Overwhelmed? Part Two

Job was a man that Scripture defined as, “… blameless, upright, fearing God and turning away from evil (Job 1:1 NASB).”

Human viewpoint would say that if there is any justice in this world, such a man should be the last one to have to worry about suffering great loss and adversity. Yet, it was because of his great faith and godly lifestyle that he found himself the target of satanic attacks.

Job suffered the loss of ten adult children, his wealth, and health.

Satan claimed that Job only worshiped God because he (Job) had only experienced the blessings of God, and would turn on Him (God) if the blessings were to be taken away.

The devil was proven wrong in the case of Job, but sad to say, he would be making a valid point in the case of many who claim to be Christians today.

Dealing with all the injustices that God allows to take place, here in the devil’s world (1), is a major hurdle to be overcome along the road to spiritual maturity. The devil will use such events to shake our confidence in the existence and significance of God, and to cool the intimacy of our relationship in our walk with Him.

The devil was allowed to “get his licks in” in the case of Job.

In the midst of great loss and suffering, Job came to the point that he concluded that it would have been better if he had died at birth than to have lived on only to find himself in his present situation (2).

It is safe for us to conclude, that although Job was not defeated, this man of great faith was overwhelmed.

Paul spoke of 1st Century believers being, “…afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed (2Cor. 4: 8, 9 NASB).”

Hebrews 11: 35-37 paints an even grimmer picture, as far as the earthly experience of many 1st Century Christians.

“… others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (Heb. 11: 36-37 NASB).”

Throughout the course of the Church Age, advancing disciples have risked everything, and in some cases have made the ultimate sacrifice, for the cause of Christ. It is the advancing disciple who will experience the reality of 2Tim 3: 12, and the need to apply the Phil. 4: 6-7 solution, as they await God’s response.

Response?

Yes, God’s response would be to either get us out of, or see us through the adversity, in keeping with His timing.

“Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted (2Tim. 3: 12 NASB).”

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your REQUESTS be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4: 6, 7 NASB).”

It’s easy to make Phil. 4: 13 boasts, and to maintain a Phil. 2: 14 attitude when things are going our way. But not so easy when we find ourselves overwhelmed, having our faith put to the test.

On the other hand, there is nothing more revealing about where we are along the road to spiritual maturity than by the way we manage adversity.

” I can do all things through Him who strengthens me (Phil. 4: 13 NASB).”

To be able to quote such passages as Phil. 4: 13 with conviction when under a cloud of great adversity, takes a level of spiritual maturity that is above and beyond where most “Christians” are in their walk with the Lord.

Even some of the more spiritually-mature believers I know, have a hard time obeying Phil. 2: 14.

“Do all things without grumbling or disputing (Phil. 2: 14 NASB).”

. . .

Adding to Job's misery, his visiting “friends” insinuated that he must have sinned to have ended up in his situation. Job’s wife (who shared the loss of family members) told him to just curse God and die (3).

When professing Christian fail to apply God’s means of endurance or escape, their public testimony is compromised by not being able to handle the adversity any better than their worldly-minded counterparts.

With a divine purpose in mind, seemingly bad things do happen to good people every day. As in the case of Job, such adversity can be the result of having done things RIGHT!

Advancing disciples do not ask WHY “bad” things happen. Advancing disciples will ask WHAT it is that God wants to accomplish, having sent or allowed such things to take place.

There is a major difference between unconditional Biblical PROMISES and the conditional Biblical PRINCIPLES concerning blessings and prosperity.

The prosperity of the wicked  (4) is a high hurdle for an advancing disciple to overcome.

God is not the only source of earthly prosperity (5).

All promises made by God, without exception, have been, are now, or will be fulfilled in God’s timing, be it in time or Eternity. But the benefits of the conditional principles will not take place, and should not be anticipated, when the qualifying conditions are not in place.

IF and when ALL prerequisites and conditions have been satisfied, AND what we desire is in line with God’s will, THEN the expected outcomes can be anticipated.

It is the AND part that so many of us fail to understand.

Let’s take a look at a few examples.

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to HIS purpose (Romans. 8: 28 NASB).”

The “all things working together for good” is a principle that has qualifying conditions. The “all things working out for the best” principle found in Romans 8: 28 is directed towards a unique minority among born-again believers.

These believers “love the Lord,” evidenced by their own obedience to His commands, and whose primary objective it is to live to carry out God's plans; not their own (6).

I use the phrase “unique minority” because as Matt. 7: 14 teaches, only the minority of each generation of Man will be born again. Among those who are born again, only a minority of them will identify and stick with Biblical discipleship throughout the course of their post salvation spiritual life.

The majority of Christians want to live out THEIR plans with God’s support, evidenced by the nature of their prayer requests. It is the minority who live for God, seeking HIS will (purpose) that the “working out for good” principle applies.

Biblical discipleship is initially for the edification and spiritual growth of oneself, but with the long-term objective of participating in the Great Commission (7).

Mark 4: 19 identifies the primary cause for the lack of productivity in the post salvation life of many Christians. “… but the worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful (Mark 4: 19 NASB).”

The fruit being spoken of here are souls that have been saved and or edified as a result of a born-again believer’s participation in the Great Commission (8).

Furthermore, what God considers working out for the best and what we think of as having worked out for the best can prove to be two very different things.

From divine viewpoint, things have worked out for the best when (#1) souls of unbelievers are saved; (#2) when the souls of believers are further edified; (#3) when advancing disciples move along the road to spiritual maturity.

The gain or loss of earthly prosperity may very well be in the picture.

God PROMISES Church Age believers that He will never forsake them, but has never promised that they will not suffer during their appointed time here on Earth. In fact, not only are Church Age believers subject to the same general adversity as everyone else, they have been called to suffer the additional consequences for taking a godly stand in this ungodly world (9).

The promise of there being no eternal condemnation, found in Romans 8: 1, is unconditional, but only applies to the ones (in Christ) to whom the promise was made. The same Bible that assures born-again believers of permanent residency in Heaven, warns unbelievers of spending all of eternity in what the Bible calls the lake of fire (10).

The, “everybody is going to eventually make it into Heaven” theory is the devil’s lie. Those who promote this lie are doing the devil’s work (11).

To be “in Christ” means to be born again. No eternal condemnation means that born again believers will not be among those who will be tossed into what the Bible calls the lake of fire (12) John 3: 7, 18.. This Romans 8: 1 promise of no eternal condemnation is a promise made to born-again believers. It remains in force regardless of success or failure in the post salvation life of Biblical discipleship.


That being said, the Romans 8: 1 promise of there being no eternal condemnation is not a license to sin. There are other earthly and eternal consequences (13) in store as a result of the negative choices that born again believers (Christians) make throughout the course of their post (after) salvation spiritual life, here on Earth.

All born again believers have the promise of a home in Heaven. All born again believers have equal opportunity to qualify for a full reward, but not all born-again believers are going to receive the heavenly reward and privileges that are reserved for those who follow Christ down the road of Biblical discipleship (14).

I take issue with evangelists who tell people that “everything” will be fine when they become a Christian, implying that the Christian life here on Earth will be a walk in the park. Life here on Earth, for many advancing disciples, will be anything but, a walk in the park.

There are many blessings that an advancing disciple can experience (e.g., Phil. 4: 7), but spiritual maturity comes with a price tag that many born again believers are unwilling to pay.

Many Individuals are satisfied just to know they are “getting in,” and “just getting in” is all that they are going to receive (15).
. . .

“Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it (Prov. 22: 6 NASB).”

The principle of Prov. 22: 6 is often quoted by parents who have not (yet) experienced the pain associated with having rebellious children. This same verse is like salt in a wound to a parent who did, by word, discipline, and example, lead the way, only to have their offspring choose another path.

The positive outcome spoken of in Prov. 22: 6 has two pre-existing conditions. Condition #1 is godly parenting, consisting of leading by word, discipline, and example. Condition #2 is a positive response on the part of the child exercising his/her free-will to follow the godly parenting that he or she has been given.

You can lead the horse to water, but you can’t make it drink.

Only when both conditions are met can the principle be applied. The “oldness” here is speaking of spiritual maturity, and not chronological age. There can be 19-year-old spiritually mature believers, and 91-year olds who, “… by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food (Heb. 5: 12 NASB).”

. . .

Protection from Isa. 54: 17 weapons and the Psalms 91: 7 scenarios are subject to the plan that God has in mind for each individual.

Providing  it is a part of the individual plan that God has in mind, one can be assured of divine protection from persecution, illness, conspiracies, physical limitations and injury.

However, for many of God’s children (of all ages), such adversities have been, are, or will be a part of the plan that God has in store for them (16).

The question is how we will choose to respond.

“But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God and not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips (Job 2: 10 NASB).”

Consider how many Christians passed away as a result of the Covid Pandemic; are killed in military or public service; die as a result of being victims of criminal activity or accidents. Did God love them any less than the ones who survived or were spared such adversity? I think not (17)!

The final hurdle to overcome may be the adversity associated with the process of dying. Some of us will see it coming and have been called to endure it. Others will leave this world today, with their departure being the last thing on their mind when they got up this morning.

Either way, the timing and circumstances of our departure is just as much a part of God’s plan as was the timing and circumstances of our entry into this world. ALL of the divine blessings and adversity that God sends or allows to take place here on Earth are a part of the individual plan that God had in mind, and are the result of God’s direct, permissive, and or over-ruling will, being manifested.

Ready or not, approx. 150,000 souls leave this world every day as a result of natural aging, warfare, sickness, accidents, and being victims of crime, but not before knowingly or unwittingly having served their purpose, according to God’s direct, permissive, or over-ruling will.

Before departing, many will encounter life-changing events.

Until one is ready to deal with death and or adversity, he or she is not ready to see the blessings AND to see the adversity that come his or her way, fo r what they really are. What they really are, are parts of the plan that God has in mind.

Christians frequently pray for His will to be done, but get all upset, at times, when His will is made known.

One is ready to die AFTER he or she has settled the matter of where he or she is going, AND how he or she will experience eternity.

Are you ready?

As long as disciples are here on Earth, they are called to glorify God by establishing, maintaining, and applying a Matt.7: 24-27 edified soul structure to ALL that he or she thinks, says, and does. This is God’s answer when we are overwhelmed and cry out, asking what am I going to do.

As overwhelming as life can be, our greatest opportunities to glorify God will often come during times of greatest adversity. What is an overwhelming challenge for most believers, will for an advancing disciple, be perceived as a great opportunity to glorify God.

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(1) Luke 4: 6 (2) Job 3: 11 (3) Job 2: 9 (4) Psalms 37: 7 (5) Luke 4: 6 (6) Psalms 40: 8/John 14: 15/Phil. 1: 21/John 21: 15-17 (7) Matt. 28; 19, 20 (8) Matt. 28: 19, 20 (9) Phil. 1: 29/1Pet. 2: 21 (10) John 14: 2/Rev. 20: 15 (11) John 8: 44 (12) John 3; 7, 18/Rev.20: 15 (13) Heb. 12:6/1 Cor.3: 15 (14) 1Cor. 3: 14, 15/Rev. 2/Rev.3). (15) 1Cor. 3: 15 (16) Heb.11: 36-39 (17) John 3: 16/Romans 5: 8

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