CHRIST FOR PRISONERS WEEKLY BULLETIN
Sunday, November 11, 2007

Why Does God Allow Us To Have Problems?

John 16:33 (NKJV)
³³ These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

John 16:33 (RVR)
³³ Estas cosas os he hablado para que en mí tengáis paz. En el mundo tendréis aflicción; pero confiad, yo he vencido al mundo.

1. We will have tribulation in this world, of that there is no doubt.

Tribulation means “pressing or pressure that burdens our spirits” It refers to affliction or anguish. In other words, Jesus said, “In this world we will have “big-time problems.”

In Romans 8 Paul writes about all kinds of problems: tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword and death.

Romans 8:35-39 (NKJV)
³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
³⁶ As it is written: "For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."
³⁷ Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
³⁸ For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come,
³⁹ nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:35-39 (RVR)
³⁵ ¿Quién nos separará del amor de Cristo? ¿Tribulación, o angustia, o persecución, o hambre, o desnudez, o peligro, o espada?
³⁶ Como está escrito: Por causa de ti somos muertos todo el tiempo; Somos contados como ovejas de matadero.
³⁷ Antes, en todas estas cosas somos más que vencedores por medio de aquel que nos amó.
³⁸ Por lo cual estoy seguro de que ni la muerte, ni la vida, ni ángeles, ni principados, ni potestades, ni lo presente, ni lo por venir,
³⁹ ni lo alto, ni lo profundo, ni ninguna otra cosa creada nos podrá separar del amor de Dios, que es en Cristo Jesús Señor nuestro.

What does it mean to be more than a conqueror? Conquerors defeat their enemies. If we are more than conquerors, we will make our enemies our friends. Therefore God can cause even our worst problems to be our friends if we let Him make good come from them.

Overcome, conquered. Used 28 times. Only here in John, but used by him 23 times in 1 John. and Rev. and translated "overcome" (1Jn. 2:13-14; 4:4; 5:4-5; Rev. 2:7,11,17,26; 3:5,12,21; 11:7;12:11; 13:7; 17:14; 21:7); "conquer" (Rev. 6:2); "prevail" (Rev. 5:5); and "got the victory" (Rev. 15:2). Used elsewhere in Lk. 11:22; Rom. 3:4; 12:21.

One who lives and walks in the Spirit, will not be separated by any of the 17 things of Rom. 8:35-39 anymore than he will be moved to commit the 17 things of Gal. 5:19-21.

The secret of victory and absolute assurance for the believer is to walk as taught in Rom. 6:14-23; 8:1-13; Gal. 5:16-26.

God uses Problems for four reasons:

1. To direct us
God uses problems to get us back on track or to keep us on course.

Psalms 119:67 (NKJV)
⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Your word.

Psalms 119:67 (RVR)
⁶⁷ Antes que fuera yo humillado, descarriado andaba; Mas ahora guardo tu palabra.

Paul had a “Thorn in the flesh” that God used to direct him away from pride and arrogance.

God also uses problems to direct us away from sin. It can direct us away from someone who may be a temptation or to direct us away from a bad decision.

Psalms 119:35-36 (NKJV)
³⁵ Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, For I delight in it.

Psalms 119:35 (RVR)
³⁵ Guíame por la senda de tus mandamientos, Porque en ella tengo mi voluntad.

This is the only service acceptable to God is the path of His commandments.

2. To inspect us
Someone has said, “Christians are like teabags, You don’t know what’s in them until they get in some hot water.”

Problems are really just tests to reveal what kinds of Christians we are and to prepare us for heaven.

1 Peter 1:5-7 (NKJV)
⁵ who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
⁶ In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
⁷ that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

1 Peter 1:5-7 (RVR)
⁵ que sois guardados por el poder de Dios mediante la fe, para alcanzar la salvación que está preparada para ser manifestada en el tiempo postrero.
⁶ En lo cual vosotros os alegráis, aunque ahora por un poco de tiempo, si es necesario, tengáis que ser afligidos en diversas pruebas,
⁷ para que sometida a prueba vuestra fe, mucho más preciosa que el oro, el cual aunque perecedero se prueba con fuego, sea hallada en alabanza, gloria y honra cuando sea manifestado Jesucristo,

When we have problems we need to pray the prayer found in Psalm 139:23, 24.

Psalms 139:23-24 (NKJV)
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;
²⁴ And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalms 139:23-24 (RVR)
²³ Examíname, oh Dios, y conoce mi corazón; Pruébame y conoce mis pensamientos;
²⁴ Y ve si hay en mí camino de perversidad, Y guíame en el camino eterno.

3. To correct us

Jonah 1:5 (NKJV)
⁵ Then the mariners were afraid; and every man cried out to his god, and threw the cargo that was in the ship into the sea, to lighten the load. But Jonah had gone down into the lowest parts of the ship, had lain down, and was fast asleep.

Jonah 1:5 (RVR)
⁵ Y los marineros tuvieron miedo, y cada uno clamaba a su dios; y echaron al mar los enseres que había en la nave, para descargarla de ellos. Pero Jonás había bajado al interior de la nave, y se había echado a dormir.

In the middle of all the problems Jonah was fast asleep. Sometimes we become oblivious to spiritual danger and do foolish things because we are spiritually asleep.

If we who are Christians get off course and are content to stay there, God will send a storm to get us back on track.

4. To perfect us.
James tells us to count it a joy when we face all kinds of trials because the trying of our faith worketh patience.

James 1:2-4 (NKJV)
² My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
³ knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
⁴ But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

James 1:2-4 (RVR)
² Hermanos míos, tened por sumo gozo cuando os halléis en diversas pruebas,
³ sabiendo que la prueba de vuestra fe produce paciencia.
⁴ Mas tenga la paciencia su obra completa, para que seáis perfectos y cabales, sin que os falte cosa alguna.

In closing: God uses our problems, past and present, to shape and mature us so we can serve Him by helping others. God allows us to have problems to direct us, inspect us, correct us, and perfect us.