My dear brother, Ed,

 

My dear brother, Ed,

Let me be very clear about something. I know you have been going through a great struggle, and I know that when we are under intense pressure, we can say things in the heat of the moment that, after some time has passed, we may see differently. I want you to know that you have a brother here who has been praying for you and who understands that.

As human beings, we naturally want life to be easier. We want things to work out. We want the freedom to come and go, financial stability, good health, and the ability to accomplish the things we desire. We don't want confrontation. We don't want suffering. We don't want to wait. We don't want to hear “no.”

And there is nothing inherently wrong with desiring these things. THESE ARE GOOD DESIRES WHEN RECEIVED WITH GRATITUDE.

But something happened to us that changed everything.

Jesus became our Lord and Savior. He came to us, opened our eyes to our sin, and showed us how deeply self-centered our hearts could be. His love did not simply make us feel better about ourselves. HIS LOVE EXPOSED WHAT WAS REALLY INSIDE OUR HEARTS.

He entered our lives and began a work that Scripture calls the NEW BIRTH.

We were not simply given a new set of rules or a better way to live. God gave us a new life and brought us into a completely new relationship with Him.

Through Christ, we are no longer merely His creatures. WE BECOME HIS SONS AND DAUGHTERS, ADOPTED INTO HIS FAMILY THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST.

Paul says, “For you are all children of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26). And Romans tells us, “You have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15).

Think about what that means, Ed.

God is not merely someone we believe in. HE BECOMES OUR FATHER. WE BELONG TO HIM.

We are no longer living simply for ourselves, trying to make this present life satisfy every desire we have. We now belong to a Father who is preparing us for something far greater than this temporary life.

And because we are His children, He does not simply leave us as we are. He teaches us, corrects us, disciplines us, strengthens us, and transforms us. This ongoing work is what Scripture calls SANCTIFICATION.

So becoming a Christian does not mean that God has promised to remove every difficulty from our lives. IT MEANS THAT WE NOW WALK THROUGH EVERY DIFFICULTY WITH HIM AS OUR FATHER.

Our relationship with God has changed. Our identity has changed. Our ultimate destination has changed. We are being prepared not merely for a better life here, but for ETERNITY WITH HIM.

And this is where I believe we need to be careful.

Our new life in Christ is not a license to live as though God exists primarily to make our present lives comfortable. Neither is Christianity a promise that God will give us everything we want if we have enough faith.

I want to share something with you that I believe is very important, because I think there may be a theological misunderstanding here that has caused a great deal of pain for many sincere Christians.

You wrote:

“His Word is that Jesus took all pain, suffering, and disease upon Himself on the cross. I confess He is my spiritual Savior, but He has not taken my pain.”

Brother, I understand why you would feel that way. But I believe we need to be very careful with this statement because it can lead us to a conclusion that Scripture itself does not teach.

There is a popular teaching in some Pentecostal and especially Neo-Pentecostal circles that says, in essence, that because Jesus carried our sicknesses on the cross, PHYSICAL HEALING IS GUARANTEED FOR EVERY BELIEVER IN THIS PRESENT LIFE.

When someone remains sick, the conclusion can become: “Your faith must not be strong enough. You are not claiming the right thing. There must be hidden sin. You simply have not learned how to receive your healing.”

Brother, THAT TEACHING CAN CRUSH PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY SUFFERING.

Imagine being in terrible pain and then being told that your continued sickness proves that your faith is deficient. Now the person is carrying two burdens: the suffering itself and the guilt of believing that the suffering proves they have failed God.

I DO NOT BELIEVE SCRIPTURE TEACHES THAT.

Isaiah 53 certainly speaks about the suffering Servant being wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. But when Peter applies this passage to Christ, he makes the central point unmistakable:

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.”
1 Peter 2:24

The heart of the gospel is not that Jesus came primarily to make our present physical lives comfortable.

HE CAME TO RECONCILE SINNERS TO GOD.

Christ came to deal with our greatest problem: SIN AND OUR SEPARATION FROM GOD.

That does not mean God does not heal. HE ABSOLUTELY DOES.

We should pray for healing. We should ask boldly. We should seek medical treatment. We should never become cynical about God's ability to perform miracles.

But praying for healing is very different from claiming that God has promised that every believer will be physically healed in this present life.

And this is where the Apostle Paul gives us an important example.

Paul was a great servant of Christ, chosen and used by God in extraordinary ways. Yet he suffered from what he called a “thorn in the flesh.” We do not know exactly what that thorn was, but we know it was serious enough that Paul desperately wanted it removed.

And notice this: PAUL DID NOT PRAY ONCE AND GIVE UP.

He pleaded with the Lord THREE TIMES that it would be taken away.

And God's answer was:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
2 Corinthians 12:9

God could have removed Paul's suffering.

BUT HE CHOSE NOT TO.

And Paul was not lacking faith.

Paul was not outside God's will.

Paul was not spiritually defective.

Paul was an apostle chosen by Christ.

PAUL PRAYED FOR HEALING, AND GOD ANSWERED HIM WITH SUSTAINING GRACE RATHER THAN IMMEDIATE PHYSICAL HEALING.

That truth is extremely important.

Sometimes God's answer is healing.

Sometimes His answer is endurance.

Sometimes He uses medicine, doctors, treatment, surgery, or the help of other people.

And sometimes He gives us strength to endure something we desperately wanted Him to remove.

But there is one healing that God has absolutely promised to every believer: THE RESURRECTION.

One day, God will redeem our bodies completely. There will be no cancer, no disease, no chronic pain, no weakness, no disability, and no death.

But we are not there yet.

WE LIVE BETWEEN THE CROSS AND THE RESURRECTION.

We have already been redeemed in Christ, but we are still waiting for the full redemption of our bodies.

Paul says, “We wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23).

This is important because we can easily begin to think that God's greatest blessing must be making our present life comfortable.

But Ed, OUR GREATEST BLESSING IS NOT A PAIN-FREE LIFE NOW. OUR GREATEST BLESSING IS GOD HIMSELF, AND THE ETERNAL LIFE HE HAS PROMISED US.

Brother, I know this is not an easy answer. I know it does not make your pain disappear. And I am not trying to use theology to explain away eleven years of suffering.

I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT THAT STRUGGLE BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN THERE TOO.

I know what it is like to ask God, “Why?”

I know what it is like to pray and wonder why the answer has not come. I know what it is like to become tired of explanations when what you really need is someone who understands that you are hurting.

That is why I want you to remember something.

YOU ARE NOT THE FIRST SERVANT OF GOD TO SPEAK FROM A PLACE OF DEEP PAIN.

Look at Job.

Job said things that were incredibly strong. He asked why he had not died at birth. He cried out:

“I also will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.”
Job 7:11

Later he said:

“I cry out to you, God, but you do not answer.”
Job 30:20

Think about that.

Job loved God, yet in his agony he spoke with raw honesty.

God did not respond by saying, “Job, you don't have enough faith.”

And when God finally spoke to Job, He did not give him a simple explanation for every detail of his suffering.

GOD REVEALED HIMSELF.

Sometimes we want an explanation.

Sometimes God gives us HIS PRESENCE instead.

Brother, I also want to challenge something that has become very common in the church.

We have created a version of Christianity where victory sometimes means never being sick, never being weak, never struggling, always speaking positively, and always declaring that everything will get better.

But THAT IS NOT THE CHRISTIANITY WE SEE IN SCRIPTURE.

Paul suffered. Timothy had physical problems. Epaphroditus became seriously ill. Job suffered terribly. David cried out. Jeremiah wept.

And Jesus Himself was described as “A MAN OF SORROWS AND ACQUAINTED WITH GRIEF.”

The Bible does not hide the suffering of God's people.

IT PUTS IT RIGHT IN FRONT OF US.

So please do not allow anyone to tell you that your continued pain proves that you do not have faith.

THAT IS NOT THE GOSPEL.

Your pain is not evidence that Christ has failed you.

Your sickness is not evidence that you have failed Christ.

And the fact that God has not yet healed you does not mean that He has stopped being your God.

I also don't want you to think that because Jesus is your spiritual Savior but you still experience physical pain, somehow His work on the cross is incomplete.

No.

THE CROSS ACCOMPLISHED EXACTLY WHAT GOD INTENDED IT TO ACCOMPLISH.

Christ defeated sin and its condemnation.

Christ reconciled us to God.

Christ conquered death.

And because He rose from the grave, we have the promise that one day our bodies will also be raised.

THAT IS WHERE OUR ULTIMATE HOPE RESTS.

Brother, I know that may sound far away when your body is hurting today.

So I don't want to tell you simply to “think about heaven” and ignore today.

Let's pray for your healing.

Let's seek the best medical care available.

Let's ask God for mercy.

Let's ask Him for strength.

Let's ask Him to give you relief.

And let's be honest with Him when we are exhausted, confused, afraid, or even struggling to understand what He is doing.

But let's not add another burden to your suffering by believing that your lack of healing means you have insufficient faith.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO MANUFACTURE FAITH STRONG ENOUGH TO FORCE GOD'S HAND.

Faith is not a formula that controls God.

FAITH IS TRUSTING GOD EVEN WHEN WE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS DOING.

Sometimes faith says, “Lord, heal me.”

Sometimes faith says, “Lord, I don't understand why You haven't healed me.”

And sometimes, through tears, faith says:

“Lord, I don't understand You, but I am still going to hold on to You.”

Not with easy answers, but as a brother who understands that sometimes the Christian life is not standing on top of the mountain shouting victory.

Sometimes it is crawling through the valley and saying:

“Lord, please give me enough grace to take one more step.”

And that is exactly where Paul's words become precious:

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

Brother, your weakness does not disqualify you from God's grace.

Your tears do not disqualify you.

Your questions do not disqualify you.

Even your struggle does not surprise God.

BRING ALL OF IT TO HIM.

Christ is not asking you to pretend that you are not hurting.

HE IS ASKING YOU TO COME TO HIM IN THE MIDDLE OF YOUR PAIN.