Austin Bible Church
The Angelic Conflict also answers, “Why suffering?” Suffering in the Angelic Conflict comes from volition to either utilize or not utilize God’s grace. God demonstrates that man’s volition after salvation can make decisions compatible with His will and His Word and further put down Satan. God can demonstrate His love to us through suffering only in our time on earth as believers.
We know that man is inherently sinful from possession of the old sin nature and from the imputation of Adam’s original sin at physical birth. Add to this the fact that Satan is the ruler of this world and it explains much of why there is suffering in the world. People suffer due to bad decisions, bad judgments, and from their sins. They also suffer from consequences of other people’s bad decisions, bad judgments, and sins. Then there is the fact that Satan rules this world and that there are millions of his demons in operation on the earth today.
Believers suffer when they are negative to Bible doctrine. Divine discipline is suffering administered by God to cause them to return to fellowship with Him. Suffering can also occur during spiritual testing which, if passed, results in spiritual growth for the believer. The suffering believer gains blessing from God if they elect to use God's grace resources to solve life’s problems. If they decide instead to use their human resources, that results in human good which is considered worthless to God. So, apart from spiritual growth, all reasons for suffering are directly related to the Angelic Conflict.
Job became the focus of the Angelic Conflict as an Old Testament example of how a mature believer handled severe testing. Satan thought that God was protecting him with a hedge, etc. So, Job became the center for the Angelic Conflict at one point.
Our greatest blessings come to us through our greatest sufferings when we apply Bible doctrine (epignosis), use faith-rest, and faith-patience from a doctrinal frame of reference and keep on being occupied with Jesus Christ. This is basically why believers suffer and it is actually designed to bless you. 1 Peter 1:7-8.
"so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory," (1 Peter 1:7-8, NASB)
There are 12 different reasons why believers suffer. This is one to parlay faith-rest into occupation with Christ because occupation with Christ is spiritual maturity. Suffering is absolutely necessary. Our spiritual maturity comes through undeserved suffering, which also causes maximum blessing from God and maximum spiritual growth.
In Hebrews 2:17, “Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things” states that in the circumstances of our Lord’s incarnation, He became a true member of the human race. Literally, in all things He was obligated – the imperfect active indicative. What was His obligation?
"Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people." (Hebrews 2:17, NASB)
“To be made like (aorist passive infinitive) his brethren” means to become a true member of the human race and remains so for all eternity. Christ received a human body (infinitive of purpose). God the Father’s purpose was to resolve the Angelic Conflict. Ever since Genesis 3:15, God was obligated to bring Christ to the earth.
"And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, And you shall bruise him on the heel."" (Genesis 3:15, NASB)
There a four reasons for the humanity of Jesus Christ. The first reason is to be our Savior. Heb. 2:14-15; Phil. 2:5-8.
"Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives." (Hebrews 2:14-15, NASB)
"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." (Philippians 2:5-8, NASB)
The second reason is to be our mediator. Job 9:2; Job 9:32-33. Job 9 makes it very clear that a mediator has to be equal to the two parties in the reconciliation. Jesus Christ is God and co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is also sinless man and therefore the God-Man. 1 Tim. 2:5-6.
""In truth I know that this is so; But how can a man be in the right before God?" (Job 9:2, NASB)
""For He is not a man as I am that I may answer Him, That we may go to court together. "There is no umpire between us, Who may lay his hand upon us both." (Job 9:32-33, NASB)
"For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time." (1 Timothy 2:5-6, NASB)
The third reason is to be our high-priest. Heb. 7:4-5; Heb. 7:14; Heb. 7:28; Heb. 10:5-19. A priest is a man representing man before God.
"Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham." (Hebrews 7:4-5, NASB)
"For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests." (Hebrews 7:14, NASB)
"For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever." (Hebrews 7:28, NASB)
The fourth reason is to be a king to the Jews. 2 Sam. 7:8-16; Psalms 89:20-37. The Davidic Covenant. Luke 1:31-33. Mary is descended from David through Nathan, the son of David. Joseph is descended from David through Solomon, another son of David. One of them in the line from Solomon is Coniah who God said was going to be cut out of the Davidic Covenant as far as lineage. Jer. 22:30. So Joseph is from this side, but was not Jesus’ true father. Christ is physically Mary’s son and legally Joseph’s son.
""Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever."'"" (2 Samuel 7:16, NASB)
""And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. "He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end."" (Luke 1:31-33, NASB)
""Thus says the LORD, 'Write this man down childless, A man who will not prosper in his days; For no man of his descendants will prosper Sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.'"" (Jeremiah 22:30, NASB)
In Hebrews 2:17, “a merciful and faithful high priest” means Jesus Christ is merciful in grace based on love. Grace depends on who and what Jesus Christ is! He is always faithful in grace based on His immutability. “In things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people” refers to propitiation not reconciliation. It took three horrible hours on the Cross in His substitutionary spiritual death to propitiate the perfect justice of God the Father!
The suffering of Christ as a High Priest is presented in Hebrews 2:18. “In that which He has suffered” is the perfect tense and means permanent benefits forever. The active voice means that He did it. He suffered for our blessing. “Tempted” is πειράζω (peirazō) and means to test one for good or bad.
"For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted." (Hebrews 2:18, NASB)
Another word for test is δοκιμάζω (dokimazō) and means to test to bring out the good in them. Jesus Christ was tested constantly to see what He was made of in His humanity. Since Jesus Christ knows more about testing and suffering than any human being that every lived, there is sustaining of the believer as a result. “He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted” is the aorist infinitive of βοηθέω (boētheō) and means it is His purpose for Him to come to our help whenever we cry for help. It is to our advantage to be tested periodically. We receive testing for the purpose of blessing. This is grace blessing of a believer who doesn’t earn it or deserve it. A believer who goes through suffering causes the angels who are watching us to see the grace of God. Eph. 3:10.
"so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 3:10, NASB)
In Ephesians 3:10 ,“rulers and the authorities” refers to the leadership of fallen angels or demons. Eph 6:12.
"For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12, NASB)
Why do you suffer in unexplained ways? Some think that every time they suffer, it’s because they have done something wrong. Their problem is that they don’t have any doctrine in their souls from which to think of God’s promises and plan for their lives.
If you live by a guilt complex and emotionalism, then there really isn’t much you can do for yourself. You just go on being miserable. We make ourselves miserable - self-induced misery. You should never think suffering is always for punishment. When you suffer, the angels are watching you and you can be a testimony to angels. Suffer and make it count. Confession of sin using 1 John 1:9 makes the difference. Don’t mess up a beautiful plan, a beautiful grace program which God has for your life. Don’t bring in self-induced suffering.
This explains why He doesn’t take us out of the world. Christ must have representation or ambassadors on earth in His absence. Why suffering? Because the greatest blessings we could ever receive from God come to us in the spiritual life resulting from suffering.
The Satanic world system causes a great amount of deserved suffering. However, confession of known sins to God the Father that results in restoration of the Filling of the Holy Spirit takes care of deserved suffering. The Satanic world system also causes a great amount of undeserved suffering. The doctrine of positional truth takes care of undeserved suffering.
How does positional truth connected with undeserved suffering solve the Angelic Conflict? Through positive volition, we chose to identify with Christ and become sons of God, no matter what the suffering and go on to spiritual maturity. The Lord Jesus Christ is waiting for the completion of the Bride. Jesus Christ wants the Bride to respond to all the Bible doctrine He teaches through His written Word – the very thinking of Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 2:16.
"For WHO HAS KNOWN THE MIND OF THE LORD, THAT HE WILL INSTRUCT HIM? But we have the mind of Christ." (1 Corinthians 2:16, NASB)
Therefore, the expression of positional truth is the ultimate in mutual undeserved suffering. This undeserved suffering of “many sons” will continue until physical death or the Rapture and is the maximum application of Bible doctrine in the spiritual life. Heb. 2:10-11.
“For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings. For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren,” (Hebrews 2:10-11, NASB)