Patient | The Reason for Our Hope
1 Peter 3:15, 2 Peter 3:9, Romans 8:18-21
v.15: “Always be prepared to give an ANSWER to everyone who asks you to give the REASON for the HOPE that YOU have.”
Why is my HOPE in Jesus?
Following Jesus does NOT result in a PAIN free or PROBLEM free life.
Good is all GOOD. God is all POWERFUL. Pain in this life is UNAVOIDABLE.
If you could push a button and instantly REMOVE everything BAD in the world, would you push it?
2 Peter 3:9 pg. 1,896
v.3: “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises as some understand slowness, He is PATIENT with YOU not wanting anyone to PERISH, but everyone to come to REPENTANCE.”
Two very important assumptions we all have:
- Certain things should NOT be.
- The world is BROKEN.
Followers of Jesus have always believed that our CURRENT world is not the FINAL world.
The best possible world is a world where people are FREE to sin, but freely choose NOT to.
Romans 8:18-21 pg. 1,757
v.18: “I consider that our present SUFFERINGS are not worth comparing with the GLORY that WILL BE REVEALED in us.”
v.19: “For the CREATION waits in eager EXPECTATION for the Children of God to be REVEALED.”
v.20: “For the creation was subject to FRUSTRATION not by it’s own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it in hope that the CREATION itself will be LIBERATED from its bondage to DECAY and brought into the glorious FREEDOM of the children of God.”
There is NO emotionally satisfying answer to the problem of pain.
Because God is NOT SATISFIED with the problem of pain.