Surprised by Suffering Quotes

“There are times when we suffer innocently at other people’s hands. When that occurs, we are victims of injustice. But that injustice happens on a horizontal plane. No one ever suffers injustice on the vertical plane. That is, no one ever suffers unjustly in terms of his or her relationship with God. As long as we bear the guilt of sin, we cannot protest that God is unjust in allowing us to suffer.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering

“When God issues a call to us, it is always a holy call. The vocation of dying is a sacred vocation. To understand that is one of the most important lessons a Christian can ever learn. When the summons comes, we can respond in many ways. We can become angry, bitter or terrified. But if we see it as a call from God and not a threat from Satan, we are far more prepared to cope with its difficulties.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering

“It is one thing to believe in God; it is quite another to believe God.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“The day of one's birth is a good day for the believer, but the day of death is the greatest day that a Christian can ever experience in this world because that is the day he goes home, the day he walks across the threshold, the day he enters the Father's house.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“Those who understand God's sovereignty have joy even in the midst of suffering, a joy reflected on their very faces, for they see that their suffering is not without purpose.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“Ultimately the only answer God gave to job was a revelation of Himself. It was as if God said to him, "Job, I am your answer." Job was not asked to trust a plan but a person, a personal God who is sovereign, wise, and good. It was as if God said to Job: "Learn who I am. When you know me, you know enough to handle anything.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“It is precisely the presence and help of Christ in times of suffering that makes it possible for us to stand up under pressure.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“Because of Christ, our suffering is not useless. It is part of the total plan of God, who has chosen to redeem the world through the pathway of suffering.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“Jesus suffered so deeply because the extent of evil in the world is so vast. Every consequence of every sin of each one of His people was placed on Him. To carry this dreadful burden was His vocation. To bear this pain and disease was His mission. The magnitude of this horror is beyond our understanding. But He understood it because it was His to bear.
Jesus endured His suffering in order to redeem His people. But those He redeemed are not thereby delivered from all pain and misery. Indeed, as we shall see, we His people are called to participate in His suffering.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him" (Job 13:15).”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“To suffer as a Christian carries no shame. Peter concludes: "Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator" (1 Peter 4:19). Here, Peter erases all
doubt about the question of whether it is ever the will of God that we should suffer. He speaks of those who suffer "according to the will of God." This text means that suffering itself is part of the sovereign will of God.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“The promise of God is not that He will never give us more weight than we want to carry. The promise of God is that He will never put more on us than we can bear.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“Jesus endured His suffering in order to redeem His people. But those He redeemed are not thereby delivered from all pain and misery. Indeed, as we shall see, we His people are called to participate in His suffering.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“For the Christian, there can be joy in the midst of suffering, joy that transcends the pain of the moment. But we don't really understand the grounds for this joy in the house of mirth. We discover it in the house of mourning. It is in weeping that we learn to contemplate the goodness of God. It is in mourning that we discover the peace of God that passes understanding.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“We may go to the house of mirth, to a party, where we have fun, kick back, have a good time, and enjoy entertainment. Parties are not all that serious; we don't have to be contemplative in order to enjoy ourselves there. Certainly there is a time to laugh, a time to dance, a time to celebrate-a time to have a party. But how much do we learn in those circumstances? Times of mirth do very little for the good of our souls.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“If I hope in anything or anyone less than One who has power over suffering and, ultimately, death, I am doomed to final disappointment. Suffering will drive me to hopelessness. What character I have will disintegrate.
It is the hope of Christ that makes it possible for us to persevere in times of tribulation and distress. We have an anchor for our souls that rests in the One who has gone before us and conquered.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“The prayer of
faith is not a demand that we place on God. It is not a presumption of a granted request. The authentic prayer of faith is one that models Jesus' prayer. It is always uttered in a spirit of subordination. In all our prayers, we must let God be God. No one tells the Father what to do, not even the Son. Prayers are always to be requests made in humility and submission to the Father's will.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“The apostle said he was "hard pressed on every side, yet not crushed." He made no attempt to mask his pain in a fraudulent piety. The Christian is not a Stoic. Neither does he flee into a fantasy world that denies the reality of suffering. Paul freely admitted the pressure he experienced.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“The Christian is not a Stoic. Neither does he flee into a fantasy world that denies the reality of suffering.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“If I hope in anything or anyone less than One who has power over suffering and, ultimately, death, I am doomed to final disappointment. Suffering will drive me to hopelessness. What character I have will disintegrate. It is the hope of Christ that makes it possible for us to persevere in times of tribulation and distress. We have an anchor for our souls that rests in the One who has gone before us and conquered.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in the Christian Life

“Death is a divine appointment.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“The prayer of faith is a prayer of trust. The very essence of faith is trust.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“The way of suffering was the Father's plan. It was the Father's will. The cross was not Satan's idea. The passion of Christ was not the result of human contingency. It was not the accidental contrivance of Caiaphas, Herod, or Pilate. The cup was prepared, delivered, and administered by almighty God.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“Our divine vocation is not ultimately to suffering, but to a hope that triumphs over suffering. It is the hope of our future inheritance with Christ.
This hope is no mere wish or idle longing of the soul. It is a hope that is rooted in the exceedingly great power of God. It is a hope that cannot fail. For those who embrace it, this hope will never bring shame or disappointment.
The hope of eternal joy in the presence of Christ, a hope that sustains us in the midst of temporary suffering, is the legacy of Jesus Christ. It is the promise of God to all who put their trust in Him.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“All we who are human partake of the earthly nature of Adam. We are children of the dust. Our bodies suffer from all the weaknesses and frailties that belong to the earth. Our resurrected bodies will be tabernacles made in heaven. In the heavenly body, there will be no room for cancer or heart disease. The curse of the fall will be removed. We will be clothed after the image and likeness of the new Adam, the heavenly Man. Yes, there will still be continuity. We will still be men and women. Our personal identities will remain intact. We will be recognizable as the people we were in this lifetime. But there will also be discontinuity as the shackles of the dust will be broken by the heavenly form.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“The central issue of Christianity is the issue of justification. It faces the dilemma squarely. The only possible way for an unjust person to stand in the presence of a just and holy God is to be justified. If we remain unjustified, we die in our sins.
The only way we can be justified is by the righteousness of Christ. He alone has the merit necessary to cover us. That righteousness is received by faith. If we trust in Christ, we are covered by His righteousness and are justified by faith. If we do not trust in Christ, we will stand before God's judgment alone, unjust people before a just God.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“None of us saw the birth of Christ. We missed His dazzling display of miracles during His earthly ministry. Likewise, nobody alive today beheld Christ's agony on the cross. None of us was an eyewitness of His glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven. But no Christian will sleep through the second coming of Christ. Though we did not see His first coming, we all will be eyewitnesses of His return. The climax of the exaltation of Jesus will be viewed by every believer.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“Dualism is on a collision course with Christianity. The Christian faith has no stock in dualism. Satan may be opposed to God, but he is by no means equal to God. Satan is a creature; God is the Creator. Satan is potent; God is omnipotent. Satan is knowledgeable and crafty; God is omniscient. Satan is localized in his presence; God is omnipresent. Satan is finite; God is infinite.
The list could go on. But it is clear from Scripture that Satan is not an ultimate force in any sense.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life

“The day of one's birth is a good day for the believer, but the day of death is the greatest day that a Christian can ever experience in this world because that is the day he goes home, the day he walks across the threshold, the day he enters the Father's house. That is the day of ultimate triumph for the Christian in this world, and yet it is a day we fear and a day that we postpone as long as we possibly can because we don't really believe that the day of our death is better than the day of our birth.”
― R.C. Sproul, Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in The Christian Life