Sofrimento
O sofrimento é uma realidade da vida neste mundo, mas a Bíblia revela que Deus está presente em toda dor, produzindo caráter, esperança e redenção através das tribulações.
O sofrimento de Cristo
Jesus sofreu por nós, carregando nossas dores e enfermidades. Ele é o modelo supremo de como enfrentar o sofrimento com fé e obediência.
He was despised and abandoned by men,
A man of great pain and familiar with sickness;
And like one from whom people hide their faces,
He was despised, and we had no regard for Him.
However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore,
And our pains that He carried;
Yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted,
Struck down by God, and humiliated.
And they stripped Him and put a red cloak on Him. And after twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and put a reed in His right hand; and they knelt down before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"
For you have been called for this purpose, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in His steps,
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death;
O propósito do sofrimento
Deus usa as tribulações para produzir perseverança, caráter e esperança. O sofrimento presente não se compara com a glória que será revelada.
And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
For our momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,
For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.
For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer on His behalf,
Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,
Consolação e companhia
Deus consola os aflitos para que possamos consolar outros. Nunca estamos sozinhos no sofrimento — Ele é o Pai das misericórdias.
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
The afflictions of the righteous are many,
But the Lord rescues him from them all.
After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed. And do not fear theirintimidation, and do not be in dread,
Fé em meio à dor
Os grandes homens e mulheres de fé sofreram e perseveraram. O sofrimento nos aproxima de Deus e nos leva a entender seu coração.
Then Job got up, tore his robe, and shaved his head; then he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said,
"Naked I came from my mother’s womb,
And naked I shall return there.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away.
Blessed be the name of the Lord."
"Behold, happy is the person whom God disciplines,
So do not reject the discipline of the Almighty.
And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.
The one who has found his life will lose it, and the one who has lost his life on My account will find it.
And in Hades he raised his eyes, being in torment, and *saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his arms.And he cried out and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me and send Lazarus, so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’
And He humbled you and let you go hungry, and fed you with the manna which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, in order to make you understand that man shall not live on bread alone, but man shall live on everything that comes out of the mouth of the Lord.
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or trouble, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
And if I give away all my possessions to charity, and if I surrender my body so that I may glory, but do not have love, it does me no good.
So, having obtained help from God, I stand to this day testifying both to small and great, stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place, as to whether the Christ was to suffer, and whether, as first from the resurrection of the dead, He would proclaim light both to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles."
Pursue peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.