Suffering as the Justified, Pt. 2 June 20, 2007

In the address of our sufferings, we also see the difference in the type of ruler God is, compared to the type of ruler humans (when left to themselves) or the devil is.  Whereas the devil uses our suffering to rule over us, God uses it to prepare us to rule with him.  In this way, his sovereignty prepares us for our responsibility by grooming wisdom, love, compassion, courage, confidence, kindness, fidelity, etc.  Satan, on the other hand, uses our suffering for fear, foolishness, hardness of heart, cowardliness, cruelty, and fickleness.  But perfect love casts out the fear—it drives out the things that debilitate us and, though the process is painful and scary, it rehabilitates us for kingly, priestly service in his kingdom.  As his children, we are co-regents, those who rule alongside the Messiah and thereby physically extend the dominion and dignity of humanity to every corner of creation.  The world, sin, and Satan use our suffering to subdue us; God subdues our suffering so that we might be fit to reign as his image-bearers.