Hi mrsnacks,
We all have to experience suffering, it's part of the experience of this life, even Jesus Christ had to suffer.
Heb 5:8 though being a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.
I would say that suffering is for learning about good and evil and consequences.
But when the Holy Spirit is indwelling, then Christ is leading you to live by His commandments, which is spiritual and not known by the carnal mind, you are learning to live as God directs.
John 15:10 If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love.
Here are a few emails that I thought would help.
http://bible-truths.com/email11.htm#responsibility ----------------
This is the only way man will LEARN right from wrong! Adam and Eve were 'TOLD' right from wrong, but not until they actually 'EXPERIENCED' right and wrong, did it make sense to them. IT IS WRONG TO SIN WHETHER WE WERE COERCED TO COMMIT SIN OR NOT. "The DEVIL MADE me do it." It matters not, YOU DID IT and are therefore accountable.
Juveniles commit MILLIONS of crimes and sins for which they are not RESPONSIBLE. But, nonetheless, our own court system HOLDS THEM ACCOUNTABLE. And even human, carnal, judges take this factor into consideration when handing out penalties.
It is the PENALTY that also CAUSES US TO CHOOSE RIGHTLY after we have chosen WRONGLY! When we burn our fingers on a hot stove, we LEARN to not touch a hot stove.
God has developed a "ways and means" to accomplish His righteous end, plan, and purpose. And God's ways are VERY WISE -- they WORK, and they work very well! We have this absolute promise from God:
"When Thy JUDGMENTS are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world, WILL LEARN RIGHTEOUSNESS" (Isa. 26:9)!!!
God be with you,
Ray
http://forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,4075.0.html -----------
Dear Brett: "Judgment" means "to set things RIGHT." This can be done by acquittal or by sentencing. We, "the house of God" are being judged NOW (I Pet. 4:17). Jesus is our Judge. We are judged for every word we think, every thing we say, and every deed we do. There are many physical, social, financial, mental, psychological, and spiritual ways in which this is accomplished. If God is calling you to be one of His chosen Elect, then what you call "life" IS THAT JUDGMENT. We are not solely judged for what we do WRONG, but we are judged by being made to live in a world of persecution for doing RIGHT. But I cannot elaborate on all the ways that this is done in detail. Jesus uses JUDGMENT, THE COUNCIL, GEHENNA FIRE, AND PRISON to Judge His disciples (Matt. 5:21-30). See also Isaiah 26:9.
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,2159.0.html ------
Dear Amy:
I think that all professing Christians who are sincere make some progress in their lives in stopping certain sins. But having your mind converted so that you no longer desire sin at all, is a diferent matter. It cannot be accomplished except by God's Spirit. Many are CALLED and put certain things into practice and stop certain old habbits, but FEW ARE CHOSEN which completely turn their lives over to God so that sin no longer reigns over them. This is not something I can tell you or teach you how to do. It will be done when it's God's time to do it.
God be with you,
Ray
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,1971.0.html ----------
Dear Shane:
No, God is not "unfair." You are still looking at the lake of fire as some kind of a dungion of torture in real fire. It is JUDGMENT, not solely punishment. And Jesus plainly has told us that it is according to the magnitude of one's crimes. "Many stripes versus few stripes."
We too go through the fire of God's spiritual judgment: Jugement is upon the house of God NOW (I Pet. 4:17 and Heb. 12:29). It isn't pleasant, but it is not total torture either. There are two aspects of Judgment: [1] We must be purged of our old carnal sinful attitudes, and [2] we must then grow spiritually by godly living and produce spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-25).
The Church only partially sees the need for these in those called in this life, but is totally blind to the fact that Judgment produces the same thing in the Resurrection to Judgment. They think that "grace" is merely a noun that does it all for us rather than grace being a verb that does it all IN us and THROUGH us (by the Spirit of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross). God is ABLE to make us holy and righteous through His work in us and He is likewise able to do the same for the rest of humanity in Judgment. We blaspheme if we suggest that God either does not want to save humanity or that He is unable.
God be with you,
Ray
http://www.forums.bible-truths.com/index.php/topic,3572.0.html -------
Dear Victor:
Hitler, Saddam and his sons, and people like John Hagee and Dr. Kennedy who gloat over billions being tortured for all eternity, and many more just like them, will be Judged in the VERY SAME WAY THAT THEY JUDGED OTHERS (Matt. 7:1-2). Their OWN SINS, will "TORMENT them" beyond comprehension, "in the PRESENCE of the Lamb" (Rev. 14:10), when God purges their evil consciences with His spiritual "CONSUMING FIRE" (Heb. 12:29).
God be with you,
Ray
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mercy, peace, and love
Kat