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TOPIC: Pink, Arthur - Practical Christianity (Other Topics in this Collection)
SUBJECT: Chapter 13. Enjoying God's Best 2
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"Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also born unto thee shall surely die" (2 Sam. 12:14). And though he "besought God for the child, and fasted, and lay all night upon the earth," it was in vain; the sin of the father was visited upon the son, to show that God was "no respecter of persons" even where a monarch, and one beloved by Himself, was involved. And "the sword" never did depart from his house, for one after another of his sons met with a violent end. Such transgressions of Israel’s king received no ordinary chastisements from God, to show that He would not countenance such actions, but vindicate His honour by manifesting His abhorrence of them. Thus, the governmental consequences of David’s sins not being remitted upon his repentant confession is to be accounted for on the ground of his public character. Another example or illustration of the same principle is found in the case of Moses and Aaron, who because of their unbelief at Meribah, being Israel’s leaders, were debarred from entering Canaan (Num. 20:12, 24).
10. As our readers have pondered the foregoing thoughts, it is probable that not a few have reverted in their minds to the experiences of Job, and wondered how it is possible to square with them the substance of what we have been writing. Obviously it is quite outside our present scope to enter upon anything like a full discussion of the book which describes the severe trials of that holy patriarch. Four brief statements must here suffice. First, that book presents to our notice something which is extraordinary and quite unique, as well as profoundly mysterious, namely, the position which Satan there occupies and his challenge of the Lord (Job 1:6-12). Second, it is therefore unwarrantable for us to appeal to the experiences of Job in this connection, for his case was entirely unprecedented. That which was there involved was not any controversy which God had with Job, but rather His contest with Satan in evidencing him to be a liar, disproving his charge that Job served God only for the benefit which he derived from Hun for the same.
Satan’s attack was not upon the patriarch, but was aimed at the Lord Himself, being tantamount to saying, Thou art incapable of winning the confidence and love of man by what Thou art in Thyself: deal roughly and adversely with him, and Thou wilt find that so far from him delighting in Thee and remaining loyal to Thee, he "will curse Thee to Thy face." Thus the excellency of the Divine character was thereby impugned and His honour challenged. The Lord condescended to accept Satan’s challenge, and in the sequel demonstrate the emptiness of it by delivering His servant Job into His enemy’s hand and permitting him to afflict him severely in his estate, his family, and in his own person. The central theme and purpose of the book of Job is not only missed, but utterly perverted, if we regard its contents as a description of God’s chastening of Job for his sins (or "self-righteousness"), rather than a vindicating of His own honour and giving the lie to Satan’s accusation by the making of Job’s love and faith evident. So far from his cursing God, Job said, "Blessed be the name of the Lord," and after Satan had done his worst, "though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."
Third, before Satan was allowed to lay a finger on Him, the Lord expressly declared of Job "There is none like him in the earth: a perfect [sincere] and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil" (1:8). Thus, at the outset, all ground for uncertainty of Job’s moral condition is removed. The very fact that the first verse of the book contains such an affirmation renders it quite excuseless for anyone to conclude that in what follows we see the Lord dealing with Job on the ground that he had done something which displeased Him. Instead, no other saint in all the Scriptures is more highly commended by the Holy Spirit. Fourth, it should be carefully borne in mind that the book closes by informing us that "the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before," that "The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning" (42:10, 16). Thus, so far from conflicting with or contradicting our thesis that the righteous prosper, that the providential smile of God rests upon those whose ways please Him, the case of Job is a striking proof this very thing!
11. The sufferings of our blessed Lord prior to the cross may present a difficulty unto a few in this connection. There was One who "set the Lord always before Him" (Ps. 16:8) and who could aver "I do always those things that please Him" (John 8:29). How then are we to account for the fact that He was "The Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," that from the hour of His birth into this world unto His death, trial and tribulation, suffering and adversity, was His portion? Surely that should not occasion a problem or call for much elucidation. All of Christ’s sufferings were due to sin: not His own, but his Church’s. God would not allow an innocent person to suffer, much less His beloved Son to be unrighteously afflicted at the hands of the wicked. We never view aright the ill-treatment and indignities Christ experienced, both before and throughout His ministerial life, until we recognize that from Bethlehem to Calvary He was the vicarious Victim of His people, bearing their sins and suffering the due reward of their iniquities. He was "made under the Law" (Gal. 4:4), and as the Surety of transgressors was therefore born under its curse. At the moment of His birth the sword of Divine justice was unsheathed and returned not to its scabbard.
12. Others may ask, What about the severe and protracted sufferings of the apostle Paul (2 Cor. 11:23-27). They were neither extraordinary, like Job’s, nor vicarious like Christ’s! True, and that leads us to make this important observation: let none conclude from these articles that all suffering is to be regarded as retributive. That would be just as real a mistake as the one made by those who go to another extreme and suppose that all the suffering of saints is remedial, designed for purification and the development of their graces—which has provided a welcome sop for many an uneasy conscience! The subject of suffering is a much wider one than what has been dealt with in these articles, wherein but a single phase—the retributive—has been dealt with. It would take us too far afield to enter upon a systematic discussion of the whole problem of human sufferings, yet it is necessary for us to point out several important distinctions. Some suffering is to be attributed to the sovereignty of God (John 9:2, 3), yet we believe such cases are few in number.
Some suffering is due to heredity (Ex. 20:5): the whole of Achan’s family were stoned to death for their father’s sin (Josh. 7:24, 25), and the leprosy of Naaman was judicially inflicted upon Gehazi and his children (2 Kings 5:7). Much suffering is retributive, a personal reaping of what we have sown. Some is remedial or educative (2 Cor. 4:16,17; James 1:2,3), fitting for closer communion with God, and increased fruitfulness. Other suffering is for righteousness’ sake, for the Gospel’s sake, and Christ’s sake (Mart. 5:10, 11), which was what the apostle experienced, and which the whole "noble army of martyrs" endured at the hands of pagan Rome, when Christians were cast to the lions, and equally at the hands of Papal Rome, when countless thousands were vilely tortured and burned at the stake, and which would be repeated today if the pope and his cardinals had the power, for "semper idem" (always the same) is one of their proud boasts. We must distinguish sharply then between "tribulation" or persecution (John 16:33; 2 Tim. 3:12) for righteousness’ sake, and Divine chastisement because of our sins.
There is no valid reason why the Christian should be confused in his mind by the above distinctions: nor will he be if he notes carefully the Scripture references given to them. Our purpose in drawing them was not only for the sake of giving completeness to these thoughts, and to supply preachers with a rough outline on the wider subject of "suffering," but chiefly in order to point a warning. It is entirely unwarrantable for us to conclude from the sight of an afflicted saint that he or she has missed God’s best and is being chastised for his or her offences, though very often such is undoubtedly the case. But in our own personal experience, when God’s providential smile be no longer upon us, and especially if the comforts of His Spirit be withdrawn from us, then it is always the wisest policy to assume that God is manifesting His displeasure at something in our lives, and therefore should we definitely, humbly and earnestly beg Him to convict us of wherein we have offended, and grant us grace to contritely confess and resolutely forsake the same.
The two forms of suffering most commonly experienced by the great majority of Christians are retributive—for their faults, and honorary—for the Truth’s sake: though where there is much of the one there is rarely much of the other. Nor should there be any difficulty in identifying each of them, except that we must not mistake as the latter that coldness and estrangement of friends which is due to our own boorishness, for not a few pride themselves they are suffering for their faithfulness when in reality they are being rebuked and ostracized for their uncharitableness, or "as a busybody in other men’s matters" (1 Pet. 4:15). A close and humble walking with God, an uncompromising cleaving to the path of His commandments is sure to stir up the enmity and evoke the opposition of the unregenerate, especially of empty professors, whose worldliness and carnality are condemned thereby. But whatever persecution and tribulation be encountered for that cause is a privilege and honour, for it is a having fellowship with Christ’s sufferings (1 Pet. 4:13), and such should "rejoice that they, are counted worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41). It is the absence of this type of suffering which evinces we are hiding our colors in order to avoid being unpopular.
Conclusion
Surely it is self-evident that the attitude of a holy God will be very different toward "a vessel wherein is no pleasure" (Hos. 8:8) and one who is "a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, prepared unto every good work" (2 Tim. 2:21). As we pointed out in an earlier article, an enjoyment of God’s best will not exempt from the common tricks and vicissitudes of life but will encure having them sanctified and blest to him, as it will also deliver from those troubles and afflictions in which the follies of many Christians involve them. "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings" (Isa. 3:10), on which the Puritan, Caryl, said, "They shall have good for the good they have done, or according to the good which they have done. If any object, But may it not be ill with men that do good and are good? Doth the Lord always reward to man according to his righteousness? I answer, first, It is well at present with most that do well. Look over the sons of men, and generally ye shall find that usually the better they are, the better they live. Second, I answer, It shall be well with all that do well in the issue, and for ever" (vol. 10, p. 439).
Finally, we again urge upon young Christians to form the habit of keeping short accounts with God, to promptly confess every known sin unto Him, even though it be the same sin over and over again. There is no verse in all the Bible which this writer has made more use of and pleaded so frequently as 1 John 1:9. Failure at this point is a certain forerunner of trouble. Only too often Christians, particularly in seasons of temporal prosperity, will not take the time and trouble to search their hearts and lives for those things which displease the Holy One. Hence it is that God so often has occasion to take his refractory children apart from the world, laying them upon beds of sickness, or bringing them into situations where they will "consider their ways" (Hag. 1:5). If they then refuse to do so, they shall "suffer loss" (1 Cor. 3:15) eternally. It is greatly to be feared that not a few who will, by grace, enter the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ shall, through their own follies, fail to have "an abundant entrance" (2 Pet. 1:11) thereinto. O that neither writer nor reader may he among those saints who will be "ashamed before Him at His coming" (1Jn_2:28). We shall not, if we put everything right between our souls and Him in the present!
10. As our readers have pondered the foregoing thoughts, it is probable that not a few have reverted in their minds to the experiences of Job, and wondered how it is possible to square with them the substance of what we have been writing. Obviously it is quite outside our present scope to enter upon anything like a full discussion of the book which describes the severe trials of that holy patriarch. Four brief statements must here suffice. First, that book presents to our notice something which is extraordinary and quite unique, as well as profoundly mysterious, namely, the position which Satan there occupies and his challenge of the Lord (Job 1:6-12). Second, it is therefore unwarrantable for us to appeal to the experiences of Job in this connection, for his case was entirely unprecedented. That which was there involved was not any controversy which God had with Job, but rather His contest with Satan in evidencing him to be a liar, disproving his charge that Job served God only for the benefit which he derived from Hun for the same.
Satan’s attack was not upon the patriarch, but was aimed at the Lord Himself, being tantamount to saying, Thou art incapable of winning the confidence and love of man by what Thou art in Thyself: deal roughly and adversely with him, and Thou wilt find that so far from him delighting in Thee and remaining loyal to Thee, he "will curse Thee to Thy face." Thus the excellency of the Divine character was thereby impugned and His honour challenged. The Lord condescended to accept Satan’s challenge, and in the sequel demonstrate the emptiness of it by delivering His servant Job into His enemy’s hand and permitting him to afflict him severely in his estate, his family, and in his own person. The central theme and purpose of the book of Job is not only missed, but utterly perverted, if we regard its contents as a description of God’s chastening of Job for his sins (or "self-righteousness"), rather than a vindicating of His own honour and giving the lie to Satan’s accusation by the making of Job’s love and faith evident. So far from his cursing God, Job said, "Blessed be the name of the Lord," and after Satan had done his worst, "though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."
Third, before Satan was allowed to lay a finger on Him, the Lord expressly declared of Job "There is none like him in the earth: a perfect [sincere] and an upright man, one that feareth God and escheweth evil" (1:8). Thus, at the outset, all ground for uncertainty of Job’s moral condition is removed. The very fact that the first verse of the book contains such an affirmation renders it quite excuseless for anyone to conclude that in what follows we see the Lord dealing with Job on the ground that he had done something which displeased Him. Instead, no other saint in all the Scriptures is more highly commended by the Holy Spirit. Fourth, it should be carefully borne in mind that the book closes by informing us that "the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before," that "The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning" (42:10, 16). Thus, so far from conflicting with or contradicting our thesis that the righteous prosper, that the providential smile of God rests upon those whose ways please Him, the case of Job is a striking proof this very thing!
11. The sufferings of our blessed Lord prior to the cross may present a difficulty unto a few in this connection. There was One who "set the Lord always before Him" (Ps. 16:8) and who could aver "I do always those things that please Him" (John 8:29). How then are we to account for the fact that He was "The Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," that from the hour of His birth into this world unto His death, trial and tribulation, suffering and adversity, was His portion? Surely that should not occasion a problem or call for much elucidation. All of Christ’s sufferings were due to sin: not His own, but his Church’s. God would not allow an innocent person to suffer, much less His beloved Son to be unrighteously afflicted at the hands of the wicked. We never view aright the ill-treatment and indignities Christ experienced, both before and throughout His ministerial life, until we recognize that from Bethlehem to Calvary He was the vicarious Victim of His people, bearing their sins and suffering the due reward of their iniquities. He was "made under the Law" (Gal. 4:4), and as the Surety of transgressors was therefore born under its curse. At the moment of His birth the sword of Divine justice was unsheathed and returned not to its scabbard.
12. Others may ask, What about the severe and protracted sufferings of the apostle Paul (2 Cor. 11:23-27). They were neither extraordinary, like Job’s, nor vicarious like Christ’s! True, and that leads us to make this important observation: let none conclude from these articles that all suffering is to be regarded as retributive. That would be just as real a mistake as the one made by those who go to another extreme and suppose that all the suffering of saints is remedial, designed for purification and the development of their graces—which has provided a welcome sop for many an uneasy conscience! The subject of suffering is a much wider one than what has been dealt with in these articles, wherein but a single phase—the retributive—has been dealt with. It would take us too far afield to enter upon a systematic discussion of the whole problem of human sufferings, yet it is necessary for us to point out several important distinctions. Some suffering is to be attributed to the sovereignty of God (John 9:2, 3), yet we believe such cases are few in number.
Some suffering is due to heredity (Ex. 20:5): the whole of Achan’s family were stoned to death for their father’s sin (Josh. 7:24, 25), and the leprosy of Naaman was judicially inflicted upon Gehazi and his children (2 Kings 5:7). Much suffering is retributive, a personal reaping of what we have sown. Some is remedial or educative (2 Cor. 4:16,17; James 1:2,3), fitting for closer communion with God, and increased fruitfulness. Other suffering is for righteousness’ sake, for the Gospel’s sake, and Christ’s sake (Mart. 5:10, 11), which was what the apostle experienced, and which the whole "noble army of martyrs" endured at the hands of pagan Rome, when Christians were cast to the lions, and equally at the hands of Papal Rome, when countless thousands were vilely tortured and burned at the stake, and which would be repeated today if the pope and his cardinals had the power, for "semper idem" (always the same) is one of their proud boasts. We must distinguish sharply then between "tribulation" or persecution (John 16:33; 2 Tim. 3:12) for righteousness’ sake, and Divine chastisement because of our sins.
There is no valid reason why the Christian should be confused in his mind by the above distinctions: nor will he be if he notes carefully the Scripture references given to them. Our purpose in drawing them was not only for the sake of giving completeness to these thoughts, and to supply preachers with a rough outline on the wider subject of "suffering," but chiefly in order to point a warning. It is entirely unwarrantable for us to conclude from the sight of an afflicted saint that he or she has missed God’s best and is being chastised for his or her offences, though very often such is undoubtedly the case. But in our own personal experience, when God’s providential smile be no longer upon us, and especially if the comforts of His Spirit be withdrawn from us, then it is always the wisest policy to assume that God is manifesting His displeasure at something in our lives, and therefore should we definitely, humbly and earnestly beg Him to convict us of wherein we have offended, and grant us grace to contritely confess and resolutely forsake the same.
The two forms of suffering most commonly experienced by the great majority of Christians are retributive—for their faults, and honorary—for the Truth’s sake: though where there is much of the one there is rarely much of the other. Nor should there be any difficulty in identifying each of them, except that we must not mistake as the latter that coldness and estrangement of friends which is due to our own boorishness, for not a few pride themselves they are suffering for their faithfulness when in reality they are being rebuked and ostracized for their uncharitableness, or "as a busybody in other men’s matters" (1 Pet. 4:15). A close and humble walking with God, an uncompromising cleaving to the path of His commandments is sure to stir up the enmity and evoke the opposition of the unregenerate, especially of empty professors, whose worldliness and carnality are condemned thereby. But whatever persecution and tribulation be encountered for that cause is a privilege and honour, for it is a having fellowship with Christ’s sufferings (1 Pet. 4:13), and such should "rejoice that they, are counted worthy to suffer shame for His name" (Acts 5:41). It is the absence of this type of suffering which evinces we are hiding our colors in order to avoid being unpopular.
Conclusion
Surely it is self-evident that the attitude of a holy God will be very different toward "a vessel wherein is no pleasure" (Hos. 8:8) and one who is "a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, prepared unto every good work" (2 Tim. 2:21). As we pointed out in an earlier article, an enjoyment of God’s best will not exempt from the common tricks and vicissitudes of life but will encure having them sanctified and blest to him, as it will also deliver from those troubles and afflictions in which the follies of many Christians involve them. "Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well, for they shall eat the fruit of their doings" (Isa. 3:10), on which the Puritan, Caryl, said, "They shall have good for the good they have done, or according to the good which they have done. If any object, But may it not be ill with men that do good and are good? Doth the Lord always reward to man according to his righteousness? I answer, first, It is well at present with most that do well. Look over the sons of men, and generally ye shall find that usually the better they are, the better they live. Second, I answer, It shall be well with all that do well in the issue, and for ever" (vol. 10, p. 439).
Finally, we again urge upon young Christians to form the habit of keeping short accounts with God, to promptly confess every known sin unto Him, even though it be the same sin over and over again. There is no verse in all the Bible which this writer has made more use of and pleaded so frequently as 1 John 1:9. Failure at this point is a certain forerunner of trouble. Only too often Christians, particularly in seasons of temporal prosperity, will not take the time and trouble to search their hearts and lives for those things which displease the Holy One. Hence it is that God so often has occasion to take his refractory children apart from the world, laying them upon beds of sickness, or bringing them into situations where they will "consider their ways" (Hag. 1:5). If they then refuse to do so, they shall "suffer loss" (1 Cor. 3:15) eternally. It is greatly to be feared that not a few who will, by grace, enter the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ shall, through their own follies, fail to have "an abundant entrance" (2 Pet. 1:11) thereinto. O that neither writer nor reader may he among those saints who will be "ashamed before Him at His coming" (1Jn_2:28). We shall not, if we put everything right between our souls and Him in the present!