Christian Adversity by B. W. Spire

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 15, 1916

Christian Adversity

By B. W. Spire

B. W. SPIRE

WITH all the promises in the Bible of peace and prosperity to those who serve God, every Christian must bear testimony to the fact that his pathway is not always bright, and that he often meets with disappointments, adversities, and sorrows. Yea, with many, sorrow seems to be the greater share of their life's experience. Property losses, bodily affliction, death,—why do they come to the Christian? Why is it that some unforeseen disaster comes and sweeps away all my property and I am left destitute? Why is it that I have had this bodily affliction all these years? Why are my loved ones, one by one, taken from me by the cruel hand of death? Why is it? This is the real, burning question that our hearts desire to know as those large, hot tears roll down our cheeks, and we sit in silent meditation and wonder why it all happened.

To answer this question satisfactorily to each longing heart does not lie within the power of man. God only, who has given “to all life, and breath, and all things,” knows why; and he has been good enough and wise enough to write out case after case in his Word, giving every form of adversity to which human flesh is heir, and to that Sacred Record we bid you come and study awhile.

Man may attempt to answer this question by saying, “You have indeed met with a great loss; but you must make the most of it, for it is only the work of an unkind providence.” But as honest and well meaning as may be the one making this statement, nothing could be farther from a solution of this vital question, nothing could be farther from the real truth.

That these adverse experiences that come to the Christian are not the work of an unkind providence, that God is not an unkind God, is abundantly proved by both revelation and personal experience. Listen to a definition of his name: “The Lord, The Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for

thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” Ex. 34:6, 7. John says, “God is love.” Paul says, “Love suffereth long, and is kind.” God says, “Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with loving-kindness have I drawn thee.” Jer. 31:3. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13. “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.” 1 John 3:16. “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10. With Paul we exclaim, “What shall I more say?” The time would fail us to tell of so great a cloud of witnesses who rise up in testimony that “God is love.”

Settle it, therefore, in your heart, dear longing soul, that that love is not only kind, but “love worketh no ill to his neighbor.” Rom. 13:10. Does that seem hard to reconcile with your experience? Then listen: “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” Heb. 12:6. And this scourging is “for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.” Verse 10. “Every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.” John 15:2. “But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.” Mal. 3:2, 3.

This gives us some light on the reason why some bitter experiences come to us. God in his infinite love and mercy sees that we do not heed the tender wooing of his Spirit, nor listen to his voice as it speaks from his Word or his servants. If allowed to continue as we are, we shall surely be lost. He does not love to chastise us, but as this is often the only means that will bring us to him, it must be permitted to come. How many heartaches, how many tears, how much suffering we should be spared if we would quietly sit at the feet of Jesus and in our secret meditations say, “Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.” But if we will not take time to listen, if we will not heed when we hear, we must not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try us, as though some strange thing happened unto us. 1 Peter 4:12.

And again, we are to remember that God says, “Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord, that I am God.” Isa. 43:12. “We are made a spectacle [“theater,” margin] unto the world, and to angels, and to men.” 1 Cor. 4:9. The best witness, the one who proves he is a true witness, is the one who bears the test under the scourging of the cross-examination of the opposing side. Satan's charge against God was that if he would touch what Job had, Job would curse God to his face. This was a false charge; for Job was a righteous man, serving God from principle. And although everything he had was taken away,—children and property,—and his wife, influenced by the work of Satan, urged him to “curse God, and die,” the record says, “In all this did not Job sin with his lips.”

Job was a true witness; Daniel in the lions’ den was a true witness; John the Baptist in prison and John the Beloved on the lonely Patmos were true witnesses. These, with thousands of others before and since, were faithful actors on the great stage, a spectacle to worlds, to angels, and to men. What joy will be theirs, in the throngs of the innumerable company of angels and intelligences of other worlds, to hear some bear testimony to the fact that it was the patience of Job, or the steadfast purpose of Daniel, or the integrity of John that convinced them that the claims of God are true and Satan's charges false. A witness for the God of heaven! what a privilege! “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” Matt. 10:32.

But whatever has been our experience on this great stage of life, we must bear this testimony with Paul, “We know that all things work together for good to them that love God.” Rom. 8:28. Whether we need chastising to fit us for the heavenly mansions or are called as witnesses for God, or even if we suffer as a result of our own wrong course, God in his own great love and mercy works it all out for good to those who love him. He forgives the sins, binds up the broken hearts, and helps us find the path of obedience. O amazing love! Let us ever sing,—

“Guide us in the path to heaven, Rugged though that path may be; Let each bitter cup that's given, Serve to draw us nearer thee. In thy footsteps traced before us, There we see earth's scorn and frown; There is suffering ere the glory, There's a cross before the crown.”

Orlando, Fla.