Events to look out for part II

1)  Zoology and mythology: Looking at angels, fairies and dragons. By Prof Roger Wotton. 16th November, 6 pm. Anatomy JZ Young LT

2) Is the universe designed for man? By Prof  Rodney Townsend, Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. 12th October, 7 pm. All Souls Langham Place

3) WAR OF THE WORLDS (1953) ON THE BIG SCREEN, 3rd October, Grant Museum, Darwin building.

Yum.

Events to look out for part I

1)
What: Changing Science: Would Darwin get a job in science today?

A light hearted discussion and debate.

When: Tuesday 1st Feb, 6.30pm - 7.45pm

Where: JZ Young LT, Anatomy Building

2)
"Human Evolution: Past and Future"

With an excellent line up of speakers including:
Professor Steve Jones, Lecturer in Genetics, Evolution and Environment (UCL),
Professor Ruth Mace, Professor of Evolutionary Anthropology (UCL),
Professor Mark Maslin, Director of the UCL Environment Institute and Head of the Department of Geography (UCL),
Alex Mesoudi, Lecturer in Psychology (Queen Mary University)

When: Wednesday 9th March at 2.00
Where: JZ Young Lecture Theatre, Anatomy Building, Gower Street

3)
What: Inherit the Wind (1960) on the big screen
A film based on the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial when an American school teacher was arrested for teaching evolution. A controversy is afoot.

When: Tuesday 22nd March, 6.30 pm - 9.00 pm
Where: JZ Young LT, Anatomy Building

天冷就回來

Adapted.


我問自己 為什麼...
- 傷心像快樂?
- 幸福不快樂?
- 作夢也快樂?

我虽微笑说我也不懂得, 但我猜我脑裡有明白,還有一絲無奈.

天冷若沒回家,　我仍然该等待?

下雨了. 我懒得带着雨伞出去找人,只愿坐在亭里边歇息.

心中有些期待有人会带着另一把伞来亭里避雨.

但这里边是荒山野林,哪来的人? 还是先走回家吧.

我看明天又会下雨.

明天的雨點灑下來　那滋味叫什么?

Objection: A loving God would never torture people in hell

This is a compilation of arguments for and against the doctrine of hell, posted online for simple archiving. Material heavily adapted from “Case for Faith” by Lee Strobel (henceforth referred to as "CFF"). Views presented here are not necessarily reflective of all my personal opinions.

Introduction

Define/Describe subject of discussion: Hell, contrasting the literal description with the definition in CFF, as well as a brief mention of how hell is portrayed in other cultures. These descriptions are mutually exclusive.

There are 162 references in the Christian Scriptures (New Testament) that warn of Hell. Over 70 of these references are attributed to Jesus. 

Literal definition of hell:

1)     a)  A place in another dimension, filled with fire and brimstone, where people experience mental agony. This hell will be physical as well after the 2^nd coming.

Matthew 13:42 “They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Parable of the weeds)

Luke 16:24 “… send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.”

b)A place where one is bound hand and foot (Matthew 22:13), cut in pieces (Matthew 24:51) and whipped severely (Luke 12:47).

2)   c) Eternally separated from heaven

Luke 16:26 “…between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.”

2 Thessalonians 1:9 “They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power.”

Metaphorical definition of hell

This view has only been promoted since the 16^th century. This arose due to moral objections and the conflicts between certain imagery if taken literally. For example hell is described both as a place of darkness and a place with fire. Refer to CFF pg 244-246

As C.H. Pinnock, an Evangelical writes: "Everlasting torture is intolerable from a moral point of view because it pictures God acting like a bloodthirsty monster who maintains an everlasting Auschwitz for his enemies whom he does not even allow to die. How can one love a God like that?  I suppose one might be afraid of him, but could we love and respect him? Would we want to strive to be like him in his mercilessness?"

1)      a) An eternal state of separation/existence apart from God and all that is good, for the unsaved

2)      b) No literal torture takes place, but the physical and mental anguish of being cut off from goodness is so indescribable that one has to use the “fire and brimstone” imagery as a comparison. Therefore, Hell is a punishment but not a “punish-ing”

Depictions of hell in non-religious works

1)      Featured in the poem “The Divine Comedy” written by Dante. Dante’s inferno has 9 circles of hell, with the punishment in each circle fitted to the nature of the sin.  For example in the 2^nd circle “lust”,  souls are blown about to and fro by the terrible winds of a violent storm, without hope of rest. This symbolizes the power of lust to blow one about needlessly and aimlessly.

2)      Featured in Plato’s works as “Tartarus” and “Hades”.

3)      The concept of punishment in the afterlife is present in many religions and cultures. Banishment to the 18 levels of the underworld in Chinese folklore and the weighing of the heart in the Egyptian underworld are examples. 

Looking into 8 individual objections in CFF 

1)    How can God send children to hell? (CFF p 248-249)

Argument in a nutshell: The act of sending innocent children who have not known God, to eternal torture in hell is cruel. This goes against the notion of a loving God.
 

Some Catholic Christians believe in the “Limbus Infantum”, where unbaptized children remain there without hope of deliverance. While they do not suffer the punishment of hell, they are also excluded from the blessings of heaven. No direct scriptural evidence.

Psalms 51:5 “Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”

Counter-arguments

                                  I.            The biblical language about fire and flames is figurative and thus God does not sanction actual torture in hell.

                                II.            In the afterlife, all personalities of souls reflect what they would have been as adults. Thus there will be no children in hell and also no one in hell who, if they had a chance to grow up to be adults, would have chosen to go to heaven. No direct scriptural evidence, but can be deduced based on how humans were originally meant to be in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were created as adults.

                              III.            Children are viewed as part of the kingdom of heaven. Children who die before the age of accountability (and are incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong), will not be damned.

Luke 18:16 “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.”

2 Samuel 12:23 “I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

Deuteronomy 1:22 “And the little ones that you said would be taken captive, your children who do not yet know good from bad…”

Isaiah 7:16 “But before the boy knows enough to reject the wrong and choose the right…”

2)    Why does everyone suffer the same hell? (CFF p 249-251)

Argument in a nutshell: Hell is unfair because everyone is subjected to the same eternal punishment regardless of their deeds on earth. God’s justice is proportional.

Counter-arguments

                                I.            The concept of a one size fits all punishment is unscriptural. The Bible teaches that there are different degrees of suffering and punishment.

Matthew 11: 20-24

Luke 12: 47-48 Contrast “beaten with many blows” and “beaten with few blows”

Rom 2:6 “God will give to each person according to what he has done.”

3)    Why are people punished infinitely for finite crimes? (CFF p 251-253)

Argument in a nutshell: Hell is unfair because it is an infinite punishment (with no hope of probation), for sins committed in a finite life.

Counter-arguments

                                I.            The degree of punishment meted onto a person is not dependent on the length of time he/she took to commit a crime. It is dependent on the severity of the crime and nothing can be worse than rejecting the message of grace and belittling Jesus’ sacrifice for us.

4)    Couldn’t God force everyone to go to heaven? (CFF p 253-254)

Argument in a nutshell: If God is grieved by Hell, why does he not force everyone to go to heaven?

2 Peter 3:9 “…He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

Counter-arguments

                                I.            Forcing everyone to go to heaven dehumanizes them and dishonours their freedom of choice. It would be unloving to force a person into a relationship with God if he/she is not willing.

                              II.            Since God is righteous, he judges and distinguishes the righteous from the wicked. A God that makes no such distinction is amoral.

1 Peter 1:17 “Since you call on a Father who judges each man’s work impartially, live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.”

5)    Why doesn’t God just snuff people out? (CFF p 255-258)

Argument in a nutshell: Is it not more merciful and just for God to annihilate the unsaved rather than to subject them to eternal punishment?

This is the doctrine of annihilationism and conditional immortality. There is no conscious existence, if any existence at all, of the wicked after death. Matthew 25:46 mentions eternal punishment; but this could refer simply to annihilation itself being permanent, and ending all life and consciousness for eternity.

Psalm 37:38 “But all sinners will be destroyed; the future of the wicked will be cut off.”

Counter-arguments

                                I.            Everlasting separation is morally superior to annihilation. God is morally justified in honouring Man’s choice of separation, but God is not morally justified in removing the existence of a person. This is because Man was created in God’s image and that in itself has intrinsic value that should not be destroyed. God will not treat a person as a means to an end (heaven).

                              II.            Annihilationism is inconsistent with scriptural descriptions of hell and punishment in the afterlife. Sinners continue to exist after death and will be physically resurrected in the 2^nd coming to be judged. Also, annihilation goes against the scriptural view that there are different degrees of punishment for the wicked.

Daniel 12:2 “Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.”

Matthew 25:46 “they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” It is obvious here that “eternal” in this context is an attribute of the duration of punishment/reward.

6)    How can hell exist alongside of heaven? (CFF p 258-259)

Argument in a nutshell: If heaven is a place without sorrow, how can hell exist if the very existence of the condemned brings great sorrow?

Counter-arguments

                                I.            People in heaven are mature enough to realize that hell is the only morally legitimate outcome for the unsaved. It is a way of honouring “choice”. The soul can rejoice in God’s sense of justice and divine companionship, while having a sense of grief for others.

7)    Why didn’t God create only those he knew would follow him?                                (CFF p 259-261)

Argument in a nutshell: If God knows the future, why did he create people whom he knew would never turn to Him and would therefore end up in hell?

Counter-arguments

                                I.            God created Man on earth with the free will to make choices that affect other people. When God chooses to create someone with free will, he/she will inevitably have an influence on the spiritual growth of others around him/her. This can work in a positive or negative fashion.

Proverbs 27:17 “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”

                              II.            In traducianism, all souls trace their lineage back to their ancestors. An individual’s soul is derived from the soul of his/her parents and so on. God's creation is finished (Genesis 2:2), thus no new souls are created directly, but are instead transmitted by natural generation just as the body is. This is in contrast with the idea that God creates each soul individually. If traducianism is true, then God only created Adam’s soul. Subsequently, God plays no part in creating other souls of people who make the choice of either turning to Him or refusing Him. God, however, does “balance” different ancestral chains to get as many people into heaven as possible. 

(Personal note: I think traducianism is unbiblical in that it implies that a soul can be divided infinitely and that Jesus would not have been born without sin since his soul was derived from Adams)

8)    Why doesn’t God give people a second chance? (CFF p 261-263)

Argument in a nutshell: Since God is a loving being, He should give people a second chance after death to repent, now that they are fully aware of His presence.

Catholic Christians believe in purgatory. Non-believers who have not yet known God in their lifetime will stay in a place of purification where they are given a chance to accept God’s grace. The length of their stay varies according to each individual and his willingness to repent. No direct scriptural evidence.

Counter-arguments

                                I.            God would have done everything He could, to give a person a chance to know Him. There will therefore, be no excuse for anyone to claim ignorance. This could explain why the 2^nd coming of Christ has been delayed so far.

Hebrews 9:27 “Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”

Romans 1:18-20 “The wrath of God is being revealed… since what may be known about God is plain to them…for since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities… have been clearly seen…[and] understood… so that men are without excuse.”

                              II.            There is no guarantee that people will take this “second chance” to repent. Indeed, their hearts might be irreversibly hardened by a lifetime of depravity.

Romans 1: 28-32 “… since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind…although they know God’s righteous decree…they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

                            III.            The current life is the period during which Man is held accountable for all his deeds.

2 Cor 5:10 “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”

                           IV.            If people saw the judgment seat of God after death, it would be so coercive that they would no longer have the power of free choice to reject God.

Conclusion

The doctrine of hell is a sensitive issue that should be handled with care, and yet at the same time, cannot be ignored by any Christian. It is normal to feel uncomfortable with the concept of eternal punishment in hell and one should not gloat about the fate of the unsaved. Strobel urges us to use our feelings of discomfort to galvanize us into action to spread the gospel of salvation. The concept of hell can also enables us to better appreciate the free gift of salvation. 

“Far be it from you to do such a thing- to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike… Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?” – Genesis 18:25

References
1) The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
2) A summary of Christian Doctrine by Louis Berkhof
3) http://www.religioustolerance.org
4) http://bible.org

A review of "Shutter Island"

        Director Martin Scorsese invites us to take a 138 minute descent into madness and shows us why psychological horror is a dish well served in an asylum for the criminally insane, together with a small helping of a crime thriller. Edward Daniels and Chuck Aule (played by Leonardo DiCaprio and Mark Ruffalo respectively) are US marshalls dispatched to Ashecliffe hospital to investigate the escape of one of its deranged inmates. What follows after is a slow but steady plunge into the unknown, where the audience follows Daniels down a long winding path where nothing is what it seems. Something sinister is afoot in Ashecliffe, and the audience soon realizes that an escaped mental patient is the least of their worries. Through the eyes of Daniels, we see periodic instances where the surroundings meld into unimaginable scenes of cruelty and bloodshed in Dachau. Rumors of "trans-orbital lobotomies", "psychotropic drugs" and human experimentation lurk beneath the veneer of a facility built for the sole purpose of rehabilitative treatment. Even symbols of security like uniformed guards and medical orderlies seem to be twisted into co-conspirators of an unspeakable evil within the walls of the hospital. As Daniels replied to the resident psychologist, "screw this sense of calm".

        What Scorsese has succeeded in, is getting his audience to share in the paranoia that is plaguing the disturbed mind of his protagonist. Just as Daniels finds himself gradually losing his ability to distinguish the surreal from the real, so is the audience led to believe in the improbability of his delusions. We drink from the common cup of madness with Daniels, as we begin to suspect the film's entire premise and when even the wildest conspiracy theories seem to triumph over any rational explanation for the chain of events unfolding before us. Any instance of denial by the staff of Ashecliffe is an admission of guilt. Every gesture and expression of concern belies murderous intent. As with Daniels, we are coaxed by the film to "trust no one", not even the nurses or the doctors in Ashecliffe. This deception is aided in good measure by extremely convincing performances by the supporting cast, with special mention to Emily Mortimer, Ben Kingsley and Max Von Sydow. Mortimer elicits mixed feelings of sympathy and revulsion as a tortured mental patient with the unfortunate distinction of having drowned all her children. Kingsley and Sydow are well suited to playing the part of two seemingly innocent doctors, disarming the audience with their earnest claims of patient welfare; at the same time, their confidence and serenity amidst the wildest of circumstances make us retreat suspiciously into the warm embrace of paranoia. This is mind rape at its best.

        The film ends on a heavy note, as Daniels asks if it is "better to live as a monster, or to die as a good man". As Richard Corliss states in his review of this film, "some things about ourselves are so painful to acknowledge, we almost wish we could cut them out of our skulls". This also opens the troubling implication that psychological conditioning can create another personal identity that may seem no less real than the original. "Self-existence", as an objective concept in our minds, is juxtaposed with our subjective interpretations of our personal identity. That it is possible to have a long discussion on the themes explored in the film bears good witness to the complexity of its plot. While there are some implausibilities in the plot, the best part of the film lies in its progression and the plot twists that entice the audience. No doubt, we are like "a rat a maze", but it is a highly enjoyable maze to be in. This is a must-watch.

患难中的喜乐

患难中的喜乐

Mandarin translation. Streamlined from the English version. Subject to changes and editing. Was pretty challenging. Praise the Lord.


主要经文：罗马书5：2－5节，罗马书8：38－39节

           老师，各位弟兄姐妹，大家下午好。今天我的讲道题目是“受苦中的喜乐”，主要经文是取之罗马书5章3－5节和罗马书8章38－39节。在开始时，我想给“受苦”这个词下个定义。“受苦可以说是一种对心灵和肉体的折腾，有时甚至使人死。圣经描述苦难是人人都要经历的，而且严重性在末世时将与日具增。“民要攻打民。。。多处必有。。。灾难。。。弟兄要把弟兄送到死地。。。”　马可福音第13章所写的似乎是一种绝望的情况。既然如此，基督徒为什么在患难中仍然有喜乐？这是因为基督徒知道受苦往往不是与神的爱和计划背道而驰的。使徒保罗在这个问题上给予我们一个很好的答案。让我们来看看究竟是什么能使保罗在受苦时保持喜乐，以及他对将来的盼望。

我认为保罗能在患难中有那么积极的态度是因为一：保罗知道受苦可以是神给我们的试验，为了要造就我们。二：保罗看重神永恒的应许。三：保罗认识到我们的神既爱我们，又了解我们的苦处。

           （1）首先，保罗知道神允许我们受苦，是要我们在患难中学习依靠神，并结出圣灵的果子。在罗马书5章3－4节，保罗说到：“就是在患难中，也是欢欢喜喜的。因为知道患难生忍耐，忍耐生老练。老练生盼望。”　受苦的确能造就我们，也能使我们的灵命变得更加成熟。我们也往往在痛苦时才学到欢喜的珍贵。再说，若不是有苦难临到我们，我们又怎么学习从患难的深坑中爬起来？

我想神要借着我们在苦难时所领悟的道理，去安慰别人。因为受过苦难的人能更有效的体会和支持其他正在受苦的弟兄姐妹。美国著名的盲聋作家海伦•凯勒非但没埋怨自己所遭遇的不幸，反而为着这些感谢神，因为她在苦难中找到神，找到自己，也找到了她的事工。以赛亚书64章8节写着“我们是泥，你是窑匠。我们都是你手的工作。”受苦就是窑匠的工具之一，把我们塑造成精美的瓷具。
话说回来，当我们正在结出圣灵的果子的同时，我们基督徒对未来有何盼望？

           （2）在罗马书5章2节和5节，保罗写着“我们。。。因信得进入现在所站的这恩典中，并且欢欢喜喜盼望神的荣耀。。。盼望不至于羞耻，因为所赐给我们的圣灵将神的爱浇灌在我们心里。”由此可见，保罗多么看重神永恒的应许！这应许是神满有慈爱，借着基督耶稣的牺牲白白的赐给我们，使我们在面临肉体死亡时，仍旧有盼望。我们在世的新生命在于我们与神的关系和好了。耶稣在路加福音12章4－6节实在地提醒我们不要怕“那杀身体以后，不能再作什么的。。。［反而］。。。当怕那杀了以后，又有权柄［把我们］丢在地狱里的。”　在这里，地狱是指一个人完全以神隔绝的处境。只要我们常住在基督里，我们在苦难中不该惧怕，反该欢喜，因为耶稣在约翰福音11章25－26节也说“复活在我，生命也在我。信我的人，虽然死了，也必复活。凡活着信我的人，必永远不死。”　

耶稣的复活不是证明了祂已胜过死亡么？在约翰福音16章33节，耶稣说“在世上你们有苦难。但你们可以放心，我已经胜了世界。”　神应许将这个胜利也赐给凡信靠祂的人。在主耶稣第二次降临时，我们必复活，以神的儿女的身份继承天国。多大的苦难不能使我们与神的爱隔绝，也不能使神的应许落空。现在所受的苦在永恒的眼里显得十分渺小。启示录的重点不在于书里所描述的种种灾难，而是基督耶稣得胜了。难怪保罗在哥林多前书15章55节说“死啊，你的毒钩在哪里？”　

但在永恒的盼望中, 我们要思想我们的神是不是一位不了解痛苦，对我们的遭遇显得莫不关心的神？答案是很明显的“不是”！保罗和我们也从中得到安慰。

           （3）第三点：保罗在患难中有喜乐因为我们的神是一位同我们受过苦，了解我们的悲伤，又深爱我们的神。这一点，在加上我所提到的前两点，使保罗在罗马书8章38－39节“深信无论是死，是生，是天使，是掌权的，是有能的，是现在的事，是将来的事，是高处的，是低处的，是别的受造之物，都不能叫我们与神的爱隔绝。”

耶稣在世上所受的苦是众所皆知的。马可福音14章32－36节描述了一段令人心酸的情景。在客西马尼花园里，耶稣对他门徒说“我心里甚是忧伤，几乎要死”，因为祂知道祂即将面临十字架的刑法。既然神对“患难”这两个字不感到陌生，那么祂也能够体会我们所受的痛苦。在约翰福音11章33－35节中，耶稣看见马利亚与她同来的犹太人因着兄弟拉撒路的死哭泣，“就心里悲叹，又甚忧愁。”耶稣也同众人一起哭了！这正如以赛亚书53章4节记载耶稣“诚然担当我们的忧患，背负我们的痛苦。”

最重要的是，耶稣之所以会受苦，是因为祂爱我们，也要使我们脱离罪恶的捆绑。我们的神是一个多么了解我们，多么爱我们的神！

           总而言之，我们基督徒能在患难中有喜乐是因为苦难能造就我们，我们有永恒的应许，我们也有一位深爱着我们的神，常与我们同在。我们当如何确保自己能在患难时有一个讨神喜悦的态度呢？我认为要常常读经，祷告和与其他主内弟兄姐妹分享经历，借着圣灵的光照，使我们更了解受苦的本质和该有的态度。

愿大家在受苦的当儿能微笑着赞美主说“主啊，从前闻风听见你，现在亲眼看见你。你的恩典够我用。”　谢谢。

Christian Joy in the Face of Suffering

This is the English version of a little "speech" that I'm supposed to deliver. I thank God for giving me the ability to write it.


      Let us begin with a brief description of suffering. We conventionally know it to be a state of mental and physical pain and misery, possibly leading to death. The Bible also lets us know that suffering is universal and will increase in frequency and intensity with the coming of the End of the Age. "Such things must happen… Nation will rise against nation… There will be earthquakes… famines… Brother will betray brother… All men will hate you…" These quotes from Mark 13:7-8, 12-13 seem to paint a very bleak picture of the fate awaiting all of mankind. So why have Christians not lost hope in the face of so much misery? Sometimes the reason for our suffering cannot be fully comprehended by our own limited understanding. Therefore, we cannot assume that worldly suffering cannot be accommodated into God's love and plans for us. For further elaboration, we turn to Paul the Apostle, who is no stranger to suffering, for what he has to say about this. What gives Paul the ability to rejoice in his sufferings, together with his confidence in this "hope" that all Christians should have?

I can see 3 major reasons to his attitude. The first is that he is aware that suffering can be a trial from God that can have a positive impact on our characters. The second is that his world view is geared towards God's promise of victory and the eternal. The last is that he is aware of a God who suffers with us and loves us.


      (1) Firstly, Paul knows that suffering can be permitted by God as a trial to mold and shape our characters in a positive manner. In Romans 5; 3-4, Paul asserts that "we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope." It is true that the pain and hardship that we experience can bring out the most positive qualities of our soul. We cannot learn to stand against adversity if we have never met adversity in the face at all!

We may also need sorrow to appreciate the value of rejoicing, and to discover an inner strength that we do not even know we possess. It also takes a person who has suffered to understand and empathize with others who are going through similar ordeals. Perhaps this is God's plan to put us in a better position to serve and help others. It was this understanding and faith that enabled Helen Keller, blind and deaf from early childhood, to say, "I thank God for my handicaps, for through them I have found myself, my work, and my God." Just as the most beautiful diamonds must be forcefully cut from raw stone, so must our finest character be shaped through the lessons learnt from suffering. It is written in Isaiah 64:8 "We are the clay, you are the potter." Suffering is but one of the potter's tools to mould us into the best people we can be.

That being said, while our characters are being shaped in the present, do we have any hope for the future?

      (2) Next, in Romans 5:1-2, Paul writes that "...we have peace with God though our Lord Jesus Christ...and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." Paul has hope for the future because his world view is geared towards the eternal glory lovingly promised to us by God. That is why Christians have hope even in the face of death. Through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ, Christians have a "new life" through a renewed and repaired relationship with God. Jesus rightfully warns us in Luke 12:4-5 to "not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more", but to "fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell", with "hell" being understood as the state of eternal separation of God and Man. As long as our relationship with God remains close throughout, we have nothing to fear and plenty to hope for. This is highlighted in John 11:25-26, where Jesus said "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die."

The resurrection of Jesus Christ further signifies that He has claimed victory over death. Even better, this victory is promised to us who trust in Him.
In John 3, it is written that "whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" and in John 16:33, Jesus reminds us that "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."


Suffering may destroy our physical bodies in the present, but suffering and death can neither remove our loving bond with God, nor can it invalidate His promise that we will all be resurrected in the second coming, with a glorious body that is imperishable. In other words, every believer is a "co-heir" of the kingdom of heaven with Christ, and we will partake in his glory when His kingdom comes. It is of small wonder that Paul exults in 1 Cor 15:55 "Where, O death, is your sting"?

The sufferings of now can seem strangely insignificant in the light of eternity. A renewed relationship with God, and the future glory promised to us in heaven far outweighs the misery from present worldly suffering. At the end of all the horrible suffering and terrible signs described in the book of Revelations, the final message remains clear: Christ is ultimately victorious over all. Therefore we would do well to heed the advice of Peter the Apostle in 1Peter 4:12-13. "Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering… but rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."

Yet even with the promise of the eternal, is our God one who apathetically observes our suffering from a high pedestal, one who is disconnected with our pain? The answer is a resounding no, and we can draw further comfort and hope from that.


      (3) Paul is comforted in his suffering because he knows that Christians have a God who suffers with us, understands our pain and loves us through all of it. This, together with what we have discussed in the earlier paragraphs, allows him to say with confidence in Romans 8:38-39, that "neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

The intense suffering that Jesus Christ went through is known by all. Mark 14:32-36 describes a particularly emotional series of events in the garden of Gethsemane where Jesus describes himself as being "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" in the knowledge of his impending crucifixion. Since our Lord is no stranger to suffering, he is in a very good position to understand and empathize with any pain and misery that we face. We need to look no further than John 11:33-35. It is written that Jesus "was deeply moved in spirit and troubled" and "wept" at the sight of Mary weeping due to the death of her brother, Lazarus. Isaiah 53:3-4 tells us that Christ is one who "was despised… [but yet] took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows."

Furthermore, the reason for His suffering in the first place was due to His loving desire to deliver us from sin. We have a God who feels with us and who loves us through everything! Therefore all of us can confidently say that "in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us."


      In summary, the reasons for us Christians being able to rejoice even in the face of great suffering are because our characters can be molded through suffering, we have an eternal glory promised to us, and that we are aware of a God who suffers with us and loves us. How should we condition ourselves to face our sufferings in a Christian perspective? I believe that with frequent reading of the Bible, prayer and fellowship, the Holy Spirit will edify and illuminate our understanding of suffering and the correct attitude towards it.

Through this, we have hope for the present, hope for the future, and a loving God who understands what we are going through. What more can we ask for?

In the face of suffering, may we be able to smile and say "O Lord, my ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. Your Grace is sufficient for me."