4. Theology of Dependence, Suffering, and Providence

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And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.


Genesis 1:16

Man needs God. God doesn't need us. He didn't make us out of necessity, but out of a generous spirit. He created Man in His image- someone whose characteristics could recognize His greatness, but who was weak and could sit in the comfort of His love.

The sun and moon are a reflection of this. Christians are called "the light of the world" (Matthew 5:14-16). But Jesus also refers to Himself as that light (John 8:12). The moon has no light of it's own, it's barren and doesn't produce light. It reflects light, it is a reference to the sun. Jesus says that people will see the light coming from our direction and glorify our Father in heaven.

Man (Adam) was made of the dust of the ground (adamah). We are barren until the Spirit produces fruit in us. 

We are sinful and weak. The only two problems in our world are sin and suffering. Adam ate the fruit that God commanded us not to eat, and God cursed the world. Sin entered in, we all agree in Adam, and so we continue as sinners. Naturally, we bear fruit unto death.

The world brought forth weeds and thorns, which deprive the plants nutrients that would bear good things. We work hard for sometimes little return on investment (Genesis 3:17-19). The animals are at enmity with us, now. We experience death on a daily basis, with pain and sickness reminding us of what's to come upon all of us.

We are also at enmity with each other, causing suffering between ourselves. Our inborn lusts nag at us, and without Jesus there's no way to overcome them. The only other way being to switch from one lust to another, which is no solution (coping). Our lusts cause fighting and murder. Our preferences, which can be our own, we force upon others so that we can dominate. We don't forgive so that we can punish those who've wronged us.

So then we see that this world is not fit for us, anymore. 

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love with which he loved us, 
Even when we were dead in sins, has made us alive together with Christ, (by grace you are saved;) 
And has raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 
That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 2:4‭-‬7

God sent Jesus to provide the sacrifice of blood necessary to pay for our sins. He propitiated His righteousness on those who repent and accept His free gift. Thereby are they redeemed. To redeem is to buy back. And to propitiate is to place money in another account. But Jesus didn't just make the balance zero. He didn't make our account to where we had no debt, and had to work to build it up. He placed all of His righteousness in our account - so that when the Father sees us, we can stand before Him as co-heirs with Christ. Infinite funds.

So we stand before God after we die, and are accepted into His presence for eternity. But only after we wallow around here wishing to be there, right? Wrong. He gave us commands to obey. He gives us opportunity to be made more like Christ. How? By suffering like Jesus.

Jesus was tempted and tried (Matt. 4:1-11). In every way, just like we are tempted (Hebrews 4:15). He chose not to sin, and He suffered for it. To those who give into sin, their suffering is momentarily appeased, as from an addiction. But Jesus' flesh wasn't appeased like this- He never gave in. This was so that He could present Himself as a perfect and spotless sacrifice to the Father on our behalf. God highly exalted Him for His accomplishments (Phil. 2:5-11).

Jesus prayed that His Father wouldn't just remove us from the world, but that He would keep us from evil. That we would be sanctified in His Word (Rhema). That we would declare Jesus' name, and that the world would believe on Him. And that we would learn to be one in the world, and conformed to God (John 17:13-21).

Jesus provides the comfort and support we need, because He suffered from temptation (Heb. 2:17-18). His comfort is realized in us when we look on His perfect suffering, and His steadfast hope in the Father. His comfort is sufficient in all circumstances and towards all His people (2 Cor. 1:3-7). And our circumstances persist so that we learn to not trust in ourselves, but in God who provides new life for us while we experience death (2 Cor. 1:8-10).

One of the ways we currently experience death and life in tandem is pruning. When we bear fruit, it's good. Yet God makes some cuts (John 15:1-2). It doesn't feel pleasant (Heb. 12:10-13). We can see this when good relationships are taken away, job opportunities, sickness sets in, or our ministry comes to a grinding halt. If God loves good so much, why do these things cease? Why, if I'm bearing fruit, does He trim it back? 

Specifically, because He's good. We tend to get too focused in one area of life, and ignore things. Our flesh tends towards lofty goals, and we can miss out on simple opportunities. God wants us to bear fruit in the other branches too. We all have all the gifts of the Spirit, and we need to remember to depend on Him to get us into uncomfortable positions so that His garden may flourish. Humility is the foundation of Christian life.

He also provides us the ministry of reconciliation. That God has sent us to be peacemakers in the world, and especially among His people (2 Cor. 5:18-21). His Church is His body, and is precious to Him. The Father's love is poured out through us by the Spirit, and by the Spirit the Church will be knit together in love (Col. 2:2-3). By the Church's love, all men will have Jesus manifest before them (John 13:35).

On Earth, Jesus will come again and put down all earthly powers. Save for those who oppose Christ, death will be no more among us (1 Cor. 15:23-26). Satan will also touch us no more, but be tormented forever with those who lived like him (Rev. 20:10). So when we're cursed or wronged, leave room for God's wrath, and do good to them (Romans 12:19-21).

In Heaven, God is the light of the city, and there is no night there (Rev. 21:23-25). We will not be naked before Him (Rev. 7:9). There is no more laboring for food, for God feeds and waters us directly (Rev. 7:16-17, 22:17). We will be healed (Rev. 22:2). We shall not be lonely, and we will see His face (Rev. 22:3-4). 

God, who had every right to shun us, has made His habitation with us forever. He Himself will wipe the tears from our eyes, and there will be no more pain. He's going to do a new thing (Rev. 21:1-5). He doesn't need it. He's preparing this for us, not because we're valuable - because He's generous.


These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. 
And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from where they had come out, they might have had opportunity to have returned. 
But now they desire a better country, that is, an heavenly one: therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God: for he has prepared for them a city.

Hebrews 11:13‭-‬16

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