Positive Pain

Revelation 22:1-4

Our culture has an Opioid crises! For some reason we as Americans think that we are to be pain free and many will go to whatever cost it takes to reach that goal. The fact is because of sin our bodies grow old, tendons become weak, bones start to deteriorate, and eventually some illness has its sway. I thank God for medicine, surgery, and therapy of all forms. I also thank God that he has gifted men and woman with the knowledge, ability, and compassion to serve their fellow man in times of sickness and affliction. But I also thank God for pain!

There is a rare condition called Congenital Analgesia. A person with this condition cannot feel pain. On the surface that may seem good, but it can also be dangerous. You see, if we didn’t have chest pains, we would not know that we are having a heart attack. Without pain we would never know that we have cut ourselves and could bleed to death. If there was no pain then we would not know that we have cancer or some other terminal disease. We always view pain in the negative sense because it hurts. But as we have seen there is a positive aspect to pain.

Many turn from God because of pain and suffering in the world, but in reality, the pain and suffering that we experience is meant to cause us to turn to God. When we hurt we want relief. We want a cure. And God has the only remedy for our pain. It is found in the healing power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

The pain and suffering that results from sin in the world has taken its toll on all of creation. Paul in Romans 8:18-28 writes about the groaning of creation, the church, and the Holy Spirit. Through this groaning we long for the new heavens and the new earth which is the final cure that brought forth by the remedy of the Gospel. Jesus’ death, as awful as it was, is the only cure to the poison of sin that runs through the spiritual veins of mankind. It is through him that sin is atoned for and through his blood we have the ointment that binds up the wounds and heal the broken heart.

On the cross Jesus not only suffered for us, but He also suffers with us. This is the comfort that we have in the midst of our pain. He may not always take away the pain of heartbreak, of loss, and the other avenues that Satan uses bring hurt into our lives. But He will be right there in the midst of it offering comfort through His presence and word.

We could not have the full experience of love without pain and suffering in the world. Love is a choice and where there is a choice there will be good and evil choices made. This is the heart of the Gospel. Jesus knew that his coming into the world would be one of rejection and ultimately his death on the cross. But yet, He loved the world so much that he was willing to endure it. This is the lesson. Pain is not something to avoid as much as it is meant to create in us a longing for the fullness and finality of our redemption. It is pain that creates the greatest groaning of all. The groaning of “Even so come Lord Jesus!”

An athlete will spend many hours in hard physical training. There will be pain and soreness as a result. But also too, he or she is building up strength and endurance that when the race is finally won, they can receive the trophy. Paul summed it up like this. He wrote “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:18 This glory is not something that will be just around us. It will be revealed in us. It is hard to imagine a world without pain, a body without pain, but John saw a new heavens and new earth where “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.” Revelation 21:4

Even so come Lord Jesus!

Pastor Robby