There are two videos below, the first is by the puritan Thomas Watson. He says much about the sanctifying value of affliction (trials, temptation) in the Christian life. As in Rom 8:28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.
Watson’s sermon is 35 minutes long and is chock full of insights and encouragement. It is certainly worthy of hearing many times.
After I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, I was given a book by my brother, The Afflicted Man’s Companion, by pastor John Willison, 1727. I read it a couple of times and it enabled me to begin seeing all of the scripture that speaks about affliction and how God uses it. More importantly, I saw that the cancer was permitted by God to do a work in my life; that realization, deepened my faith. Willison’s book fits well with Watson’s sermon.
The following 8 minute sermon excerpt is from one of pastor John Owen’s sermons (or books). The title, set faith at work on Christ for the killing of your sin.
This excerpt of Owen’s goes well with Watson’s sermon above because some of the work that God does via affliction is that He enables us to see that we are powerless over our sin without Christ; that we must diligently seek His enabling grace via prayer; be watchful; put our lives in His charge by faith because of our helplessness in ourselves….
If you have been striving against sin and have seen your helplessness in your own strength, then you will find much encouragement in each of these videos.
The above video emphasizes the necessity of relying only upon faith to access help from the Lord Jesus Christ. I have noticed in my own walk that stopping myself from trying to achieve deliverance from sin in my own strength is an enormous task.
The following stages were copied from the recent post on the Sinner’s Prayer (see categories, gospel message to find it). NOTE that stages 2 and 3 were part of the recognized process of growing in faith, per Jonathan Edwards. That is, one had to see his own vain fleshly efforts and stop them. I am finding that continued failure of my own strategies, efforts…in my own strength is helping me to understand what the Bible says in John 15, for example, that we can do nothing without Christ.
Jonathan Edwards established 5 stages in the struggle of faith: 1) horror of being eternally lost; 2), the sinner’s attempt to stop sinning via his will power; 3), realization that only God can save him from sin; 4), conviction, the sinner beginning to see that God’s judgment is just; 5), awakening to God with genuine religious affections.
The following prominent Christians spent many years between stages 1 and 5 of Edwards standard of assessment for genuine conversion:
John Calvin, 12 years; Wesley, 23 years; Whitefield, 10 years; Fox, 12 years; Edwards, 5 years; Brainerd, 9 years; Newton, 6 years; Spurgeon, 4 years…. I am left thinking, “Where am I on this scale?” The criteria of stage 3 and 4 are very familiar to me; not so with 5. I must examine myself more carefully.
(These men were greatly used by God and obviously greatly blessed by Him also. If they struggled to come to a real walk of faith, how could regular laymen arrive at that place without a great struggle?)
At what stage are you?
The above stages indicate the necessity of self-examination to know where one is regarding his faith, his belief / unbelief concerning the things of God. Furthermore, stage 5 in that struggle could not be arrived at without submission and dependence upon God. For example, stage 2 and 3 represent dependence upon oneself. That must be forsaken. Much easier said than done. One must see it first, and then learn to submit and depend upon Christ. None of those things comes naturally to us. They must be received by a receptive heart that is crying out for understanding…as in Proverbs 2.
STUDY RECOMMENDATIONS:
Overcoming Sin and Temptation by Kelly M. Kapic and Justin Taylor. These men took 3 of John Owen’s works and modernized the language because Owen is very difficult to read. The Owen works: Mortification of Sin; On Temptation; Indwelling Sin.
I read the book 7 or 8 years into my Christian walk and struggled with it. I could benefit another read of it. Owen’s writings on mortification of sin seem to set the bar for all other works on that very important Christian topic. Available at Amazon for $16.
The Afflicted Man’s Companion, by pastor John Willison. This is available at Amazon for around $12. It provides much insight about what affliction is and how God uses it in a believer’s life.