A huge distinction is seen between the carnal and the spiritual mindset. While we tend to think the carnal mind is associated with all kinds of evil, it starts with where are thoughts and affections lie. Upon an honest evaluation of your thoughts and the content of your conversations, what is their focus?

Carnality has to do with one's mindset. So, discussing the Christian's attitude is all about a spiritual mindset instead of a mindset on the things of this material world. Having the proper attitude toward trials and death will ultimately depend on your mindset. If you are carnally minded, you will be anxious, worried, fretful about tomorrow, and unsure about today. If you are spiritual, you will be sure about your future, see trials as stepping stones to higher ground, and long for home.

Takeaways:

• The Christian's approach to trials and tribulations is fundamental; we must acknowledge that hardships are not merely obstacles, but opportunities for growth and development.
• The assurance that God expects us to face trials can be both daunting and empowering, as these experiences cultivate resilience and deepen our faith in His greater plan.
• It is crucial to maintain a positive attitude during hardships, recognizing that our struggles may yield profound spiritual and personal growth that we cannot foresee in the moment.
• Ultimately, the perspective of faith transforms our understanding of suffering, allowing us to embrace trials as a means to achieve greater holiness and closeness to God.

Christianity is very diverse, but all denominations share a common source that by its nature has created problems for which there is no biblical antidote.

Tim Glover provides an alternative.

Join him each Wednesday at 10am to share his studies with you.

Good morning and again, welcome to our study on the attitude of a Christian.

We want to talk about the attitude that disciple of Christ should have toward trials and hardships.

And I want to start off by simply saying the child of God is not immune to that kind of the problems and hardships of life.

You know, there are very unpleasant circumstances in life and trying difficult times.

And we can become victims of anything from illness to injury to discrimination to personal failure.

We can experience persecution, religious persecution, or we could experience poverty or some other hardship.

I mean, not only does being a child of God not insulate us from such unpleasant things, but I would also add that we're almost virtually guaranteed to have them if we're children of God.

Paul would tell Timothy that all that live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

And why is that?

Well, because the child of God takes a firm and reasonable stance upon certain values and principles that quite frankly, the majority of his neighbors have rejected.

Jesus said it would be this way in John, chapter three, verse 19.

And this is the condemnation that light has come into the world and men love darkness rather than light because their deeds were evil.

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed.

And so those who come to Jesus Christ with the false expectation that all the rough edges of life is going to be smoothed out and there's not going to be any disappointment and we're going to be wealthy and God's going to bless us with all these material things that my friend is just not taught.

There is no guarantee for that kind of expectation in the word of God.

And those who come to Christ with that expectation are going to be very disappointed.

A second thing that I might say with regard to the attitude or experience that a child of God has with trials is that God allows us and expects us.

He wants us to be tested.

James says in James 1 and 2, count it all joy, my brethren, when you fall in divers or various trials, knowing the trying of your faith works.

Patience.

Let patience have its perfect work, that it might be entire, lacking nothing notice.

Now James is saying that we should consider this a joy.

Why?

It's an opportunity to endure, to be made stronger, to persevere.

And so there are certainly times when God will allow us to experience certain hardships and trials because of the Opportunity that we have to come through it and be made better by it and stronger through it for reasons that we may not be able to entirely understand.

We are creatures that learn by our experiences.

And perhaps because of the stubbornness of our own will.

And sometimes when people give us advice and instruction, we don't listen very well to that.

And as important as they are, we often remain very obstinate.

And so sometimes life's experiences can humble us.

They can soften us by such trials, or we can learn, perhaps other lessons that are equally important.

And so God allows for those things.

He allows for those trials.

And therefore our betterment, our good, our.

The Hebrew Christians were taught this in the Hebrew Letter.

In Hebrews chapter 10, for instance, and beginning in verse 32, these brethren had endured a great struggle with sufferings.

He said, partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated.

And so they were associated with people that put them in a certain bubble, a certain attitude that the world had toward them.

And also they were made a spectacle by the reproaches and tribulations.

So these troubles caused them some, I think, some serious questions about whether they should continue in it or not.

A lot of them were wanting to abandon Christ and being a Christian for that easier life they had before when they were Jew.

And so they were going back to their old, former way of living, their old Jewish traditions.

The whole Hebrew writer is really designed to try to encourage brethren not to do that, not to go back to that which is inferior and abandon the Lord.

And sometimes momentary persecution can be actually strengthening.

But, you know, if we continue to have the same difficulties, maybe year after year, and it gets harder and stronger, we run the risk of despair.

And we decide to, well, this isn't worth it.

And so we give up.

And the Hebrew writer is trying to encourage those brethren to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus and never give up.

The second thing that the Hebrew writer urges them to do is to keep things in their perspective.

It could be worse.

In Hebrews 12, verse 4, he tells the brethren, you have not yet resisted the bloodshed.

Striving against sin.

That I think is designed to show that, you know, it's.

It's not as bad as it could be.

And that's an encouraging thing.

When in 1st Peter 5 and verse 9, Peter does the same thing to his readers, that they take courage from others.

He says, resist him steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by Your brotherhood in the world.

Of course, Paul would tell the Corinthians that no temptation has overtaken us, but such as is common to man.

The point being is that we're not alone.

And if.

If we get the sense that others are suffering the same things that we're suffering and that we're not alone there, we can take some solace in the fact that it's not just us, that there are other people that are suffering.

And so our suffering is compounded.

I think, when we think that we're all alone, isolated in our pain.

I think Elijah experienced that when he began to think that he was the only one who was not a worshiper of baal, only one that was following Jehovah.

So when in trouble, just look around and you'll see someone who probably is worse off than you are, or at least suffering very similar difficulties.

And so be thankful that things aren't that they are as well as they are.

In other words, a third thing that the Hebrew writer does to encourage the Christians who are undergoing some hardships and persecutions is he reminds them that the Lord hastens or chastens those that he loves.

And so in verse 7 of Hebrews 12, he says, if you endure chastening, God deals with you as sons.

You know, when things are not going as well as we wish they could, Satan can plant the idea that God doesn't care about you.

If he did, he wouldn't let these terrible things happen.

As a matter of fact, there are a lot of people in the world who do not believe in God.

And that God even exists based on the suffering of man, the terrible atrocities and difficulties, and the death of babies, and all of this injustice in the world.

But the Scriptures teach us that God may allow these kinds of things, hardships and trials, at least for the child of God, as a means of, I guess you'd say, chiseling away and improving or correcting.

It is in the trials of life that we think more soberly that we begin to think, get our perspective on what's more important.

That's why the wise man tells us in the book of Ecclesiastes that it's better to go to the house of mourning than the house of feasting.

Why?

Because it gives us that perspective that we need, that helps us, that reminds us of what really is important in life.

And again, when we see such change in our nation and problems like we've had with the terrorist attacks over the several years, whatever that outcome is going to be, the examination that we look about us all around us.

And we can be benefited as we look back and see what kind of good has come from it, has woken us up, for example, and made us to take seriously those things that Americans have once just taken granted for.

So we must learn that.

And another thing that the Hebrew writer seems to suggest to us is not only that God loves those that he chastens and he deals with us as with sons, but we must also learn to see times of difficulty as just an opportunity for things to get better, better things to come.

The Hebrew writer puts it this way and again in verse 10 of chapter 12 he says that God chastens us notice for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness.

Now notice how he words the next few sentences.

He understands or presents this idea that at the very present time, as we're experiencing the difficulty, it seems like, well, it's just so grievous and how are we going to get through it?

Well, just know.

And this helps us get through it, is to know that down the road, as we go through this, there will be some good that comes from it, some good result will come out of it.

In chapter 12, verse 10, he puts it this way.

God chastens us for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness.

Now, no chastening seems to be joyous or joyful for the present, but grievous nevertheless, afterward.

Here it is.

It yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

So it see.

Admittedly, it is hard to see beyond the present hardship, the.

The suffering that we're going through.

It's hard for us to look past that and see down the road to.

After we've experienced it and after this maturity comes back to see that.

But we are all able to look backward and see this, this very truth and how it's operated in our lives as we look at the present and then go back and see how it has all worked out.

Have we not all been there sometimes and benefited by trials are not the most lasting lessons, the painful ones.

And so success, triumph are certainly moments to enjoy, but they frequently they reinforce things that are hostile and against this development of faith.

Well, let's look at some scriptures then for a few moments and see what the the Bible teaches regarding the attitudes that the child of God should have when that should accompany these trials.

The first one is in Matthew 5 and verse 12.

This is the Lord's teaching and sermon on the mount, we call it, he says, and be exceeding glad.

Let me back up I'm sorry.

Verse 12 Blessed are you that when they revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for my sake, here it is.

Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets which were before you.

You see now he does the same thing that we mentioned earlier by noticing that you know you're not the only ones.

Others have experienced the same thing.

But he's also saying that we need to be take it in other words, understand that it puts us in good company.

Also rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward.

You see, there's good that comes from it down the road.

Look into the future and can see the outcome of it all.

James Chapter one, Verse two I think we mentioned this earlier this morning my brethren, count it all joy when you fall in various trials, knowing that the trying or the testing of your faith produces patience.

This word is simply the word for endurance.

But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect entire, lacking nothing.

Peter says in 1 Peter 1:6 in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith, being more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise and honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

In Romans 5, verse 3, beginning, Paul says, and not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance character and character hope.

So we here's another example of being able to look beyond the present hardships and see into the future and the good results and the good outcome of the troubles that we've experiencing in the present.

Paul would say in 2nd Corinthians 12, beginning the reading in about verse 9, therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

This is where Paul asked the Lord to really relate.

Relieve him from this thorn in the flesh.

He asked three times and the Lord said, my grace is sufficient for you.

And so I take pleasure in infirmities.

He says, I take pleasure in persecutions and reproaches, in needs, in distresses for Christ's sake.

For when I am weak, then I am strong.

And so such attitudes toward trial and suffering.

This is not an unrealistic, naive lack of awareness of problems that we have.

But the joy is not some faked thing that person is just giddy about that acts like nothing is wrong, but quite the opposite.

In fact, the one who trusts in God has a very clear picture of his situation.

He understands all the implications.

He understands them well.

He knows that tribulations and of even the worst kind is going to draw him closer to God.

No one wishes himself harm now.

I don't.

And if times of trouble do come.

The Christian has this source of strength, though, that helps him cope.

The confidence that he's not alone and that the Lord will help him through it rather than just crumble under the sense of the thought of being defeated and just give up.

He has hope of a better tomorrow when revelation or without revelation.

Excuse me.

It's sort of impossible to know the exact causes of life's twists and turns.

I mean, I.

I'm not able to tell you why things happen the way they do.

And I don't think very many people can.

They can try to give those answers and they just throw them up in the air as possible answers to the problems of life.

Truth is, we don't know why things happen the way they do.

Sometimes some things are directly connected to God's providence.

Others could be the products of man's free will and just the tendency toward evil.

Some things are just pure happenstance.

I think accidents happen.

But does this uncertainty rob us of the usefulness of the event?

Well, certainly not.

No, it shouldn't anyway, because we should train ourselves to look at every situation in life as a test.

What can I learn from this?

I would say I would ask, when faced with some difficulty, how can I grow from this circumstance in life?

And so any unfortunate situation beyond our control can remind us of our fundamental need for God?

It puts us in a sense of helplessness and draws us to God.

It makes us depend upon Him.

But what if our troubles are of our own making?

Is there any comfort to be found when we have brought the hardship on ourselves?

Even though we are not justified in our mistakes, God is still compassionate toward us.

I mean, we certainly are filled with frailties and problems and lack of ability and lack of understanding and.

And our ineptitude causes a great deal of pain in our lives.

We bring it on ourselves oftentimes.

But that doesn't mean that we're alone.

Even then, the child of God is continually reassured as Christians that we are useful, that we are his children, that there is still purpose and there is still something for us to do of value.

You remember when Peter denied the Lord?

Jesus assured him both before and after the event, that he was still useful to God.

One of the most valuable lessons that I've learned personally is looking at the life of Peter after he had denied the Lord.

Of course it was a horrible time for him as he looked into the eyes of the Lord and no doubt saw this, the eyes of being betrayed.

And he went out, the Bible says, and wept bitterly.

One of the most comforting words as Peter gets the report from the women that had been at the tomb.

And they told the disciples that behold, he will meet you in Galilee.

But he.

They specifically mentioned Peter's name, it says the disciples and Peter, as if to really point to Peter's personally.

And I believe that's exactly because after the denial of Christ on that day, the very next communication, not directly, but the next word that Peter gets from the Lord of any kind is the assuring words, Peter, I want to see you again in Galilee.

I'll meet you there.

What does that say?

The Lord hadn't given up on him.

It says, the Lord hasn't denied him.

There's still purpose, there's still usefulness.

And so Peter, don't go and throw it all away.

Don't go and, and just feel defeated and, and leave me.

There's purpose, there's a need for you.

I'll see you in Galilee.

Those are very strong, comforting words.

And may the misfortunes that will come to.

In this.

For to us in life, may those kinds of problems in life make us evermore to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

As a matter of fact, I have about 10 minutes or so.

I think I'd like to introduce that thought.

And when you think about death, of course death is a hardship too.

Ideally, the end of earthly life is the beginning of another one.

It's not an end, but it's actually a beginning.

It's a transition from a lower form of existence here on earth to.

To a higher form.

Paul would tell the Philippians that Christ will change our vile body, that it might be fashioned like unto his glorious body.

And John would tell us in First John 3 that we'll be like him, for we shall see him as he is.

It does not yet appear what we shall be he starts out with, but we know that when he comes, we'll be like him.

So that's a comforting.

All those are very comforting thoughts.

Give hope and assurance for the child of God that this old world isn't the end of life, it's really the beginning of a new one.

Death is not something to be feared, but it's to be eagerly anticipated and looked forward to.

Let's just talk about this further.

So if this is true with regard to death, what's the problem?

I mean, in other words, what makes death so horrible and why is it such a dreaded thing?

There's several things that might make it so I just picked out about four.

There may be more, but at least four of these are that are a part of the reason why there's such a problem.

Or that it's such a feared thing in life.

First of all, I think God has instilled within us, each one of us, this instinct of survival.

We born with it, and we see it throughout our lives.

We simply are programmed, I think, to live.

And we fight to preserve ourselves sometimes at any cost.

And if not for this strong instinct, we'd all just surrender up too easily, I think, and give up even among the smallest of difficulties and trials.

So I think there is an in us, this instinct, this innate desire for preservation.

That's part of it.

But more than that, the physical process of expiring can be very unpleasant.

And so we fear the unknown.

We fear the pain.

We fear what might be experienced with suffering that we may have to endure.

And as that time comes to an end and we know we're dying, we just fear what might happen that we're not aware of.

Dying is a new experience.

And so we can't practice it.

And nobody can, you know, die and come back and explain it to us.

So we can write it all in a book and know it or learn from the experience of others.

Anything new like that carries the anxiety of the unknown.

We just don't know.

We only have a sketchy explanation of the nature of our existence beyond death.

I suspect that it's because we wouldn't be able to understand a lot of it anyway.

Because we're limited by time and space.

We are very physical beings.

And we relate to the material, what we can see and touch.

But there's another existence, another world, if you please, that doesn't know anything about that.

And it's that unknown, that fears, that causes us to be a little anxious, a little uncertain.

And so we cross the Jordan totally on the basis of faith.

What we can read and understand in the Bible.

And there's perhaps other reasons, but another is that there is certain unpleasantness about just saying goodbye.

We begin to develop some strong ties.

Not only in the physical ties that we have to the universe.

But there's also strong ties that we have with people and our family.

Our husbands and wives and our children.

And the idea of saying goodbye to that is very difficult.

The dying ones.

The dying rather leave their loved ones behind.

And the living has to say a painful bye to those that have meant so much to them in this life.

And for that reason, death is a grievous reality of life.

We don't like the idea of saying goodbye.

But the greatest source of dread when contemplating death is the very existence of sin Peter described, or rather Paul describes it over in First Corinthians 15.

In verse 56, he says, the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.

So Paul here says that the sting of death, the element that is the most painful and hurtful, is due to sin.

Sin is what puts our eternal welfare in jeopardy, and it raises doubt and it makes us feel unworthy and causes us to fret over and be worried about the prospect of dying.

If not for sin, we welcome death.

It's a great reunion to be with our glorious Creator.

But sin causes us to have such fears and doubts.

Now, how is it then that when Paul says, the sting of death is sin, he ends by saying, and the strength of sin is the law.

Well, how is the law?

The strength of sin is my question.

Paul answers it similarly, at least gives an answer to it in Romans 5.

In verse 13 of that chapter, he said, sin is not imputed where there's no law.

And so the opposite is equally true.

Sin is imputed when there is law.

Why?

Because all men will and have violated law.

In fact, in Romans 3:23, all have sinned and fallen shorter of the glory of God.

Galatians chapter 3 and verse 10 beginning, as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse.

And then in verse 11 he says, but that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident when the just shall live by faith.

On that basis, law, pure law, and only law, all men are sinners.

And consequently the death of each one registers this fear, registers this victory over Satan.

And so fear of death held men in bondage.

And that's what I think is meant when Hebrew letter says in Hebrews 2 and verse 15, that the fear of death held men in bondage.

So long as the law alone ruled over man, they were in bondage.

But now post Hebrews 2:15, there's some freedom from that.

And he did.

He doesn't go into it immediately there in that text, but the good news from that we learn from the New Testament is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is summarized in.

In this, God has made a way outside of the Law, besides the law alone, for man to be in fellowship with him, it's not possible, it wasn't possible to do it to law.

And so in that way, it's the way of faith.

It's the attitude of love and submission to God that secures forgiveness.

And it's expressed in the recognition of God's Son, who He is, and in conforming to his character and devoting our lives to him who died for us.

And so it is this all encompassing word, faith.

Faith is not just a mental acquiescence that God exists or that Jesus died and was buried and resurrected.

But faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

By that I mean it is based and rooted on this foundation of evidence.

And not only that, but faith as it is used in Romans, for example, is a dependency.

The proof, the evidence that God not only exists, that he is the rewarder of them that seek him, but the assurance that we can put our trust in him, that he is true to His Word, that He does not lie, and that we can have our put our confidence in what he has promised.

This is faith, and it stands in opposition to law.

It removes the dread of sin and death.

Listen to this.

These two couple passages, we won't get to look at all of them, but I like to read some of them with you.

In Romans 3:21 beginning, Paul says, but now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, verse 22, even the righteousness of God, which is through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who believe.

Romans 3, verse 28.

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

In Galatians 3:13, Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse force.

For in verse 21 he said, for if there had been a law given that could have given life, verily righteousness would have been by law.

And he's suggesting to us that it wasn't possible that we could have been justified by law.

If so, then we wouldn't have a need for Christ to have died.

One more closing thought that I think is real relevant.

Hopefully you'll think about this.

One of the proofs that give evidence of the fear and the anxiousness about death is that 80% or more of the prayers that I hear from my friends and my religious acquaintances is all about God healing somebody of some sickness, or they've got cancer, or they've got some disease, and they're constantly asking God to heal them.

There are prayer services, and there's even healing services among many denominations in which they put their hands on the sick brother or sister and pray for hours and hours that God heal them.

And, you know, that is such an inconsistency.

I understand the natural fears that we've already expressed.

But here we talk about wanting to go to our Father.

We talk about longing to go to heaven, our home.

And yet every time we talk to our Father, we ask him if we can stay a little bit longer.

It just doesn't make sense.

And really, I tell you another thing.

It gives proof.

It also gives shows where our heart is.

It's proof that we are so attached to this world and the material that we don't recognize the spiritual world that we're living in.

And if we do, it's as if we don't want to be in it.

We don't want to be a part of it.

And we want to hold on to the physical.

I suggest to you, friends, that if you are a child of God, you're ready to go home.

And this fretting and being anxious about sickness and dying, just.

I mean, despite those uncertainties, that all just fades away.

It's not important.

Because the greater good and the greater hope is going home to be with our Lord.

I don't want to seem to be unsympathetic.

Sometimes that's what comes out.

It's not intentional.

I understand the pain and the grief of death and saying goodbye to loved ones.

But, friends, the other is so much better.

If you're in Jesus Christ.

That's a welcome invitation.

Well, I thank you again for listening.

I hope you have a good day and a pleasant week.