The Highway Forums General Discussion Theology Discussion Forum Why oh why?

Clint,

It is not an "either/or" but a "both/and" situation. To describe Paul as always "upbeat" would be inaccurate at best. Paul, we and the Lord Christ were are humans (Christ of course being fully divine (God) as well as man). And as we read of the life of Christ, we see Him suffering, hurting, angry, etc., i.e., He expressed those emotions which we all experience in life, yet He did so without sin (2Cor 5:21; Heb 4:14, 15). We accept that which befalls us, either by our own failings and sins or through other circumstances and people as being eternally decreed by God for His own glory and our good; if we are true believers (Rom 8:28; 11:33-36). AND, we also have genuine feelings and responses to those things which come our way. The Psalms of David are replete with examples of a true believer and the joys, blessings, pain, anguish, sufferings, grief, anger, etc., etc.... experienced in life.

Paul also expressed inner joy KNOWING that all things come via God's attendance (Providence), i.e., God's deliberate control and decree. And thus he accepted this grand design and reality and rejoiced in it. (2Cor 12:9, 10, et al). In the immediate context of these verses, Paul agonized over some personal affliction he bore and prayed fervently 3 times that God would remove it. Are we to believe that he was jumping in the air with joy that he had this affliction? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/scratchchin.gif" alt="" /> . . . <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/nope.gif" alt="" /> He obviously lamented over this affliction and with deep passion petitioned the Lord for its removal.

In fact, to insist that a true believer MUST rejoice in all things, i.e., a suppression or denial of genuine righteous emotions is to deny one's manhood and the very image of God with which he/she was created with and even more it denies Christ's true humanity.

In His grace,