Running To Win

Dave McAllister: Let us run with endurance, the race that is set before us. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. Christians get socked by life's reversals like anyone else, but there is a crucial difference. The believer knows he or she has a permanent home where no foreclosure is possible and where all suffering will end. Stay with us. From The Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line.

Pastor Lutzer, I can't imagine how those without faith in Christ handle suffering. In your series, Children of an Awesome God, you're teaching us that we can have hope in suffering since the Holy Spirit shares our deep pain.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Dave, I love the way in which you described our inheritance. It is indeed mind-boggling when we consider all that God has done for us and all that he desires to do in us. Meanwhile, life is hard.

I'm holding in my hands a book entitled The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges. Some of the chapters have to do with topics that we are all familiar with, namely, holiness and our wills. In other words, what is the relationship between holiness and willpower?

Habits of holiness, holiness and self-denial, holiness in an unholy world. This is the second to last day. We're making this resource available for you. Here's what you do, go to RTWOffer.com.

Dave McAllister: Go to RTWOffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: God wants us to be holy even as we pursue our eternal reward. Now, let us listen.

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: My friend, groaning is biblical. There is suffering all over, more suffering than we can possibly endure. Young people coming down with terrible diseases. There's much groaning. We groan, but that's not the end of it. Nature groans, we groan, and now of all things, the Holy Spirit himself groans also, waiting for our redemption.

You'll notice in verse 26, the Apostle Paul says these words, "Likewise, the Spirit helps us in our weaknesses." And he's not implying that every once in a while we're weak, we're always weak if we know ourselves well.

"For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings, too deep for words."

"And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." Wow. We receive the Spirit, and the Spirit helps us. Why? Because we don't know how to pray.

Have you ever been in a situation where you are so emotionally numb, that you don't even really know what to say to God? His will is confusing. You've been disappointed in what he has done. He hasn't come through for you like you thought a good God should. And so you've backed off and you've thought to yourself, surely, surely, there is no way out of this. I don't even know what to say.

The Spirit of God in you as a believer begins to instruct you and actually begins to intercede on your behalf. With groanings, and those groanings may be our groanings, but also the Spirit's groanings that are too deep for words. Some of you here may be experiencing a tragedy that you can't even talk about. It is too deep for words. And yet the Holy Spirit of God is there to help us in our weakness. The Greek text says, in effect, it is to help us carry our load.

So the Holy Spirit of God is there to enable us to get through what we normally on our own cannot get through. He is there to work in us. This is a remarkable passage. You'll notice in verse 27, "He who searches hearts." Who is that? That's God. He knows what is the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

So here you have the whole Trinity. You've got God the Father who searches our hearts. You have the Spirit who is interceding, and of course, of course the Father knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit is also God. But just like Jesus intercedes for us, just like he intercedes, so the Spirit is there to also help us, to also intercede. And what you have is this, forgive the long term, but intertrinitarian connection here.

Where Jesus intercedes for us, the Spirit intercedes for us. The Father understands both because he, of course, is God. And every member of the Trinity is God, and there are not three spirits that permeate the whole universe. There's one God. And yet notice, and we'll see this more clearly as the sermon series continues, that all members of the Trinity are rooting for us. They are all on our side. And that's why Paul is going to come to saying, "If God be for us, who can be against us?"

So the Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit participates in our groans. Now, let me clarify. I don't think that the Holy Spirit prays instead of us. So we can say, "I don't have to pray because the Spirit is praying." I think that the Holy Spirit of God prays through us, but he helps us to pray, and he himself is groaning for our redemption, for our release from the bondage of decay and for the glorious liberty of the children of God.

You say, "Pastor Lutzer, why should our lives be changed forever because of this message?" What is there that we are going to take home with us that we will say, "Because of this, we're going to have an entirely different perspective of suffering, and therefore we will be changed."

Let me give you three transforming statements, and I tell you, all of them are don'ts. Don't, don't, don't. And if you do these don'ts, if I can put it that way, I can promise you that life is going to be different, and your life is going to be blessed. Let me give them to you.

Number one, don't. Don't minimize the value of suffering. Don't minimize the value of suffering. You see, what some of our TV preachers want to tell us, not all of them, but many of them, is this, that if you aren't healed, it's because you don't have real faith. Now, mind you, if you're healed, and I'm a TV preacher, I take the credit for your healing. You're not healed, you lack faith. It'll always be your fault. But if you had the real deal, you'd be healed.

The only kind of faith they speak about is the kind that sees the miracles. Well, there's plenty of scripture that shows us that there's also a kind of faith that sees no miracles at all, but goes on believing God, no matter what.

I'm old enough to know that there are some Christians who when they suffer become cynical, angry, filled with self-pity, and all of their sorrows are wasted. There's no benefit to them. God gave them a test, and they are failing miserably. Suffering is for those for whom it is appointed. Ultimately, if you trace it all back, even if it comes through your parents, a certain disease, ultimately, I agree with John Piper who says that, "It is God who decides who gets cancer." It is God who decides who gets these various diseases. We are under God's hand. "Oh, you say, but it's the devil." Yeah, of course, the devil may be used by God, but even the devil's use and the devil's attacks are given to us by God as a test.

And what happens is when we groan within because of physical disability, because of emotional and spiritual attacks, because of our loneliness, because a loved one has died. When that happens, we begin to groan and we groan for glory. It makes us look forward to the redemption that we have in Jesus and the culmination of all that we have in Christ.

You know, of course, that when you have children, and we used to drive to Canada when our three girls, our three daughters were young, we'd go to Canada every year. Well, you know, we would still be on the I-90 just outside of O'Hare Airport. "Daddy, are we there yet?" "No, but we're closer than we were when you asked the same question three minutes ago." You know, we are closer.

That's what groaning does. "Are we there yet?" You know, I often refer to my parents because it is kind of a unique story. I spoke to my mother last night, her mind is perfectly fine. She is going to be a hundred in November and remember. My father was 106 this past summer. So I talked with mother and I said, "How's dad doing?" And she said, "Well, he doesn't say much anymore." That's legal when you get 106. You don't have to say much anymore.

She says about the only thing that dad asks, and he asks it in German, "Wie viel länger wird das noch dauern?" Wow, I love my dad. What it is, is, "How much longer is it going to be?" You know, he's been asking that since he's been 103. And my mother's asking it, and she's so much younger. She's only 100, and she's asking, "How much longer is it going to be?"

Oh, both of them are groaning for glory. My mother always says, "Please pray, we'll die the same the same evening." I'm serious, a year ago when she was in the hospital, she thought she was going to die, she was absolutely jubilant. When they said, "You're going to live," she was so disappointed. Seriously.

Old age will do it. Sickness will do it. Migraines will do it. Groaning for glory. But there's something else that is even more important. We see it in this text and more explicitly in 2 Corinthians.

What the Apostle Paul seems to be saying is, is that the more suffering, the more glory. You'll notice even in verse 18 here, "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing to the glory that is to be revealed in us." And by the way, I should have pointed out verse 17. "And if children, then heirs, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided that we suffer with him." Don't ever minimize the value of suffering that we should be glorified together.

And Paul says in 2 Corinthians, you know, that "this light affliction, which is but for a moment." Oh, it seems so long, but it's but for a moment. "Works in us an exceeding great eternal weight of glory." Paul says, "Take a scale, put it on one side, all of your suffering, it would be like taking a human hair and putting it on one side of the scale, and on the other side of the scale you put an elephant," and the scale goes, plonk. Don't even compare it.

Listen, my dear friend who is suffering. Listen to those of you who are working and struggling with a terminal disease as if some of us aren't terminal. Got news for you, we're all terminal. Listen to me. God will make it up to you a hundred million times. Don't even compare it with the glory that's going to be revealed in us. Your groans are leading to glory. Groan, but know that you're longing for something better, the redemption of the body.

Second, don't minimize the value of suffering, don't minimize the glory that awaits us. Don't you dare minimize the glory that awaits us, the glory of the Son of God, the revealing, the apocalypse of the Son of God.

When I was at the Billy Graham Cove teaching, my last session was on heaven, and I redid my notes on heaven. And I also read the book on heaven by Randy Alcorn. Very interesting book. You know, normally we say, "I can't visualize what heaven is going to be like." Well, if you read that book, you can, because we always stress the differences between Earth and Heaven, and he stresses the similarities. We're surprised at how much is going to carry over. And we're going to be the real same people, curse gone, bodies no longer subject to decay. No need to sleep. But we're going to interact, we're going to pick up where we left off. There are going to be animals in heaven. Because, you know, the Bible says in the book of Revelation that there were beasts that fell down. Of course, in Isaiah, the millennial kingdom is full of animals. You say, "Well, Pastor Lutzer, do you think that my pet will be resurrected?" Oh, no evidence. If if good animals are resurrected, I had a dog out on the farm that I expect to see again. But I do need to say that we had two cats, uh uh, they're not going to be resurrected. No way.

No way. More seriously, heaven is going to be so unbelievably long and beautiful and satisfying and rewarding. I myself after giving a lecture on heaven felt, "Lord, you know, hey, the sooner the better." Really. Don't ever underestimate what God has planned for those who love him. "Eye hath not seen it, ear hath not heard it, it's not entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love him."

Keep going, keep believing. Redemption is on its way. Redemption is on its way. And by the way, if you weren't able to get the last message in this series when I talked about ruling with Jesus and being an heir of God and a joint heir with Christ. All of these things help us to understand. It's going to be okay.

Third, don't minimize what God did to save us and to redeem us. Don't ever minimize it. Don't ever say, "Well, you know, there's somebody else over here, some other teacher who can do it too." No, no, no, no. But let me ask you this question. How did Jesus redeem us? Was it through his miracles? No. He had to do the resurrection of Lazarus. Lazarus had to die again. The people who ate the bread and the fish miraculously given, they got hungry the next day. They were hungry again.

No, I'll tell you how Jesus did it. He did it through suffering. And it was his suffering, the value of his suffering that provided a way by which God could return good in the place of our evil. And that was no small task. He gave the best he had. We were not redeemed with corruptible things such as silver and gold, but with the blood of Christ, who came, who suffered, who submitted himself to Satan and to evil people, and died on a cross, and was raised again and says, "Someday you shall see me, and we shall be like him," the Bible says, "because we shall see him as he is." Don't ever take for granted the grace of God in Jesus.

And some of you who are listening to this, you're here today in the sanctuary of Moody Church. Some of you are listening by way of internet, radio, other means. And you know in your heart that you've never believed in Jesus. You have no assurance that you belong to him. The redemption that we're talking about here is not going to, not everyone is going to participate in it. It's limited to those who trust the Christ who will resurrect them into the same likeness that he himself has. There's nobody else out there like Jesus.

The Bible says, "As many as received him, to those he gives the authority to become the children of God, even to those who believe on his name." Today, if the Holy Spirit is working in your heart, believe. Say, "Jesus, I receive you as my savior." And then I'll continue to groan, but I'll be groaning for future glory.

We used to sing, when Jerry and I were younger, I'm sure, songs like, "It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. One glimpse at his dear face, all sorrow will erase. So gladly run the race till we see him." Until that time we groan for glory.

Father, we ask in the name of Jesus that your Holy Spirit who is here may do his work. May there be encouragement for those who found out that they have a terminal disease. May there be encouragement for those who go to doctors, but they see no hope for their ailing body. And then, Father, we pray for those who have never trusted Christ as savior. Even at this moment, where they are seated or where they are listening to this message, we ask that you will create the faith within their hearts that says, "I too trust Christ and receive him."

And if you've never received him, you can pray and say, "Lord Jesus, I know that I'm a sinner. I can't save myself, but I do receive you. I do receive you. And the work of the cross, I receive it and the resurrection, I receive it for myself." Would you tell him that? Oh Father, thank you for reminding us that we are clay. We bring to the table nothing but our great need. Everything is grace. Thank you. In Jesus name. Amen.

Dave McAllister: Yes, my friend, everything is grace, and thank God for our eternal inheritance for all those who trust Christ alone for their salvation. Let me ask you this question. When the Bible says, "Be ye holy for I am holy," how do we fulfill that command? How do we go about this business of holiness?

I'm holding in my hands a book entitled The Pursuit of Holiness by Jerry Bridges, and this is the second to last day we're making this resource available because we believe it'll fill in all the gaps regarding your questions about holiness and how it can be pursued. It's helped hundreds of thousands of people understand what holiness is and what it is not.

I hope that you have a pencil or a pen handy because here's what you do, you go to RTWOffer.com. Of course, RTWOffer is all one word. RTWOffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Right now, I suggest that you go to your computer and type in RTWOffer.com.

Dave McAllister: It's time now for another chance for you to ask Pastor Lutzer, a question you may have about the Bible or the Christian life. Sue is a faithful Running to Win listener. She has this question about financial giving.

"I've not been able to find a good church in my area, so I give my tithe to support other ministries or to people in need instead. Pastor Lutzer, is that okay?"

Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer: Well, Sue, first of all, I want to thank you for being sensitive regarding the question. Most people wouldn't worry about where their money goes or even if they give any money. Couple of comments. First of all, yes, of course, it's fine for you to give that money to other ministries. But I hope that you don't do that permanently. Because you say that there isn't a good church in your area, I hope that you find one. And even if it isn't a good church, if it believes the Bible, despite its limitations or its disappointments, we all need other believers to connect with.

And so there's a part of me that says, yes, it's fine for you to continue to give your gifts elsewhere, but there's another part of me that says, all Christians should be connected to a body of believers. And I'm just hoping and praying that God will lead you to a church that will be good, and then you can support that church. But I hope that even after you support that church, that you continue to support other ministries. My wife and I do that, and I'm sure that thousands and thousands of Christians really do both as well. We contribute to the church regularly, but at the same time, we are blessing other missionaries and other people. So keep up your generosity and keep praying, and God may lead you to a church that you can fully support.

Dave McAllister: Thank you, Sue, and thank you, Dr. Lutzer. If you'd like to hear your question answered, go to our website at RTWOffer.com and click on Ask Pastor Lutzer, or call us at 1-888-218-9337. That's 1-888-218-9337.

You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois 60614.

Running to Win is all about helping you find God's roadmap for your race of life. Only a Christian can be certain that all of life is heading toward a future glory. That's why we can know that all things, even the bad things, work together for good for those who love God. Do all things really work together for good? What about unexpected tragedies, job loss, even foreclosure? Next time, don't miss a close look at a famous Bible promise from the eighth chapter of the Book of Romans. Thanks for listening. For Pastor Erwin Lutzer, this is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by The Moody Church.