In his book, Surprised by Suffering, R.C. Sproul does an amazing job of communicating the needed and necessary Christian worldview of suffering. Most Christians try to avoid suffering, which seems understandable until one realizes that according to the Bible, suffering for the Christian in this life is a reality that cannot be avoid.

Sproul lays out a simple outline in this book. He first talks about what suffering is and its despair. Secondly, he singles out Jesus Christ and His life walk of suffering and its ramifications for all who trust in Him. Thirdly, he explains the purpose of suffering in the life of a believer. This book presents a great dose of reality that every Christian needs to understand, learn from, and use to grow spiritually in Christ.    

He says on page one, “When pain, grief, persecution, or other forms of suffering strike, we find ourselves caught off guard, confused, and full of questions. Suffering can strain faith to the limits.”

In 2 Corinthians 4:8-10, the Apostle Paul explains that suffering should not destroy the saving faith every Christian possesses by the Holy Spirit. But rather, that Christ might manifest in us a biblical mindset of trust and ultimate assurance in His protection and loving guidance. 

God is bigger and in control of all that happens to us, even in our suffering. God is in the business of bringing us into a growing, maturing, and stable faith. He will refine us as we are tested for a reason.

He makes the point that when we view our suffering as meaningless and without purpose, we are tempted to crack with despair. Remember, God is taking us not unto death, but unto eternal life in His Son. So even now when despair hits, it’s always limited. It is not ultimate despair because we have the promise of Christ for victory over death.

Sproul does a masterful job of offering a great analysis of the suffering servant, our Savior, Jesus Christ, in Chapter 2. On page 13, he states, “no one was ever called by God to greater suffering than God’s only begotten Son.”

It is vital for every Christian to understand why and how Jesus Himself suffered and to what end. God will never give us anything comparable to the distress Christ took on Himself. We need to know this and why it was so vital that He endured the ultimate suffering. He did it for us, so that we might never have to, as His beloved children.

Jesus was always fully aware of His task at hand as the last Adam. His “task analysis” was unparalleled in human history. Sproul explains that His suffering (to redeem his people) was to perfection, fully complete, and “finished.” 

As Christians, we respond by faith in trusting Him even through our own suffering (which is always the result of this fallen world). Scripture calls us to our participation in His suffering (Col. 1:24).

To be clear, our suffering adds nothing to the merit of Christ on our behalf, but rather serves as a witness to our own hearts, as well as to the church body, in a sanctifying manner that the world cannot understand. As Christians, we can rejoice in Him who loves us and cares for us, even though suffering is a reality.  

Finally, Sproul details his explanation of the purpose in suffering in Chapter 4, where he draws out insights from the life and struggles of Solomon, who, although he possessed many shortcomings, was the wisest man who ever lived.

This chapter stresses that God is sovereign, especially in our afflictions. Christians must think and see the hand of God in both the good times and the bad, trusting He has a purpose in both. Knowing His control in all of our affairs changes everything, including our attitudes, outlook, and emotion. Real joy even in the mist of suffering only comes through trust in the Sovereign God!