Is God Mad At Me?

“For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.” Titus 2:11-14 ESV

Jesus came to redeem us from our damnation. Yes and amen. But He also came to purify us. Our identity as called, (since we are His possession) must become more than just a passing identity. It must become something we are excited to pursue. We must be zealous for good works. This cleansing process is our sanctification, which only comes from us enduring through suffering. This suffering is not meant to tease us or shame us. Instead, it births great character and points us toward the hope found in Romans 5:3-5:

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Why Do We Have To Wait

If you find yourself at a crossroads of a closed door, a wait, or a disappointment, please know this is not a punishment. He is not a mean God teasing you. Part of growing in your faith is maturing in your viewpoint of who the Lord is. He is after your heart and why you desire what you desire. There has been a healthy burden on me as a leader and teacher of the faith to continue to exhort, which is to say encourage, believers to keep going. Keep going with God.

Keep going at the closed door. Keep going through the terrible diagnosis. Keep going in the face of financial devastation. Keep going during the prolonged wait. Keep going through the disappointment. Keep going through the rejection. Keep going through the betrayal. Keep going with God!

The revivals we see and the beauty of the lost being found are the heart of Christ’s sacrificial mission. However, I love that Paul emphasizes in his letter to Titus (first verse above) that Christ’s mission also included the purifying of our spirit. He is strategically healing us as we keep going. Paul echoes this idea in 2 Corinthians 7:1 after teaching us to separate ourselves from the affections of the world:

“Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.”

This is a discussion about our partnership with the Holy Spirit to cleanse our spirit. We are zealous to do good works while we wait because we have complete trust in God’s sovereignty, this freedom is expressed in 2 Timothy 1:7:

“For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.”

Be zealous while you wait!

The Power of Good Theology

Why am I quoting all of these scriptures? It is because most believers are completely unaware of their own unbelief. Faith comes from hearing the Word (Romans 10:17)… some of you need to hear it more. (Yup I said it!) Your doubt in who God is during your suffering often stems from a lack of good theology (theology- literally translates as “God talk”). Preachers and teachers may tell you that you will encounter suffering, but they are not always showing you the scriptures that reveal God’s character when that times come. Telling you we live in a fallen world is fact but doesn’t comfort your ache. I want to comfort your ache by educating you on His character.

God uses our suffering, as seen in James 1:3-5 to make us perfect:

“For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”

Why? So we can make it!!! Steadfastness is the firm, unwavering commitment to principles, beliefs, or loyalty, even amidst adversity (google definition lol). Do you lose your unbelief in Him at any inconvenience? Do you always believe the God who sent His son to die on the cross for you, is somehow always mad at you, just because you are having to commit to believe in Him even when it feels hard? This is satan’s ploy. He wants you in unbelief.

In 1 Peter 5:8-9, we are warned to be alert and watchful:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”

We resist satan’s ploy by staying firm in our faith and knowing that our suffering is a shared experience among the global church.

The Result of the Pruning

What do we need to do? We must learn God’s character through His scriptures. We must record our sufferings and see His hand through it all for our future meditation when we come to suffer again. We have to accept that to be purified to do His works with zeal and a pure heart will require much pruning. This truth is confirmed in Hebrews 12:11:

“For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Jesus explains this process further in John 15:1-3:

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you.”

Hold on!!!! Take time to read the scriptures, study, and answer the questions below. Love, Cass 🙂

Reflection Questions to Study the Text:

• Titus 2:11-14 Looking at your current season, what “worldly passions” or habits is the grace of God currently training you to give up? How does viewing this “cleansing” as an act of grace change your perspective on the struggle?
• Romans 5:3-5 & James 1:3-5 When you encounter a trial or a “closed door,” is your first reaction to believe God is punishing you? How can you shift your mindset to see that specific trial as a tool for producing endurance and character?
• 2 Corinthians 7:1 Paul calls us to cleanse ourselves from every “defilement of body and spirit.” Are there specific worldly “affections” (entertainment, social validation, or secret habits) that you have been holding onto that are hindering your pursuit of holiness? Do you have someone you can safely confess to? (Do that!)
• 2 Timothy 1:7 Identify one area of your life where you are currently living in a “spirit of fear.” How would your approach to that situation change if you chose to operate out of the power, love, and self-control that God has already given you?
• 1 Peter 5:8-9 The adversary loves to isolate us in our pain. How does knowing that your sisters (and brothers) around the world are experiencing the same kinds of suffering help you “resist him” and stay firm in your faith? How do you stay firm?
•  John 15:1-3 & Hebrews 12:11 Pruning always looks like a loss until the next season of growth begins. Can you identify something in your life that the Father has recently “cut away”? Are you willing to trust that He is doing it so you can bear more fruit? (Can you remember a past time He “cut away” and it did produce more fruit? Give praise and thanks now for it!)