Adversity (3 of 5)

ADVERSITY (3 of 5):

Adversity will affect us all at some point in our lives.

Our second response to adversity, should NOT be to focus on outward circumstances, but to realize that we are dealing with unseen powers.

Adversity shows the futility of putting our faith in anyone
or anything other than the Lord Jesus Christ.

7. Adversity is: Our evidence of spiritual warfare.

When we are involved in spiritual warfare, we can lose our focus.
If we fail to recognize when adversity is spiritual warfare,
we can be overwhelmed and tempted to give up.

When adversity includes confusion and suspicion,
more than likely spiritual warfare is in progress.

Paul encourages Timothy (and us), to be courageous
and prepared for spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:10-18).

8. Adversity can be: God’s method of purifying our faith.

We can claim to have faith in God, but how pure is our faith?

Our faith may be tested in the fires of adversity
(Hebrews 11:6 (a great verse for believers); 1 Peter 1:6-7).

Faith is essential for living a Christian life – because
the ways of God are opposite to the natural inclinations of man.

Since His ways are different, adversity may come from those who mock
God’s principles, or it may come because we violate God’s principles.
In either case, adversity can strengthen our faith.

Adversity can remove the things where we put our trust,
so that we can clearly see the faithfulness of God.

When our faith is being purified through adversity,
we start developing patience (James 1:2-4).

Question: Why is patience important?
– Patience allows us to obtain the promises of God (Hebrews 6:12).

9. Adversity can be: God’s way of increasing our hatred for evil.

Do we see evil for what it is,
or have we become desensitized to some sins?

When God exposes our secret sins,
He allows us to see the devastating consequences of them.
This serves as a warning for us NOT to be fooled by Satan.

Question: How does he fool us?
– By covering up the fact that the pleasures of sin only last for a season
(Hebrews 11:24-25).

God wants us to know that He will not be mocked with our sin (Galatians 6:7-8).

Our hatred for sin should increase…
– As we realize how sin has robbed us of our potential for
achieving and enjoying what God has planned for us.

– As we see how our sins damage the lives of those we love.

One of the reasons we fail to hate evil is, we can’t comprehend its final cost.

Learning to hate evil is the first step toward Godly wisdom
(Proverbs 1:7)…as we gain knowledge…(Proverbs 8:13).