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A Tim Keller Sermon Summary  Life is hard. As Scrooge in A Christmas Carol said, “What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry?” But, just before crucifixion, Christ told his disciples they would have His fullest joy (John 16:20-24, 17:13). Christ was about to be tortured and killed, and later the disciples too. Joy? What joy? Let’s learn from Romans 8.
All of us, to different degrees, will experience or have experienced danger, trouble, hardship, persecution, pain, nakedness, and famine. Bad things happen. In the US, some people sue and assume the side with the truth will prevail. But in reality, all things fall short and are subject to decay, including family and relationships. Anything good that happens to us is grace. Thank God for it. Just don’t be shocked by bad events. Christ wept before the tomb of Lazarus. Suffering and death may not be blessings in disguise. Christ hated death (John11:33, 38). The death of a child might spur the creation of new laws, but can such laws heal the wound? God didn’t promise His children a comfortable life in this world. Christ didn’t suffer so we wouldn’t suffer; rather, He promised we would. We don’t follow Christ because it is comforting, encouraging or exciting. We follow Him because He is the truth. However, God did promise to accept us as we are. Through Christ, we look good in His eyes. God did promise we would be more like Christ, a person of courage, truth and love (Romans 8:29-30). Christ said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (John 11:25). One day, He will make us new, with no more death. Furthermore, God did promise to glorify His children (Romans 8:30). This glorification is in past tense, implying a certainty. Christ suffered for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 12:2). Paul suffered but knew that the glory to come eclipsed his suffering and pain (Romans 8:18). We will suffer. But all things are for the good of those who love God (Romans 8:28). Bad things will be used for good, though we may not see it during our lifetime on Earth. Always remember that God has accepted us so that we can be more like Christ: renewed and glorified by Him! So, be joyful! Summarized from a Tim Keller sermon, “A Christian’s Happiness.” https://gospelinlife.com/downloads/a-christian-s-happiness-6502/
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