All the Afflictions, Troubles and Evils
God uses afflictions to work together for the good of His people, revealing and curing spiritual diseases.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes that God uses afflictions, troubles, and evils as a means to purify His people, much like an apothecary uses one poison to eliminate another. These hardships serve multiple purposes: revealing, preventing, embittering, mortifying sin, and reviving and increasing the graces of His children. Brooks illustrates this with a story of a man whose attempt to harm another inadvertently led to healing, paralleling how God's trials ultimately lead to spiritual growth and healing. He reassures that all things work together for the good of those who love God, reinforcing the idea that afflictions are part of His divine plan for believers.
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As the apothecary makes one poison to drive out
another poison--so can God make the poison of
afflictions, to drive out the poison of sin. All the
afflictions, troubles and evils which befall the
people of God, work together for their good;
for God uses these afflictions . . .
to reveal sin;
to prevent sin;
to embitter sin;
to mortify sin;
to revive His children's decayed graces;
to exercise His children's graces;
to increase His children's graces.
I have read a story of Pereus, who, attempting
to kill another with a thrust of a sword, only
pierced and opened his abscess; and so he was
instrumental to save him, whom he designed
to have killed!
Just so, all the afflictions and troubles which
the righteous meet with--they do but serve
to cure them . . .
of the abscess of pride, or
of the abscess of earthly-mindedness, or
of the abscess of self-love, or
of the abscess of hypocrisy.
"And we know that in all things God works for
the good of those who love Him, who have been
called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28
Sermon Outline
- God's purpose in afflictions
- God's method of afflictions
- God's outcome of afflictions
- To increase His children's graces
- To cure His children of spiritual diseases
- To exercise His children's graces
Key Quotes
“All the afflictions, troubles and evils which befall the people of God, work together for their good;” — Thomas Brooks
“Just so, all the afflictions and troubles which the righteous meet with--they do but serve to cure them . . . of the abscess of pride, or of the abscess of earthly-mindedness, or of the abscess of self-love, or of the abscess of hypocrisy.” — Thomas Brooks
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- Recognize that afflictions can be a blessing in disguise, serving to cure spiritual diseases.
- Trust that God works for the good of those who love Him, even in difficult circumstances.
- Allow God to use afflictions to increase your graces and mortify sin.