If Our Afflictions Are So Sanctified
Afflictions are sent in love to draw us closer to God and increase our love, courage, patience, faith, and hope.
Thomas Brooks emphasizes that afflictions, when sanctified, serve to deepen our love, fear, and commitment to the Lord. He asserts that such trials are not merely burdens but are the wounds of a friend, intended to strengthen our faith, patience, and hope. By viewing our struggles through this lens, we can recognize them as acts of divine love that ultimately draw us closer to God.
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If our afflictions are so sanctified as that
they draw out our soul . . .
to love the Lord more, and
to fear the Lord more, and
to please the Lord more, and
to cleave to the Lord more, and
to wait on the Lord more, and
to walk with the Lord more--
then they are sent in love. Oh, then they are
the wounds of a friend indeed!
If the afflictions that are upon us do . . .
increase our courage,
strengthen our patience,
raise our faith,
inflame our love, and
enliven our hopes--
certainly they are sent in love, and all
our wounds are the wounds of a friend.
Sermon Outline
- I points: - The Purpose of Afflictions - To Draw Out Our Soul to Love, Fear, and Please God - To Cleave to God and Walk with Him
- II points: - The Effect of Afflictions - To Increase Courage, Strengthen Patience, Raise Faith, and Enliven Hope
Key Quotes
“Oh, then they are the wounds of a friend indeed!” — Thomas Brooks
“If our afflictions are so sanctified as that they draw out our soul . . . to love the Lord more, and to fear the Lord more, and to please the Lord more, and to cleave to the Lord more, and to wait on the Lord more, and to walk with the Lord more--then they are sent in love.” — Thomas Brooks
Application Points
- We should view afflictions as opportunities to draw closer to God and increase our love for Him.
- We should trust that God's afflictions are sent in love to strengthen us and increase our faith.
- We should respond to afflictions with courage, patience, and hope, knowing that God is working in us to conform us to His image.