Suffering, Temptation & Sin

One of the most complicated realities within our fallen world is that we are simultaneously victims of sin and agents of sin. We are victims of sin because others hurt us. But we are also agents of sin because we disobey God and hurt others, despite our best intentions. Apart from God’s help in our lives, pain, temptation, and sin mingle within us more than we realize. And that makes it challenging to receive help from others and also to offer help.

For example, if I am helping a verbally-abusive man, in time I need to communicate both of these sentiments: “I am so sorry that you were verbally-abused growing up. But, no, you cannot treat your wife like that.” Or, to someone who struggles with sexual sin: “Your work situation seems quite stressful, and I want to help. But turning to pornography to manage your stress dishonors God and damages your relationship with your wife.” In the best of circumstances, it might take weeks or months to explore these dynamics.

But before we are able to help others, we must first address these realities in our own lives. We say to ourselves: “I live in a fallen world, I have suffered, and I will suffer. But my own suffering does not give me the right to sin against God, and I will take responsibility for my thoughts and actions. I want to glorify God in every area of my life, even in and through my suffering.”

Below, I suggest resources to help you suffer in a way that honors God and is filled with faith, hope, and love. I suggest the following resources to help you fight temptation and sin in your own life, so you can find your strength and joy in God himself. Doing so will enable you to help others in the same way.

Suffering

Therefore I Have Hope by Cameron Cole (1): The author walks us through his journey in response to the tragedy of his son’s death. This book led me to worship the God who conquered sin and death, through his Son.

Hope When It Hurts by Kristen Wetherell and Sarah Walton (1): Warm and rich reflections on seeing God in the midst of suffering.

*The Cry of the Soul by Dan Allender & Tremper Longman (2 or 3): The authors help us understand how our emotions reveal our deepest desires and thoughts about God. This book will help you gain self-awareness and therefore a greater ability to care for others.

The Wounded Heart by Dr. Dan B. Allender (2 or 3): This book explains the effects of sexual abuse and outlines a path forward. If you have experienced sexual abuse but haven’t worked through the pain, I encourage you to seek out a Christian counselor. But even if you have not experienced sexual abuse, Allender helps you understand how the human soul responds to pain and encourages you, despite the pain, to seek God.

*Suffering by Paul David Tripp (2 or 3): One of the most well-rounded and balanced books on suffering. Ideal for studying with others.

When There Are No Easy Answers by John S. Feinberg (2 or 3): The author is perhaps the world’s foremost Christian expert on studying suffering from an academic perspective. This book presents his best thinking on the subject in a highly-accessible form.

Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller (3): Suffering, the author explains, is a furnace—a fire that will either refine your character by God’s grace or destroy you. Also ideal for studying with others.

Suffering and the Goodness of God by Christopher W. Morgan and Robert A. Peterson (eds.) (3 or 4): An academic study that traces suffering through the various sections of Scripture. In and through suffering, Christians trust that God is both sovereign and good.

How Long, O Lord? by D. A. Carson (4): The book outlines biblical and theological reflections on suffering and evil. While the book is filled with practical insights, the author encourages us to be God-centered and Christ-centered in and through our suffering.

Temptation and Sin

Respectable Sins by Jerry Bridges (1 or 2): An excellent introduction to how Christians should resist sin and run to God when they stumble. Clear and practical throughout.

Finally Free by Heath Lambert (2 or 3): One of the best books on how to overcome pornography and pursue purity. Whether you struggle with that sin or not, the truths and principles are all transferable, both in your own life and as you encourage others to overcome their sins. See also the excellent work Sexual Detox by Tim Challies (2).

*Battling Unbelief by John Piper (2 or 3): This book explores how trusting God is the means by which we fight against various sins in our lives and the means by which we choose God himself as our all-surpassing pleasure. A life-transforming work. This book contains chapters from Piper’s longer work, Future Grace (3 or 4).

*Breaking the Idols of Your Heart by Dan B. Allender & Tremper Longman III (2 or 3): My definition of an idol is anything or anyone we love, value, desire, enjoy, trust in, or hope in more than God himself. The authors explore seven idols to which we often turn, and they encourage us to turn to God and Jesus Christ.

Tempted and Tried by Russell D. Moore (3): The author demonstrates both exceptional clarity and authenticity in exploring the dynamics of temptation and sin. The remedy, ultimately, is to look to Jesus, the one who succeeded at every point we failed and whose death atoned for our every moral failure.