The separation of church and state does not directly appear in the Constitution of the United States. Rather, the phrase represents an understanding of the First Amendment, popularized (but not invented) by a correspondence between a Baptist church and President Thomas Jefferson.
Right now, you can get R.C. Sproul’s book, Surprised by Suffering, for free! Get your copy.
Suffering often catches us by surprise. One day we are healthy, comfortable, and happy. The next we find ourselves ill or injured, struggling, and distraught. The pain that invades our lives may come from our own suffering or that of a loved one. But no matter the source, we don’t see it coming. All too often, our perplexity prompts us to suspect God of wrongdoing.
R.C. Sproul wrote Surprised by Suffering: The Role of Pain and Death in the Christian Life to help Christians see purpose in pain and sovereignty in suffering.
Surprised by Suffering offers solid biblical counsel and comfort for those undergoing suffering. For those who minister to the suffering, Sproul’s counsel helps believers stand firm with faith in a God who is both loving and good—even in the midst of our deepest sorrows.
Here are some of Sproul’s insights into Matthew 11:28–30:
There have been times in my life when I have uttered foolish prayers. When I have been hard pressed I have cried out to God, “This much and no more, Lord. I can’t handle another setback. One more straw and I’m finished.” It seems that every time I pray like that God puts a fresh load on my back. It is as if He answers my prayer by saying, “Don’t tell Me how much you can bear.”
God knows our limits far better than we do. In one respect we are very much like camels. When the camel’s load is already heavy he doesn’t ask his master for more weight. His knees get a bit wobbly, and he groans beneath the burden, but there is still room for more before his back will break.
The promise of God is not that He will never give us more weight to carry than we want to carry. The promise of God is that He will never put more upon us than we can actually bear.
For more encouraging wisdom from R.C. Sproul, download your free copy of Surprised by Suffering today!
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Want even more free R.C. Sproul books? Get all 17 volumes of his Crucial Questions Series for free! Tackle some of life’s biggest questions with a world-renowned theologian.
Right now, you can get R.C. Sproul’s 20-volume Crucial Questions series for free!
Logos Bible Software has partnered with Ligonier Ministries to help the church answer some of the biggest questions people ask about Christianity. Sproul, Ligonier Ministries’ founder, has taught countless classes and seminars and written over 70 books. Now he’s offering you 20 of them for free. The Crucial Questions Series explores essential Christian theology to help you arrive at a modern, biblical understanding of some of life’s toughest questions—questions that lie at the foundation of the Christian faith. Sproul gives you the tools to address them head-on, equipping you with a biblical perspective and sound doctrine. And these tools are free of charge, because every Christian should have them.
Each of these 20 books addresses a different question that both Christians and non-Christians ask about Christianity. You’ll get books like Does Prayer Change Things?, Does God Control Everything?, What Is the Trinity?, and How Can I Develop a Christian Conscience?
When you download these books with Logos, free means more. These 20 volumes automatically integrate with your entire Logos library, helping you find answers when you need them. Using the Topic Guide, you can pull Sproul’s answers up side by side with parallel commentaries, maintaining the essential balance between the in-depth exploration of Scripture and the practical presentation of its truths.
Start answering these crucial questions for yourself. Start sharing what you learn. When you can get all these books for free, “I don’t know” doesn’t need to be the end of the conversation anymore.
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