"It's tough to understand and balance the fact that our faith is through grace alone by faith alone and we are called to pursue good works to the glory of our Father" (33).
"God's grace is sufficient. Pain is hard, and he knows it. Enduring suffering is at times akin to torture, and he doesn't ask us to deny that. Sometimes we want to give up. He doesn't expect us to grin and bear it, and he doesn't leave us alone. 'His grace is sufficient' means he is with you. He will sustain you with his righteous right hand" (47). True, but the use of that word torture. The suffering of the children of a sovereign God is akin to torture, and yet somehow he is good. Oof.
The choice of Randy Alcorn as an example of endurance irked me. He had to learn humility with a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes (the difficulty of which I have to right to demean, but in this age with treatments and his access to medical care, and his obvious good support network just make it difficult for me to find that very compelling), and he "was arrested for blocking the doors of abortion clinics," for which he had to pay a large settlement and could only make minimum wage or his wages would be garnished, and he still has the royalties of all of his books go to his ministry so that he won't have to pay the settlement against his conscience. Am I the only one who has a nasty taste left in my mouth after hearing that example? Anyway...
"Lift your weak knees, unless they are bowed down in prayer to the One who saves. God isn't asleep; he's awake and active in our midst. If every person leaves the church and we divide in every way possible, we still have a great mission to go and make disciples of all nations. If every social issue that seems to smack Christian ethics in the face becomes law, we continue to preach the truth in love and serve our neighbors" (86).
"Of course, God isn't physically present. We can't touch him or hold his hand. But he is there just the same, guiding our steps and counseling our hearts according to truth, if we'll only listen" (88).
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