Treasuring Christ and the Call to Suffer, Part 2

I just finished listening to part 2 of this measage given by John Piper at the New World Alive Conference. You can find it at desiringgod.com/blog and searching for the title of the sermon. If I get around to it, I'll post a direct link!

I wont to it justice here, but I'll share some things that stood out to me. You really need to listen to the whole thing yourself.

• Our suffering is never wrath, condemnation or judgment. It's never punishment- always purifying. Romans 8:1.
• In God's judment of sin through suffering, He is doing more than "responding" to sin. There is always a design and purpose. He permits what He permits for a reason. He subjected creation to futility so that the revelation of His glory could be seen in Christ in showing his grace ultimately in His death.
• God's design is that His glory would be praised. Eph 1:6
• In Christ's dying, He magnifies His glory by purchasing our deliverance (by His wounds we are healed) and He enables us to having a faith that perseveres. There is victory.

Here is what stood out to me the most-

God's gets glory when we ask for physical healing. It honors Him when we ask and it honors Him when He heals. However, in this imperfect world that we live in, physical healing will be exceptional and grace will be normative. Does that make sense? He always gives us grace to sustain us, but He doesn't always choose to give physical healing on this earth.

Physical healing often brings an "immediate outcry" of praise to God's glory. It doesn't tend to last. Are we giving more glory to God or saying, "I love health"?

I write more later. . .