Gracia para tiempos difíciles

The Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me. Therefore, go around the world teaching and preaching the gospel to all creatures, to the end of the earth. En Contacto, the biblical teaching ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley. Today on En Contacto, Grace for difficult times. There are different ways to respond to affliction, to suffering, to pain, and to the trials and tribulations of life. Sometimes the simplest answer is just to rebel. Sometimes we choose to be stoic, to reserve ourselves, and we simply decide to endure. Sometimes we complain, we lament, and we protest. From time to time, we understand what Paul said, and we can respond as Paul responded, that is, with a pleasant understanding, God's desire to allow that affliction or pain. Which of these answers best describes how you react to pain and sorrow in your life? But one of the mistakes we see today is that if we pray enough with fervor and deep faith, then God will change any and all circumstance of life. And that change really depends on whether we have enough faith or whether we pray enough with fervor and with all passion. If that is true, there is a biblical passage that we must look at again. It is the passage that we will analyze today, because I think it is the pinnacle of the whole Bible. The culminating passage in terms of understanding God's grace, the light of how it relates to the pain, the suffering, the anguish, and the hardships that we all endure in life. We all experience those things.

It can be physical pain as a result of an illness or an accident. It could be even worse than that, like emotional pain due to a broken home, due to the loss of a loved one, due to a financial failure, due to circumstances and conditions, or it could be innumerable things. There are all kinds of causes of pain. But what is God's grace? This goodness and grace of God that he pours upon us without considering our merit or worth, even though we do not deserve it? What is God's grace in our life in times of pain, suffering, and anguish? Besides, what are those things that seem not to change? Where is God's grace when nothing changes? Where is his grace when he has prayed, prayed, prayed, and prayed, and nothing happens? When his friends pray, and you pray, and you obey God, and you trust him, and you are firm, and you ask this, and you ask that, and you ask the other, where is God? It is a good question. Because, look, there are many people in situations and circumstances that do not seem to change, and they have prayed, and their friends too, they have obeyed God, and they have given, they have done everything they could do, and nothing changes. And what about God's grace? Well, that's what I want to talk to you about. Now join me in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. Listen to the apostle Paul. He will remember that God has given him these tremendous revelations of the truth. And now he understands things that he had not understood before, things that no one had understood before him. And it says in verse 7, let's look at verse 7 of chapter 12. And so that the greatness of the revelations would not exalt me excessively, a nail was given to my flesh.

Listen very well. A messenger of Satan who slaps me so that he does not exalt me. Excessively. With respect to which, three times I have prayed to the Lord to take it away from me. And he has told me, Enough of my grace, for my power is perfected in weakness. Therefore, with good will, Paul says, I will glorify myself rather in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Then he says, Therefore, for the love of Christ, I rejoice in weaknesses, in afflictions, in needs, in persecutions, in anguish, because when I am weak, then I am strong. Well, I would like you to write down three statements, and then we will talk about each one. I will give them to you, I will give them to you one by one, and take your time to write them down, I will not do it in a hurry. As they are extremely important, I would like you to write down the entire statement. Ready? Grace is the answer of God. A nuestro dolor y aflicción, ¿cuándo puede o puede que no elija cambiar mis circunstancias? La gracia es la respuesta de Dios a mi dolor y aflicción en mis circunstancias cuando puede o puede que no elija cambiar mis circunstancias. Dios no asegura que cambiará mis circunstancias por dolorosas que puedan ser, ¿bien? Veamos al apóstol Pablo un momento. La Biblia dice, cuando describe su situación, que la naturaleza de su dolor era lo que él llamó un aguijón. Dice, me fue dado un aguijón en mi carne. La palabra aguijón solo se usa aquí en el Nuevo Testamento. Era como una estaca afilada en la punta y era una de esas estacas que a menudo se ponían alrededor de las fortalezas para empalar al enemigo cuando atacaba una fortaleza.

Y Pablo dice que Dios dejó que Satanás, dice que ese mensajero de Satanás trajera esta estaca, que llegó a su vida, este aguijón, esta dolorosa experiencia en su vida, y dice que estaba ahí. Y así el apóstol Pablo comenzó su ministerio y vivió con esta clase de aguijón. Escuchen muy bien, porque sé que Dios tiene algo que decir a cada persona que oiga este mensaje. En ocasiones, Dios responde a nuestras oraciones y también responde a nuestros actos de obediencia en otras áreas, y responderá y cambiará las circunstancias como resultado de nuestra oración y obediencia. A veces lo hará. De hecho, la mayoría de las veces probablemente lo haga. Hay gente que dice, todo lo que debe hacer, escuche, es pedirlo y reclamarlo, y Dios lo hará. El hecho de que lo haga a menudo, y quizá la mayoría de las veces, no significa que lo hará siempre. Cualquiera que le haya dicho que Dios siempre cambiará sus circunstancias y siempre lo sanará, mejorará todo y responderá su oración en obediencia, no le dijo la verdad. Mire, una razón por la que Dios no siempre cambia esas cosas no es porque, mire, no es porque no suframos. La razón de no cambiarlas no es porque nuestra fe sea muy débil. No siempre se debe a que no seamos obedientes en todas las áreas de nuestra vida. No siempre es por la naturaleza del dolor, Él lo puede todo. No es porque no hayamos orado suficiente y con fuerza. No es porque no amemos a Dios o porque no seamos sinceros. Esa no es la razón. Bueno, al leer este pasaje, debo hacerme esta pregunta, ¿qué es, qué cosa, determina si Dios cambia mis circunstancias o no? Si no es, mire, si no es mi fe. Si no es, ¿cuán obediente soy y cuánto he orado y con qué intensidad, con qué sinceridad lo hice?

Si no es, si no es que no amo a Dios y nada de eso importa, ¿qué finalmente determina si Dios cambiará mis circunstancias o no? Algo muy simple, escucha esto, aquí el factor determinante es el propósito de Dios al permitir el dolor, el sufrimiento y la angustia, y los problemas, las pruebas y las dificultades que tenemos. ¿Cuál es su propósito? Ve a la vida del apóstol Pablo, él dijo, dijo que había orado a Dios tres veces, dice, que oré a Dios que alejara todo esto, que lo quitara, y dice, por alguna razón, Dios no lo quitó. Pablo dijo que la razón por la que Dios no lo quitó fue para poder mantenerlo humilde. Usted dirá, mire, si Dios me dice que sea humilde, lo seré, pero Dios no tiene que enviarme eso para que sea humilde. Bueno, eso pensamos acerca de nosotros. Pero ¿sabe qué? Él dijo, Pablo, dijo, para evitar que te enaltezcas, porque si te enalteces, Pablo, lo que harás será arruinar mi propósito para tu vida. Si te enorgulleces y embaneces por lo que te muestro, si empiezas a presumir de que tienes la palabra final del todopoderoso Dios, Jehová Dios, si te paboneas hablando de lo que sabes y de que lo entiendes y que eres el único que entiende, y que tiene la verdad, la verdad final, escucha, ¿quieres saber la verdad? Pregúntale al apóstol Pablo. Él te aclarará toda cuestión doctrinal. Pablo, si no te mantengo postrado, si no te mantengo humilde, si no te mantengo de rodillas, si no te mantengo débil, si no te mantengo absolutamente dependiente de mí, vas a arruinarlo todo, Pablo. My purpose is much greater than your individual life. Think of what we would all have lost. What we are told here is that God, listen carefully, that God's purpose in life may be that in our circumstances,

situation, suffering, anguish, and pain, his purpose in our life may demand that that remains there for a short period, a long period, or until he calls us home. One question. It's not about whether God has the power to take it away or not. That's not the point. The point is this. Do I love him enough? Do I love him enough? Do I desire his will more than my comfort and pleasure? Am I willing to say, like the apostle Paul, yes. Do I still enjoy, in the midst of pain, suffering, and anguish? So ask yourself this question. ¿Cuál es la mayor demostración del poder de Dios para cambiar mi entorno, algo físico, o mis relaciones, o una situación financiera? ¿Cuál es la mayor demostración de su poder cambiar esas cosas o actuar en nuestro corazón para fortalecer el ser interior y emocional? Y así, y así liberar dentro de nuestro espíritu su vida. Y aunque nada cambie, poder elevarnos sobre eso, y podemos gozarnos en eso, y que pueda haber una asombrosa sensación de indescriptible paz a pesar de eso, esa es la mayor demostración de su poder. Y Pablo dice, eso es lo que aprendí. Segunda afirmación que debe anotar. La gracia es el método de Dios para demostrar su amor y poder. La gracia de Dios es su método para demostrar su amor y poder

en medio de circunstancias que él puede o puede no cambiar. Es el método de Dios para demostrar eso, ¿bien? La intensidad de la situación de Pablo se ve en los términos que usó aquí. Vea esto, dijo primero, dijo, me fue dado un aguijón. Luego, si lo nota, usa esta palabra cuatro veces en el versículo 9, dice, y me ha dicho, bástate mi gracia porque mi poder se perfecciona en la debilidad. Y de nuevo dice, por tanto, me gloriaré en mis debilidades, versículo 10, me gozo en las debilidades. Y luego dice en la última parte, porque cuando soy débil, entonces soy fuerte. Cuatro veces habla de su debilidad. Y a causa de este aguijón en la carne, a causa de esta estaca, dijo, me siento muy incapaz y muy débil. Y quizá Pablo estaba físicamente agotado a veces, seguro lo estaba por lo que hacía. Débil física y débil emocionalmente y tenso a menudo. Mire, por mucho que confíe en Dios, esa clase de acoso constante de sus enemigos, una y otra y otra vez, día tras día, tras día, sin duda que lo afectaba de vez en cuando. Pero él dice, a pesar de todo eso, Pablo dice, cuando soy más débil, dice, algo sucede en mi interior. ¿Fueron muchos viajes? Y en su debilidad, imploró a Dios tres veces. Y así esta es su forma de describir la intensidad de lo que estaba afrontando. Pero algo pasa aquí.

Dice que Dios demostró, Dios demostró, en esta mala circunstancia, su amor por él, en el hecho de que le dijo el por qué. Dijo, Pablo, la razón, la razón por la que mi gracia te basta y la razón por la que te dejo esto aquí es porque, escucha esto, te amo, Pablo, y valoro mi propósito mucho más que lo que valoro tu comodidad, tu descanso y tu placer y la sanación de lo que sientes. Permítame preguntarle, ¿está dispuesto a sufrir por Dios y además por otra gente? ¿Está dispuesto a sufrir si sabe que su dolor traerá sanación a alguien más? ¿Está dispuesto a sentir dolor si ese dolor formará parte del perfeccionamiento del camino espiritual de otro? ¿Está dispuesto a llevar cargas sabiendo que como resultado aliviará la carga de otra persona? ¿Está dispuesto a sufrir sabiendo que ese dolor formará parte de la sanación de otro? Mire, la verdad es que somos muy egoístas, para ser honestos. Preferiríamos orar por la sanación de otros y por sus necesidades inmediatas y darles una ofrenda y orar por ellos, pero no me metas al dolor, Dios. Déjame, déjame fuera de ese ciclo. Estoy dispuesto a dar, dispuesto a orar, dispuesto, Señor, haré lo que sea, Dios, ayunaré, lo que sea, solo déjame fuera del ciclo. Lo que decimos es, Dios, quiero I want to be a spectator of the pain of others. I want to be a spectator of the suffering of others. Lord, I will only send it by mail."

God says, no. There are times when, to fulfill my purpose in your life, you will have to suffer, and you will have to suffer, and you will have to bleed, and you will have your stinger. How long will you be there? Nobody knows. Only God. I will give you a personal example. I think I have part of the answer, but my mom lived until she was 84, and she married my dad when he was about 24 or 25 years old. And it was a short relationship, because he died three years later. A few months before my mom got sick and died, he still asked me this question. Why do you think God took your father if I loved him so much and he loved me so much, and we were so happy and joyful, and then you came? Why did God do that? And for years, I could not answer him satisfactorily. And you know what? God is going to allow things in his life and in my life that we will never be able to answer properly. And what should I do? Doubt God? Get angry and self-pity for how unfair God is? Or would I be wise enough to say, good God? I don't need to know why. I just need to know how to answer. And I know that if you allow it in my life,

you have a purpose that must be fantastic. It will not have the same purpose that it had with Paul, but it will be good. You know why? Because God is a good God. And the only way that a loving, just, and holy God can treat his children is with love. That is the only way. And will he say, love with a stick? Yes. Because more important, listen to this, more important than what we feel is what we know. That is more important than what we feel. Feelings go and come, but what we know is like a solid rock. It keeps us firm in times of difficulty. This is a holy man who lives in the grace of God. There is no wave that Satan can send him that can take him a step away from the grace of God. There is not a single wave that can do it. It is the grace of God, says Paul. Enough of my grace. Third statement that you must write down. The grace of God is his provision for our enjoyment. In times of suffering, the grace of God is his provision for our enjoyment. Look at this. The last verse, verse 10, says, therefore, because of what God had said to him, says, therefore, for love of Christ, I enjoy in weaknesses, in afflictions,

in needs, in persecutions, in anguish. And says, because when I am weak, then I am strong. Think about this, about what we would say. We would say, one minute, it is the absence of insults, persecutions, hardships, trials, and sufferings. The absence of that is equivalent to enjoyment. Paul said, no, one moment. He said, it is with insults, persecution, deprivation, trials, sufferings, and pain. With that, he says, that is my enjoyment. We say, wait a minute, Paul. No, no. It is the absence of that which is equivalent to enjoyment. That is not rational. That is not sensible. It is not even common sense to say that insults, persecution, trials, pain, deprivation, and anguish are compatible with enjoyment. Do you know why? Because the Christ who lives within you, as you say in me, is greater than all that. And when the Christ who lives within you is allowed to manifest his life through us, there is no insult, there is no persecution, no pain, no trial, no anguish, that is greater than the provision of the grace of God to all to resist and resist, not with complaints, but triumphantly, victoriously, and joyfully, no matter how intense the wound and the pain may be. You see, the apostle Paul knew something when he said, God said to him, enough of my grace.

Listen to this. How would he describe the source of that joy? It is Christ. Listen to this. It's Christ. in you, and how can I have, how can I experience that joy? Listen to this, you just have to trust that the life of Christ in you will manifest in all that he promised. Look at the two key words of Paul. He can summarize all his theology, theology in this phrase, in Christ. When we are in him, and he in us, all the grace of a God of grace dwells in us, ready to, look, ready to be extracted, ready to, look, he wants you to live of his grace, live of his love, and live of his power. That is the source, it is the source of all that he needs. And Paul says, I learned something better than the change of God in my circumstances. I learned that the Christ who lives in me is greater than that, not only than these bad circumstances, but than those that may come in the future. God plans something great in his life, when he allows the sting to remain, but let the grace overcome it. ♪♪♪