The God of All Comfort

Today’s Reading from God’s Word

2 Corinthians 1:3–8 CSB

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. 4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows. 6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort. 8 We don’t want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, of our affliction that took place in Asia. We were completely overwhelmed—beyond our strength—so that we even despaired of life itself.

Introduction

What a joy it has been to be together this month discussing how God is at work securing our hope.

As you know, we are at work during January taking a look at how God is with us on the journey home to heaven.

He not only worked for our salvation through the incarnation of His Son and his subsequent death on the cross…

He is at work now… strengthening you, encouraging you, and building you up for this journey of life.

As we all know, life is never certain and takes twists and turns would could never imagine.

Looking back to when I entered my adult life, I don’t think I could have imagined some of the things that have come up.

Many good things. Some bad things.

Peaks and valleys.

But looking back, I believe God has gotten me through them all.

And I’m sure its the same for you.

I know today looking around this room, some of you have entered while you’re on top of the mountain.

And there are others come come here in the midst of a deep valley, and feel like you’ve been there a really long time, and you can’t find a way out.

The passage we’ll be studying today fits both perspectives.

As Paul writes 2 Corinthians, he is writing out of great distress.

The church in Corinth is experiencing serious problems.

This is actually Paul’s 4th letter to this congregation (we only have 2) to address the issues going on there.

Paul has a long history with the Corinthian church.

He had been with them through some very difficult times.

They had been through some difficulties after he left.

And all of this trouble is really the background that forms one of the main themes found in this letter: Comfort in the middle of difficult times and strength in the middle of suffering.

There are 10 different words for suffering in Greek. 5 of those words are used here in 2 Corinthians.

So, Paul is talking about suffering in all different dimensions.

but right along side that is the word for comfort — used 29 times in 2 Corinthians — which is about half of the uses of the word in the entire NT.

So, comfort in the midst of suffering dominates the book.

Let’s do a little exercise. Underline on your outline, or circle or mark somehow, every time you see the word “comfort,” “suffering” or “affliction” in 2 Corinthians 1.1-8.

<reread the text>

It’s just about every other word.

Today:

As we study together this morning there are some key points I want us to remember as we get through our difficulties and suffering … and see how it is God at work… coming along side to help … directly by the Spirit’s strengthening … or by the brethren in our local church family.

We will talk about:

How Paul Sees God.

The Promise of Comfort.

The Purpose of Comfort.

The Partnership of Suffering

1.3: How Paul Saw God

2 Corinthians 1:3 (CSB)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

The Father of Mercies

This title for God most likely had its origin in Jewish prayers.

They understood God to be the source for mercy, pity, and compassion.

Micah 7:18 CSB

18 Who is a God like you, forgiving iniquity and passing over rebellion for the remnant of his inheritance? He does not hold on to his anger forever because he delights in faithful love.

Look at David in the Psalms:

Psalm 103:13–14 CSB

13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him. 14 For he knows what we are made of, remembering that we are dust.

Psalm 103:17 CSB

17 But from eternity to eternity the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear him, and his righteousness toward the grandchildren

The God of All Comfort

2 Corinthians 1:3 (CSB)

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort.

What do you think of when you think of comfort?

Maybe your comfy chair. Something soft, warm, a situation where you are at ease, a settled feeling?

That is not what is associated with “comfort” here.

It is a word rooted in courage, bravery, and strength.

And the word here is “paraklesios.”

Jesus uses a different form of this word to identify the Holy Spirit.

The form here means “one who comes alongside to help.”

One dictionary goes on to describe the kind of help God offers:

“an act of emboldening another in belief or course of action, encouragement, exhortation, lifting of another’s spirits, comfort or consolation.”

So it is God who comes to us in the middle of our struggles and supplies us with strength.

He fills us with courage and boldness. He makes us brave.

He is the God of ALL comfort.

No one can provide the comfort He does.

There is no situation you will face that goes beyond the amount of comfort He can supply.

God’s comfort always will outweigh your suffering.

So, we serve the God of mercy and the God of comfort.

Maybe we should repeat with Paul, the first part of v. 3:

“blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Blessed be His name.

1.4a: The Promise of Comfort

All Our Affliction

2 Corinthians 1:4 (CSB)

4 He comforts us in all our affliction, ……

God never fails.

Comfort is in His nature. It is who He is.

He will always give out the appropriate encouragement, comfort, and strength to His people.

God is:

The friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Always near.

Never forsakes or leaves us.

Takes up residence in us.

Possesses unlimited resources.

Promises to supply us with every need.

A Look at Romans 8

Now, let’s connect Romans 8.38.

Romans 8:38–39 CSB

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Romans 8:31 CSB

31 What, then, are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us?

Answer: No one.

How do we know?

Romans 8:32 (CSB)

32 He did not even spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?

If the Father has already given you the greatest gift, the most sacrificial gift, the gift of His only Son,

Then why do we think he’ll sparingly give us what we need to get through the trials of life?

If He gave you the greatest grace, he will most certainly give you the lesser ones.

Let’s keep reading:

Romans 8:33 CSB

33 Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.

No one, not even Satan can bring a charge against you.

He has declared you righteous.

Romans 8:34 CSB

34 Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.

Who is going to condemn you?

Not Christ. He died for you.

So what is there than can separate us from God’s love?

Romans 8:35 CSB

35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

Through everything we suffer he says:

Romans 8:37 (CSB)

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Triumph.

Look again at 8.38-39:

Romans 8:38–39 CSB

38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

God loves you through every extremity.

And Paul knew this because he had lived it.

Look again at 8.35:

Romans 8:35 CSB

35 Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

He knew affliction.

He knew distress.

He knew persecution.

He knew all of this.

And he is saying God never ceased to be there.

Afflictions

2 Corinthians 1:4 (CSB)

4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Affliction means “pressure.”

Paul certainly felt it. From all sides.

But yet, he knew God was there comforting him.

Providing strength, encouraging him, ennobling him, making him brave, bold, courageous.

So last week when we talk about 1 Corinthians 10.13 and how God is faithful to provide a way of escape…

Remember we said the way out is through…

God strengthens and encourages us as we go through.

1.4b-5: The Purpose of Comfort

God’s comfort turns us into comforters.

2 Corinthians 1:4 (CSB)

4 He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

The comfort we receive from God is not an end unto itself.

We receive it from God, who expects us to give it out in turn.

We use what He provides for us and share it with others.

It’s Source:

2 Corinthians 1:4 (CSB)

4 …, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

God alone brings true comfort.

There really is no true comfort anywhere else.

Its not going to come from the human realm.

Its not going to come via human solutions.

Any comfort we do receive via these methods is short lived … it doesn’t endure … and doesn’t solve the problem.

So one of the greatest blessings as God’s son or daughter is the supernatural care God provides each of his children.

He gives it to us so we can help others.

Verse 5 - our comfort for others should literally “overflow.”

2 Corinthians 1:5 (CSB)

5 For just as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

1.6-7 - The Partnership of Suffering

When One Suffers We All Suffer

2 Corinthians 1:6–7 (CSB)

6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.

We move with empathy for others.

When they are experiencing difficulty we feel it.

When they rejoice, we feel that too.

We’re connected to one another.

Our relationships must become dominated by compassion — not criticism.

I suspect I’m no different than you.

If I’m in a valley — wrestling with whatever problem — one I’ve created or not — someone comes to me just to criticize — I shut down.

I’m may hear what you’re saying but its not going to help .. because I can guarantee you my inner voice has probably already reminded me of that a few hundred times.

Our first protocol when helping someone through the valley is compassion, care, and love.

It doesn’t matter how they got there.

There will be time for that discussion later.

The first priority is help. Assistance. How to get back on track.

This is hard at times, because society is conditioning us to be wrapped up in ourselves.

where we think our perspective and opinions are right

and other experiences are not quite right. And if it had been us, we would have done things a different way.

And we fall into the same trap as the world and start to label, categorize, and separate.

We need to fight back and try to get beyond ourselves.

We, as the body of Christ, are inseparably tied together and when one person is suffering, we should all feel that.

We should look for ways to offer that person the comfort of God.

We’re in a partnership. We’re here to help.

This works both ways.

If I’m the one suffering, I can’t look at my situation independent of my spiritual family.

You shouldn’t hide it.

You shouldn’t make yourself out to be a victim.

It’s not all about you.

How it affects you.

How it holds you back.

How it makes life difficult.

And it may do all those things…

But, if one can learn to make himself vulnerable so God can use others to comfort you, so that down the line you can use the comfort you received to comfort someone else.

So you have to look for the purpose in it.

2 Corinthians 1:6 (CSB)

6 If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation. If we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings that we suffer.

God is using the occasion to help strengthen your faith and dependence on Him.

God is using your present difficulty as a tool that will help someone else down the line.

We’re all helping remind each other that there is light at the end of the darkness — and it’s not an oncoming train.

Look agains at Paul’s confidence:

2 Corinthians 1:7 (CSB)

7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that as you share in the sufferings, so you will also share in the comfort.

He knows God is going to get them through.

Remember … God is faithful… He will bring us through the difficulties.

As we all follow through in what God has called us to do … we’ll all be strengthened… God will be glorified … and we’ll get through together to the other side…

As We Close…

There is one more point … but I’m going to save it for next week as we look to verse 8.

So what have we learned today?

God will comfort in every situation.

His purpose in bringing you comfort is so that through you someone else can be comforted.

You’re not alone. You’re not in isolation.

The pain you may feel and the difficulty you’re experiencing doesn’t just have to focus on you.

How it affects you.

How it holds you back.

How it makes life difficult.

The challenge is for us to see how God can use what you’re dealing with in the church for others.

And so, we come back to the beginning.

How is God working to secure our hope?

By using the difficulties we endure as opportunities for others to grow in their faith and relationships with God and others by demonstrating the comfort God provides.

So in this, where would you be with out God?

Where would you be without His church?

Do you need Him?