“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

Fantastic! That means that everything is going to be awesome…right?

Not so much.

If that’s the case, what does this verse mean?

Jesus tells us three things about life because of who he is.

First, we have peace in Christ. He is our peace. He is our joy. He is our comfort.

Secondly, in this world we will have trouble. People we love will get sick and die. We will get sick and die. Christians are not immune from the hardships and tragedies of this world. In this world, we will have trouble.

Lastly, take heart for Christ has overcome the world. Christian joy and peace is not negated by trouble and tribulation. Our circumstances may trouble us but they cannot destroy Christ’s peace or joy as long as our peace and joy is in Christ – in who he is, in how he loves us, in what he has promised us.

We will experience all the highs and lows of life that all human beings experience. However, because of who Jesus is, we can have peace and joy throughout all our days because of Jesus. We can experience grief but our grief cannot destroy peace as long as our peace is in Jesus.

That’s pretty good news. In fact, that’s pretty awesome news.

“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst” (Romans 8:15).

This is one of the most succinct and precise description of the gospel.

What is the gospel? The gospel is this: that we are sinners deserving God’s wrath and judgment. But God loves sinners, and sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to die for sinners.

The gospel is gospel – good news – because the starting point is that we are sinners who are dead in our sins. But God died for us because he loves sinners like us. Jesus came to die for sinners, not to celebrate their sin, but to rescue sinners from their sin.

This gospel is offensive to a world that has been told that they are perfect, just the way they are.
This gospel is offensive to a world that has been told that loving themselves is a virtue.
This gospel is offensive to a world that has been told that their hearts are always right.
This gospel is offensive to a world that has been told that there is nothing more important than them being happy.

If the starting point is that we are all good, and the job of the church is to help people discover the good that is already in them, why did Jesus die on the cross? Why did Jesus descend into hell? Why did Jesus rise again?

Jesus came to save sinners. That’s the good news. That’s the starting point. That’s the gospel.

“In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says, ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ Endure hardship as discipline” (Hebrews 12:4-7).

Don’t confuse feeling good with being good for you. That which is good for you does not have to feel good to you.

What cracks me up about this passage is that the writer of Hebrews sees this as a word of encouragement!

• In your struggle against sin
• Resisting to the point of shedding your blood
• Rebuke
• Discipline
• Chastening
• Hardship

Yup. Encouragement. That’s what the writer of Hebrews said.

If we have issues with this it’s because we have come to accept the lie that if it’s good for me, it must feel good to me.

What a bunch of crock! We know this isn’t true. It’s not true when it comes to eating healthy. It’s not true when it comes to physical exercise. It’s not true when it comes to studying and reading. It’s not true in pretty much everything that is good.

God’s will for you is good. And there is absolutely nothing that says it must feel good to you in order to be good for you. So receive these words of encouragement. “In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’ Therefore, endure hardship as discipline.”