Quotes from Jerry Bridges

I believe one of our problems in dealing with this subject is that we tend to view the interaction between God and man on the same level as the interaction between man and man.

The faith to trust God in adversity comes through the Word of God alone.

Grace is part of the very nature of God, and He cannot change. He is indeed the generous landowner of the parable in Matthew 20:1-16, continually going to the marketplace of life to find those in need of a day's wages so He can bring them into His vineyard and then reward them out of all proportion to their labors.

In the arena of adversity, the Scriptures teach us three essential truths about God truths we must believe if we are to trust Him in adversity. They are: • God is completely sovereign. God is infinite in wisdom. God is perfect in love.

Rather than being offended over the Bible's assertion of God's sovereignty in both good and calamity, believers should be comforted by it.

We tend to think of God as being like us.

Yet the Scriptures teach that God does move a person's will, but in such a way that the person acts freely and voluntarily. Furthermore, sovereignty on a human plane suggests force and coercion, people doing things against their wills as in the subjection of slaves to masters, but the Scriptures never portray God's sovereignty in this manner.

Adversity is difficult even when we know God is in control of our circumstances.

The second truth we must keep in mind is that God is never the author of sin.

Whatever our particular calamity or adversity may be, we may be sure that our Father has a loving purpose in it.

It is frequently asserted in the Scriptures that God uses the sinful actions of men to accomplish His purposes.

God does not exercise His sovereignty capriciously but only in such a way as His infinite love deems best for us.