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Overview: A Biblical Perspective of Pain and Life in a Fallen World - 2022

1/11/2023

On November 18 - November 19, 2022 Covenant Reformed Presbyterian Church hosted their third annual conference in Glenholme, Nova Scotia, Canada. Their guest speaker was Dr. James Halla who lives in Spartanburg, SC with his wife Genell. Jim practiced rheumatology there until his retirement at the end of 2019.

Jim has authored a number of scientific articles addressing various clinical issues encountered in the daily practice of rheumatology. Jim’s books were written in response to the need seen to bring God’s truth to every area of life.

He is certified by NANC (National Association of Nouthetic Counselors) as a Christian counselor and has become a fellow at NANC, training others to counsel from the Scriptures.

See below for a summary of all 4 sessions along with the recorded audio and video:

Session 1:
A Biblical Perspective Of Pain and Life In a Fallen World: Its Joy and Its Sorrow

In this session, we will start at the beginning: Who is God? Who are you? What happened so that man is a sufferer and sinner? A firm foundation is necessary for the Church and individual believer to gain victory. There is no question that pain is the blight of fallen man. The Bible and practical living both testify to that fact. The question before every believer is a simple one: So what? God has the only satisfying answer to your so what? your how long? and your how can I make it? The Bible does not ignore or deny the fact of misery and trouble in a fallen world--the cross highlights this fact. It does not leave believers in a morass of God’s tough and hard providence--it gives God’s sure answers. Sadly, many people, including believers, are not interested in God’s answers. One goal of this session is to help you move to a more robust view of God as you function in His world.

Session 2:
What Does the Believer Have That the Unbeliever Does Not Have and What Is Its Significance?

Since man is a player and a responder in God’s world, a proper understanding of man is essential for any aspect of life, including the giving and the receiving of medical care. Although the Bible is not a medical textbook, it does address the whole person, including thoughts, desires, and actions. It supplies everything that a believer needs for life and godliness, including the area of pain, misery, and death (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:3-4). It is all that a believer needs to properly address and respond to physical problems. These facts are hope-engendering and are part of the answer to the question: How should we then live?
The believer has many resources and provisions to live in this fallen world, along with God’s sanctifying grace to use them. First, we will look at man as God’s image bearer and the significance that this has for salvation and sanctification. Second, we will consider the provisions that God has showered on His people, such that they are never governed by their circumstances. They are rather in any given circumstances for a specific purpose. That last statement is counterintuitive and countercultural, but so is a crucified, risen Savior who is King of kings and Lord of lords!

Session 3:
What to Do With Trouble When It Is Spelled Pain

The title is a little trickery. Believers must develop and are developing as a result of being believers! This is a biblical concept. Believers are also to respond to God and to His providence--including pain--in a God-honouring way. Some may deny the validity of such a statement. God brings hard providences to some people, but not to others, however, none have had harder providences than Christ. The cross is foolishness for those perishing, but wisdom for those being saved (1 Corinthians 1:18ff). The Bible gives precedence for the God-honouring approach we are to take in all areas of life: we are to grieve God’s way (1 Thessalonians 4:13); we are to comfort and love God’s way (2 Corinthians 1:3-4; 1 John 4:7-12); and we are to be fearful and angry God’s way (Ephesians 4:26; James 1:19-20). If God both expects us and equips us to respond to trouble in a God-honoring way, then we must learn how to do it. Our discussion now moves to growth in Christ, or, progressive sanctification.

Session 4:
Gain Through Loss: God’s Way to Victory

Victory is not often a word associated with patients facing various physical and mental problems. Rather, we hear phrases such as: we will get through it, hang in there, first you accept it and then you can move on, and suck it up. The phrases are born and bred in human wisdom. I heard these phrases so often, and from Christians, that I wrote a book on endurance (Endurance: What It is and How It looks in the Believer’s Life). My goal was to help believers endure God’s way. The Bible is replete with the admonition to godly living by way of contrasts. The Bible uses contrasts such as holy and unholy, clean and unclean, wise and foolish, light and darkness, the narrow road and the wide road, and fear of the Lord and fear of man. I have also alluded to the fact that a person can grieve God’s way or the way of the world, be angry God’s way or the world’s way, and be fearful God’s way or the way of the world (1 Thessalonians 4:13; Ephesians 4:26; James 1:19-20; Proverbs 3:5-8).

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Overview: A Biblical Perspective of Pain and Life in a Fallen World - 2022

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