Anxiety is pounding at the door of my heart. Restless thoughts await me in the bed of night. The worries of this world alarm the deep of my soul in the morning. For all my days, I am hopeless. I am doubtful. And even maybe, I am utterly depressed. The pain, sometimes, is too much to bear. It seems far too immeasurable to even comprehend. And sometimes, I wonder if this heartache will ever go away. How do I surrender things that are out of my control and learn to trust in You, God? This has been a question I’ve been wrestling with for weeks and months. I’ve talked to pastors, mentors, and friends about the experiences of heartache that I have. Almost all of them said they have never experienced what I had experienced before. Almost all of them said they have never felt what I had felt before. Honestly—although, it wasn’t their fault—hearing these things made me feel like I was even more alone because I felt like I had no one who could sympathize with me in all my suffering. I felt like no one could understand me and my pain. I Couldn’t Bear My Sufferings I felt like I couldn't catch a break at all because it was trial after trial after trial. It seemed like I couldn't live my life without something always coming up. The suffering was far too much to bear for me, and I couldn't take it anymore. I asked the Lord to take my life away. I wanted to die. I really wanted to die. Here’s the thing, too. I knew all the Christian answers that most professing Christians might throw at me for feeling this way. I knew that I was supposed to "trust in Jesus." I knew that I was supposed to "have more faith." But I also knew that, because of my faith being sealed by the Holy Spirit, I wanted to depart and be with God because that was far greater than the sufferings of this world, just like Elijah and Paul had wanted ( 1 Kings 19:4 ; Philippians 1:22-23 ). However, I had to remember that it isn’t God’s will for me to choose to stay in my feelings of despair and hopelessness. It isn’t God’s desire for me to be stuck in the past, dwelling on my wavering emotions and thinking about what should’ve happened instead. It most definitely isn’t in God’s pleasure to see me in my suffering or to even die. He Has Good Plans In my fleshly instinct, I wanted to bicker and complain to the Lord about why He would allow such things to happen to me. In anticipation of setting my hopes high, I constantly monitored what I couldn’t control. In my wavering emotions, I fed myself with songs that affected my mental health for the worse. Maybe, right now, you are struggling to trust in God because of your heartache, too. Maybe you’re replaying the hurtful words someone said to you in your head. Maybe you’re constantly imagining what life would look like if your loved one was still alive today. Maybe you're questioning if you shouldn’t have made the commitment in the first place before everything fell apart. And even maybe you’re choosing to stay in your hurt to flesh out all of your thoughts and emotions for long periods of time. The truth is, these things will only keep us in what I like to call the “gloominess of life.” They aren’t helpful; they’re rather destructive. While we should process and express how we feel in times like these, we shouldn’t linger in our emotions and feelings, lest the Enemy uses such means to bring about discouraging (and even harmful) thoughts. You must hold such thoughts and emotions captive to Christ. Bring your sufferings to Christ and have a high perspective of such heartaches by setting your gaze on the unseen where the promises of Christ are yours today. No amount of suffering could ever compare to the glory you have ahead in Jesus. Let me remind you of such truths about God while you might be in your suffering. He is near you ( Psalm 34:18 ). He hears your cries ( Psalm 18:6 ). He understands you ( John 11:33-35 ). He gives you peace ( John 16:33 ). He is for you ( Romans 8:31 ). He loves you ( Romans 8:38-39 ). He comforts you ( 2 Corinthians 7:6 ). He sustains you ( Psalm 55:22 ). He values you ( Matthew 10:31 ). He saves you ( John 10:28-30 ). You must remember that God’s not done with you, yet ( Philippians 1:6 ). Though you might not see what He is doing right now, He is working all of these things for your good ( Romans 8:28 ). Our good God has good plans for you. His heavenly promises await you. His peace that surpasses all understanding is available to you when you place your trust in Him during these times of uncertainty. It is even in our uncertainty that we can have certainty in God. God does not play dice with your sufferings. Everything that came to pass in your life has a purpose simply because God is in control. The sufficient grace of God will sustain you, just as it did for Elijah with his depression and Paul with his thorn . Keep persevering and count it joy, for the testing of your faith will produce even more steadfastness in the Lord ( James 1:2-4 ). Depend on Him. Abide in Him. Knowing that He has good plans for you, how can you surrender to the Lord the things you cannot control and trust in Him today? What should you do? What must you do? Praise Him and Sing to His Name God hasn’t abandoned you in the past when you encountered trials like these. God hasn’t brought you this far to abandon you. God is still with you in your heartache. God will provide a breakthrough far greater than you can imagine. Bring to your remembrance past deliverances and provisions. Bring to your remembrance Christ’s love for you on the cross. Bring to your remembrance how He came through for you when you had a trial like this and didn’t think you’d make it. Remember these things and praise Him—not only for what He’s done but also for who He is. Again, He is your Comforter; He is your Wonderful Counselor; He is your Sustainer; He is your Savior. Sing praise to His name. Cast Your Anxieties on Him Surrender your thoughts, feelings, and emotions to Him. Linger no more in such things by watching what you intentionally feed yourself. The kind of music you listen to matters because it affects you emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. For example, if you are trying to heal from a breakup, it would be wise to not listen to so many heartbreak songs. While these songs excellently express what we aren’t able to fully put into words ourselves, it isn’t healthy for us to dwell on the full extent of our feelings and emotions through such means. Trust me—I know because I am guilty of this. We must move forward and exchange our sorrows for His joy through the reception of His Word and prayer. What have you been listening to? Have you been confiding in unhealthy songs? Have you been confiding in worldly wisdom? Confide in the Lord who cares for you, and let Him know your heartaches by praying to Him in your vulnerability ( 1 Peter 5:7 ). He understands you better than the heartbreak songs you’ve been listening to. He gives you something that heartbreak songs can’t; He gives you peace! Live in Communion with Other Believers Suffering may prompt us to live in complete isolation, but we must remember that we are not called to be isolated beings. Even in our heartaches, our brothers and sisters in Christ will weep with us who weep ( Romans 12:15 ). Be in constant fellowship with other believers so that they can spur you on in the encouragement of Christ to keep you firm in your faith ( Hebrews 3:13 ). Have others point you to Christ when you cannot do so for yourself, especially in these vulnerable times. I’ve also realized that, in my heartache, my mind isn’t as sober as I’d like it to be sometimes. I might not make the wisest decisions because I am so greatly influenced by the whims of my feelings and emotions. Other believers can provide godly guidance as you navigate your life in this season of heartache. Their very presence can also be a comfort to you, reminding you that you are not alone or abandoned. They are willing to suffer with you even if it seems like they might not be able to fully sympathize. I’ve come to acknowledge that, although they might not be able to sympathize with me in my sufferings, they have the Spirit who is able. Dare Anxiety Come Should anxiety bang at the door of my heart, should restless thoughts intrude my night, should my worries interrupt my waking breath… I will choose to trust in God and rest in His peace because I know He has good plans for me . I will praise His name. I will cast my anxieties on Him. I will live in communion with the saints. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” ( Philippians 4:4-7 ).

What does it mean to speak of Christ’s atonement for us? God sent His one and only Son to die for our sins because of His love for us (Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn 4:10). Jesus Christ—God the Son—was a perfect and unblemished sacrifice who had known no sin but became sin for us and died on the cross for our justification (Rom. 4:25). The atonement of Christ on the cross displayed both the wrath of God for sin and the love of God for His people (Rom. 3:21-26; 5:8-10). What is meant by Christ’s active and passive obedience, and how does his obedience benefit us? Christ came down to earth ultimately to fulfill the will of the Father (Mt 5:17; Jn 8:29). Christ’s active obedience means that Christ had faithfully submitted to the will of the Father despite being acquainted with grief and other human emotions, learning obedience through suffering (Mt 4:1-11; 26:36-46; Is 53:3-4; Heb 5:7-10). Christ can sympathize with our weaknesses as He was tempted in every way like us but was without sin (Heb 4:15-16). Christ’s passive obedience means that Christ had voluntarily offered Himself to the Father through His death on the cross to redeem His people from the curse of sin that came through the Torah law by becoming a curse for us (Gal 3:13). The obedience of Christ, then, benefits us in such a way that Christ is our legal substitute, being our righteousness and our salvation (1 Cor 1:30; 1 Pet 3:18). What is the atoning death of Jesus Christ? Jesus Christ gave Himself as an unblemished sacrifice to the Father and had taken the stead of sinners, bearing their sin and shame. Thus, Christ became alienated and condemned to death, satisfying the demands of the Holy Father so that sinners–namely, those who believe in Christ through faith–may be in right standing, being forgiven and reconciled back to God. It is my belief that Christ bore the sins of the world and was slain as the unblemished lamb, however, such atoning death is only efficacious to God’s elect people (Jn 10:15; Is 53:8, 11-12). With this belief, I would then also assume the Penal Substitution Theory and Definite Atonement positions. What saving benefits accrue to us because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ? When Christ was resurrected, He enabled believers to also experience resurrection through faith in Him as Lord and Savior so that they could receive eternal life (Jn 11:25; Eph 2:8). This eternal life consists of a life that is united in Christ forever (1 Jn 5:11-12). There is victory over sin and death for the believer, as Christ, in His resurrection, conquered the forces of spiritual darkness after three days in the tomb (1 Cor 15:55). Believers get to participate in His ascension to newness of life (Eph 1:15-23; Rom 6:4). What is the significance of the ascension of Christ for our salvation? The ascension of Christ signifies that Christ, our great High Priest, now sits on the throne at the right hand of the Father so that we can have access to the Father for mercy and grace (Heb 4:13-14, 16). His ascension also fulfills the promise of our Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to enable us to participate in the resurrection life with Christ, share in His exaltation, and have victory over spiritual darkness (Jn 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; Eph 1:20-21). What significance does land play in salvation? Land signifies a locus for a relationship with God. Originally, humans walked with God, living in His presence in the Garden of Eden (Gen 1-2). However, when sin entered the world, both Adam and Eve were banished from the land of the Garden of Eden, ultimately, being cast away from the presence of God (Gen 3:23-24). Salvation through Christ grants a land of redemption where God will gather His people from all lands into one land, making God have His own people and the people having God (Ezek 36:24, 28). It is in the land of God where believers have their inheritance and portion which is the Lord only (Num 18:20). When the new heaven and earth are created, there will be the tree of life in the midst of God’s people in the land of God (Rev 2:7). To whom does the election of God’s people in Jesus Christ refer? The election of God’s people in Jesus Christ refers to those who have been chosen by God before the foundation of the world (Eph 1:4-5). All of those who are elected in Christ Jesus are drawn to Jesus by the Father, being predestined for God’s ultimate purpose and will of salvation (Jn 6:44; Eph 1:11). The elect, then, refers to those who were given grace and purpose before the foundations of the world through their faith in Christ Jesus by the unsolicited love of God, not being based on works, but rather, on God’s unconditional election (2 Tim 1:9; Eph 2:6; Rom 8:29).

For whom is the saving death of Christ efficacious? The saving death of Christ is efficacious only for God’s people, as Christ was slain for God’s people in all times and places throughout the world, and bore their sins as He died on the cross (Is 53:8, 11-12). Christ, the Good Shepherd, laid down His life voluntarily to save God’s people, His sheep, from their sins (Jn 10:15). It is only efficacious for the elect—that is, the people of God who were chosen and predestined before the foundations of the world (Eph 1:4). May God’s saving grace be finally resisted/repudiated? God’s saving grace is only efficacious for the elect (Eph 1:4). Those who receive God’s saving grace are saved according to the mercy of God as they are being renewed by the Holy Spirit—the third Person of the Trinity who never fails to bring salvation to sinners who are called to Christ by the Father (Jn 6:37-40, 44; Titus 3:5). Thus, saving grace cannot be resisted because it is a gift that is not based on works but rather on the mercy of God through the regeneration that the Holy Spirit brings (Eph 2:5, 8; Ps 3:8). Does God preserve those included in Christ to the end, growing them to maturity in and conformity to himself, or are the redeemed able to fall away from (i.e. ‘lose’) salvation? Once God saves a believer, they are always saved. The Spirit is the seal and guarantee of the salvation of a believer at the moment when He indwells them (Eph 1:13-14; Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9). God preserves those who are included in Christ to the end by the power of the Holy Spirit as He is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and will never forsake those who are His (Heb 13:5, 8). Nothing can separate the believer from God’s salvation because of the security of the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:30; Jn 10:28-29; Rom 8:38-39). Of what does saving faith consist? And why do we say that faith is ‘saving’? Saving faith consists of three things: knowledge, assent, and personal trust in Christ Jesus. Saving faith consists of knowledge of the true Jesus Christ of the biblical Gospel, differentiating Him from mere superstitions and error (Acts 17:16-34; Rom 10:13-17). It also consists of our assent, or agreement, to the biblical truths that define God and us. Lastly, it consists of personally trusting in Jesus as the Savior who will fulfill His promises to His believers (Rom 4:20-25; Heb 11). What is the relationship between salvation and union with Christ? Salvation can only be obtained through union with Christ, for in Christ all who believe will be made alive because He is the true Vine (1 Cor 15:22; Jn 15:5). In Christ, believers have redemption through His blood for the forgiveness of sins (Eph 1:7; Col 1:13-14). Christ is the cornerstone of our salvation, and we are the living stones built upon Him (1 Pet 2:4-7). As we are in union with Christ through our faith, we obtain an imperishable inheritance—that is, eternal life. What is the saving benefit of justification? God, in His just mercy, declares believers righteous by having judged our sins in Christ Jesus on the cross and imputed His own righteousness to us (Rom 4:5-8). Justification is appropriated by faith—that is, believing in the Lord through faith is what justifies the believer to be in right standing before God (Gen 15:6). It is not based on works that believers are saved, but rather, on their faith in Christ Jesus for the remission of the penalty of sin where God’s favor is restored (Rom 3:23-24; Eph 2:8). What is the benefit of adoption? God, in His love, declares believers a member of His family by loving us as He had unfailingly loved Christ the Son (Rom 8:31-39). Believers are given the privilege to call upon and trust God as Father (Mt 6:5-13, 25-34). Believers are given an eternal inheritance and a desire to live obedient, holy lives for God as children of God (1 Pet 1:4; Rom 8:13-14; Gal 4:5). As adopted children of God, we can receive the Holy Spirit who consoles and assures us of our identity as sons and daughters of the Most High God our Father (1 Jn 3:1; Rom 8:15). What is the benefit of sanctification? God, in His union with believers, conforms the hearts of believers to be like the heart of Jesus—that is, conforming us to the image of the Son as He is delivering us from our depraved natures (Eph 5:25-27). Because believers are justified, believers are to be sanctified through the enablement of the Holy Spirit by being holy as Jesus is holy. Sanctification, then, is a restoration of God’s people to the original image of God that they were originally created in and intended to be (Gen 1:26-27).

What are the three primary affirmations that Jesus Christ is God Incarnate, and how do they help articulate and safeguard the mystery of the hypostatic union? In the beginning was Jesus Christ—the Word that was with God and was God (Jn 1:1). The Word became flesh, for the eternal Son assumed human nature. To confess the incarnate Christ simply means that Christ was not merely a spiritual body but truly and fully human (1 Jn 1:1). Although Christ is truly and fully human, He is also truly and fully God. Thus, the deity and humanity of Jesus Christ are truly and fully united in Him. What are “the four fences of Chalcedon,” and why do all Christians confess them to be immensely important to the understanding of the saving ministry of Jesus Christ? The “four fences of Chalcedon” are four safeguards to the mystery of Christ’s two natures: (1) without confusion, (2) without division, (3) without separation, and (4) without change. It is paramount to our understanding of the saving ministry of Jesus Christ because our salvation is totally dependent on the nature of Christ Jesus—He who is of divine and human nature. He who had no sin is our righteous, human advocate with the Father (Rom 5:12-21; 1 Jn 2:1). What does it mean to confess that our triune God created all things from nothing, that God indeed created all things, visible and invisible, “ex nihilo”? In the beginning of creation was God—that is, only God was present before the foundations of the physical and invisible world, including space, time, and all matter (Gen 1; Jn 1:1-3; Heb 11:3). God had created all things without exceptions, for in Him all things were created through and for Him (Col 1:16). God is the sovereign Lord over all things that exist, creating all things not out of previously existing matter, for matter is not self-generating and/or self-sustaining (Rev 4:11). All Christians confess faith in the God who is “Maker of heaven and earth.” Which aspects of this confession should be deemed dogma, and which should be deemed doctrine? All Christians must confess that creation itself is dogma rather than doctrine or opinion. The heavens and earth were brought into being by the performative speech of God who was at the beginning of time (Gen 1:1, 3; Jn 1:1-3). The Triune God—or more rather, the One who is utterly distinct from creation—created everything out of nothing and also created the first human beings: Adam and Eve (Col 1:16; Gen 1:2, 26-27; Heb 11:3). The time and length of when creation had occurred may be considered doctrine rather than dogma. What is the meaning and pastoral significance of the confession concerning the providence of God? The providence of God entails three things: (1) preservation, (2) concurrence, and (3) compatibilism. Preservation entails that God preserves creation by keeping all created things in existence and maintenance by the word of his power (Heb 1:3; Col 1:17). Concurrence entails that God is in cooperation with His creation, directing their created properties to act as they ought to without over-riding and negating them (Ps 22:28; 104:14; Jer 1:5). Compatibilism entails that the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man are compatible and does not undermine each other (Gen 50:19-20; Is 10:5-19; Phil 2:12-13). What does it mean to speak of compatibilism regarding divine and human willing/acting? Why is compatibilism rightly deemed a necessary component of any mature and orthodox view of God and the world? Compatibilism is the notion that God’s sovereignty is compatible with man’s responsibility (Gen 50:19-20; Is 5:10-19; Acts 4:23-29). The sovereignty of God does not undermine the responsibility of man, nor does it destroy genuine human choices and actions; God’s sovereignty does not override the act of man but rather establishes genuineness. Compatibilism is a necessary component of any mature and orthodox view of God and the world because if it was not upheld, the significance of the cross would be destroyed and irrelevant. Where did humans come from, and what is the constitution of human persons? God created mankind—that is, male and female—after His likeness to have dominion over all other creatures on earth (Gen 1:26-27). Adam, the first man whom God created, was formed of dust from the ground and was given the breath of life from God, becoming a living creature (Gen 2:7). Humans are simply a combination of both earthly material and life given from God. What does it mean to confess that humans are the image of God? Of what does this image consist, and why is this important? To confess that humans are the image of God simply means that humankind is uniquely created by God’s own breath in representation, reflection, and relation with God (Gen 1:26-28). Accordingly, humankind is unique among all of creation, as humans have both a physical body and soul (Gen 2:7). The image of God consists of nothing less, nothing more, and nothing other than a humanity that is interpersonal in relationship, equal in personhood, and distinctively complementary in roles (Gen 5:1-2). Understanding the image of God would help to understand the will of God for both male and female. What is meant by the Fall of humanity into sin? Of what did the sin of our first parents, Adam and Eve, consist? When God had created our first parents, Adam and Eve, original human sin had not yet existed, for God had created everything and saw that everything was good (Gen 1:31). However, through Adam, mankind had fallen into the state of sin after Adam and Eve’s transgression of God’s command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Gen 2:16-17; 3; Rom 5:12). Since sin entered the world through our first parents, death spread to all men (Rom 5:12; 6:23). This does not mean, however, that humanity had lost their humanness, but it does in fact mean that the image of God in humanity was distorted but not lost (Gen 5:1-2; 9:6; Js 3:9). What is the relationship/difference between original and actual sin? What does it mean to confess that all humans, post-Fall, are subject to original sin, and thus the state/condition of being sinners? Original sin refers to the fallen state of mankind as a consequence of the sins of our first parents, which marks every single person from birth in all times and all places. All human beings are subject to sin because of the fallen state of humankind and the wicked desires of the heart (Jer 17:9; Rom 5:12-14). God does not tempt us, but rather, it is by our own selfish and worldly desires that we are lured into temptation (Js 1:13-15). Thus, all humans sin because all humans are sinners (Rom 3:23). What are the effects of the Fall on us who are the image of God? The Fall had affected us–humans who are the image of God–in such a way that the truth of God can be easily exchanged for a lie (Rom 1:25). Since we are created in the image of God, we are completely capable of profound faith and zealous worship. However, if our faith or worship is not rendered to God, we have put ourselves in enmity against Him. Doing violence to other humans—that is, those created in God’s image—is simply committing violence to God Himself (Gen 9:6; Js 3:9). What does it mean and not mean to confess that fallen human beings are “totally depraved”? How does the nature of our sinnership inform the nature of our salvation in Jesus Christ? Fallen humans are totally depraved—that is, born in a corrupt nature due to original sin—and do not seek for God (Rom 3:10-11, 23). This does not mean, however, that the image of God in man is lost but more rather distorted. Every aspect of the human constitution is fallen and totally corrupted by sin (Gen 6:5). The nature of our sinnership informs the nature of our salvation in Christ Jesus that we were once, in our disobedience to God, followers of the Devil, seeking the lusts and pleasures of the world rather than God, but now can have eternal life by having faith through hearing the Word of Christ (Eph 2:1-3; Rom 3:10-11; 8:7; 10:17).