Christ First Forum

A man once said: It is suffering and then glory. Not to have the suffering means not to have the glory.
When I think of suffering for the saint, I must turn and look at Job. Job was a man after God's heart and He suffered greatly. It rains on the just and the unjust. The old saying something good is going to happen to you sounds good but it is based upon bad theology. Let's face it bad things do happen to us who are in Christ Jesus, just like it does to the rest of the people who are not saved.

Paul tells us in Philippians 1:27-29 that we will suffer.
27 Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
29 For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,

Paul also refers to Christians as solders and any good solder will suffer. 2 Timothy 2:3-4
3 You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
4 No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.

Someone also said: If suffering is accepted and lived through, not fought against and refused, then it is completed and becomes transmuted. It is absorbed, having accomplished it's work. It ceases to exist as suffering, and becomes part of our growing self. I truly can relate to this with all that I have suffered over the years. I count it all joy though!

Romans 8:17 17 and if children, then heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.
2 Timothy 2:12 If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us.

Suffering is part of the Christian life! If we are to be partakers of Christ and His blessings then we also are partakers of His sufferings.

I want to share with you eight reasons based upon scripture why God allows His children to suffer.

1. To produce fruit!
a. Patience: Hebrews 10:36 and James 1:3
b. Joy: Psalm 30:5
C. Knowledge: Psalm 94:12
d. Maturity: 1 Peter 5:10

2. To silence the Devil! Job 1:9-12 Job 2:3-7
Satan once accused Job of merely serving God for material blessings, but God allowed the devil to torment Job to demonstrate that His servant Loved God because of who He was and not for what He could get for him.

3. To Glorify God! John 9:1-3 The blind man was not stricken because of sin but so that the Lord could be revealed and glorified through him.

4. To make us more like Jesus! Philippians 3:10
10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death. How can one ever truly even catch a glimpse of what Jesus endured unlesss we suffer ourselves.

5. To teach us dependency upon Him! John 15:1-5
It all boils down to we can do nothing without Him. He is our sufficiency and strength!

6. It refines our lives! Psalms 66:10-12 and 1 Peter 1:6-7

7. God also allows suffering to Rebuke Sin! 1 Peter 2:20 and 1 Peter 3:17 As a faithful Father must in love chastise his erring children, so does our heavenly Father Hebrews 12:5-9

8. Suffering is allowed in our lives to Enlarge the ministry that God has given us! It is a lot easier for one who has gone through something such as cancer to help others then it is for someone who has no idea what it is to go through that. 2 Corinthians 1:3-7

I can honestly say as a suffering saint, the rewards and blessings far out way every pain and sorrow I have ever had. My desire is truly to reach the point of Philippians 3:10 without any reservation!

agreed~!

well if we're not saved, satan's plan is already in action. So why would he then bother with us who're on his side?

it's when we're saved and proudly proclaim to be a child of God that he tries to get us over. and to that, we should tell him "Get thee behind me satan!"

submit therefore to the Lord, Resist the devil and he will flee from you. James 4:7 :)

Suffering comes before Glory.

Night comes before Day.

Much Fruit comes because of pruning.

Though He were a Son yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered. Hebrews 5:8

He is our Great High Priest:

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.