Here is Romans 5:1-5: “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
It is sometimes difficult to think of something good coming out of suffering. “Could there not be another route to the same end?” one may ask.
We are not saying suffering is or becomes good. Suffering remains evil. However, for the Christian, painful and stressful as it may be, there is a purpose to suffering. Dr. Brian Koning, a lecturer at Grand Canyon University, has said that suffering can be used as a tool for sanctification and a tool for testing our faith.
As a tool of sanctification, we believe that nothing is so broken as to be unusable by God. Although suffering is alien to His goal for humanity, God uses it now as part of our development as people. Nothing forces a person to confront their true self like suffering. Suffering causes our focus to turn inward, to face those parts of ourselves we might otherwise ignore. God can use suffering, then to develop us into better people: people who can love and enjoy Him forever. Paul admonishes us that our suffering works in us perseverance, which also builds in us character (Romans 5:3-5). James says that the testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:2-4).
Again, suffering can be used by God as a tool for testing our faith. Like Joseph, Jeremiah, Job, and Jesus, suffering helps us to show the truth of our faith to the world. In times of intense pain or turmoil, we cling to what we have placed our hope in. In this way, suffering reveals whether our faith is a mere childish hope or a factual reality.
Prayer:
Father, please help me develop godly character and virtues out of all that I am going through. In Jesus’ name.
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23 April, 2025
The Purpose Of Christian Suffering
Here is Romans 5:1-5: “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.”
It is sometimes difficult to think of something good coming out of suffering. “Could there not be another route to the same end?” one may ask.
We are not saying suffering is or becomes good. Suffering remains evil. However, for the Christian, painful and stressful as it may be, there is a purpose to suffering. Dr. Brian Koning, a lecturer at Grand Canyon University, has said that suffering can be used as a tool for sanctification and a tool for testing our faith.
As a tool of sanctification, we believe that nothing is so broken as to be unusable by God. Although suffering is alien to His goal for humanity, God uses it now as part of our development as people. Nothing forces a person to confront their true self like suffering. Suffering causes our focus to turn inward, to face those parts of ourselves we might otherwise ignore. God can use suffering, then to develop us into better people: people who can love and enjoy Him forever. Paul admonishes us that our suffering works in us perseverance, which also builds in us character (Romans 5:3-5). James says that the testing of your faith produces endurance (James 1:2-4).
Again, suffering can be used by God as a tool for testing our faith. Like Joseph, Jeremiah, Job, and Jesus, suffering helps us to show the truth of our faith to the world. In times of intense pain or turmoil, we cling to what we have placed our hope in. In this way, suffering reveals whether our faith is a mere childish hope or a factual reality.
Prayer:
Father, please help me develop godly character and virtues out of all that I am going through. In Jesus’ name.
