May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. (Romans 15:13).
One of the most common questions asked by many is why a Christian has to suffer. Some would talk about how they prayed, fasted, and quoted relevant texts from the Bible, and yet their challenges remained.
In utter despair and disappointment, some have even grown weary and cold in their hearts because of the lack of a perfect answer to the question of Christian suffering.
What some of these Christians do not factor into their question is that the presence of sin, pain, evil, and suffering in the world is real and it affects everyone- believers and unbelievers alike. We suffer because we live in a fallen and sinful world (2 Cor. 4:7–10).
Because many fail to realize that these things affect even the most experienced Christians they have even accused God of being insensitive to their suffering, while unbelievers take the question to another level, asking: “If there is a God, why are these things allowed?”.
Let’s attempt to proffer some answers to these questions in our text today.
We have to constantly realize that we live in an imperfect world pending the peaceful Kingdom promised by Jesus Christ when he will preside over the affairs of the world (Isaiah 11-6-9).
But before the coming of the millennia Kingdom of Jesus Christ, we would have encounters with suffering due to our errors and the pain that comes with being humans in an imperfect world.
Shedding some light on the question of suffering, the Bible says, “For hardship does not spring from the soil, nor does trouble sprout from the ground. Yet man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward”. (Job 5: 6-7).
Therefore, in common parlance, we read here that suffering and humans are 5 and 6; they are intricately connected.
Having established this fact, we will go further to explain the purpose of suffering in a Christian life and why God sometimes permits it.
2 Timothy 3:12 establishes a vital principle of Christian suffering. As we press on to please the Lord (unless we grow cold in our pursuit of righteousness) every Christian will experience suffering or persecution in this present world.
This principle says: “In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”. Why? Because there will always be a clash between the Kingdom of God and that of Satan in principle so this shouldn’t come as a surprise as we search for the answers to Christian suffering.
However, in Romans 5:2-5, we see the role of hope in Christian suffering. Persecution and suffering in the life of a Christian is never without hope, which is an anchor of the soul.
These spiritual factors in the life of a Christian follows the natural principle of breaking a coconut shell before one can drink from its sweet juice.
Breaking of the coconut refers to the necessary breaking of our natural ego and pride which is a prerequisite for the attainment of divine wisdom.
Without this process, no man can be useful in the important work of the kingdom of God. Perfect examples of broken men who later became useful to God was a broken Jacob turned Israel and a broken Saul turned Paul.
Naturally, the human nature detests discomfort and pain but God in his superior wisdom knows that the only way to bring out the spiritual value of man is through the path of suffering and being crushed, yet not without hope of a higher victory. There is always the anchor of hope in Christian suffering.
This process is beautifully painted below in the scriptures:
“We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (2 Cor. 4:7–10)
Every bit of Christian suffering therefore has a purpose; this purpose serves as the anchor to an ultimate victory, with Jesus Christ taking the glory.
If the Bible says we are more than conquerors through Jesus Christ, then it means that for us to be heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, we must share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.” (Romans 8:16-17).
The path to glory is the path of tests, challenges, and suffering, if Christ had to go through this path no true Christian would escape it as well. In Hebrews 2:10 we see this principle:
“In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered”.
Therefore for the Christian, there is a hope of victory in suffering just like the suffering of Jesus ended with a triumphant victory in his resurrection from the dark and dreary grave.
Even if Christian trials involve death, it won’t be permanent because Jesus gives us hope for a resurrection (1 Thessalonians 4:13-14). One day He will make all things new, and there shall be no more sorrow nor tears (Revelation 21:4). This is the ultimate anchor of Christian hope and victory.
Knowing this principle, James says to “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing”. (James 1:2–4)
Reading
Romans 5:1-20.
