Suffering And Hardship - Clover Sites



Suffering and Hardship1 Peter 1:3-9IntroWith the recent emphasis in North American evangelicalism on a gospel of "Health and Wealth," and the "Name it Claim it" mentality, it appears that the real biblical teaching on the place of suffering and hardship in the Christian life has been lost. And others say, “The reason you’re suffering is because lack of faith.” This should not strike us as strange, however, for from the very earliest days of Christianity this type of a triumphalist gospel has threatened to obscure the call to true discipleship—the call to identify with the humiliation of Christ and the cross in order to show forth God's glory and participate in Christ's resurrection.Peter’s LetterPeter wrote his two letters to believers living in Asia Minor during the first century A.D. At the time, these early Christians were undergoing severe hardships, and the suffering they were experiencing was beginning to hinder their spiritual growth.In his first letter, Peter is primarily concerned with this problem of suffering. In fact, he uses the Greek word pascho (the verb meaning "to suffer") more in this one short letter than the apostle Paul does in all of his epistles put together. Hardships, setbacks, disappointments, illnesses, and all the various forms of suffering can, quite understandably, be a stumbling block to faith. Why do we suffer?We believers say that we have been delivered from God's wrath and judgment, that we have been forgiven all our sins by the death of Jesus Christ, and that we are now God's children. But why do we at times suffer and go through hardships? Why does God allow difficulties to happen in our lives?Without biblical answers to such questions, suffering will inevitably put tremendous pressure on a believer's faith, tempting him or her to doubt God. But God has provided us with truth to combat this doubt, the truth of His Word. With the truth contained in the Bible, God has given us the means to protect our faith, and understand the suffering that comes our way. Also we will endure it with the result that God will be glorified, and that we will be strengthened spiritually.Jesus said, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)Peter's objective in writing 1st Peter is to give these hard-pressed early believers the critical information and encouragement they needed to pass the suffering test.Exposition of 1 Peter 1:6-9Verse 6“In all this you greatly rejoice,?though now for a little while?you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.”“In all this you greatly rejoice.”-“In this” refers to the preceding verses (verses 3-5), which Peter already has described as our protected eternal inheritance. Let look at those verses, “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!?In his great mercy?he has given us new birth?into a living hope?through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance?that can never perish, spoil or fade.?This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power?until the coming of the salvation?that is ready to be revealed?in the last time.”-The phrase “Greatly rejoice” is an intense, expressive term that means to be supremely and abundantly happy. It’s a happiness that is not based on circumstances or superficial feelings.-In the New Testament “rejoice” (agalliao) always refers to spiritual rather than temporal joy, and it usually refers to a relationship with God.-Also Peter put it in the present tense, it conveys the notion of continual joy and happiness no matter the circumstance.In verse 6 Peter lists four concise features of the trouble God uses to prove the believer’s faith.1/ “Though now for a little while.”-First the believer’s trials are transitory, literally “for a season,” which means they will pass. -Paul calls them “momentary troubles” In 2 Cor. 4:16-16 we read, “Therefore we do not lose heart.?Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly?we are being renewed?day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.”2/ “You may have had to suffer.”-Secondly they serve a purpose in believer’s lives.-Acts 14:22 “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”-God uses trouble to humble believers, wean them away from worldly things and direct them to greater things - heaven.-He also uses trials to enable us to help others and to help strengthen our spiritual character.-Later in his letter Peter sums up that troubles’ have a benefit, “…After you have suffered a little while, God will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast” (1 Peter 5:10).3/ “Suffer grief.”-Thirdly, Peter uses the term “suffer grief” which he acknowledges that trouble undeniably brings pain.-This pain is not only physical pain, but also mental anguish, including sadness, sorrow, disappointment, and anxiety. By God’s design, trouble needs to be painful in order to refine believers for greater spiritual usefulness.-Psalm 119:71 says, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.”-2 Corinthians 12:10, “That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”4/ “All kinds of trials”-Fourthly the apostle Peter notes that believers experience various trials which come in many forms.-The word “all kinds” means “many coloured.” Just as trouble is diverse, God’s sufficient grace for believers is equally diverse. God’s grace is sufficient for every human trial.2 Cor. 12:9 Paul says, “But he said to me,?“My grace?is sufficient for you, for my power?is made perfect in weakness.”-God does not necessarily cause the trials or suffering. Often they are caused by humans, Satan, evil and the natural fallen system of the world we live in.Verse 7“These have come so that the proven genuineness?of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor?when Jesus Christ is revealed.”-The various trials have come for the purpose of faith.-Two things Peter says about this faith.1/ First it is more precious or more valuable than gold. Peter used gold in his analogy because it was the most precious and highly prized of all metals.2/ Secondly it is refined or tested by fire.-Just as fire separates gold from useless dross, so God uses suffering and trials to separate true faith from superficial faith. But even though gold can be purified when tested by fire, it is perishable. However, proven faith is eternal, making it more precious than gold!The apostles are excellent examples of those who went through difficult trials and thus became confident in their proven faith. After the Jewish leaders flogged them for continuing to preach the Gospel, “they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name” (Acts 5:41 and chapters 4 & 5).Can Suffering Have Good Results?"It is good for me that I have been afflicted" (Psalm 119:71). Usually when we suffer we can only see the problems involved and the negative things. But if we remain faithful, there are favorable results that can occur. Consider a few:Suffering Gives Us Opportunity to Prove Our Commitment to God.1 Peter 1:7 says as gold is purified by passing through fire, so the genuineness of our faith is proved by trials. If suffering was limited to sinners and Christians never suffered, all people would want to be Christians, not because they really loved God, but just to avoid pain and suffering. The fact that Christians suffer too means that suffering "separates the men from the boys" - it shows who is willing to remain faithful even when it is hard to do so. (Acts 5:40-42; 1 Cor. 11:19; 1 Peter 4:12)Suffering Causes Spiritual Growth.Romans 5:3-5 – “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings,?because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”Even in the physical realm, which bones and muscles are the strongest? It is the ones that face the most resistance or hardship.If you lay a block of ice and a block of clay in the sun, one is melted and the other is hardened. The same circumstance produces opposite results. Trials defeat some people but strengthen others. It depends on how we deal with them.Suffering Keeps Us Humble and Dependent on God.Affliction taught Paul not to trust in himself, but in God. In 2 Corinthians 1:8-11 we read, “We do not want you to be uninformed,?brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced?in the province of Asia.?We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God,?who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril,?and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope?that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.?Then many will give thanks?on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.”Satan at times puts trials in our lives to harm us. Yet one of the greatest demonstrations of God's power is His ability to take those problems and use them to accomplish good. The greatest example of this is the death of Christ. Satan intended it as a defeat for God and all humanity, yet it ended up as the salvation of humanity. (1 Peter 2:21-24)ConclusionMost of us have read the beautiful poem called Footprints. This poem has brought comfort to many people. What’s interesting is that the person, who wrote Footprints, Margaret Fishback, went through amazing trials. The person that she loved left her; she caught meningitis, and was literally bedridden for many months. She came to the lowest place of her life. During that time, another man fell in love with her and wanted to marry her. But she wouldn’t marry him. She basically said, "I’m out of trust. I’m not sure I trust God. I know I don’t trust men. I’m out of trust." One night in her diary as she lay in bed, she began to write that beautiful poem, Footprints, and that night she saw the answer as the Lord inspired her.I Had a DreamOne night I had a dreamI was walking along the beach with my Lord.Across the sky flashed scenes from my life.For each scene I noticed two setsof footprints in the sand, one belonging to meand the other to my Lord.When the last scene of my life shot before meI looked back at the footprints in the sand.There was only one set of footprints.I realized that this was at the lowestand saddest times in my life.This always bothered meand I questioned the Lordabout my dilemma."Lord, you told me when I decided to follow You,You would walk and talk with me all the way.But I'm aware that during the most troublesome times of my life there is only one set of footprints.I don't understand why, when I needed You most, you leave me."He whispered, "My precious, precious child,I love you and will never leave younever, ever during your times of trial and testings.When you saw only one set of footprintsIt was then that I carried you."Finally I want to share with you a verse of Scripture which has made a profound impact on my life.James 1:12, ““Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the victor’s crown, the life God has promised to those who love him.”Our Lord will give the victor’s crown to those who have stood the test! In this I greatly rejoice! ................
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