Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
We only have to watch about five minutes of the evening news to see something unjust, infuriating or heart-breaking. These days, nearly every story manages to include all three at once.
Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him.
Grace has often been defined as, simply, the unmerited favor and blessing of God. Yet, I believe grace is much more than this. It is everything that Christ is to us in our times of suffering — power, might, kindness, mercy and love — to see us through our afflictions and trials.
Throughout scripture, God dispenses his grace through revelations during our trials that we could never understand in our good times. God’s goodness comes to his people in times of trouble, calamity, isolation and hardship. For instance, the disciple John was “in Jesus’ bosom” for three years. It was a time of utter rest, peace and joy. Yet, in all that time, John received very little revelation. He knew Jesus only as the Son of Man. So, when did John receive his revelation of Christ in all his glory? It happened only after he was dragged from Ephesus in chains.
This week, Keith Holloway joins Gary Wilkerson again to discuss and explore what the Bible says about God’s sovereignty.
This week, Gary starts a new series about the nature and character of God.
At one point in his walk of faith, the apostle Paul said, “The Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me that bonds and afflictions await me” (see Acts 20:23). Indeed, throughout Paul’s entire life, his afflictions never let up. You may wonder, “How can this be? The God we serve is almighty and victorious. He only has to speak a word and make it possible for us to go through life in triumph, with no troubles at all. So, why would our loving Father permit his people to suffer?”
During the 1846-1860 cholera pandemic that claimed over one million lives, Charles Spurgeon wrote a brutally honest and illuminating passage in reminiscence of that time.
