"But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you."
1 Peter 5:10
Part 3
Yesterday: We Trust the Sovereign God Who Called Us
“Who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus.”
Believers, we are the “called out ones.”
God has called believers out of the world, and we are headed toward His eternal glory in Christ. But before glory, there is suffering.
Today: Where Is Our Suffering Taking Us?
While we are suffering, it is hard to tell that there is any purpose and anything good in it. It is fitting for us to understand our suffering from God’s perspective before we go through affliction. Above everything else, when we are enduring suffering, it is the time to trust in our Sovereign God and not faint.
The Bible teaches us that suffering comes for each of us.
“After that, ye have suffered a while.”
Being human, sometimes it’s hard to walk by faith when we go through painful experiences that we do not understand. Some might ask, how can we trust God when we are suffering? If we only look at our adversity from our human point of view, we can only see a tiny part of the picture. It will help us to take a look at our afflictions from God’s perspective.[1]
1. I need to have the right opinion of the testing.
Affliction and testing are good for us and our spiritual character. It is through God’s refining that He removes the impurities from our lives and draws us closer to Him.
God used this picture for the refining of the nation of Israel.
“Behold, I [the LORD] have refined you [Israel], but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction” (Isaiah 48:10).
And God also uses this image of refining precious metal for His child.
“The fining pot is for silver, and the furnace for gold, but the LORD trieth [tests] the hearts” (Proverbs 17:3).
Precious metals are tested and purified in the fining pot and the furnace. Only when the fire is applied with great heat can the precious metals have the trash removed. God uses the testing heat of affliction and adversity to work in our hearts as well.
“The most appropriate place for the human heart to be tested and purified is with the Lord Himself. His Word and His truth give a wise, loving standard that will both examine and refine the inner man or woman”[2] (Guzik).
“He, therefore, tries us, that He may make us know what is in us, what dross, what pure metal; and that all may see that we are such as, for a need, can ‘glorify Him in the very fires,’ [Isaiah 24:15]”[3] (Trapp).
We need to remember, suffering is only for a little while – “after that, you have suffered for a while.”
“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” (2 Corinthians 4:17).
Our affliction is light compared with others, and it is momentary, not eternal. Thank the Lord.
2. I need to have the right opinion of God.
We must not lose sight of the fact that He is “the God of all grace” and that He said, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). “His strength will be perfected in my weakness.” What a fantastic pledge to believers! Regardless of our inability, He will give us the “need appropriate grace” that we may stand in any of the trials and adversities we will face in life!
He loves us and wants to see us grow and become more like Jesus. Therefore, He graciously takes an active part in our spiritual development (or progressive sanctification).
3. I need to have the right opinion of God’s purpose for me.
You are, “called…unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus.”
Jesus Christ has begun a good work in us.
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8-10).
One of the reasons Jesus saved us is so that we may serve God with our lives. He is working in us and will not stop until His work is finished. In Christ, our lives have meaning and purpose.
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren” (Romans 8:28-29).
It is for all believers who “love God and are called according to His purpose” that can know that all things work together for their good. “All things” means “all” things; the good, the bad, the ugly, the important stuff and the trivial, the blessings and the persecutions, the joys, and the trials. He works everything together for our good and His glory. Only our Sovereign God can make meaning and purpose out of our suffering!
4. I need to have the right opinion of God’s purpose for my suffering.
He is working in us and will “make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you” through your suffering. Please come back tomorrow as we look to understand these four thoughts of how God works in our lives.
Quote: “Most of the grand truths of God have to be learned by trouble; they must be burned into us with the hot iron of affliction; otherwise we shall not truly receive them”[4] (Spurgeon).
[1] The basic ideas of these four thoughts I have borrowed and edited from Stephen J Cole. Cole’s lesson, “Growing Solid Through Suffering.” Downloaded: Sunday, August 22, 2021. From: https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-23-growing-solid-through-suffering-1-peter-56-14.
[2] Guzik’s quote is from the Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. Proverbs 17:3. The emphasis is his.
[3] Trapp’s quote is borrowed from the Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword. Proverbs 17:3.
[4] Spurgeon’s quote Downloaded: Wednesday, August 4, 2021. From: https://gracequotes.org/topic/affliction/.