Suffering Has Purpose In The Christian Life

Believers Should Expect Suffering In Their Lives

Believers should expect suffering in life because no one, believer and non-believer, is immune to the impact of our sinful world. Jesus promised that the world will mistreat His followers the same way they mistreated Him. The world mistreated God’s prophets the same way before His time. Satan runs our world, which is why it is hostile to God. Satan uses suffering to frustrate believers, discourage them, and get them to give up their faith. At the same time, God uses the suffering that believers experience for the purpose of building their faith. Even God did not give Jesus a pass on suffering just because He was His Son. He made Jesus go through the full human experience of birth, sufferings, joys, pains, and even death.

Retribution Theology Misrepresents The Role Of Suffering In The Life Of Believers

There is a common sentiment amongst Christians that believers will not and should not ever suffer, based on the idea that people receive what they deserve, with the righteous rewarded and the wicked punished. This is called retribution theology. While it appears that the Bible supports the idea of retribution theology through its many rewards and punishments according to one’s obedience to God as recorded in Mosaic Law, this ideology is also refuted by scripture as documented in the sufferings and trials of believers throughout the Old Testament and New Testament, even including Jesus himself who was sinless and therefore undeserving of punishment or suffering.

One thing to understand is that while God may sometimes choose to operate under the retribution principle, he’s not bounded by them. He is God and can do anything He wants according to His will and purposes. While the way God operates is beyond our finite understanding, the important thing for believers to focus on is understanding and trusting His character and purpose.

God’s retributions and rewards for individuals do not always occur immediately. Sometimes they occur later, and sometimes not even till Judgment Day. The second complication in this matter is that the sufferings and trials that believers experience may not be associated with punishments at all, but serve God’s purposes according to His will. Just because you suffer does not mean you’re being punished for sin. Nor does it mean that you are outside of God’s plan. Nor does it mean that you are not a true believer.

The other concepts missing from the retribution principle is grace and mercy. God chooses who he wants to give grace (undeserved favor) and mercy/forgiveness. He can choose at any point to have mercy and withhold punishment. The retribution principle ultimately falls flat for believers because Jesus is our sacrifice for our sins. His grace covers us and spares us the ultimate punishment of eternal damnation.

The Purpose of Promises Of Rewards And Punishments In The Bible

So what was the purpose of these promises of rewards and punishments recorded in the scriptures then? Were they simply motivators for believers to be obedient to God? A lot of the promises in the Old Testament applied to the ancient Israelites to produce obedience to God’s many rules as they were under God’s Old Covenant Law. God kept these promises to the ancient Israelites so that what He says does not “return void”, meaning that what He says will come to pass. By ensuring what He says comes to pass, He was demonstrating to the Israelites that He is a real and true God that exists and not some figment of their imagination. It is also in His nature to keep his Word because He is a holy and righteous God. The rewards and punishments that the Israelites experienced also demonstrated to them His role as their Judge.

Likewise, we Christian believers are under the New Covenant Law of Grace through Jesus Christ. Our faith is in God’s promises in the New Testament, of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life through Jesus Christ if we believe in Him. We believe in Jesus’s promise of the Holy Spirit to guide us in our journey towards holiness and obediently serving Him on earth. But there is also warning of judgement for those who don’t follow Christ. In John 5:22, it says, “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son”. That means God has handed authority of judgement to Jesus. On Judgement Day, Jesus will judge the whole world sending some to eternal reward and others to eternal punishment.

Prosperity Theology Misrepresents The Role Of Suffering In The Life Of Believers

Prosperity theology is the stance that God wants people to be wealthy and healthy, and that faith and good deeds will lead to material blessings. At face value, this does not sound like bad doctrine. But there are a few things wrong here. It emphasizes material wealth rather than eternal life. Jesus never preached about faith helping anyone to gain material wealth. He always emphasized having faith to obey God’s will and obtain eternal life as the reward.

This theology also assumes that because people have material wealth that they must be leading a Godly life. In Luke 18:25, Jesus says, “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God”. In response, amazed listeners asked Jesus, “Who then can be saved?”. Their shock was based their ideas of retribution theology and prosperity theology as they associated material wealth with God’s blessings and approval.

What this tells us is that material prosperity is not evidence of God’s approval. And material wealth is not necessarily a gift from God. It can be, but not always. For example, God blessed Solomon with material wealth because He saw Solomon’s heart would not be corrupted by it. On the other hand, the Bible also documents Satan attempting to give Jesus all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for Jesus worshiping him. This implies that there are people who are enjoying the material comforts of this world in exchange for defying God and embracing Satan’s sinful ways.

These material comforts therefore do not serve as a blessing to them. Sometimes their wealth is acquired by ill-gotten sinful means. Or wealth may become a source of pride and arrogance, leading people to believe they are self-sufficient and no longer need God. Or wealth may detach them from the needs of those less fortunate. In any case, their material wealth is a trap to keep them neglecting their souls and prevent them from pursuing a relationship with God.

Unfortunately, those who neglect God are unintentionally following Satan. As a result, they may enjoy temporary worldly prosperity on earth, but they’ll have no eternal future. On the other hand, 1 Timothy 4:8 states that “spiritual exercise is valuable in every way, because it promises life both for the present and for the future.” This shows that God’s reward of eternal life blesses His followers now as well as beyond just their time here on earth.

God knows our hearts and judges us based on that, while mankind judges based on what we show on the outside. The only way to know whether one’s wealth is a blessing from God or a trap from Satan is to earnestly seek God and ask Him for revelation on our individual circumstances. That way, we will gain understanding and a chance to repent and turn back to God if need be.

Biblical Examples That Refute Retribution Theology And Prosperity Theology

Here are a few examples of believers in the Bible who suffered, including some who experienced poverty despite their faith:

Jesus – Jesus was born in poverty and a refugee at birth when his parents, Joseph and Mary, had to escape to Egypt to flee King Herod, who was trying to kill him. Jesus continued to live in poverty the remainder of his life and was persecuted by the Pharisees and Sadducees throughout his ministry and later crucified.
Job – Although Job was obedient and faithful to God, God allowed him to suffer loss of his wealth, his health, and his family. His friends applied retribution theology to his situation and they were rebuked by God later for being wrong.
John the Baptist – He lived in poverty in the wilderness while remaining faithful to God in performing his task to pave the way for Christ, but was jailed for speaking out against King Herod and later beheaded.
Joseph – He got sold into slavery by his brothers and was imprisoned for 14 years in Egypt.
Paul – He came from a prominent wealthy family of Pharisees before he was saved, but after salvation he lived in poverty the remainder of his life and suffered much persecution throughout his ministry
Most Old Testament prophets experienced many trials and sufferings and even poverty while they served God.

Examples of where wealth and prosperity can become stumbling blocks:

Satan tried to tempt Jesus by promising Him all the kingdoms of the world in exchange for his allegiance. On the surface, obtaining these worldly gifts would have been a nice short cut for Jesus getting God’s promises without suffering. Jesus of course did not give into Satan’s temptations.
In Revelation 3:17, Jesus rebukes the Laodicean church for being “lukewarm” believers that thought that their wealth and prosperity were evidence of God’s approval of them, when in reality they were spiritually bankrupt. Jesus told them they don’t realize they “are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” and that they need to repent. Although wealth and prosperity can be good things, they become bad things if believers elevate them above their relationship with God. They are also bad if people obtain them through sinful activities.
In the Parable of The Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), it describes how a rich man lives luxuriously while ignoring the suffering of a poor man. He ultimately faces eternal punishment after death for his focus on material possessions and lack of compassion.
In the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:13-21), it describes a man so focused on accumulating material wealth that he neglects his relationship with God. His obsessive love for money caused his spiritual neglect and costed him eternal life since he died as soon as he made his financial goal.
In the story of the rich young ruler (Matthew 19:16-22), a young man’s wealth prevents Him from fully following Jesus when Jesus asks him to give up his riches. Jesus probably requested this of the young man because He saw that the man placed his faith more so on his wealth than in God.

Please understand that the Bible does not take issue with having wealth. The problem is the love of money that causes it to become an idol and lead people away from God. Those of us who are fortunate to have wealth must be aware not to allow that to happen.

Satan’s Purpose In Using Suffering Against Believers and Nonbelievers

Satan uses suffering to try to turn believers and nonbelievers abandon God. He will use suffering to get believers to forfeit their faith in God and prevent nonbelievers from reaching out to God. He does this by using suffering as a tool of discouragement, especially if the suffering is prolonged or a sudden major crisis in one’s life.

The suffering that people experience can cause them desperation and hopelessness, especially if they cannot find help to resolve their troubles. As a result, their suffering may cause them to resort to sinful activities to alleviate their pain, such as lying, theft, substance abuse and other addictions, and even violence towards themselves or their neighbors. It may cause them to feel isolated or depressed and some may try even to end their own lives. Some may even start to believe that God does not exist or that God is evil because of the suffering they experience and see in the world.

Nonbelievers do not have the hope in Christ that believers have when suffering arrives. So they are more susceptible to Satan’s deceit. And their suffering may draw them even further away from God if they continue to place their faith in other people or things. But by God’s grace, He can still turn nonbelievers into believers by the Holy Spirit, just as He had done with believers who were formerly nonbelievers. And the believers’ faith in God provides them hope that God is in control as they continue to put their trust in Him despite their struggles.

God’s Purposes In The Suffering Of Believers

God, in his divine providence, performs His will in the world, even through our sufferings as believers. There are several reasons for this. One reason is to help us learn how to empathize with others who are suffering and comfort them just like Jesus had (2 Corinthians 1:3-5). Although Jesus was the Son of God, it was God’s will that Jesus would live the full human experience, suffer persecutions, and die so that He would fulfill His duty as our High Priest who could empathize with our weaknesses and temptations (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus’ suffering served a purpose, ultimately redeeming mankind.

Suffering also helps us recognize that we need God and that we do not have power over our own lives. This can potentially bring us closer to God as we seek Him for solace during our difficult times.

The bible also records that Jesus grew spiritually while He was growing from childhood into adulthood. He increased in wisdom, stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52). His sufferings played a part in His spiritual growth. Likewise God teaches us through our difficult experiences so that we grow and mature spiritually. Why do we need to grow and mature spiritually? We are believers because of our faith. So we must bolster and strengthen our faith so that we can remain steadfast in Christ no matter what life throws at us.

Faith serves a greater purpose in the life of the believer because it can produce a special fruit that God is after. This fruit is obedience. In Romans 1:5, Paul states that through Jesus “we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations”. Further in Romans 16:25–27, he describes that prophetic scriptures recorded the Gospel and teachings of Jesus for all nations to come to the obedience that comes from faith. God wants our loyalty and we demonstrate that with our obedience to Him. The bible reflects this sentiment throughout its text.

The prophet Samuel confronted King Saul about trying to atone for his blatant disobedience towards God by offering sacrifices. “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (1 Samuel 15:22). A similar theme is repeated in Hosea 6:6 where God states, “for I desire loyalty rather than sacrifice, and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings”.

God associated obedience with loyalty and he valued that over offering sacrifices for sin. Hosea 6:6 also showed that God values a personal relationship with Him over offerings and other outward expressions of worship and it makes sense why. Having a personal relationship with God will increase our faith in Him, thereby producing the obedience He desires in us. Our obedience is the greatest act of worship for God because it is our faith in action. It demonstrates the genuineness of our faith and love for Him.

This leads to our next reason why God allows believers to suffer. Suffering will increase, cultivate, and refine our faith to produce more obedience. If our faith in God is strong, we are more likely to obey Him and follow His will for our lives. Jesus learned obedience from his sufferings that tested His faith. “Even though Jesus was God’s Son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8).

It is interesting to note that the bible says that Jesus “learned” obedience as we tend to assume that because He was God’s Son that he would not need to learn this. But remember that God intended for Jesus to live the full human experience. Jesus felt hunger and pain and all human emotions. Satan tempted Jesus and others persecuted Him. He fasted to get close to God. And He prayed to God for guidance and strength. So Jesus still had to grow in faith while suffering the normal human experience. True faith in God results in obedience. While Jesus never sinned, His sufferings needed to test His faith to become proven faith so that believers could follow His example. And this is certainly not the first time God has done this with believers.

Consider the example of Job. Job already had faith in God and was obedient to Him. Satan pointed out that it was easy for Job to be devout to God because God continued to bless him. God then allowed Satan to put Job through much suffering to determine whether or not Job would still remain faithful to Him. Job proved to be faithful to God even though he had lost everything, his wealth, his health, and his children. His faith became perfected through his sufferings, moving from an immature, untested faith to a stronger proven faith producing a stronger obedience and loyalty to God unshaken by Satan.

Consider the example of Abraham. “Even when there was no reason for hope, Abraham kept hoping—believing that he would become the father of many nations. Abraham never wavered in believing God’s promise. In fact, his faith grew stronger, and in this he brought glory to God” (Romans 4:18, 20). It was humiliating to not have children back in Abraham’s day. So Abraham suffered this shame into old age for years waiting on God until Isaac was finally born. Holding on to God’s promises during his long wait tested Abraham’s faith and made it stronger. So much so, that when God tested Abraham again by requesting he sacrifice his only son, Abraham obeyed as he considered that God was able even to raise Isaac from the dead (Hebrews 11:19). His tested faith produced a stronger faith in God where he responded in obedience despite much more difficult testing.

And it is like that with tested faith in light of suffering. With each subsequent circumstance we suffer, we have the opportunity to trust God by responding with obedience to further solidify and mature our faith. In the book of Daniel, Daniel says that believers will be persecuted to be refined and cleansed and made pure until the time of the end (Daniel 11:35). Many will be purified, cleansed, and refined by these trials (Daniel 12:10).

Peter echoes this sentiment explaining that the trials and sufferings that believers face exist to prove the genuineness of their faith. He compares it to fire testing gold (1 Peter 1:6-7). “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us” (Romans 5:3-5).

Our Response To Suffering

The Christian response to suffering is to hold on to God, pray for his grace to endure it, learn from it, and grow in faith. We can still ask for God to relieve our suffering, but only if it is according to His will. Even Jesus asked God to remove the suffering of crucifixion that He would endure if possible. But He also prayed for God’s will over His own (Matthew 26:39). Likewise, Paul asked God to deliver him from a malady brought on by Satan. God responded “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9).

Paul accepted that God’s grace will allow him to endure his suffering. He also recognized that the reason why God did not remove his suffering was to prevent him from becoming too proud as a result of all the amazing supernatural experiences he had. Therefore, he reasoned his suffering is helping him to remain humble and continue to lean on God throughout his ministry.

Believers will suffer many persecutions but God will save those who remain faithful to Him and endure till the end (Matthew 24:9-13). Paul had encountered a large amount of persecutions and suffering in his lifetime for the sake of the Gospel. He would go on to state, “the Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” (Romans 8:16-17).

But where did Paul obtain this strength to endure the brutal sufferings he experienced? Paul said “I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Jesus knew we would need help, so He sent us the Holy Spirit as our Helper and Comforter to be with us forever (John 14:16). God never promised easy paths, but He did promise to walk with us wherever His path takes us and He expects us to faithfully obey Him. We are not to crumble in the face of adversity, but double down in our commitment to God and trust his faithfulness.

Whatever Doesn’t Kill Your Faith, Makes Your Faith Stronger

No matter what you go through in life, please know that God is by your side to comfort, encourage, and strengthen you. Life’s circumstances will test your faith. But it will increase as you draw closer to God and trust in His help to endure and overcome your suffering. You will come out of your circumstances with a greater understanding of God and yourself. Your tested faith will give you more boldness to face future obstacles because of your history with God during previous hardships. It will produce more consistent obedience to God.

Consider an athlete who exerts much pressure and pain during exercise to grow in strength and produce muscles. It is the same way believers should exercise our spiritual muscle against suffering to grow in faith and produce holiness. “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8). This indicates that God’s purpose in perfecting our faith and obedience has eternal implications that prepare us for the afterlife as well as the present. So we hold on to the knowledge and hope that the suffering we experience in our Christian journeys is not in vain.

Rely on and understand the character of God to get through suffering. Know that God is good and does not allow you to suffer needlessly. He has a purpose behind your suffering and He will work it out for your benefit, physically or spiritually. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose”.