Why Christians Suffer?

But according to the Holy One who called you, you yourselves also be holy in all your manner of life; Because it is written, “You shall be holy because I am holy.” And if you call as Father the One who without respect of persons judges according to each one’s work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear, (1 Peter 1:15-17, RecVer)

This week, the Lord has been speaking to me particularly as He also spoke to the whole church as we are pursuing the truth concerning the Christian life under the government of God. The Lord made it very clear to me that all that transpired in a believer's life is sovereignly under His government for the purpose of fulfilling His economy. Since we are the kingdom people to fulfill God’s purpose, God also carries our His work of judging, purifying His children to be made Holy as He is holy to clear up the entire universe and bring in the new heaven and new earth. 

The judging in 1 Peter is a daily judging under His government that His children go through for purification and this began from His house. Therfore, the sufferings in iur Christian life.

Beloved, do not think that the fiery ordeal among you, coming to you for a trial, is strange, as if it were a strange thing happening to you; But inasmuch as you share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice exultingly. (1 Peter 4:12-13, RecVer)

As the Lord judges, our experiences are like going through a fiery ordeal, as gold or silver is being smelted for purification. God has His divine purpose in allowing this fiery ordeals. 

First, we must remember that despite being saved and born into the kingdom of God, despite the Spirit being in our spirit, we are still in the old creation. Our soul and body are still in the process of transformation. The Lord uses "strange dealings" to deal with us. It could be health issues, financial crisis, relationship misunderstandings, job related, etc. But the wise God uses all these to deal with the old creation until He can clear them all for our good and for His divine purpose. So, we "suffer" under His government. 

Second, He uses all dealings as a means of disciplining His children as our loving Father.

And you have completely forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when reproved by Him; For whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives.” It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons. For what son is there whom the father does not discipline? But if you are without discipline, of which all sons have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore we have had the fathers of our flesh as discipliners and we respected them; shall we not much more be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined for a few days as it seemed good to them; but He, for what is profitable that we might partake of His holiness. Now no discipline at the present time seems to be a matter of joy, but of grief; but afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised by it. (Hebrews 12:5-11, RecVer)

Third, as He disciplines us, by His mercy, we may turn to Him, learn to trust in Him, and live by the Spirit.

But I say, Walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lust of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16, RecVer)

If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit. (Galatians 5:25, RecVer)

Fourth, in this way of being disciplined by the Holy Spirit and living by the Spirit, we will gain God, grow and be mature in the divine life.

Fifth, all these fiery ordeals that we go through under His sovereignty are our participating in the sufferings of Christ for the fulfillment of His divine purpose in gaining us for His Body to be builded up.

Since, we cannot escape the hands of God following us in His sovereignty, we need to have a proper attitude to receive everything as from the Lord for our own good and for the fulfillment of His divine purpose. The Lord Jesus Himself is a good pattern for us to follow, commiting all to the Father.

So then let those also who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing to a faithful Creator. (1 Peter 4:19, RecVer)

We must pass the time of our daily living in the fear of God; the holy and reverential fear of God, knowing that He sees and knows all of our inner being and outward condition.

Pass the time of your sojourning in fear, (1 Peter 1:17, RecVer)

Therefore, let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God.

In like manner, younger men, be subject to elders; and all of you gird yourselves with humility toward one another, because God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Therefore be humbled under the mighty hand of God that He may exalt you in due time, (1 Peter 5:5-6, RecVer)

In this way, we live our Christian life under the government of God for the fulfillment of His divine economy. 

I enjoyed these words this week and was very much enlightened concerning the purpose of sufferings a Christian go through and the proper attitude required. Today, I released this burden and also my personal enjoyment and enlightenment of the word of God in the church meeting as the concluding word of the meeting. I believe, the saints also received the Lord’s timely speaking to the church and we all were richly fed today.

These are the answers to the million dollar question many Christians who presumed to have a dreamy "fairy tale spiritual life" by ends up suffering. The answer to the paradoxical question, "Why Christians suffer?"

Praise the Lord for His speaking! Praise the Lord for His dealings! Lord, gain us fully unto maturity for Your divine purpose.