Why do Christians suffer? Part 1

By Gerry Straker, 07 May 2020

A while ago I promised some thoughts on why Christians suffer...

• Why do Christians get the coronavirus?
• Why do Christians struggle with mental health?
• Why do Christians have hard things happen to them?

If Christ has died once for all, our punishment is taken away, we are forgiven, and righteous, why do Christians still suffer? Wonderfully, Christians really don’t suffer punishment for sins. If we trust Christ Jesus we truly have been forgiven all of our sins and made righteous. God is just and sin is not paid for twice!

No, Christians suffer precisely because we are Christians. And as Christians, all our suffering is suffering for being a Christian. It is a great comfort to know that all our suffering has purpose. It is because we are Christians, because God is at work in us and through us that we face all the kinds of suffering that we face.

I love this from Charles Spurgeon: ‘It is pleasant to pass over a country after a storm has spent itself--to smell the freshness of the herbs after the rain has passed away, and to note the drops while they glisten like purest diamonds in the sunlight. That is the position of a Christian. He is going through a land where the storm has spent itself upon His Saviour's head, and if there be a few drops of sorrow falling, they distil from clouds of mercy, and Jesus cheers him by the assurance that they are not for his destruction.’

Many of our church are suffering. All of us will suffer in some way, most likely in many ways. Knowing why won't take away the pain, but knowing some of the possible reasons will, I pray, reassure you that God loves you and is in charge over your suffering. I hope that thinking this through will change how we pray for our suffering brothers and sisters. By the way, in each suffering situation I would think it would be a combination of the reasons over these two blog posts.

Here's part 1...

1. TEST

As we learnt in our Job series in spring 2019, suffering is a test: are we real believers? Will we be fruitful?

Paul Grimmond: ‘Whenever suffering comes along of whatever kind – the right way to deal with it lies in staying true to Christ…in all suffering we are presented with the one challenge: the challenge to faithfully follow Christ.’[1] Again: ‘In nearly every moment of suffering, Christians face the question: will you stick with Jesus or will you walk the way of comfort?’[2] Thirdly: ‘The great struggle of suffering is not particularly with outside powers and forces but with our stubborn and sinful hearts. This is not a particularly fashionable response to the problem of suffering.’[3]

It is a noble warfare to battle against temptation and to respond well to suffering: to keep going as a Christian; to keep battling sin; and to keep serving.

2. VICTORY

When we battle, we get to share in the victory of beating the devil! Of course, Christ has beaten the devil forever at the cross (Colossians 2:15; 1 John 3:8). But after the city is taken, there are still some skirmishes in the street, and we get to fight and to share in the victory. It is a privilege to share in Jesus’ victory. In the Holy Spirit's power, ‘Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.’ (James 4:7). Indeed, ‘The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.’ (Romans 16:20).

3. GLORY

We bring God glory as we suffer and keep going as Christians, keep battling sins, keep serving, and keep turning up (when we are allowed again). Christian, as you suffer and persevere you are bringing glory to God; that gives great significance to all our pain.

Thomas Brooks: ‘As our greatest good comes through the sufferings of Christ, so God’s greatest glory that He hath from His saints comes through their sufferings.’[4]

4. GROWTH

‘More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character…’ (Romans 5:3-4). Suffering brings endurance which brings character. On the other hand, no suffering, means no endurance, and no character growth!

Paul Grimmond again: ‘Graciousness, wisdom, integrity, godliness, faithfulness…none of these things is learned in comfort.’ [5]

God is at work in everything as Paul says in Romans 8:28-29: ‘And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.’

We are being made through all things – suffering included – like Christ; this is our goal as human beings – to be made like Jesus. God uses all things including suffering to make us like His Son.

5. DISCIPLINE

Related to our growth is our discipline. We don’t suffer punishment for our sins, but we might suffer discipline. 'And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons? "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives." It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.' (Hebrews 12:5-8).

When one of my children sins, they are not removed from the family - they are safe with us as our chlidren! But they are disciplined for their sins, albeit imperfectly by imperfect parents. But God loves us as our Father, our perfect Father. And as our Father, he wants to change us, to make us like his Son. And that involves punishment – not to pay for our sins, but disciplining punishment to teach us. Do you know a child that is spoilt and not disciplined? What is the parent like? What is the child like? The parent who truly loves the child will do the hard, painful work of disciplining them. Discipline is because we are loved.

Imagine your sin coating you like burnt fat on a frying pan. The Holy Spirit is scouring away our sin, to make us shiny and clean. And that can be painful!

As Matthew Henry said: ‘The best of God’s servants, his own household, have so much amiss in them as renders it fit and necessary that God should sometimes correct and punish them with his judgements.’[6] John Piper recently tweeted: ‘God alone knows how deep and pervasive is our reliance upon the powers of the flesh. Disease is often disenthronement.’ (Deuteronomy 32:36)

The discipline of God is why we've been saying that the coronavirus pandemic is a time to repent for believers too. A time of crisis is a good time to reflect on our walk with Christ – how might God be disciplining me at this time? There is always more work for the Holy Spirit to do, and always more to repent of, don't you find?

More to come…

[1] Paul Grimmond, Suffering Well, 112.
[2] Grimmond, 116
[3] Grimmond, 110.
[4] A Puritan Golden Treasury, compiled by I.D.E. Thomas, 288.
[5] Grimmond, 111.
[6] Matthew Henry, Commentary on the whole Bible, 2432.

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