Tuesday, September 23, 2008

All That From Suffering?

“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.” (Romans 5:3-4 NIV)

"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." (I Peter 5: 10 KJV)

All this comes from the sufferings of Christians? Perseverence, character, hope, perfection, power, firm footedness, is all the fruit, directly or indirectly, of suffering? Can it be so?

Could it be that the reason some do not have these blessed things is that they have not suffered? Or, whose sufferings have not been blessed and sanctified?

If sufferings produce all these blessed things, then Christians ought to rather "rejoice" in them, rather than to complain.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance." (James 1: 2,3 NIV)

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