8 We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. 9 We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. 10 Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.
(2 Corinthians 4:8-10 NLT)
I know a lot of people who are believers and none of them are without suffering in their lives. The idea that when we come to Christ we enter into this protected life where nothing can touch us and all is well all the time is not a Biblical construct but, rather, a deception of the enemy. All sorts of problems afflict those who believe in Christ- money problems, health problems, family problems, etc. Psalm 34:19 says the righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all. We are promised that the Lord will deliver us from our problems, not prevent us from having them in the first place.
Philippians 1:9 says that it has been granted to us not only to believe in Christ but also to suffer for Him. The New Living Translation calls it "the privilege" of suffering for Him. This comes from the same Greek word that translates "to show favor or grace to" and conveys the meaning that God has chosen a certain amount of hardships for us to go through in life for the sake of growing us in and glorifying Himself through our faith. It is in these hard times that our faith is tested and shown to be true or lacking, and it is in these trials that God is glorified when we turn to Him instead of ourselves.
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Faith Moves Forward
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