Peter writing on the trials that some Christians were going through 1Peter 1,that while they can rejoice in their salvation now,and which shall be revealed in last in all its fulness.Then he goes unto say,'though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.Two things there which he says about the trials,their duration,'a little while,'no matter how long the trials which we are suffering in light of eternity,they are brief. Romans 8 v 18 tells us that'our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us,'One commentator writes,'that our currant suffering is insignficent compared to the future glory and joy the believer will experience in eternity'.Peter is not making light of the trials we are going through,by no means,but he is seeking to point us to the bigger picture. The next thing we consider as to the believers suffering, it proves if our faith is genuine,there used to be a saying in the early days of evangelisim in China as regards those those who professed to be Christians that they were called rice Christians,their apparent decision for being a Christian, was that they were fed. Our Lord said that about those who had been fed in John 6 when Jesus performed a miracle (John 6 v 26) If your following Jesus for material prosperity then your faith is not genuine.The next thing he mentions as regards trials,our faith is refined,he uses the example of gold refined by fire. Edmund Clowney writes the following,God sends trials to strengthen our faith in Him.and to keep us trusting;they burn away our self confidence and drive us to our Saviour'.There is much more we could say as regards God's purpose for our suffering,just remember that He has a loving purpose in all that comes into our lives.
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