Suffering Produces…Hope
“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope” (Romans 5:3-4)
Suffering
Adversity
Hardship
Ordeal
Torment
Misery
Anguish
Who wants any of this
Unless one is a “Glutton for punishment”
Or has an unconscious need to be punished or be a victim
Who in the world would willingly submit to suffering
Suffering needs to have a purpose
Having purpose gives us hope
It gives our suffering meaning
Jesus’ suffering brought about our salvation
Reconciliation of relationship between God and humankind
His suffering had a clear purpose
“For the joy set before Him He endured the cross”
Jesus saw the purpose of His suffering:
US
Therefore He was able to endure the suffering of the cross
How about us
What purpose could our suffering possibly accomplish
Romans chapter 5 states that
Suffering produces perseverance
When we are unable to get out of suffering
Long term suffering
We feel powerless
We finally come to the end of ourself
When we realize that we do not have the power to stop our suffering
There seems to be no other choice except to endure
Endurance under long term suffering
Produces
Perseverance
What Satan meant for evil God meant for good
When we see our suffering from that perspective
We get to choose how we respond to suffering
This persevering attitude
Where we get to choose how we respond
Gives us the opportunity to take on
The Mind of Christ
Sharing in His suffering
In order that we might share in His glory
We gain the privilege of
Identifying with Christ in His suffering
So we might also share in His resurrection glory
This is a Christ-like attitude
Christlikeness
Christ character
Godly character
Our perseverance then produces character
Since this character is of God
We have hope
Our hope does not disappoint
For it is centered on Christ
His death
His resurrection
There is resurrection hope in the midst of our suffering
Knowing that our suffering is working in us to
Produce perseverance
Perseverance working in us to develop
Christ-like character
Because of what Christ as done for us on the cross
We too have the hope of resurrection
We then have hope in the midst of our suffering
There is yet a purpose in our suffering
For God is working in us
In and through
Our suffering
Therefore
Suffering
Produces perseverance
Perseverance
produces character
and Character
Produces
Hope
A hope that does not disappoint
In the midst of
Our suffering
"While I Wait" ~ Lincoln Brewster
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