---

Topical Studies | Angels | Anger | Anxiety | Baptism | Communication | Confession | Contentment | Covenant | Discipleship | Envy | Evangelism | Faith | Faithfulness | Fasting | False Teachers | Fellowship | Generosity  | Grace | Gratitude | Holiness | Hope |  Hospitality | Hypocrisy | Marriage | Money | Making Vows | Peer Pressure | Persecution | Rest | Resurrection | Self-control | Service | Spiritual Gifts | Sin | Stewardship | Suffering | Temptation | The Tongue |

---

Suffering Produces Endurance

---

Romans 5:3-4 – Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.

Suffering produces endurance.

God does not promise:

• Guaranteed wealth
• Perfect health
• Success in every project
• Guaranteed promotion
• A life without suffering

Paul had strong faith in God and he still suffered.

2 Corinthians 11:23-28 – Far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches.

Paul was not unique in that. Joseph followed God faithfully and he was imprisoned for years. David followed God faithfully and he was a fugitive on the run from Saul living in the wilderness wondering where his food would come from the next day.  Job followed God faithfully and he lost everything.

David said, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

God doesn’t promise that we will never experience difficulties, but He does promise to be with us.

This is not a popular message these days. It may be difficult to attract certain people to church by telling them that God might take your through difficulty and suffering. Yet it is true.

Why?

God is on the throne. He has the power to give us an easy life if He chooses. So why should we suffer?

Paul gives the answer. Suffering produces endurance. Endurance produces character.

Illustration – John Bunyan

John Bunyan was imprisoned in 1660 for preaching without a license. At that time in England, the crown sought to control all public religion. Only authorized preachers could hold services. Bunyan believed that every Christian should share the good news and that he was called by God to teach it to others. His position was much like that of Peter and John who said, “We must obey God rather than man.”

Authorities warned him that if he preached, he would be arrested. He did it anyway and was then thrown in prison.

This was real suffering. Bunyan had a wife and four children, one of whom was blind.

Bunyan had a choice. Remain faithful to God’s calling or compromise. If he gave up and promised not to preach, he would be set free from prison. The suffering would end immediately. His choice to remain faithful is what built his endurance, character, and hope. Bunyan was imprisoned for 12 years. Day after day, he chose to remain faithful to his calling. He endured. While in prison, he wrote the book Pilgrim’s Progress. It is a story illustrating how believers ‘faith in God gives them strength to persevere. In this story, Christian, sets his hope on being with the King in the Celestial City. That hope pushes him forward through many difficulties. In many ways, the Pilgrim’s Progress was a story about Bunyan’s own life and about the life of every Christian.

After 12 years, Bunyan was finally released from prison. What did he do? Immediately begin preaching again. He hadn’t given up, but his resolve to serve God had become stronger. After three years, he was imprisoned again for 6 months.

When he was released, what did he do? Start preaching again.

Suffering produced endurance and endurance produces character and character produced hope. His hope was not in this world or being set free from prison. His hope was in the Lord.

We should be clear that suffering does not automatically produce endurance, character, and hope. God uses difficulties with the desire to produce these traits in us. But what is produced depends on our response. Suffering can also produce quit and giving up.

Before the US army selects people for special forces, they put them through around three weeks of intense conditions: long marches, extreme situations, obstacle courses, and more. More than 50% quit and don’t finish the course. For the faithful, suffering reveals and strengthens their endurance and character. For the others, it reveals their lack of character and weeds out those who are not yet ready to endure.

God intends suffering to produce endurance in us. But it goes together with faith. A believer with faith will respond to difficulties by setting his hope on God and continuing to run the race with endurance.

Hebrews 12:1-2 – Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus…

Application –

Sometimes wd think that suffering is pointless. Why does a good God allow us to suffer?

The reason is that once we are saved, God is not done with us. You could say that God’s goal is to produce faithful soldiers who will persevere.

An army trainer puts recruits through intense training, boot camp, to help them develop endurance and all the other qualities that soldiers need. The one  s who don’t quit grow stronger.

When you face suffering or difficulties ask, “What is God trying to teach me?”

Many of you are facing real life difficulties.

• You are struggling with the funds to pay your tuition. What is God trying to teach you?
• You are facing health struggles and pain. What is God trying to teach you?
• You are facing challenges in your marriage or work life. What is God trying to teach you?

Day to day, we even face difficulties in our ordinary life. Many small things, but sometimes they are frustrating. Things break. The weather is hot or rainy. The traffic is bad. Our response to all of these things will decide whether these lessons are wasted (and perhaps need to be repeated) or whether they grow us.

Application: When you face difficulties, prayerfully come before the Lord and ask, “What are you trying to teach me?” Then respond by being faithful.

Suffering also produces character.

Romans 5:3-4 – Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope/

James 1:3-4 – For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

God is more concerned with our character than our comfort.

He uses situations in our life to train us. Parents should understand that. I give my kids chores to do, not because that is what they would choose to do in that moment. Mostly they would rather not. But I believe that doing chores and housework will help them develop character long term.

In the same way, I encourage my kids to do exercise and sports. Some people may physically enjoy doing squats, situps, pushups, and running laps. But most don’t. I don’t either. Yet we know that it is beneficial long term to do it. The physical pain and fatigue in the moment makes us healthier and stronger long term.

Because I care about my children’s long-term health, I encourage them to exercise, even though it can be painful and even though they may not enjoy it.

How much more does God care about our character. He exists outside of our timeframe. He is far more aware than we are that our time on earth is just a tiny blip compared to eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:17-18 – For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

Let’s take a moment and evaluate our character. Look at the following statements and give yourself a 1-5.

• When things are difficult, I remain thankful and joyful rather than complain.
• When life is difficult, I look to God and persevere rather than giving up.
• When facing difficulties, I continue to trust God rather than give in to the thinking that He has abandoned me.
• I can see clear growth in my character in the past year.
• I can look back and see times when God has used difficulties to shape my character.

When facing suffering, remember, “God wants to use this to grow me.”

Christ’s Anguish in Gethsemane

Mark 14:33-34 — “And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, ‘My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.'”

This passage shows us Jesus’ humanity very clearly. We often highlight Jesus’ divinity, sometimes to the point of overlooking the fact that He was a human like you and me. Jesus was not carved out of a rock, stoic and emotionless.

Luke 22:44 — “And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

He is troubled to the point that He sweat blood. This is a very rare condition called hematidrosis and it has been observed by doctors on occasion when people face extreme distress. So why was Jesus so troubled? He knows the sheer amount of pain and suffering He is going to face. Every scourge of the whip, every hit with the rod, every prick of the crown of thorns, every hateful insult, every hammer of the nails, every bruise, every cut, and the weight of the world’s sin on His shoulders, Jesus knew.

Reflect — Would you be willing to die for your faith?

Reflect — What are some of the reasons why Jesus was so distressed?

• His close friend was about to betray Him for money, even after being warned.
• His disciples would flee and even deny they knew Him.
• They would come to arrest Him like a common criminal, fully equipped with clubs and weapons of every kind.
• Jesus would be mocked and publicly ridiculed.
• People who hailed Him as the Messiah would turn against Him and demand His crucifixion.
• He would be mercilessly beaten and tortured.
• He would be wrongfully brutally murdered.
• He would face separation from His Father.
• His Father, whom He had perfect and eternal fellowship with, would pour His wrath out on Him.
• Jesus would be punished for the sins of the world, innocent, He would become sin for us.

Hebrews 4:15 — “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

He was tempted in all ways as we are yet without sin. He understands you. He knows the battle that you are going through. He knows the temptations you face. He knows the inner struggles that you have that no one knows about. He understands the doubts and fears and worries that swirl through your mind. He sympathizes with you. And He wants to help you if you will turn to Him.

Jesus was distressed. He prayed. And after His prayer, He was able to face the most horrific suffering ever known with complete calmness and serenity.

Application — Next time you are worried, go to a quiet place. Put aside distractions. Quiet your heart. And spend time in prayer. Keep praying until your worry is replaced with peace.

— From our Bible study on Mark 14:32-52

The Suffering Servant

Isaiah 53:4-5 — “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Verse 4 tells us that people thought His punishment was deserved. Verse 5 tells us that He was punished for us. Substitutionary atonement is taught in four statements: He was pierced for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities. Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace. With His wounds we are healed.

This is four ways of saying the same thing. He took our punishment. He paid the penalty for our sins. His suffering, His wounds, His pain, brought us peace and healed us.

Notice the detail even in the words used. Pierced: His feet and hands were pierced with nails. Crushed: the weight of the cross crushed Him and He couldn’t lift it. More than this, there was the unseen weight of sin upon His shoulders. Wounds: He had wounds from the whip, wounds from the nails, and a wound from the spear.

Application — Are you feeling the weight of your sins on your own shoulders? Do you feel crushed? Do you feel guilty? Overwhelmed by sin and its effects? You don’t have to. Jesus died in your place to take that load off you. Stop trying to carry it yourself and give it to Him.

Isaiah 53:6 — “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

This is a verse often used when sharing the gospel. It shows us two things, our problem and the solution.

— From our Bible study on Isaiah 53, The Suffering Servant

Granted to Suffer for Christ

Philippians 1:29 — “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe in him, but also to suffer for him.”

In the past, I have been guilty of taking this verse out of context and concluding that all believers are guaranteed to face suffering/persecution. Actually, Paul is teaching that the Philippians will face suffering, not necessarily everyone. However, it is a reasonable assumption that since the world is still anti-Christ, many believers today who take a stand for Christ will still face varying degrees of suffering and persecution.

Paul uses the word “granted,” which is similar to the word “given.” It is almost as if it is a favor, a privilege. Indeed, it is a privilege to suffer for Christ.

The verse shows that believers should expect to suffer. If we expect it, it will help us to prepare mentally and spiritually and to commit ahead of time to standing firm in the face of pressure. When we do face troubles for Christ, we should thank God that we are worthy to suffer for Him. And we should make sure that the reason we are suffering is the right reason and that we respond to it correctly, being a good testimony for Him.

Application — Share about a time you have suffered for Christ. How was your response? How should you respond?

— From our Bible study on Philippians 1:19-30

The Fellowship of His Sufferings

Philippians 3:10 — “I want to know Christ – yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.”

Knowing God is a personal relationship and fellowship. It includes experiencing the power of the resurrection since if we are in Christ, we ourselves are alive from the dead. It involves identifying ourselves with Christ and therefore sharing in His sufferings, meaning that we have some taste of the persecutions that He went through.

Also, knowing God means we follow Jesus’ example of giving His life by dying to ourselves and living for Christ. We can develop a deep, personal connection to Christ if we truly have faith in Him through prayer and the Word.

— From our Bible study on Philippians 3:1-11

Afflicted But Not Crushed

2 Corinthians 4:8-9 — “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.”

Paul describes some of their weaknesses and difficulties. But each of these four metaphors show us that no matter how many challenges ministers of the gospel go through, God will give them strength to get through and still reach people for Christ.

By itself, a clay jar is weak. You would think that at the first heavy impact it would be shattered. And that is true of actual clay jars. But for evangelists, the impacts do not shatter them. God gives supernatural and sustaining strength. A person who depends on his own strength would be shattered by these things, but they can do “all things through Christ who strengthens” them.

Share — Share a testimony of how God sustained you through difficulty.

Application — Know that God will give you victory when you face suffering and persecution. He will not abandon you. He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. He will not let you be crushed. He will not let you be driven to despair.

— From our Bible study on 2 Corinthians 4:7-12

Suffering Unjustly Like Christ

Matthew 5:38-42 — “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.”

Christ is our ultimate example in how to handle unfair suffering. Christ suffered more than any human who ever lived based on the fact that He took the punishment for the sins of the world. Yet of all people who have ever lived, Jesus is the only one who didn’t deserve any of the bad things that happened to Him.

Jesus did come to earth to die for our sins, but He also came to give us an example of how to respond when we face different situations. He did not respond to his unfair imprisonment and trial in the ways many of his disciples expected. They were grabbing swords and thinking that Christ may fight to defend Himself. But He didn’t. He didn’t defend Himself physically or even verbally. This took amazing self-control.

We should entrust ourselves to God. We must realize that God is the righteous judge. He sees everything. If we do bear up under suffering, He will see us and He will reward us.

1 Peter 2:24 — “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.”

This is a common memory verse for new believers. It is a very succinct summary of the doctrine of the substitutionary atonement. In simple terms, He took our punishment so that we don’t have to. Christ’s sacrifice shows us the high price He paid for sin. He inspires us to love others, even those who don’t deserve it.

— From our Bible study on 1 Peter 2:13-25

Arm Yourselves With This Same Way of Thinking

1 Peter 4:1 — “Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.”

We see again that Christ is our example. He suffered for us so we should be willing to suffer for Him. His suffering was definitely way more than we will ever suffer.

We are to arm ourselves with this attitude, which implies several things. First, it implies that we are in a war. The Christian life is not a pleasure cruise. It is not a lazy river ride. It is a battle. It is a battle against Satan and his demons and evil. To win a war you have to approach each battle with the right mentality and take it seriously.

Second, it shows that the right attitude could be a weapon. We normally wouldn’t consider that our attitudes are weapons, but they are. God can use our attitudes as shining testimonies to touch the lost for Christ, to bring glory to Him, and to turn back evil.

— From our Bible study on 1 Peter 4:1-11

Stephen’s Death

Acts 7:59-60 — “And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them.'”

Stephen stands in stark contrast to the mob around him. He is about to be murdered. But you do not sense any fear or panic. Neither is there any hatred for his attackers. He is filled with the supernatural peace that “passes all understanding.” Stephen is the calm in the middle of the storm. That is only possible because of the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit in him.

Application — What situations cause you to lose your cool? Unfair coworkers? Annoying drivers? Unruly children? During those moments, ask God to fill you with the peace and self-control to respond the right way, to be calm in the storm.

The Lord blesses Stephen with a vision of Jesus standing at the right hand of God. This vision would have surely been a huge comfort to Stephen right when he needed it. It reminded him that God was with him. God was faithful. He had not abandoned Stephen. At the same time, it reminded Stephen that Jesus was even then actively interceding for him.

Application — Next time you face a grave difficulty, remember that Jesus is interceding for you. Let that thought give you the strength to persevere.

Stephen is a model example of someone who finished well. He was the first martyr after Jesus. Future generations of the persecuted could look to Stephen for an example of how to face their persecutors with peace, boldness, and reliance upon the Lord.

— From our Bible study on Acts 7:30-60

Singing in the Dark

Acts 16:25 — “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”

One of the most famous stories about Paul is found here. He and Silas were singing hymns of praise to God while in prison. Paul and Silas give us a powerful example of responding to a bad situation with joy. Instead of complaining, they pray and then sing praises to God. God doesn’t call us to a life of ease. He calls us to live a life of goodness. Often, that means going away from comfort and going toward adversity.

Prisons at that time were not nice places. Generally, they were dark, wet, and overcrowded. Poor ventilation, limited sanitation, and no beds were the norm. Prisoners were often kept in chains, as Paul and Silas were.

Paul and Silas had broken no law. First, they were wrongfully accused. Then they were wrongfully beaten. Finally, they were wrongfully put in prison. Many people in their situation would complain and feel justified in doing so. If the two believers had done that, they would have missed an opportunity to witness for Christ. As it was, the other prisoners listened to them. Finally, the jailer and his family were saved.

Reflect — Why could they respond with joy to this situation?

— From our Bible study on Acts 16:16-40

Persecution Is Promised

2 Timothy 3:12 — “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Did you know that persecution is promised? If you live for God, you will be opposed. A lot of believers like to claim God’s promises. Did you ever claim the promise of persecution? It may not be our favorite one, but it is there to prepare us so that we will be ready when that moment comes.

If we are not prepared and are caught by surprise, we might not have the resolve or perseverance to face that persecution and endure. Much of the battle takes place before the actual moment of persecution.

Opposition may come from different sources. It could be a parent who is opposed to the gospel. It could be co-workers who are out to get you. It could be a government that is hostile to believers. Know that if you live a godly life for the Lord, you will be opposed. If you never face this, it is possible you are too much like the world.

Reflect — How can you prepare ahead to face persecution?

Application — Do not be surprised when you are persecuted for the gospel. Dig your root deep into Christ and His Word so that when persecutions come, you will have a solid foundation.

— From our Bible study on Daniel 6

Naomi’s Bitterness

Ruth 1:20 — “Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has afflicted me.”

Naomi returned, but her attitude was still not right. She changed her name to Mara, which means bitter. Rather than turning back to the Lord with a sweet spirit, she was still holding on to some painful things about what had happened. A person cannot truly be restored to the Lord and be filled until they deal with and repent of the wrong emotions inside of them.

Application — Examine your own attitudes and emotions. If you have become bitter or resentful toward a person or God, you must deal with that bitterness before you can be filled spiritually.

It is human nature to look at the dark side of things. Naomi stated that she came back “empty.” In fact, the women of Bethlehem said that Ruth was better to her than seven sons. While her life was far from empty, she pessimistically looked at the negative side and took Ruth for granted.

— From our Bible study on Ruth 1

We hope you enjoyed this Bible study on suffering. May God use His Word to speak into your life and give you strength to follow it. Please take some time to reflect on the questions below and consider leaving a comment with your key takeaway or insight.

Reflection Questions

• Would you be willing to die for your faith?
• Share about a time you have suffered for Christ. How was your response? How should you respond?
• Share about a time how God used suffering in your life to mold your character.
• Share a testimony of how God sustained you through difficulty.
• What situations cause you to lose your cool? During those moments, ask God to fill you with the peace and self-control to respond the right way.
• How can you prepare ahead of time to face persecution?
• What is the secret to rejoicing even during suffering?