Always remember why you may be suffering...

God judges sin, even as we live in the physical world, as well as after we pass from our physical existence. For 4,000+ years the message has been the same.  

For 4000+ years the message of the Christian Bible has been focused upon the coming of Jesus Christ as the savior of the world through the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies coming true, prophecies that can not be explained except by divine intervention.  The track record of prophecies fulfilled suggests that prophecies yet unfulfilled are most assuredly coming true in the future, according to God's timeline.

Jesus Christ said that in order to have everlasting life, we must demonstrate our faith in Jesus as the Son of God, whose sacrifice upon the cross cloaks our sin, making us righteous according to God's standards. We may think we're good people, and perhaps we are, according to man's standards, but not according to God's standards.  That is a most profound distinction that must be recognized before an individual can attain salvation.   

The Bible says that man is born with a sinful nature that can never be erased, except through an acceptance of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, and placing one's faith in Jesus to deliver us from certain spiritual death through his sacrifice upon the cross. 

Jesus Christ is the only one capable, in God's eyes, of obliterating our sin. It's not about what mankind thinks of himself, it's only about what God thinks of us with respect to our faith, our righteousness, whether we are deserving to live forever, and whether we are deserving of rewards in his Kingdom.  

The Bible is full of examples of God judging sin, and sending his judgement upon individuals in the form of sickness, pain, suffering, tragedy, disappointment, etc...as well as numerous demonstrations of God's judgment upon whole nations for their sins as a conglomeration of people.  Often the otherwise innocent of specific sins that brought about those judgments, suffered right along with the willingly guilty perpetrators of sinful behavior.   

But, sickness, pain, suffering, disability, disappointment, and tragedy, etc...are not always the result of sins committed by individuals or nations, but are the result of a fulfillment of God's purposes. There's a bigger plan in play that's far beyond the comprehension of mankind.  

Contemplate the words of Jesus Christ, John 9:1 through John 9:3,
"As Jesus went along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

 Jesus said, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him."  

Some are permitted to experience sickness, pain, suffering, disability, disappointment, and tragedy, etc...in order to stimulate a stronger relationship with God to produce results according to God's standards and purposes, or perhaps due to a relationship with God that may have been formerly lacking. That is a huge blessing, not a curse, far from it!  

Not everyone receives an opportunity to make the right choices concerning God. Many die from sudden circumstances, never to receive a chance to reconcile things with God or to influence others to accept Jesus Christ as their personal savior, commandments directly given by Jesus Christ himself.  Additionally, suffering pain and tragedy gives God the opportunity to demonstrate the truth of his greatness, which is an opportunity for believers to spread his word according to his commandments, and to further the divine plan of God.  

In the end, once this physical life is complete, those who have confessed their sins according to God's standard, while still physically living, placed their faith in Jesus Christ, while still physically living, and willingly suffered according to God's purposes, while still physically living, will have thereby demonstrated their personal commitment to God and Jesus. They are the ones who are promised that they will live forever, and never die.  

The saved are God's willing accomplices toward fulfilling the goals and objectives of God for the sake of mankind. Those who have been willing accomplices with God, no matter the extent of their pain and suffering, and who recognize their acceptance of certain trials in life as furthering the will of God, are the chosen candidates for not only everlasting life, obtained only via the grace of God, but also rewards in heaven for accepting the trials of life that may just be intended by God to further his plan for mankind.  

Those who have been willing accomplices with God, while they were still physically alive, will not only be saved, but they will be rewarded in heaven according to their willing acceptance of their sufferings, and according to their contributions that furthered the goals and objectives of God's plan.

So, always remember why they or you may be suffering. when bad things seem to happen to good Christian people. There may just be something in play that is divine in its purposes, far beyond what we can individually comprehend, and your faithful contribution to the causes of God through acceptance of your own trials in life may just be saving souls through your example, one man or woman at a time. 

That is an honor bestowed by God upon those who willingly suffer, and recognize their suffering as such, without knowing why, or knowing any specifics as to outcome, but faithfully accepting their suffering as potentially a divine calling by God that may just be a priceless benefit to the individual or others. Isn't that what faith truly is?


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