I Don't See the Graces of God Until Affliction Comes
In doing my daily Bible reading and study it's obvious that Christians do need affliction. There's the statement that a life without problems is like food without spice. A life with no rain and all sunshine creates a desert. Likewise, God has a purpose to allow affliction. He doesn't work without purpose or plan.
I remembered the sermon by Pastor John F. MacArthur on trials. I first read it in the book "Truth Endures" which after reading it, I'm still ashamed to why I had slandered him based on unproven biases by some paranoid. The more I think about trials, the more I think about grace. When people are in success, they tend to think that they don't need God. But the truth is that God wants Christian growth to be cooperative. He doesn't save the person and say, "You're on your own now!" Instead, He saves the person and decides to work on that person. It's a cooperative effort between the Father and His children in progressive sanctification.
It's easy to complain about why God allows trials. Yet the real answer is that without trials that grace can't be fully understood. Grace is something undeserved and has nothing to do with man. 1 Corinthians 15:10 has St. Paul declaring that his changed life is by God's grace. Trials are meant to strengthen my faith. I can't appreciate a flashlight's power unless I'm in a dark spot where I need it. I can't appreciate a drink of clean water if I wasn't thirsty. I can't appreciate a clean place if I didn't know dirt. Trials work in such a way that God allows bad things to happen to the redeemed so they can see more of His powerful grace.
It's easy to complain about why God allows trials. Yet the real answer is that without trials that grace can't be fully understood. Grace is something undeserved and has nothing to do with man. 1 Corinthians 15:10 has St. Paul declaring that his changed life is by God's grace. Trials are meant to strengthen my faith. I can't appreciate a flashlight's power unless I'm in a dark spot where I need it. I can't appreciate a drink of clean water if I wasn't thirsty. I can't appreciate a clean place if I didn't know dirt. Trials work in such a way that God allows bad things to happen to the redeemed so they can see more of His powerful grace.
2 Corinthians 4:17 has St. Paul calling this affliction as "light". Why is it a light affliction? While it can be heavy humanly speaking but God doesn't test anyone beyond their capacity. I'm able not because of me but because of God. I'm able only because He's able. If God makes me able then certainly I can endure affliction. Then that's when I see more of God's grace manifested more in the times of trials than in the times of joy. I learn less in times of joy while I learn more in the times of affliction.
Based on the song "Higher Ground" I really can feel my Christian growth is climbing difficult roads to higher ground. But I can do it not by myself but by God's grace. I obey and He provides me the grace to do what He wants. Hebrews 11 is the hall of faith. True faith results to good works. There's no such thing as faith that doesn't produce works otherwise such faith is a false faith. I have the confidence that I can endure to the end by God's grace and by nothing more I stand that will make me do as He says. It's not Christians should walk in good works but Christians would walk in good works. Because being saved means one is no longer under the Law but under grace which means that following and fulfilling the Law is now by God's grace and not only because it's obligated as Titus 2:11-14 says God's grace leads to righteous living.