Suffering Produces Character

Character

| September 25, 1977

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Scripture Reference: Romans 5:1—11

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Sometimes God allows suffering in our lives in order to build Christian character. But suffering by itself never produces character, it’s only when you add God to the mix that you can build a Christ-like character.

God purchased us so that He might build us. When God builds Christian character in us, we become more like Christ.

Transcripts for Dr. Wiersbe's sermons are forthcoming. Below is an outline of his message.

Christians glory in tribulation because we belong to the Lord.

Conduct depends on character.

“Character is what a man is in the dark.” —D.L. Moody

One reason God permits suffering is to help us build Christian character.

Suffering by itself never produces character, but when you add God, it can.

Three conditions for God to build character in us through suffering:

- We must cooperate with the process by which God builds character.

God’s process includes tribulation, patience, character, then hope.
Cooperating with the process means not running or resisting tribulation.
Tribulation separates the waste from the real thing.
Patience means to endure when life gets tough.
When God builds Christian character, we become more like Christ.

- We must draw upon the provisions God has made for our character.

God gives us four spiritual provisions: peace with God, access to God, the glory of God, and the love of God.
What is suffering now compared to an eternity of glory?
Nothing can separate us from the love of God.

- We must appreciate the price God paid for us.

If Jesus suffered that much for me when I didn’t deserve it, how much more can I suffer for Him who deserves my whole life?
God purchased us that He might build us.
Salvation means God build character; it is not just a fire escape from hell.

We can rejoice in tribulation because we know suffering is working for us, not against us.

Which tribulation do you want: temporal tribulation as a Christian that leads to glory, or eternal tribulation as an unbeliever that leads to endless suffering?