When we study suffering, we must understand that all sufferings are not the same. If we don’t make that distinction, everything may appear unclear, and we may struggle to understand what God is doing—or how we are meant to respond.

Romans 8:18 states: "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us"

No matter what we suffer or how long we suffer, the Apostle says, they are temporal and it’s worth going through them when we think about the glory that will be revealed in us as reward!

Suffering is one of the few experiences that touches every human life, yet it remains one of the hardest things to understand. We spend so much of our time trying to avoid it, explain it, or escape it. And when it comes, it often brings questions that don’t have easy answers: Why is this happening? Where is God in this?

Today, we are not going to pretend those questions are simple. The Bible doesn’t treat suffering as a small problem with quick fixes—but takes it seriously, speaks honestly about it, and provides remedy in every situation. From the cries of the Psalms to the story of Job, from the trials of the apostles to the cross itself, Scripture shows us that suffering is not alien to the life of faith—it is often part of it.

There are preachers who say God has nothing to do with suffering or death or any such thing. Death is something that intrudes into the creation of God. All pain, all suffering, all illness, all deaths are assigned to the devil. I fear they want to avoid answering the people about the problem of suffering. They want to hide God from every unpleasant thing that happens in this world.

Philosophers say, if God is really loving and really caring He would never have allowed sufferings, sorrow and death in this world. They want people to think comfortably.

If you have ever read the Old and New Testaments in the Bible, you see a God who majors in suffering. The whole history of Israel is the history of sorrow and pain and suffering of a people who are of God. You know how they were in captivity, how they were treated in Egypt, how they were attacked by different nations and kings.

The Bible says, in their agony and suffering those people cried out and God, the Lord listened to them from His habitation and rescued them. We see through the scriptures a merciful and compassionate God who is deeply involved and sympathetic in the suffering of His people. 

In the New Testament Jesus is identified as a man of sorrows acquainted with grief. We read that prophecy in Isaiah 53. We know how Jesus suffered in the hands of men, His apostles suffered and all through the centuries how the men and women of God struggled through different experiences. If we believe that our God is sovereign over life, death, pain, suffering and illness then we must accept the fact that no pain or suffering would ever happen or be allowed by God without a purpose!

We being human who are limited in our vision, wisdom and understanding cannot explain the purpose and the secret counsel of God. But He is sovereign over everything- that is why He is GOD!

The Christian faith doesn’t end with pain. It tells us that suffering, as real and as heavy as it is, is not meaningless and it is not final. Somehow, in ways we may not fully see right now, God is at work even there—forming, refining, and drawing us closer to Himself.

So today, as we reflect on suffering, we trust in His Holy Spirit to tell us what we ought to know about ‘suffering’ through the scriptures. We do so with our eyes open to the reality of pain, and with open hearts to the reality that God meets us in it.

In many modern churches, preaching has changed noticeably in focus. Earlier generations of Christian teaching often emphasised openly with hardship, sacrifice, and endurance. Modern preaching tends to emphasize personal fulfilment, success, and emotional well-being.

This way of teaching stands in opposition with the teachings found in the New Testament, where persons like our Lord Jesus Christ and the Apostle Paul and other Apostles spoke clearly about suffering as an important part of the Christian life. They presented trials not as signs of failure or lack of faith, but as opportunities for growth, refinement, and deeper dependence on God. In epistles like Romans, James and Peter, believers are encouraged to endure hardship with patience and even joy.

When we study suffering, we must understand that all sufferings are not the same. If we don’t make that distinction, everything may appear unclear, and we may struggle to understand what God is doing—or how we are meant to respond.

In a broad sense, we can say there are two kinds of suffering.

First, there is the suffering that comes simply from living in a fallen world. This is the pain none of us chooses—illness, loss, disappointment, injustice and other types of pain and suffering. It’s the kind of suffering that reminds us that something in creation is not as it should be.

Second, there is the suffering that comes because of our faith—because we choose to follow Christ, to live differently, to stand for the truth. This kind of suffering is not accidental; it comes as a result of obedience.

These two are not the same, and they shouldn’t be treated the same way. Yet both are real, both are part of the human experience, and both are places where God meets us.

So as we reflect today, we’ll hold these two kinds of suffering in mind—not to ignore the reality of pain, but to better understand how God works in and through it.

1. Consequential Suffering

- Due to sin and its consequences, bad choices or ignorance.

This is suffering that comes as a result of human sin—either our own or of the brokenness of the world-either directly (our choices) or indirectly (living in a fallen world).

A. The Origin: Sin Brought Suffering into the World

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they lost their fellowship with Him. They were thrown out of the presence of God. They yielded their will to the devil and became his slaves. We see in the scriptures what God said to them, when they sinned.

Genesis 3:16–19

“I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children.

Your desire shall be for6 your husband, and he shall rule over you.”

And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it, ’cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust,

and to dust you shall return.”

-Pain, toil, and death entered human experience after the fall.

-Suffering became part of human life.

In John 16:33, our Lord Jesus said,

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Trouble, trials, and hardships are presented as a guaranteed part of life in this world.

Why does the innocent suffer? Why does evil spread in the world? The earth is corrupted with sin. Even the air is polluted with sin- there is only one way to deal with this eternal calamity- that is trusting in Christ.

All the ancestry curses and sins will be broken when we come to Christ and start a new life.

We read in 2 Corinthians 5:17 the promise of the new life in Christ.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"

B. Personal Consequences of Sin

We may suffer because of our own sins, wrong choices or ignorance. I give a few examples from the Scripture below.

We read in Galatians 6:7–8 “you reap what you sow”

Isaiah 59:2 explicitly states that "iniquities have separated you from your God" and hidden His face from individuals.

Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11): Their dishonesty and deception regarding a donation resulted in their immediate physical deaths, serving as a warning against hypocrisy.

Persistent, unconfessed sin can lead to sickness or even premature death as a form of divine discipline (1 Corinthians 11:30).

Sin destroys inner peace and causes emotional suffering, including depression and anxiety.

David describes the immense inner turmoil of unconfessed sin, stating that his "bones wasted away" and his guilt was a heavy burden (Psalm 32:3-4).

Moses (Numbers 20): Because of his disobedience in striking the rock rather than speaking to it, Moses was forbidden from entering the Promised Land.

Samson (Judges 16): Repeated disobedience and self-indulgence led to the loss of his supernatural strength, his sight, and his freedom, resulting in humiliation and finally death!

Jonah (Jonah 1): Disobedience to God led him being swallowed by a great fish, and suffered agony and isolation in the belly of the fish in the deep of the ocean.

C. Discipline and Correction

God, sometimes, allows pain in our life to discipline us. They are for our good and spiritual growth. He wants to bless us. He wants to use us for His glory. Every promotion comes after a series of tests.

We read in Hebrews 12:6–11

“because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.” Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it”.

2 Samuel 12: Following his adultery and murder, David suffered severe consequences, including the death of his child and sufferings in his family. He described this, as having his "bones crushed," which brought him to repentance and restoration. 

The Corinthian Church (1 Corinthians 11:30-32)- Paul notes that some believers were weak, sick, or had died because of their misuse of the Lord’s Table, which served as divine discipline to prevent them from being condemned with the world.

Jonah suffered directly from his disobedience, enduring the storm and being swallowed by a fish to correct his rebellion against God's mission, leading to his repentance.

2 Corinthians 12: Paul speaks of a "thorn in the flesh" (a messenger of Satan) given to him to keep him from becoming conceited and proud due to the greatness of his revelations.

We read in Romans 5:3-5

“Not only so, but we[a] also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us”. 

Psalms 119:71

“It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees”.

Psalms 119:67

“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word”.

2. Righteous Suffering

A. There is the suffering that comes because of our faith—because we choose to follow Christ, to live differently, and to stand for the truth. This kind of suffering is not accidental; it comes as a result of obedience.

In Philippians 1:29, we read about our calling

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

1 Peter 4:13

"But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy."

In 2 Corinthians 11:16-33 we read an account of immense sufferings endured by Apostle Paul. These included countless imprisonments, beatings, floggings, stoning, and three shipwrecks. Paul also faced many physical dangers, sleeplessness, hunger, thirst, and deep anxiety for the churches he served.

We read in 2 Timothy 3:12

“In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

B. The Righteous suffers to stand for God’s glory

Job 1–2

Job suffers despite being described as upright. We know the reason why God has allowed that to happen. The Devil sought permission from the Lord to affect Job, but we know the Lord was sovereign over the life of Job.

Through the suffering of Job, God could show the devil that what He said about Job was true. He was a man who feared God and departed from evil.

We see in the last chapter of the book (Ch 42), God blessed Job with the double of what he had lost.

C. Suffering as Testing or Refinement

James 1:2–4

-Trials produce perseverance and maturity.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything”.

1 Peter 1:6–7

-Faith is refined like gold through suffering.

“In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed”.

D. Participation in Christ’s Suffering

Colossians 1:24

“Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church”.

Christ has suffered for the redemption of humanity. When we suffer for the gospel, we share the suffering of our Lord in the redemptive work of Christ in the sense that we become an instrument, bringing someone to salvation. 

By Pastor Renji George

Scriptures: 1 Corinthians 11:30, 1 Corinthians 11:30-32, 1 Peter 1:6, 1 Peter 1:6-7, 1 Peter 4:13, 2 Corinthians 11:16-33, 2 Corinthians 12, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Samuel 12, 2 Timothy 3:12, Acts 5:1-11, Colossians 1:24, Galatians 6:7, Galatians 6:7-8, Genesis 3:16, Genesis 3:16-19, Hebrews 12:6, Hebrews 12:6-11, Isaiah 53, Isaiah 59:2, James 1:2, James 1:2-4, Job 1, John 16:33, Jonah 1, Judges 16, Numbers 20, Philippians 1:29, Psalm 119:67, Psalm 119:71, Psalm 32:3-4, Psalms 119:67, Psalms 119:71, Psalms 32:3-4, Romans 5:3-5, Romans 8:18

Sermon Topics: Pain, People, Death, Christian, Persecution, Study, Understanding, Suffering, Affliction, Struggles, Distress, Captivity, Why Pain, Suffer