In 2 Tim 3:12, Paul wrote.

2Ti 3:12  Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

We should expect persecution.  Many of God’s faithful men and women endured horrifying trials.

Heb 11:35  … Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection.
Heb 11:36  Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment.
Heb 11:37  They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented—
Heb 11:38  of whom the world was not worthy. …

They had severe trials: tortured, scourged, imprisoned, stoned, sawn in two, slain by the sword.  They suffered because they led a Godly life.

In Acts 14:21, we read the following:

Act 14:21  And when they [Paul and Barnabas] had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch,
Act 14:22  strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”

So, as Christians, we should expect trials, difficulties, problems in this life.  But why?  Why must we enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations?  Before answering this let’s first consider the causes of trials.

The Causes of Trials

Some trials come upon us because of our own sin.  For example, King David sinned in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.  It started with lust and ended with adultery and the murder of Uriah.  Some time after the event God sent a message to King David through the prophet Nathan.  We read in 2 Sam 12:10:

2Sa 12:10  Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’
2Sa 12:11  Thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
2Sa 12:12  For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’ “

That’s exactly what happened.  David’s son, Absalom, killed one of his brothers.  Then he later rebelled, chased King David out of Jerusalem, and slept with his father’s concubines on the palace roof, for everyone to see.  Then shortly afterwards Absalom was killed in battle.  King David suffered a great deal.  It was a severe trial; and all because he sinned.

Another example of how trials can be our fault is that of Abraham.  Abraham and Sarah decided that Abraham should try to have a child with Sarah’s handmaiden, Hagar.  It seemed like a good idea.  It was a very common custom in those days.  Abraham’s decision caused so many problems later: rivalry and jealousy between Sarah and Hagar; and eventually Abraham had to send his son Ishmael, whom he loved, away.  It was a severe trial for Abraham, brought about by his own decision.

However, sometimes trials come upon us and it’s not our fault.  For example, the trial could be the result of the sins of others.  When Uriah died as a result of King David’s sin, how many of his family members suffered.  Maybe he left behind a grieving mother, or brothers or sisters.  His family members suffered; they went through a severe trial; yet through no fault of their own.

Another example of a trial not being our fault is that of Joseph, Jacob’s son.  He did what was right by running away from Potiphar’s wife when she tried to seduce him.  Yet, he ended up in prison for many years.  That was a severe trial.

Sometimes a trial is not our fault, but it comes upon us because it’s God’s purpose.

Joh 9:1  Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.
Joh 9:2  And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
Joh 9:3  Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.

No one had sinned, yet this man was born blind.  That’s a huge trial to be born blind.  That man suffered that trial because it was God’s purpose.

Sometimes Satan causes the trial.  God allows it; but Satan causes the trial. 

Luk 13:11  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.
Luk 13:12  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, “Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.”
Luk 13:13  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
Luk 13:14  But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, “There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.”
Luk 13:15  The Lord then answered him and said, “Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?
Luk 13:16  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?”

The infirmity the woman had endured for eighteen years was caused by Satan.

So sometimes a trial might be the result of our own sin or lack of wisdom.  The trial might be the result of someone else’s sin, or it may be Satan’s doing, or it may simply be God’s purpose. 

But why must we enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations?  Before answering this let’s first consider what our attitude should be in trials.

What should out attitude be in trials? 

The tendency is for us to get disheartened or discouraged.  But that is not what God wants.

The book of Job tells us that in one day, Job lost all his livestock, which was his livelihood.  Effectively Job lost his wealth.  That same day he lost all his children.  Job was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil.  Yet he suffered so much sorrow.  What was Job’s reaction?  What was his attitude? 

Job 1:20  Then Job arose, tore his robe, and shaved his head; and he fell to the ground and worshiped.
Job 1:21  And he said: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked shall I return there. The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Job 1:22  In all this Job did not sin nor charge God with wrong.

Job worshipped God.  

Job 13:15  Though He [God] slay me, yet will I trust Him. …

Even in the bad times, Job still trusted in God.  What an incredible attitude Job had.  We should also trust God in trials.

There is an account in the book of Acts when Paul and Silas where thrown into prison.

Act 16:16  Now it happened, as we went to prayer, that a certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination met us, who brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling.
Act 16:17  This girl followed Paul and us, and cried out, saying, “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation.”
Act 16:18  And this she did for many days. But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And he came out that very hour.
Act 16:19  But when her masters saw that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities.
Act 16:20  And they brought them to the magistrates, and said, “These men, being Jews, exceedingly trouble our city;
Act 16:21  and they teach customs which are not lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.”
Act 16:22  Then the multitude rose up together against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes and commanded them to be beaten with rods.
Act 16:23  And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely.
Act 16:24  Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Paul and Silas must have been in great pain.  They were beaten with rods.  They were hit many times.  They must have been bruised and bloodied.  And then they were thrown into prison.  They weren’t put into some comfortable cell.  No, they had their feet put in the stocks.  That meant they couldn’t move their feet.  It must have been incredibly uncomfortable.  What would our attitude be if we were beaten and then put into prison with our feet in the stocks?  What did Paul and Silas do?

Act 16:25  But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.

They praised God!  That’s pretty amazing.  What should also praise God in trials.  We should thank God for who He is – that He is loving and kind and has our best interests at heart.  We should thank God for all that He does for us.

We should also be patient in trials.

Rom 12:12  rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer;

And we should also be exceedingly joyful

2Co 7:4  Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my boasting on your behalf. I am filled with comfort. I am exceedingly joyful in all our tribulation.

What should out attitude be in trials?  We should trust God. We should praise God.  We should be patient in the trial.  We should be exceedingly joyful.

At this point you might be thinking, “that’s ridiculous”.  How can we do that?  How is it, after suffering financial ruin, and after losing all his children, Job could say, the Lord gives, the Lord takes, blessed be the name of the Lord?  How is it, after being beaten with rods, thrown into prison, and put in the stocks, Paul and Silas could sing hymns praising God?  How is it possible?  It’s possible because they understood the purpose of trials.  Now we finally come to the point where we can answer the question, “Why must we enter the kingdom of God through many tribulations?”

The purpose of trials

Job knew that God would resurrect him.

Job 14:14  If a man dies, shall he live again? All the days of my hard service I will wait, Till my change comes. [That’s the resurrection.]
Job 14:15  You shall call, and I will answer You; You shall desire the work of Your hands.

Job understood that God was working with him, fashioning and moulding him, into something marvellous.

In Ps 17:15, king David in his prayer to God wrote:

Psa 17:15  As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

When we are resurrected to eternal life, like Job and like king David, we will be righteous; we will have God’s righteous character; and as king David wrote, we will be like God.

That’s why we can rejoice in trials, because their purpose is to fashion and mould us so that after we die, we can awake in God’s likeness. 

It’s a bit like going to the dentist when we have toothache.  It’s uncomfortable and painful, but it’s worth it, because afterwards our tooth is fixed.   God is fixing our rotten character.  It’s a painful process, but it’s worth it in the end.

Earlier we covered the example of Joseph’s imprisonment as severe trial.  Psalm 105 has something interesting to say about this.

Psa 105:17  He sent a man before them— Joseph—who was sold as a slave.
Psa 105:18  They hurt his feet with fetters, He was laid in irons.
Psa 105:19  Until the time that his word came to pass, The word of the LORD tested him.

The Hebrew word translated “tested” means “refine” and is often used in the context of refining silver.  The refining process of metals removes impurities.  So God used the trial Joseph went through, the trial of being imprisoned and having his feet in chains, to refine Joseph’s character, to remove impurities in his character.

This process of refining our character is also explained in the New Testament in several places.  Peter tells us to greatly rejoice in trials and he explains why.

1Pe 1:6  In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials,
1Pe 1:7  that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
1Pe 1:8  whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory,
1Pe 1:9  receiving the end [purpose or fulfillment] of your faith—the salvation of your souls.

We greatly rejoice, even if we are grieved by various trials, because the trials to lead to salvation.

Paul explains the same thing in Rom 5:3.

Rom 5:3  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations,

We “glory in tribulations”.  Why do we do that?

knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;
Rom 5:4  and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Persevering in trials produces character, godly character.  That leads to hope — the hope of the resurrection to eternal life.

James also explains the same thing in James 1:2.

Jas 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,
Jas 1:3  knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.
Jas 1:4  But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Being patient in the trial or persevering in it produces character, godly character.

We don’t rejoice in the pain and suffering of trials.  No one enjoys that.  If we enjoyed it, it wouldn’t be a trial.  But we rejoice in what the pain and suffering is producing.  We rejoice in the end result. 

In a similar way, we can count it joy when we go to the dentist with a toothache, knowing that the tooth will be fixed.

Sometimes a trial can be chastening or correction from God.  The purpose of the chastening is the same as any other trial.  The purpose is to produce godly character.  Paul explains this in Hebrews 12.

Heb 12:5  And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: “MY SON, DO NOT DESPISE THE CHASTENING OF THE LORD, NOR BE DISCOURAGED WHEN YOU ARE REBUKED BY HIM;

Paul is quoting from Proverbs 3:11-12.  When we are chastened we shouldn’t be discouraged.  Why?

Heb 12:6  FOR WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE CHASTENS, AND SCOURGES EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVES.”

It shows that God cares for us.

Heb 12:7  If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten?

Parents correct their children because they love them.  God corrects us because He loves us.

Heb 12:8  But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons.
Heb 12:9  Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

Just like our parents, who corrected us when we were little children, so our heavenly Father corrects us when we need it.

Heb 12:10  For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

Again we see that the purpose of the chastening, the purpose of the trial, is so that we can become partakers of His holiness.  In other words, we are chastened so that we can become like God.

Heb 12:11  Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

No one likes chastening at the time, but the end result of it is wonderful.  It produces righteousness.  The chastening changes us to become more like God. 

As Paul wrote in Rom 8:18

Rom 8:18  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

All the suffering we go through in this life, however much it is — and for some there is a lot of suffering — all the suffering we go through in this life, is insignificant compared to the glory, to the joy, to the happiness, we will have when we’re resurrected to eternal life.

That’s why Job, after suffering financial ruin, and after losing all his children, could say, the Lord gives, the Lord takes, blessed be the name of the Lord.

That’s why Paul and Silas, after being beaten with rods, thrown in prison and put in the stocks, could sing hymns praising God.

They realised that the purpose of the trial, was so that they could become like God, or as David expressed it, “awake in God’s likeness”.

Some encouraging points to remember in trials

Some trials can be very difficult.  Here are some encouraging points to remember to help.  The first we have already covered.

1 – Encouraging point

We can be greatly encouraged that God is using the trial to produce His character in us.

2 – Encouraging point

Whatever the cause of the trial we need to realise that God promises to make good come from it.

Rom 8:28  And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

God can take our mess and make good come from it.  As an example, it would have been better for everyone involved if King David hadn’t committed adultery and hadn’t murdered Uriah.  But God was able to make good come from it.  We, today, can learn valuable lessons from it.  We can take great encouragement from it.  If King David messed up so badly and yet will be in the first resurrection, then so can we.  We can learn from David’s life.  His story is recorded in God’s word so that we can be edified. 

3 – Encouraging point

We suffer the same things that other people in the world suffer.

1Co 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; …

Whatever trial we are going through there is almost certainly someone out there in the world who is going through something worse.  God’s people don’t get harder trials than others.  Going through a similar trial should be easier for God’s people, because we have God, and those in the world often don’t.

4- Encouraging point

God put limits on trials.  God promises us that He will never ever put us through a trial so great we cannot bear it.

1Co 10:13  No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.

We are God’s children whom He is perfecting.  God Has promised us that He is not going to put us through a trial that we can’t bear.

Why this particular trial?

It’s very natural to ask, why this particular trial?  What exactly is this trial developing in me?

Job wanted to know why he had the trial.

Job 7:20  Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? [God] Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself?

Job never got a direct answer to this question from God.  God answers Job in chapters 30 to 41.  When God answered Job, God said in effect. 

Look around you and consider my creation.  I made it all and I understand how it all works because I made it.  How about you, Job?  What can you do?  What do you know? 

Of course Job was speechless just like any of us would be.  God said in effect.

I am God.  I created the universe and I understand how it all works.  I know what I’m doing.  I created you and I know what I’m doing with you.  I love you.  I’m fixing you.  I’m making you into something wonderful.

God didn’t tell Job all the details of why he had the trial.  God said, “I know what I am doing; trust me.”

If God were to answer us directly why we’re going through a difficult trial, I think it would be the same.  I don’t think God would tell us the details.  Perhaps He would say in effect the same thing he said to Job:

I’m God.  I created you.  I love you.  I’m fixing you.  I’m making you into something wonderful.  Trust me.

When we go to the dentist we don’t see what the dentist is doing.  We don’t see the drill bit drilling our tooth.  If we were to say to the dentist, “What are you doing with that needle?  I don’t like the look of that drill; where’s that going?”  The dentist might say something like:  “I’m a qualified dentist; I know what I’m doing; I’m fixing your tooth”.

Even though we may not know exactly why we are going through a particular trial, the Bible does reveal some more specific reasons.

To lead us to deeper repentance

Job 42:1  Then Job answered the LORD and said: 
Job 42:2 “I know that You can do everything, And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You. 
Job 42:3  You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. 
Job 42:4  Listen, please, and let me speak; You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’ 
Job 42:5  “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You. 
Job 42:6  Therefore I abhor myself, And repent in dust and ashes.”

To stimulate us to bear fruit

John 15:1  “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
John 15:2  “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

To lead us to righteousness

Heb 12:11  Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

To teach us obedience

Heb 5:8  though He [Christ] was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered.

If Jesus Christ learned obedience by the things that He suffered, then how much more can we?

To teach us compassion

2Co 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
2Co 1:4  who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

To humble us

2 Cor 12:7  And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.

Conclusion

Why does God allow trials?  We go through various trials because God is using the trial God to produce in us His Godly character.  God is using the trial to form and shape us into His likeness.  And that is something we can rejoice in.