Christian Perseverance: Finding Strength Through Trials and Suffering

Christian Perseverance is a noun that describes the resolute stand of Christians in faith, obedience, while facing adversity like trials, suffering, temptations and problems. It is an ongoing decision to walk in faith, courtesy of the grace of God and the working of the Holy Spirit. This hope, which is the sense of endurance or perseverance as some translations put it, is not about a toughing it out kind of hope; not a grim, resigned, stoic grin-and-bear it kind of experience, but a hopeful, reality and God facing continuation, a finding in the relationship with God that He is true in His promises and purposes. Perseverance in the spiritual sense means waiting on God, hoping when you can’t see how things are going to work out, and staying connected to Jesus. It’s the power to hold on and take it in a crisis.

This article probes the dimensions of Christian Perseverance, considering its roots in the biblical concept of Perseverance, the part played in it by trials and suffering, and how it is nurtured in practical ways to grow into this key spiritual virtue. We’re going to explore what it means for those who believe to be strong in the midst of suffering — by looking at scripture and theology. Common heresies/theologies surrounding Christian Perseverance will be confronted, and distinguished from near terms. In the end, this devotional seeks to demystify that process: how enduring trial leads to becoming spiritually mature and to know God better, making clear that Christian Perseverance is a road of faith, hope and strength in and of the Lord’s will.

Christian Perseverance: What to Hang on to in Trials?

Christian Perseverance in Trials and Suffering is a persevering or patient waiting in faith that is active and infused with faith, rooted in the confidence of God’s sovereignty, goodness and ultimate redemptive purposes. It is not a hands in the air, well I tried kind of giving up, but an active pursuit of God, clinging onto him, living the best we can for him when the going gets almost near impossible to bear. It is the knowledge that trials do not have to be senseless, but can be a means for growth and spiritual refinement.

What is the classic Catholic Biblical argument for the Doctrine of Perseverance?

The biblical foundation of Christian Perseverance is deep and wide and found in Old and New Testament alike, emphasizing this vital topic within the life of a believer. Christians are constantly being exhorted to endure and be strong by many scriptures, which thereby promise spiritual blessings and maturity. These passages emphasize that such perseverance is not only a human work but is secured by the grace and power of God.

A robust Biblical theology of Christian Perseverance can be found in key passages. For instance, one verse reads, “Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. 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.” This is a divine sequence in which suffering, as it is responded to by faith, produces perseverance, and this in turn results in proven character, with hope never disappoints. Another similarly exhorts the faithful: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of various kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. This shows us the transformative effect of trials in the production of mature faith through endurance.

Additional biblical backing is found in:

• One passage says: In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 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 honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. This makes the point that trials purify faith, thereby demonstrating its authenticity.
• Another passage refers to: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” This verse encourages believers to view Jesus as the supreme model of perseverance.
• Efforts to good works are exhorted in a verse: “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” This is an assured future benefit.
• Verses in Revelation askents heaven and/or the crown of life to those who overcome and hold fast in their faith.
• Another passage connects the presentation of holy, blameless people to God with standing firm in the faith, established and secure.

Theological precepts “being this and the other” upholding Christian Perseverance involve God’s sovereignty, whereby ‘He rules in suffering as well, the fight beneath suffering stands for His profit’. Another important concept is sanctification through suffering, according to which suffering is a tool that God uses to purify people, making them more like Christ. The power to keep going is in the hope we have in Christ and His promises. Scripture makes clear that those who are true will endure to the end — not in their own power, but because they are upheld by God. This is commonly known as the “eternal security” (or “perseverance of the saints”).

Part III–How do Testings and Tribulations Work for Christian Perseverance?

Trials and hardships, as difficult as we expect them to be, are an essential means by which Christian Perseverance is formed, a divine crucible in which faith and character are refined. They are not lashes from a detached God, but more times than not in Christian theology they are devices for spiritual growth, refinement, and a greater dependence on God. The Bible is very clear states, God uses trials for a reason, and for the Believer – it’s to make them into the image of Christ, a rather lofty goal.

Summary: God uses Trials and Suffering to produce Christian Perseverance in at least four ways.

1. Proving Faith |Tested faith: Trials serve as a test of faith, that show its reality and durability. “For the preciousness of the gold is how it is refined from the fire that the dross is burned out and the gold is also refined… for the royal daughter is all glorious within… because they tried her in the furnace of adversity… it comes out delicious, tasty, tasty, tasty!”… just like gold, after the heat of fire the gold is baptized and pure and stronger in faith! This testing serves as a way for believers to comprehend the depth or true nature of their faith, and transition from belief based on superficial feelings to a belief of conviction. The trials of life “stress” our faith as muscles are stressed by exercise, and produce growth and greater strength.
2. Teaching Godly Character The process of enduring life’s hardships develops virtues crucial to Christian growth. For, as one verse describes: suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And patience, endurance, humility, and the potential for even greater empathy are the characteristics that often refine our burnt offerings. While character growth is a part of sanctification.
3. Bringing Believers Nearer to God: In good times, self-dependence can thrive. But adversity tends to peel away the veneer of earthly comfort and reveals our weaknesses in a way that is far more reliant on God. It’s that pain that often leads people to pursue God more deeply, to hold tightly to His promises, to feel His presence and comfort in more real ways. This growing familiarity with God is one of the pillars of Christian Perseverance. Trials are the way God breaks our addiction to self so that we will hope in Him only.
4. Preparation for Ministry and Testimony: You are usually well-prepared to minister to others with the comfort and support that you have received from the Lord, when you have suffered, and God has been with you. Their persistence is a testimony to the faithfulness and enabling grace of God. The lived experience can create a legacy for others to see that in the deepest of moments, one never has to surrender strength or faith, and that there is hope and possibility. Trials can also make us strong for certain kinds of service that God has in store for us.

Of course, adversity itself is not “joy;” it’s the promise of the expected end (Godly character/a stronger faith) to which we are to keep our attention. The suffering, God uses it as an instrument to help make believers better, to produce in them the persevering character that glorifies God.

How can I develop Christian Perseverance?

Christian Perseverance is promoted by specific spiritual disciplines and dependence on God’s grace. It doesn’t come automatically, but consciously and acted upon. There are at least ten practical ways that we as believers can help foster this enduring trait:

1. Praying and studying the Bible (2): Consistent prayer and Scripture study — practicing God’s presence in prayer and studying God’s way in His Word on a regular basis are foundational. By prayer, believers have access to pour out their hearts to God, the privilege of asking His counsel and His strength, and of expressing their desire to be conformed to His will. For the Scriptures contain countless promises, examples of those who have believed and remained faithful to God (such as Job and Paul), and the divine truths that steady us through every storm of life. Meditation on the Promises of God Challenging perspective and bolstering faith through God’s own promises.
2. Fellowship and Community Support: Christian Perseverance is not intended to be done alone. A faith community where someone belongs, whether it is a local church or small groups, is priceless. Other believers can provide comfort, prayer support, challenge, and a practical helping from provision over trials. Sharing burdens and wisdom within the community bolsters both our common and personal resolve.
3. Reflecting on the PastFaithfulness of God: Recalling previous seasons of God’s faithfulness can inspire trust in the midst of present and future trials. It never hurts to keep a record of answered prayers or stories of His providence, because they can be an unshakeable witness to His unfailing care. This memory creates trust that the God who was with us then, is with us now.
4. Having an Eternal “Big Picture” Mindset: Keeping our eyes on the end goal of eternal life and God’s greater purposes can put our sufferings into perspective. The realization that these light afflictions are temporary and produce an “eternal weight of glory” can give us the courage to hang on. It is more a seeing beyond seen to unseen.
5. Feeling Grateful: Having an attitude of gratitude, despite the challenges, can turn the focus from bad stuff to good stuff. Thanking God for His presence, His promises, and even, after we experience trials, for any resulting growth, we help us keep a hopeful perspective.
6. Fixing your Eyes on Jesus: In the Bible it says to keep your eyes on Jesus the “pioneer and perfecter of faith—who for the joy set before him endured the cross. Meditating on the sufferings and patience of Jesus would give both pattern and stimulus.
7. Self-discipline And Integrity: Living a self-disciplined life according to the Word of God will make you strong spiritually. Conducting with integrity; Making responsible choices, Results in a solid foundation which stands up under adversity.
8. Celebrating the Progress: Recognizing and celebrating progress, with God’s help, can be an inspiration to keep going. Acknowledging small successes on the long road of determined effort build the muscle of persistence.
9. Listening for and obeying God’s voice: Listening for God’s voice, making changes when they hear and feel that they should, even if it means taking steps that feel uncertain. This includes hearing His voice in Scripture, prayer and advice from godly men and women.
10. Laying down in God’s Timing and Sovereignty: Seeking to rest in the truth that God’s timing is not ours, that His sovereign plan is mysterious and incomprehensible, is part of seeking to persevere. That means letting go of control and having faith that He’s working it all out for our good.

Over a life consistently given to these habits, that is how we form spiritual resilience, and nurture that extraordinary Christian Perseverance which can endure through the trials and pains of the world to maturity and intimacy with God.

2) What are some misconceptions about Christian Perseverance?

PERSEVERANCE – by Michael J. Mish Bell Christian Perseverance is a deep theological topic yet and all-too often it seems to bring about various misconceptions which tend to obscure the real meaning of the true relationship for the life of the believer in the world. Correcting these fallacies are critical so that we don’t miss the point of how we are to-be-faithful.

There are at least four common misperceptions:

1. Perseverance isn’t Stoicism or ignoring pain: one of the most frequent misunderstandings about Christian Perseverance is that it requires us to ignore our emotions, pretend we’re not in pain, or project some kind of stoic, emotionless calm in the face of trials. The former is not true to life: in the Bible you have Job, David in the Psalms and even Jesus himself pouring out their distress and misery. Real Christian Perseverance is not without pain or grief, but having faith and hope in God in the midst of it. It recognizes pain and yet clings to the promises of God.
2. Perseverance Achieves Salvation, Not God’s Favor-There are those who mistakenly think that it’s by their perseverance through trials that they’re earning their salvation or God’s favor. But Christian theology says that salvation is a gift of grace received by faith in Jesus Christ’ rather than being a reward for human achievement or the product of human endurance. Persevering is a better way of thinking of it as a fruit or sign of a true faith and it is enabled by God\’s grace, not a prerequisite for it. It is a testimony of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer.
3. Perseverance Is Removal of Doubt or Struggle: Another kind of misimpression is that the persevering Christian does not doubt, fear, or struggle in any serious way. Except for the fact that the Bible is full up with true believers who had to struggle with doubt and fear. Endurance does not at all mean an easy journey walking without a break. This often looks like wrestling through hard questions and facing weaknesses head on and crying out to God when we don’t understand, all while choosing to trust Him. The fight is itself the persevering.
4. “Once Saved, Always Saved” Promises Conditionless Perseverance Without Struggle (“Easy Believism”): Perseverance of the saints teaches that God will indeed keep true believers so that they will remain until the end; however, if someone takes this teaching to mean they can live how they want and still be saved, then the doctrine can be misapplied. This is the idea that salvation is automatically conferred once upon a time by a profession of faith and not dependent upon anything that follows in terms of personal obedience or perseverance in that faith. But true biblical perseverance is not passive, a sort of “endure to the end” mindset; but it is sticking to it, running the race and being doers of the word. And though the people of God are kept by his power, yet this keeping tendered in the exercise of their own faith and holiness. Someone who thinks that they can live like the devil and that they know the Lord may not have an authentic saving faith.

Clearing up this misidentification serves to portray Christian Perseverance as less a sour obligation or sign of spiritual indestructibility and more a living, grace-pumped pilgrimage of faith and hope–faith and hope in relation to our God in the midst of whatever downs come.

How can someone be strong through just suffering according to Christian teaching?

Christian teachings provide deep channels for finding strength in the midst of suffering, ways to turn what appears to be nothing but downside into an occasion for greater faith and deeper dependence upon God. This power is something not inherent, but ‘blessed’ from above, and attainable for all who believe.

At a minimum, the following four factors, among others, are among the sources of strength in Christian suffering teaching:

1. God’s Presence and Comfort It is part of the Christian faith to believe that God is not removed or unconcerned about human suffering but that God is with the suffering. The Bible provides many promises of His closeness, like this one from an other Psalm: “Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Another well-known passage refers to God as, “the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles.” “And the comfort which we enjoy is not the pity of man, but the power of the Spirit.”This is the consolation of God, not a sense of compassion; that tempering and soothing which God’s Spirit alone can convey. Inviting Him in prayer and reflecting on His supreme rule & reign, can usher in a deep peace even in our suffering.
2. The Example and Fellowship of Christ’s Suffering: Christians sense great boldness from the life of Jesus Christ and suffering that His life included on this earth, including the cross. One Bible verse tells us to “[fix our] eyes on Jesus… who for the joy set before him endured the cross” and to “consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that [we] will not grow weary and lose heart.” There is also a notion of “sharing in his sufferings” which indicates believers can somehow experience a deeper identification and communion with Christ through their own suffering. This is not to seek suffering but to find meaning there, and solidarity with Christ when it comes.
3. SAN FRANCISCO: TheWa Press The Empowering Work of the Holy Spirit:GodThe Holy Spirit lives in Christians, as the Comforter continues his twofold work: helper. This is how it happens, that the love of God is shed abroad in hearts by the Holy Ghost, as a well-spring of strength and hope from within. The Spirit prays for believers when they don’t know how to pray and gives the spiritual strength needed to persevere. This divine power makes it to possible to endure beyond what we are naturally able.
4. The hope of glory: One of the greatest sources of comfort in our afflictions is hope. There is one passage in the Bible, “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” This eternal outlook shifts the perspective of our present struggles as temporary, and only a thread in a much broader divine story, which resolves in restoration and eternal life devoid of suffering. This hope is not rash but certain because it is rooted in Christ’s resurrection, and it gives great strength to endure.

Also, God allows trials to bring believers to a greater level of dependency on Him; whereby their own self-reliance is broken down and a more profound trust is formed. Suffering as a process can become agonising, but gradually through endurance, character and hope are built, and they in turn become resources of strength. But through following the Christian practices of prayer, lohud.com/prayerfulliving12OD6942 meditation on his promises, and leaning on the community of faith, people can reach into those Godly sources of strength to endure our seasons of suffering with Christian Perseverance.

Are these the only kind of trials under which Christian Perseverance is put?

Indeed does Christian Perseverance run a course through a wide field of trials as diverse as are the circumstances of human life, and the influences which man and the powers of darkness exert on the soul and upon its interests. The Bible actually refers to “trials of many kinds” or “various trials,” which suggests that trials can come from many different places in many different forms. They may be long or short, fervent or physical, mental or situational, as they may also be hard or soft.

We are able to discern at least five general kinds of trial where Christian Perseverance is specially put to the test.

1. Suffering for faith: This includes pain for one’s belief in Jesus Christ alone. Examples include:
   • Social shaming or mocking by family, friends, or society.
   • Employment or education discrimination.
   • -verbal-abuse/#.YFrupd1ByXg”>oral abuse, threats and intimidation.
   • Physical attack, imprisonment or even death in areas where Christianity is blatantly opposed. The Apostle Paul, for example, was persecuted to the point of death.
2. Personal Suffering and Hardship: These are trials that everyone faces in life, but which can deeply challenge a believer’s faith and perseverance. Examples include:
   • Physical Illness & Chronic Pain Coping with life threatening or debilitating diseases, chronic health disorders or an unforeseen injury.
   • Loss and Bereavement: Deaths of significant others resulting in loss and sadness.
   • Financial Pressures/Poverty: Loss of job, economic uncertainty, or inability to meet basic needs.
   • Relational Issues: Trouble in the home, friends forsaking you or divorce.
   • Fight to the Other Side: Overcoming anxiety, depression, fear and other mental challenges. The great preacher Charles Spurgeon experienced depression.
3. Temptations and Spiritual Combat: The battle of the enemy against the commitment a believer has made to live a life dedicated to God in covenant with Him; usually this happens through internal lusts, what the world has to offer, or demonic resistance. Examples include:
   • Powerful enticements to commit sin (e.g. desire, theft, lying, anger).
   • Pressure regarding biblical values or ethical standards.
   • Seasons of drought or being out of touch with God.
   • Spiritual assaults, where the recipient has doubt, fear or a sense of hopelessness. The Bible details the spiritual armor to be worn in this kind of warfare.
4. Disappointments and Expectations not Fulfilled: These trials result from not getting what one desires or what one prays for, and the faith/trust in God’s timing and wisdom is questioned by a believer. Examples include:
   • Unresponsive prayers or lack of fulfillment of visions or promises.
   • Ministry disappointments, or defeat in personal pursuits in spite of sincere effort.
   • The injustice or unanswered issues that remain in the world or one’s own life.
   • Seeing other professed Christians’ moral compromise or apostasy.
5. The Regular and Grind of the Long: Perseverance is not always experienced in acute crisis, but in long, slow and often mundane faithfulness to the duties of everyday life. Examples include:
   • Dull, duty with lack of spiritual results on the surface.
   • More than a year of caring for a sick family member.
   • Faithfully choosing to be obedient in little, behind the scenes ways for years at a time.
   • The “long obedience in the same direction.”engaging in the costly, mundane, disappointing (at least in the short run), especially without any clearly visible success.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell also put trials into three categories: those based on our own sin or mistake; those because this is a fallen world (sickness, disease, fallen people); and those where God allows us to experience that we may learn from the process and grow. No matter what form it takes, Christian Perseverance requires the assistance of God’s strength, faithfulness to His Word and the body of Christ to help us survive it without losing faith.

What Manner of Spiritual Discipline is Christian Perseverance?

Introduction Christian Perseverance is an entirely responsive and progressive spiritual quality or characteristic, but continuous aspects and consistent characteristics, related to the categories of Spiritual Disciplines, like fasting, solitude, and systematic Bible study, are not. Although these forward-looking disciplines are particular practices we may decide upon for discrete moments in time in order to prepare for an increase in spiritual maturity, Christian Perseverance is more of an abiding, long-term sort of faith that is both tested and deepened by life’s struggles and the summons to persistent obedience over the years. It’s a fruit of the Spirit, along with patience, and it is to be added to faith.

It is a discipline in that it takes work, effort, and developing habits that create things like prayer, dependence on the Bible, and fellowship. But its greatest expression comes in suffering that is not of our own choosing and over the long haul of faithfulness. It is the “abiding under” or “bearing up” under stress, which always implies a response to outer or inner pressures. So though proactive, spiritual disciplines certainly fuel and equip a believer for Christian Perseverance, perseverance itself is that active, faith-filled endurance to which those disciplines contribute to and sustain when the test of life’s demands put faith to the test.

What Else Comes Up Regarding Christian Life and Perseverance?

Questions so related to the foregoing also come up when we come to inquire in the broader aspect of a Christian’s life, and his power of persistent action. Such concerns often cross boundaries to include the relationship of divine action and human accountability, the character of hope, and the part played by community in sustaining faith.

The relation of hope to Christian Perseverance.

Hope is inextricably tied to Christian Perseverance, being an essential energizer and anchor. One such biblical text points out that suffering leads to perseverance, perseverance to character, and character to hope. This hope, based on God’s love and guarantees of eternal life and future glory, gives the energy and resolve to persevere through the present hardships. Christian hope is not optimistic superstition, but a secure confidence in God’s ultimate triumph and faithfulness, which empowers us to live through the trials of this present life with a future direction.

What does the church community contribute to Christian Perseverance?

Christian Perseverance The church has a vital role in the Christian’s journey to persevere in the faith. “If we consider one another in order to provoke unto love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together… but exhorting one another.” That is he’s trying to point out that while people are weakened and weakened by sorrow it is all done so that we can fellowship with one another, share wisdom, bear with one another in times of trial, and worship together.

Can a Christian Lose His Salvation?

Theology differs on this; many would affirm the doctrine of the “perseverance of the saints,” believing that all who are truly regenerated by God and do come to faith in Christ will, by God’s preserving grace, persist to the end and be saved. One verse reads, “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” But that doesn’t mean those of us who believe will not sometimes trip, or suffer seasons of weak faith, or battle fiercely. The Bible also has warnings about the possibility of falling away, which implies that a yes to a profession of faith that does not continue, may not have been genuine saving faith. God, then, preserves, but believers are also exhorted to persevere.

How patient are you compared with Christian Perseverance?

Patience and Christian Perseverance are similar, indeed virtually synonymous and sometimes interchangeable (the Greek word hypomonē can be rendered patience, endurance or perseverance), possibly not quite the same thing. Patience is often defined as the ability to wait, or to continue doing something despite difficulties, or to keep your temper. Patience is in some respects synonymous with perseverance, patience, however, supposes length of time, and is an attendant on hope; and perseverance, a less active endurance and a more calm act of standing fast in a belief or course of action than does persistence. Patience can certainly be thought of as one element of the larger and, in some ways, more active endurance that is Christian Perseverance. Patience over the long haul of trials is perseverance in action.

How does remembrance of God’s past faithfulness function in Christian Perseverance?

The remembrance of God’s proven faithfulness in the past is a strong support to Christian Perseverance, inasmuch as it advances the present trust and future hope. Remembering times when God had provided, directed, protected, or done what He had promised either in one’s own life or in biblical times reinforces the trust that God does not change and has always been able to take action. These memories help and strengthen us during doubts and new challenges, reminding us that the God who was faithful then will be faithful today. And this historical record of God’s faithfulness emboldens for perseverance through current sufferings.