Trials Are Only Temporary
Christian trials may be severe, but they are temporary and lead to eternal fruit.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes that while trials and challenges are an inevitable part of the Christian journey, they serve as opportunities for spiritual growth and purification. The illumination of Christ grants believers sight in a blind world, yet this new perspective often leads to misunderstanding and conflict with those who do not share the same faith. Despite the temporary nature of these trials, Christians are encouraged to embrace them as a means to develop virtues and to rejoice in their suffering alongside Christ. Ultimately, the benefits of enduring trials will yield lasting fruit that endures through the ages.
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The man whom Christ illuminates with His message has eyes, and that resolves the old difficulty of blindness; but he must use his new eyes in a blind world, and that creates another problem. The world in its blindness resents his claim to sight and will go to any lengths to discredit the claim. The truth of Christ brings assurance and so removes the former problem of fear and uncertainty, but that assurance will be interpreted as bigotry by the fear-ridden multitudes. And sooner or later this misunderstanding will get the man of God into trouble. And so with many other of the blessed benefits of the gospel. As long as we remain in this twisted world, these benefits will create their own problems. We cannot escape them.
But no instructed Christian will complain.
He will rather accept his problems as opportunities for the exercise of spiritual virtues. He will turn them into useful disciplines for the purification of his life and will rejoice that he is permitted to suffer with his Lord. For however severe may be a Christian's trials, they cannot last very long, and the blessed fruit they bear will last while the ages endure.
Sermon Outline
- The Problem of Sight
- The Problem of Assurance
- The Christian's Response
- Accept problems as opportunities for spiritual growth
- Turn trials into useful disciplines for purification
- Rejoice in suffering with Christ
Key Quotes
“For however severe may be a Christian's trials, they cannot last very long, and the blessed fruit they bear will last while the ages endure.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- Accept your problems as opportunities for spiritual growth and turn them into useful disciplines for purification.
- Rejoice in suffering with Christ, knowing that it leads to eternal fruit.
- Remember that Christian trials are temporary and will not last forever.