This is Part 2 of 6 parts answering the question, “How long does God allow suffering to continue?” in the larger question, “Why does a loving God allow suffering?” Parts 3-6 will be posted on succeeding days.

Christians are Warned to Stop Sinning to Avoid Suffering

Each person who put their faith in Jesus Christ receives Him, and the evidence will be seen in a life that is transforming! This process continues until God takes him home to be in heaven. If there is no fruit, then there is a question of whether he actually placed his faith in Jesus Christ as his personal Savior or just intellectually understood the facts of salvation.

As a Christian, he is warned throughout Scripture to not sin. Paul makes it clear that we must recognize the deceitfulness of sin and put off the old way of living in order to put on the new. The best way to stop sinning is to seek the holiness of God by putting on the “new man” God created.  Paul wrote,

²² that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, ²³ and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, ²⁴ and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Eph. 4:22-24 NKJ)

Jesus was adamant when he found the man who had endured his infirmity for 38 years searching for truth, “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” (John 5:14 NKJ) The Christian who has been exposed to the light and then turns away from it will undergo hard times while on earth, because he mocks the very mercy and grace of God manifested in his life. Again in the book of Hebrews, the author recorded the stern warning to not return to the Mosaic Law by means of Jewish practices and thus impugn the grace of God by trampling again the work of Jesus on the cross. He wrote, “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?”  (Heb 10:29 NKJ)

All of mankind will suffer during their earthly life, but Christians can avoid much of it by pursuing God’s kingdom and righteousness now. Seek the holy life and avoid Divine discipline, remembering that whatever suffering that occurs here will seem light in comparison to the glory in eternity!

Part 3 will be posted tomorrow.