By: Chris Leuck
Excerpts from the “Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life” by John Calvin:
“It is fitting for the faithful Christian to rise up to the level where Christ calls every disciple to 'take up his cross'... all whom the Lord has received into the society of His saints ought to prepare themselves for a life that is hard, difficult, laborious, and full of countless griefs. It is the will of their heavenly Father to try them in this manner that He may test them. He began with Christ, and He pursues this manner with all His children.”“For Saint Paul tells us that if we ‘know the fellowship of His sufferings’ we shall also understand the ‘power of His resurrection’; and that while we are ‘participating in His death,’ we are also being prepared for sharing His glorious resurrection… the more we are afflicted by adversities, the more surely our fellowship with Christ is confirmed. By this fellowship, the adversities themselves not only become blessings to us, but they are aids to greatly promote our happiness and salvation.”“The apostle also explains that it was necessary for Christ to ‘learn obedience by the things which we suffered.’ Why then should we free ourselves from that condition to which Christ, our Chief, had to submit, especially since His submission was on our behalf?”“Indeed, we cannot show any other obedience to Him than the one He has given to us in Christ; but He is pleased in this manner to exhibit and to test the graces which He has conferred on His saints, that they may not remain hidden and become useless.”
Sound crazy?
More simply put: Hey Christian! You can expect that life will be quite difficult, marred by suffering. It is your heavenly Father’s will to try you in this way, to test you. (Do not think about this “test” like the way a child “tests” his parents, but the way a scientist “tests” his hypothesis). Through suffering, God is “testing” His deposit in you, so that it may not remain hidden. He is testing His deposit in you so that it might be revealed and perfected… that you might be conformed into Christ’s image! As you fellowship with Christ in His sufferings, you will further understand the power of the resurrection… while you “participate in His death,” you are being prepared for sharing His resurrection. God does not test you to torment you… your suffering becomes an aid to your happiness and to the completion of His work in you.
