“All this [suffering] is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may overflow in thanksgiving, to the glory of God.” vs15

Everything is about the glory of God. The eternal God runs us through the ringer and crushes us, because He has a specific purpose in mind, which is our betterment. He wants us to see what it’s like to trust Christ more deeply.

He wants to kill self-confidence and pride. Trials make us lean on the Master and speak by faith.

“And in keeping with what is written: ‘I believed, therefore I have spoken,’ we who have the same spirit of faith also believe and therefore speak” vs13

Now, it is not head knowledge but heart knowledge. Now, it’s not just talk, but it’s a walk. Now, it’s not just preaching, but it’s revealing Christ!

We need God to humble us, and He surely does.

“We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.” vs8-9

He is faithful to His own glory. We have the treasure, but it’s in an earthen vessel [vs7]; it is not a treasure that we control but that controls us. We know the gospel, but we can’t control the gospel, because it’s the power of God to rescue us. We are helpless, cast down, and afflicted, but we are not abandoned. We hope against hope and believe like Job. Imperfect faith is purified.

God’s seen fit that in this world of suffering, there’d be joy amidst the pain. There’d be sorrow, and then the baby comes.

To the woman He said:

“I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth;

in pain you will bring forth children.

Your desire will be for your husband,

and he will rule over you.”

And to Adam He said:

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife

and have eaten from the tree

of which I commanded you not to eat,

cursed is the ground because of you;

through toil you will eat of it

all the days of your life.

Both thorns and thistles it will yield for you,

and you will eat the plants of the field.

By the sweat of your brow

you will eat your bread,

until you return to the ground—

because out of it were you taken.

For dust you are,

and to dust you shall return.” --Gen 3:16-19

There’s sweat, and we return to the dust. Yet, all of these things make us better, because out of DEATH TO SELF comes the life of faith.

“We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always consigned to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.” -- 2 Cor 4:10-11

Out of hardship comes deliverance!

We must not preach a sissy god that’s scared to afflict people! We must have nothing to do with false promises. We cannot preach no trials and no death. We openly manifest a God who’s with us in the storm, the fire, and the flood [Isa 43:2].

We need the God of Calvary and the resurrection [2 Cor 4:14]... the God who controls our trials to make us better. Then, we will be satisfied, as we look at the things that can’t be seen [2 Cor 4:16-18.]

Affliction is working good in us to God’s glory - to make us humble and able to serve, to make us look to Christ our true hope, and to make many people thankful to God.

"Knowing that the One who raised the Lord Jesuse will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in His presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is extending to more and more people may overflow in thanksgiving, to the glory of God." - - vs14-15