For we do not have a high priest that cannot be touched with the feelings of our infirmity for he was in all ways tempted, but yet without sin.

Hebrews 4:15

The erroneous belief and assertions that Christians should not suffer or go through challenges, or that when one is close to God and does everything according to God’s Word, one will not go through challenges, cannot be established in the scriptures.

When a child of God therefore faces difficulties in life, they begin to examine their life to see where they’ve missed it. And other Christians and unbelievers alike begin to question their faith and standing with God. This erroneous belief based on unbalanced scriptural presentation, has had fatal effects on the lives of church people. 

There is another fallacious and misleading belief that God deliberately brings problems, challenges, difficulties, sickness and disease into the life of the believer to teach him lessons. So when people are faced with difficult seasons in their life, they do nothing about it, they accept it as God teaching them something in the world.

Jesus in His earthly ministry was attacked by Satan, was challenged by systems both religious and political, was abused and insulted by men, was called names, was persecuted, was denied, and experienced lack. He was misunderstood, betrayed, lied against, plotted against, abandoned, forsaken, mocked, taunted, shipwrecked, couldn’t afford to tax entry fee, etc. 

Are we to make of all these that God was responsible for what Christ went through? Or that He was simply flippant and unfeeling while all these happened? We shall continue tomorrow…