Faith Through Fire – How Could God Allow This?

This sermon was delivered on Sunday, February 21, 2021, as the fourth message in the series 'Faith in the Furnace' based on 1 Peter. The foundational passage is 1 Peter 1:3-9, in which the apostle Peter encourages believers enduring trials, hardship, and loss to hold fast to their faith. The sermon addresses the central question: Why does God allow suffering, trouble, and loss to continue in the world? The pastor notes that this is not merely an intellectual question but a matter of the heart, requiring not just philosophical arguments but genuine comfort.

The first answer is the cross of Christ. Scripture teaches that sin is the primary cause of suffering, beginning with the fall of Adam and Eve, leading to jealousy, hatred, war between people, and even nature working against humanity. However, the cross does not answer every philosophical question about suffering—rather, it proves one certain truth: suffering does not mean God does not love. Christ himself walked through the valley of grief and the shadow of death to redeem humanity, and He remained present with His people in the furnace of trial, as He was with the three Hebrew men in the book of Daniel. The cross is the most concrete evidence of God's love in the midst of pain.

The second answer is the Holy Spirit—the Comforter given by God to all who believe. Based on John 14:15-17, Jesus promised to send the paraklētos, the Comforter, to remain with believers forever. The Holy Spirit not only teaches truth but also stands beside believers to encourage, comfort, and sustain them in times of sorrow. Scripture does not call believers to be unmoved by pain, but rather to 'weep with those who weep' (Romans 12:15). The story of Toyohiko Kagawa, a Japanese believer after World War II, is used to illustrate the transforming power of the cross and the presence of God in the life of a believer.

The third answer is the hope of heaven through the resurrection of Christ. Peter calls believers to rejoice not because of their trials, but even in the midst of them, grounded on three foundations: being born again into living hope, inheriting an imperishable treasure kept in heaven, and being guarded by God's power unto salvation. The resurrection of Jesus provides the certain assurance that death and suffering will not have the final word. Scripture promises a new heaven and new earth where there will be no more suffering, sickness, or tears—God Himself will wipe away every tear. The temporary trials of this life are the furnace that refines faith, making the joy of meeting Christ face to face all the more complete.