Paul’s GENERAL Calling and Suffering: “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God that was given to me…
“I have refined you, but not as silver is refined. Rather, I have refined you in the furnace of suffering.” (Isaiah 48:10) [NLT] There are several possible reasons for Christian suffering that are distinct from the reasons for the general suffering experienced by everyone: “5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?…
Physical blind spots are a problem, because what we don’t see can hurt us. Mental blind spots are a problem because what we don’t know can hurt us. But by far the most dangerous blind spot of them all are our spiritual blind spots. “22 Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for…