How do trials make us more like Christ?
God uses trials not to break us but to shape us: testing produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. Through suffering we are conformed into the image of Christ, depend on His grace, and grow in the holiness that belongs to Him. No trial feels good in the moment, but God works through it for our good and His glory.
This question arose from studying What is the difference between testing and temptation? and How do I fight sin in my life?.
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Trials work endurance, and endurance works character
James says, 'Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance,' and he adds, 'Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.' Paul traces the same chain: 'suffering works perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope.' The trial itself is not the goal; what it grows in us is.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope:And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
Blessed is the man who endures temptation, for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life, which the Lord promised to those who love him.Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.
They test and prove our faith like gold
Peter writes of believers put 'to grief in various trials' so that 'the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.' The fire does not create the faith; it reveals and refines it, burning away the dross and showing what is real. Genuine faith, under pressure, is shown to be genuine.
Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in various trials, that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
God uses them to conform us to Christ
Paul's great promise is that 'all things work together for good for those who love God,' and the good is defined: 'he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.' Hebrews adds that the Lord's chastening is 'for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness,' yielding 'the peaceful fruit of righteousness' to those trained by it. Suffering is not random; it is the Father's means of making us like His Son.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
For they indeed, for a few days, punished us as seemed good to them; but he for our profit, that we may be partakers of his holiness.For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.
All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised thereby.Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
For our light affliction, which is for the moment, works for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory;For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
They teach us to depend on His grace
In the hard places we learn what Paul learned: 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness,' so that he glories in his weaknesses because when he is weak, then he is strong. Paul even traces the purpose of a crushing trial: 'that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead.' Trials strip away self-reliance and teach us to lean on the God whose strength is made perfect in our need.
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me. Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in injuries, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then am I strong.And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.
For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life. Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead,For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead:
He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly therefore I will rather glory in my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest on me.And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
So we can even rejoice in them
This is why Scripture repeatedly connects suffering and joy: James says to count it all joy, Paul says we 'rejoice in our sufferings,' and Peter says believers 'greatly rejoice' even while grieved by trials, because the outcome is certain. We rejoice not in the pain itself but in what God is doing through it. Christ Himself 'learned obedience by the things which he suffered,' and we are being conformed to Him, one tested step at a time.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance;And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in various trials,Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:
though he was a Son, yet learned obedience by the things which he suffered.Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;
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Where is God in my specific pain?→Suffering & God's Will trail“Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.”What does it look like to suffer well?→Suffering & God's Will trail“Who, when he was cursed, didn’t curse back. When he suffered, didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously;Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:”We haven't written this one yet. Take it to your church or small group: the Word answers it wherever it is asked. If we study it here later, all the better.
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Not only this, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering works perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope: and hope doesn’t disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. Let endurance have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
Wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been put to grief in various trials, that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
All chastening seems for the present to be not joyous but grievous; yet afterward it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been exercised thereby.Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.
We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose. For whom he foreknew, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
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