13. What do the words of 1 Peter 1:5-7 reveal about the suffering to which Christians may be submitted?

¹³ Surprising as it may seem to some, the trials to which we may be submitted, whether from natural causes or from persecution, can nevertheless bring improvement in us in a personal way. The apostle Peter called attention to this.

“In this fact you are greatly rejoicing, though for a little while at present, if it must be, you have been grieved by various trials,

1 Peter 1:5-7.

14. Why Can Christians rejoice when they are “grieved” by trials?

¹⁴ As Peter acknowledges, the suffering that we may experience is by no means pleasant. We can be actually “grieved” or pained by trials. Yet we can, at the same time, rejoice. Why? In part, the joy comes from recognizing that there is a spiritual benefit to be gained from successfully bearing up under affliction.