Philippians 1:29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake…” ESV

Here we see two elements of the Christian life many flatly deny in our day:

1. Faith is a gift from God (they think they can believe all by themselves). It is something that has to be granted.

2. Suffering is a gift from God (they think God would never choose suffering for one of His beloved children). God will often ordain hardship and pain to mold His precious saint towards His ultimate goal of Christ-likeness.

The truth is that God is FAR more Sovereign than most Christians believe. The Lord God Omnipotent reigns! Can you say “Hallelujah”?