One reason why the early believers were called to love one another is that the world most certainly did not love them. They were going to be a community that would have troubles and trials—and even afflictions. They are a community tried by persecutions and afflictions, and not just in the ordinary sense that we live in a world where things go bad, and not just because they were sinners and they made mistakes. But Paul says God had sovereignly ordained that this would be true. And he tells us here that God himself has sovereignly ordained and apportioned trials for every church and for every believer in Jesus Christ. Look at verses 3-4 of chapter 3:
For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass and just as you know.And do not be surprised as if something strange has happened.Now, how this confounds the church! Filling it with terrible teaching today, doing such harm—teaching that says, you know, if you trust in Christ, everything will be great in this life:
your best life now.I actually saw a meme recently of the ancient Christians being thrown to the beasts in the Colosseum. And it had a famous preacher holding up his book: This Is Your Best Life Now. Thank God that my best life is not now. My best life is to come—in the age of glory that is yet to be here, but now we live a life of afflictions.And if you are being afflicted, it is not proof that something is going wrong with you. It may be proof that something is going right with you—that you have an enemy who has taken notice of you, and you are standing firm in the Lord. And the Lord intends things for you. I like to put it this way: I love myself. I have a wonderful plan for my life—it is called happiness, no trials, Easy Street, everything smooth sailing. God loves me more than I love me. He has a different plan for my life: holiness. The trials are edited in, because that is how he works holiness in me. And here we are told that God has trials for every one of his believers. John Calvin puts it this way: that this manner of expression—that we are appointed to affliction—is as if God were saying,
Richard D. PhillipsYou are Christians only on this condition, that you must accept trials and tribulations in this life.1
3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this.