Every day, we engage with suffering. It’s often described as “a fact of life” and, at other times, viewed as a “means to an end.” Philosophers throughout history have wondered if this pain is merely an indelible mark on our existence, while others argue that it is the forge by which our virtue is shaped, transforming us through struggle into something greater. Through it all, there remains a commonly held notion that suffering contributes to a unique, definitional aspect of our lives. Indeed, the antagonistic elements inherent in suffering seem to indicate that pain tells us more than what we are; it seems that it also defines who we are.
This relationship between suffering and identity has led humanity to various theories about the authentic human experience. Like tree rings marking years of drought and plenty, our encounters with hardship not only serve as a living record of our journey through this painful life but also serve to shape our true selves. This dual nature of suffering—both a harrowing fact of life coming from a sin-cursed world and an antagonizing force that engages us in a battle for our character—forces us to view suffering in more than just a negative light. It must also, then, hold some function in establishing virtue.
This leads us to an important crossroads in understanding the role of suffering. Some say that we ought to dismiss suffering as merely an inevitability, like gravity or time. Others say that we should embrace it as a crucible of character, acknowledging its power to forge our deepest convictions. Here, the Christian understanding of suffering seems to bring these two perspectives together. On the one hand, suffering is still seen as an adversity, but on the other, Christians often find themselves rejoicing in this painful process (Romans 3:3-5). Underlying the Christian perspective is the knowledge that suffering has a purpose, even if it is not always clear to us at the time.
Necessary Suffering
As we affirm the Apostle’s Creed, Christians around the world reiterate the reality of Christ’s suffering. The fact that Christ “suffered under Pontius Pilate” is more than just a historical affirmation; it serves as a model. In Hebrews 12, we learn that the voluntary suffering of Christ, the “author and finisher” of our faith, is one of the reasons Christians are instructed to follow Him. His willingness to suffer the ignominy of the cross serves to encourage us in our race, and His sacrifice is the motivation for us to persevere in our own suffering. This willingness to suffer for the faith is a central tenet of Christianity, not because Christianity is some sort of miserable religion, but because it is only through suffering that our true character becomes clear.
Conversely, if tribulation is the path to building character, then the Christian unwilling to suffer must necessarily be a person with little to no character. In fact, Hebrews 12 seems to suggest that those who take steps to avoid this purifying process are not Christians at all. God disciplines those he loves (Heb 12:6). By extension, we can conclude that those who do not experience God’s discipline are simply not His children (Heb 12:8).
“But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards and not sons” (v. 8). The alternatives are clearly stated: the reprobate are spared God’s chastening because they are not His sons, whereas we, as sons, are prepared for our maturity in Him. If we do not suffer, we are not God’s children.
R. J. Rushdoony, commenting on Hebrews 12 — “Hebrews James & Jude” (p. 124)
Christians do not merely anticipate a potential path of suffering, but rather they pick up their cross and follow Him (Matt:16:24) down a path of certain suffering; for this is where the method by which a Christian shapes his character, the battle in which his true identity is revealed. Our status as moral agents in this world is necessarily tied to our ability to suffer discipline. If we cannot suffer discipline, then we cannot hope to become virtuous.
Given that every Christian has first-hand experience, the church’s understanding of suffering is easy enough to understand at an individual level. While no two trials are the same, every single Christian has experienced deeply personal and character-defining pain in some form or fashion. Above the individual level, however, things start to get a bit more complicated. Spotting God’s chastisement in your own life is often easy enough. Our conscience often informs us when we are in the wrong. But sometimes, like Job’s friends, we incorrectly identify certain trials as God’s judgment of others. And yet, we know for a fact that God does not merely judge the world as individuals; he also disciplines the collective.
When we think in terms of groups, a number of modifications must be made to the Christian doctrine of suffering, or it can lead to some very irrational decisions. The politics of suffering, in particular, often take evangelicals through a minefield of unbiblical thinking. From category errors about living in exile to the celebration of declining cultural Christianity, the politics of suffering have been nothing short of a disaster for thoughtless evangelicalism. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church,” they say as if the only goal of Christian politics is to sow more seeds. It is an individualistic view that treats suffering as a thing to strive for, and it often fails to see the bigger picture. For example, R. Scott Clark, a minister in the UCRNA infamous for his radical two-kingdom theology, has suggested that Christian Nationalism fails to account for the blessing of suffering under persecution.
When Polycarp wrote persecution was a reality. Christians had been put to death for Christ and many others would be. He agreed with Jesus that it is blessed to suffer for Christ. The Christian Nationalists, TheoRecons, and other triumphalists simply cannot account for this way of thinking
R. Scott Clark, “Polycarp Vs. The Christian Nationalists” – October 2, 20231https://heidelblog.net/2023/10/polycarp-vs-the-christian-nationalists/
While suffering for Christ’s sake indeed constitutes a blessing, we must acknowledge that it still is, fundamentally, suffering. To dismiss this harsh reality is to negate the blessing. We cannot view persecution through a reductive lens of individualism, nor should we distill Christianity into mere asceticism. Such an approach would yield only societal chaos. Rather than romanticizing the persecution of Christ’s church, we would be wise to see how this martyr’s death was the result of wicked politics. It would be incoherent, even dangerous, to make a Christian political framework that refuses to recognize his suffering and to praise those iniquitous conditions that deserve God’s judgment. Those of us who truly want to honor the martyrdom of Polycarp, must not cheapen these blessings of hardship in the pursuit of some secularist fever dream.
Suffering As Judgement
Christian Nationalism, on the other hand, has been able to shift the topic of suffering from an individualistic perspective to a bigger stage. We know that suffering sometimes comes in the form of a trial and that it sometimes comes as a form of discipline or punishment. Sometimes, God is testing us, and sometimes, God is chastising us. But regardless of where it comes from, our response to suffering forges our character and shapes our identity. While most evangelicals recognize this process on an individual level, only the Christian Nationalists have understood that this same process affects groups, societies, and even nations.
“Nations are moral entities,” writes Stephen Wolfe, penning the second point of his famous Christian Nation syllogism. It was a hotly contested point, and yet it was also one of the easiest to prove. “…God regularly judges and condemns nations as nations for their acts of evil, even heathen nations (Ps. 110:6). If nations can be condemned for moral failure, then they are under a moral standard, namely moral law. We can conclude, then, that nations are moral entities.”2 Stephen Wolfe, “The Moral Argument For Christian Nations” – October 14, 2024 – https://americanreformer.org/2024/10/the-moral-argument-for-christian-nations/ Though often downplayed today, God’s judgment of nations is still very much at work. Some opponents have insisted that nations cannot be Christian and that, therefore, God does not judge them or reward them as such. It is a foolish argument, no doubt, disproven by both scriptures and history. Nations, too, suffer and take on a moral character, and unlike individual souls who can be punished in the afterlife, the particulars of the national struggle are limited to the temporal context.
But in reality, the doctrine which teaches that men are not to look for rewards or punishments in this life—though true and important when judiciously applied to individuals—is often mistaken even in its relation to them; and when applied to nations, and considered as a general principle, is not true at all. It is only in this world that communities as such have an existence or character. In the world to come, the whole of our race will appear as individuals, and not as communities. If any retribution, then, be awarded to nations as nations, it must be in the present state, and not in that which is to come.
Ashbel Green, “Obedience To The Laws Of God, The Sure And Indespensible Defense Of Nations” 3https://christiannationcollection.com/obedience-to-the-laws-of-god-the-sure-and-indespensible-defense-of-nations/
If we refuse to admit that nations are moral entities, not only do we deny God’s natural judgment, but we also reject the transformative power of hardship. Nations are undoubtedly shaped by suffering; from Civil Wars to World Wars, from times of flourishing to times of famine. A history of adversity marks each nation that survives today. We can either see God’s sovereign hand in these trials, or we can deny reality.
The sad truth of the matter is that this nation is not suffering for righteousness’ sake (1 Peter 3:14). We have acted wickedly, and are being chastised. And yet, instead of responding in repentance, the nation is trying to convince itself that suffering is a mere fact of life. “Suffering is a blessing,” repeats the tired evangelical, casting another glance at the pile of aborted corpses. “We are not a moral entity,” repeats the weary nation, looking hopelessly at the horde of invaders. Together, they deny and eschew their guilt while imagining themselves as the martyr.
This is not a blessing. It is judgment.
God has not resigned this nation to certain death but has shown us a path forward. We can embrace the suffering, the discipline from God, and use it to restore our virtue. We can repent of our sins, both personal and collective, and learn from the consequences. We can embrace true religion, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and we can uproot and destroy the false religions of the anti-Christ. We can use this struggle to redefine our nation, returning to our Christian character, or we can join all the wicked nations who have been turned into dust.
Sources:
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- 2Stephen Wolfe, “The Moral Argument For Christian Nations” – October 14, 2024 – https://americanreformer.org/2024/10/the-moral-argument-for-christian-nations/
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