Suffering is one of the deepest and most difficult parts of life. We all face it in different forms: grief, persecution, sickness, injustice, betrayal. And as followers of Jesus, we often ask, “Why does God allow this?” or “Where is He in all of this pain?” These questions are natural, and they push us to wrestle with something central to the Christian life: suffering and the glory to come.
The Bible does not shy away from the topic of suffering. In fact, it teaches us how to face it with faith and perseverance. From Genesis to Revelation, suffering is part of the human story, especially for those who walk in covenant with God. But the Scriptures also give us a powerful hope. These scriptures show us that our suffering is not meaningless. Instead, it points us toward the day when God will make all things right.
This is the heart of the apocalyptic gospel—the good news that Jesus is coming again, that the dead will be raised, and that justice will be done. In the meantime, we are called to suffer well, to hold on to faith, and to look forward to the glory that will be revealed.
Let’s walk through what the Bible says about suffering and the glory to come, and how this can shape the way we live today.
The Present Age and the Reality of Suffering and the Glory to Come
The Bible teaches that we live in what is called “this present evil age” (Galatians 1:4). Ever since Adam and Eve’s fall in the garden, sin and death have ruled over humanity through “evil one” (1 John 5:19). This world is broken, and until Jesus returns, we live with the effects of that brokenness.
Pain, loss, and suffering are not signs that God has failed. They are evidence that we are still waiting for the full redemption of the world that God promised in Genesis 3:15. Suffering is part of life in this age, and scripture is clear that those who follow Jesus should expect it.
“All who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted”
2 Timothy 3:12
“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”
Acts 14:22 AMP
This was not a theory for the early church. They endured real persecution, social rejection, imprisonment, and even death. Yet they pressed on with joy. Why? Because they knew something greater was coming. Something that Paul expresses cannot be compared to the sufferings we experience now (Romans 8:18).
Faith and Endurance Amid Suffering and the Glory to Come
What gave the first-century Apostles and disciples that kind of endurance? It was faith. But not just faith in a general sense, but faith in the specific promises of God about the future. This is what Hebrews 11 refers to by “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Faith, in the biblical sense, means taking God at His word. It means believing that His promises will come to pass and living in light of them. Hebrews 11 gives us a long list of those who suffered while waiting for what was promised. They endured because they believed God was faithful. This is the root of faith; to trust that God is the rewarder of those who seek/wait for Him.
“And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him”
Hebrews 11:6
In Habakkuk 2:4, the Lord says, “The righteous will live by faith.” A verse Paul quotes multiple times. In the original context, this meant believing God's warning that judgment was coming and choosing to trust Him even when things looked bleak. That same kind of faith is what we’re called to today.
Paul himself, after enduring incredible trials, said:
“Therefore we do not lose heart... For momentary, light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison,”
2 Corinthians 4:16–17
How could he call his suffering “light and momentary”? Because he viewed it through the lens of eternity. His hope was anchored in suffering and the glory to come.
Sharing in the Sufferings of Christ and the Glory to Come
As followers of Jesus, when we suffer, we are not only enduring general suffering. We are actually sharing in the sufferings of Christ.
Paul makes this point clearly in Romans 8:17:
“And if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.”
Romans 8:17
This is a pattern seen throughout Scripture: suffer now, glory later. Just as Jesus suffered before being exalted, so will we. To suffer with Christ means remaining faithful when it costs us something. This can include:
- Rejection for standing firm on the truth
- Denying ourselves pleasures, comfort, or ambitions for the sake of gospel
- Facing opposition for preaching the gospel
- Enduring trials because of loyalty to Jesus
Paul affirms this in Philippians 1:29:
“For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,”
Philippians 1:29
Suffering for Christ is not punishment, nor is it a sign that the favor of God is not upon you. It is a privilege. It unites us with Jesus in a very intimate and close way, and through the suffering, it helps keep our eyes on the inheritance He has promised.
Suffering as a Testimony of the Glory to Come
Our response to suffering in this present age becomes a powerful witness to the world. When we endure hardship with joy and hope, people take notice. It shows them that our faith is not built on comfort but on something far deeper.
Paul praises the Thessalonian believers for this very thing:
“You also became imitators of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much tribulation with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers... they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”
1 Thessalonians 1:6–10
This is authentic discipleship: turning from the false promises of this world and waiting in hope for Jesus. When we suffer and continue to serve, trust, and worship, we declare that His return and His glory are worth everything.
Jesus Himself highlights the faithful witness in Revelation. To the church in Pergamum, He says:
"...and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you…"
Revelation 2:13
Antipas is honored by Jesus for standing firm and suffering unto death. This shows that Christ sees and remembers those who suffer for His name.
Even more, Jesus is called "the faithful witness" (Revelation 1:5) because He bore the truth unto death. He testified to the truth of God's kingdom, endured unjust suffering, and overcame by obedience. Our testimony in suffering becomes a mirror of His own witness. A witness that leads to life and glory.
The Hope of Suffering and the Glory to Come
What is the anticipated hope that makes suffering bearable and even meaningful to disciples all around the world in every generation?
Let’s look at Romans 8 as it provides the clearest lens:
“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.”
Romans 8:18–19
The Apostle Paul makes it clear that the suffering of this present age is temporary, something that will eventually pass as the glory of the age to come is revealed. Our hope isn’t in dying and going to heaven; we’re waiting for something far greater:
- The return of Jesus
- The resurrection of the dead
- The renewal of creation
- The judgment of the wicked
- The vindication and glorification of the righteous
- Eternal life in the kingdom of God
“For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire,”
2 Thessalonians 1:6–7
The glory of Jesus that is to come is not symbolic poetry or something already fulfilled in the present. It is a prophetic reality. This glorious future is what gives meaning to our present pain and suffering.
Responding to Suffering with the Hope of Glory
It is vital not to overlook the promise of future glory in the midst of suffering. This hope is the very anchor Jesus gave us to help us endure through this evil age (Matthew 24:9-13). If we dismiss this reality as non-essential to suffering, we risk distorting our perspective, often trying to explain away why God isn’t answering our pain in the present age. Without the lens of future glory, suffering can feel pointless. We start expecting immediate answers instead of eternal promises.
See Jesus, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross (Hebrews 12:2). If the Son of God relied on future joy to bear present pain, how much more should we? We must continually remind ourselves that present suffering is not a sign of abandonment, but a path toward a promised crown.
How then should we live in the midst of suffering and the glory to come?
- Do not be surprised
“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.”
1 Peter 4:12-13
- Encourage one another
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;... but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.”
Hebrews 10:23–25
- Fix your eyes on Jesus
“instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus,”
Titus 2:12-13
Living in the present age in the light of eternity empowers us to persevere unto the end. Suffering may last a season, but glory is forever.
In Closing: Worth It All
Suffering is real, and for many disciples around the world, it’s daily. But the message of the apocalyptic gospel reminds us that suffering is not the end of the story. In light of suffering and the glory to come, we have a sure hope that cannot be shaken.
If you are suffering today, you are not abandoned. Jesus knows your pain. He has walked the road of affliction before you. And He has promised to return, to wipe every tear, raise the dead, right every wrong, and glorify His people with eternal life.
“...the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
Romans 8:18
So let us endure unto the end with faith. Let us encourage one another to stay the course. And let us wait, not passively, but actively, looking for the day when our faith will be proven and found to result in praise and glory and honor, and pain will be swallowed up in joy (1 Peter 1:7).
Because when Jesus returns, the weight of suffering and the glory to come will prove this one thing:
It was worth it. Maranatha
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