A key ingredient is absent from the preaching and teaching of numerous Evangelical churches. The missing factor is the understanding of the role of tribulation, of chastisement, of Divine judgment, of suffering in the Divine plan of salvation.

The source of the error probably is the humanistic, man-centered, anti-Christian philosophies that dominate Western thinking. Democratic government is one manifestation of these philosophies. Another is the understanding of Divine grace to be an unconditional forgiveness of sins such that the believer is established in God's favor regardless of his conduct.

A third symptom of humanistic thinking is the recent doctrine of the pre-tribulation "rapture." The problem with the rapture error is not that of a misunderstanding of the time of Christ's appearing. A correct knowledge of the details of the future is not as important in the Kingdom as we may think. The problem is, rather, that the believers are not aware of the role Divine judgment plays in their salvation. They are seeking to be removed from suffering and so God has sent delusion upon them.

We have noted that in the churches in America the leadership often is terribly afraid of any preaching that does not flatter the congregation. This accent on "positive" thinking is widely accepted in the secular realm but it should never have entered the Body of Christ. The inroads positive thinking and preaching have made in the churches of America reveals an ignorance of God and His ways with men.

We are aware that as the demonic pressure increases on us we must, in order to survive, think about what is lovely and pure. If we do not, if we focus on the evil in our environment, we surely will go down in spiritual defeat. We must learn to sing and dance in the heights of Zion no matter how the forces of evil clamor for attention.

The "positive preaching" that is destroying the character of the believers is not an attempt to enable us to focus on the beauty and wonder of the Kingdom. Rather, it is a refusal to accept chastisement at the hand of the Lord. In many instances the ministry is seeking its own glory and is misleading the flock of God.

The Christian Church has suffered in the fire for two thousand years. The current teaching that God does not wish His beloved to suffer is understandable only in the wealthy democracies. The Christians in the rest of the world are suffering, as they always have. The twentieth century has been distinguished by persecution and martyrdom. To say God will not allow His saints to suffer is unscriptural and also unrealistic in terms of what has happened throughout history and is taking place today

If we will examine the Scriptures we will discover that suffering is an important aspect of the Divine redemption.

As we enter our brief study of suffering, its role in the Christian redemption, we must think again about the goal of salvation.

To be continued.