Christians are Fated too - To be Like Christ

When a Chinese meet up with a tragedy or a great disappointment, his friends will usually comfort him/her with words like 命中注定 translated as fate or predestined. There is nothing you could do about it and it is definitely not your fault. No one is to blame. It is just fated or predesignated. The concept is equally applicable when a great fortune or success happens to others. "They are just born lucky". That's their fate, lucky.

In the Bible, Romans chapter 8, where Paul was comforting the suffering believers. He begins with

• 8:1, there is NO condemnation. 
• 8:14 They are sons of God, 17 heirs of God, 
• 18 the suffering cannot be compared with the glory to be received, 
• the famous v28 ALL things work for Good because v29 they are PREDESIGNATED to be like His Son v30 and be Glorified. 

There is the process to glory, the path through suffering in v17b "if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together".

So, the Bible is very clear, we are not suffering for the sake of suffering but rather, the suffering is but temporary, the path to glorification.

You are destined to be great like His Son Jesus. All things, the good and bad, no matter how bad, cannot stop this process of our growth to be like His Son and enjoy His glory in us. This is the inner hope of faith that gives us peace in spite of the suffering or of the success that our peace is not dependent on external circumstances whether good or bad. Our suffering is that Christ may be formed in us (Gal 4:19).

You are fated or predestined to be glorified in Christ and not for suffering or in riches but to be like Christ.

Lim Liat (c) 15 Aug 14