View life’s tribulations as tests, not punishment, Steve Gaines preaches

The tribulations Christians face in life are a test, not a punishment, Steve Gaines, senior pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, told chapel attendees at The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Feb. 4. Gaines, the immediate past president of the Southern Baptist Convention, is a two-time graduate of Southwestern Seminary.

Preaching from Revelation 2 and Jesus’ message of encouragement to the persecuted church at Smyrna, Gaines encouraged students to remain faithful in adversity—­“to not be so focused on having a successful ministry, but a faithful ministry. When you’re faithful to the Lord, that’s His kind of success.”

Citing the afflictions that befell the church at Smyrna, Gaines said, “Faithful churches will experience tribulation.” Gaines echoed Jesus’ message to Smyrna: “Do not fear.” God always protects His people from His wrath, but He does not always protect them from persecution, so that they might learn from adversity, Gaines said.

“Jesus was encouraging these persecuted Christians at Smyrna,” Gaines said. “He was saying, ‘Look, when I lived, they persecuted me, and if they persecuted me, they will persecute you. But also, just like me, you are going to have a victorious resurrection.’”

“Faithful Christians understand that tribulation is a test, not punishment,” Gaines continued. “This is huge. I hear people say all the time, ‘Why is God punishing me?’ He may not be punishing you. He may just be testing you. There’s a difference.”

Quoting James 1:2, which says, “Consider it a great joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you experience various trials,” Gaines said Christians should read that passage “knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance, and let endurance have its perfect result, its maturing result, so that you may be perfect, mature and complete, and lacking in nothing.”

Gaines added that faithful Christians “will overcome.”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen in America to the church, but if things continue the way they’re going, it wouldn’t surprise me if we went through tribulation, if we went through persecution,” Gaines said. “But if we do, I know God will help us overcome.”

To illustrate his points, Gaines read from a textbook from his seminary days, recalling as a student 40 years ago learning about the story of Polycarp, bishop at the church of Smyrna, who was arrested for rejecting emperor worship.

The government proconsul urged Polycarp to deny Christ, but Polycarp repeatedly refused. The proconsul continued to press him. Gaines read Polycarp’s reply: “For 86 years, I have been His servant, and He has never done me wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”

A shout went up from the crowd to burn him alive, Gaines shared, and while a pyre was built, Polycarp thanked God for the blessing of being counted as worthy to be a martyr. Gaines read: “When he offered up the amen and completed his prayer, the men in charge completed the fire, and a great flame shot up.”

“I’m not interested about you being successful in the world’s eyes,” Gaines concluded. “That’s not worth living for. But I would challenge you today—and I believe this is why the Lord had me come here—I would challenge you for the rest of your life to seek to be faithful to Jesus Christ, be faithful unto death, and one day, Jesus will give you the crown of life.”