You won't hear this from most, but it is the Word of God. Just as Jesus was led into the wilderness, as Peter was sifted by the devil, we have our time of testing and, humbling and purifying. Jesus comes as the Refiner's Fire. We have very little choice, in this life we will be tested!
I see many posting judgments against people who went through a divorce or some other sin like these people have no hope. These people forget that Jesus made a priority to see the Samaritan women at the well. The scripture says, It was imperative for Him to go.
He also appeared before His ascension to Mary Magdalene, a women who He cast out seven demons. Our testing or furnace could come in the form of temptation, divorce, death or sickness! It does not make us discards in the sight of God!
We don't become people of no hope! God never tempts us, but we have in us the habits and appetites of the old man that need to be purged from us.
In the end what matters is God forgives sin. At the foot of the cross is level ground. Everyone is as guilty as the next. No exception! We all need a Savior! There is only One and His Name is Jesus! No matter what you have done, He will reveal Himself to you. There is no sin so dark that the blood of Jesus cannot cleanse! He did not come looking for good people! He came for the sick, for the sinner. He came for you and He came for me!
What matters is not what we have done, but our faith in what He accomplished on the cross! It does not matter how we have started, but how we finish!
Don't listen to the Pharisees of our time!
Believe on Jesus!
Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.
Luk 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
Jesus did not pray that Peter would not be sifted, He allowed the sifting.
My thoughts from the Philippines.
