Comfort Causes Christian Confidence

Context of 2 Corinthians

As we transition from 1 Corinthians, where Paul addressed issues of immaturity and disunity—including the painful excommunication of a man involved in incest—we now see 2 Corinthians as the follow-up. It focuses on restoration, maturity, and unity through greater obedience to Christ and fellowship with one another.

2 Corinthians teaches what Christian maturity looks like: growing in holiness, obedience, and unity, viewed through the lens of suffering and resistance to sin. As Christians mature, they study God's Word to discern their responsibilities within His family. The two primary challenges they face are sin and suffering—the sources of all Christian problems.

Sin is pursuing our desires against God's will. Suffering encompasses troubles like depression, sadness, or any difficulty that brings pain. Without these, life holds no problems. Maturity means learning from Scripture how to replace sin with obedience.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too. If we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; and if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which you experience when you patiently endure the same sufferings that we suffer. Our hope for you is unshaken, for we know that as you share in our sufferings, you will also share in our comfort.

For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. He rescued us from such a deadly peril, and he will continue to rescue us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted to us through the prayers of many.

(2 Corinthians 1:3-11)

The Purpose of Every Troubling Situation

Every hard, difficult, or problematic situation has God with us—to comfort us and teach us to rely on Him. Every troubling situation has purpose, even if we don't immediately understand it. The overarching purpose is to teach us to trust Him and receive His comfort.

The greatest tragedy would be missing God's comfort—His sweet embrace of encouragement—without even knowing what we're missing.

The Psalms show a rollercoaster of emotions: highs of praise ("You'll never leave me!") followed by lows ("You've abandoned me!"). Yet God, never truly absent, allows us to feel His distance so His presence becomes sweeter. He ordains hard situations so we experience His comfort fully. It feels good—it's a privilege. Without pain, we couldn't grasp its full weight.

It's better to endure God-decreed pain to feel His comfort than to avoid pain altogether. We are ruined by sin, incapable of handling troubles rightly on our own. God teaches us to depend not on ourselves, but on Him.

Comfort Causes Christian Confidence

1. The Frequency of God's Comfort

The frequency of Christian comfort builds confidence. How often does God comfort His people? Every time. He is the "God of all comfort" who "comforts us in all our affliction." No degree or frequency of difficulty is excluded—every affliction qualifies.

To comfort (Greek parakletos, like the Holy Spirit) means to be present beside someone, holding them up—like helping someone walk on a sprained ankle. It encourages, builds up, changes our attitude and ability to endure, even if circumstances persist.

What counts as affliction? Bad test grades, a rough day—not just martyrdom or poverty. No situation is too small. God doesn't rank sufferings hierarchically; He decreed them all. We shouldn't complain or dismiss our pain by comparison—God comforts in every case.

What if we don't feel comforted, even in deep loss? Feelings aside, Scripture promises He does comfort us. The question isn't if, but how.

How God Comforts Us

One explicit way: so we can comfort others "in any affliction" with the comfort we've received. God uses His people as instruments. Have you isolated from fellowship? Are you using God's comfort to encourage others—changing their atmosphere, helping them endure?

Comfort isn't specialized training; it's God's presence shared. You don't need to be "equipped" or a pastor—the Holy Spirit in you suffices. It equips you because you've received comfort yourself. No need to match exact afflictions; any comfort from God qualifies for any need.

Other ways: Run to Scripture, where God has spoken on sin, suffering, and life. Or recognize we might refuse comfort—focusing on trouble like Peter on the waves, ignoring Christ's presence.

We can even receive God's grace "in vain"—letting it slip through like water through spread fingers, or seed on bad soil. In adversity, we turn to sin (drunkenness, fornication, entertainment) for relief, distracting from God's comfort. Refocus: He comforts always.

Christians comfort through presence, accountability, and the Spirit. Even if faithless, God remains faithful. His comfort is life-sustaining—the difference between enduring hellish circumstances with quality of life or despair.