The Bible interprets itself, through context and related passages. There are seven passages where this precept is discussed and the context in each passage is either Salvation, Judgment or Rewards, which explains the intent of the precept. It makes perfect sense and accords with the whole council of God that Salvation, Judgment and Rewards would be universal precepts applicable to all saints. Except for these three areas, God is at liberty to deal with us differently, individually and uniquely. He created us as unique individuals with unique pathways of transformation, reflecting our uniqueness. We are born into different cultures and life situations having unique mixtures of attitudes, proclivities and personality traits, have different innate interests and desires, are susceptible to different temptations, face different trials and chastening, have different callings and giftings, and drag behind a long train of unique and constantly changing life experiences. Jesus said the way to eternal life is difficult: Our uniqueness makes our confirmation into the nature of Christ uniquely difficult
Some examples: John the Baptist spent 30 years in the woods eating bugs, followed by a three month local ministry before losing his head. Stephen, the newly appointed deacon, was stoned to death before he could get new business cards printed, while Phillip, Stephen’s classmate in the first class of deacons had a long impressive ministry, raised four godly daughters, and became the first, and so far the only, flying deacon. The Apostle John, whom Jesus loved more then the other disciples, lived to a ripe old age dreaming of heaven; all the other apostles were tortured and killed while in the prime of life. The Apostle Paul suffered far more than anyone recorded in scriptures, was denied healing by God, and was beheaded in prison, while Jesus’ friend Lazarus was raised from the dead to a long and peaceful life. God blinded one man for thirty plus years to demo His Glory, and blinded Pharaoh’s heart, leading to his destruction. Jesus healed only one person out of the “great multitude of sick, blind, lame and paralyzed” at the Pool of Bethesda. And then there is Hebrews 11 where the great faith-life of Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, … etc., is juxtaposed with others whose likewise great faith-life was demonstrated with torture, scourging, imprisonment, stoning, destitution, affliction, and tree-saws through the body. Enoch lived a blessed life, literally walking with God for three hundred plus years then was transported home by God bypassing death. That sounds a little biased if you’re the one who has a date with a tree-saw! God does not treat His children all the same: We are all called to adversity but the specifics and degree differ widely, due to our uniqueness and God’s plans for us. The good God brings from bad will always outweigh the bad, producing patience, unswerving endurance, faith, godly character and integrity, joyful confident hope in eternal salvation, and radiant agape love, releasing the strength and power of God in our lives. Sounds like Spiritual Maturity. Conformance into Christlikeness is not produced through a life of Health and wealth. Paul understood this to the point of literally rejoicing in infirmities, troubles, suffering, hardships, afflictions, persecutions, in a nutshell adversity, referring to them as momentary “light afflictions” that produce for us a vast transcendent eternal glory. We only see a cloudy half-picture of what God is doing in us and through us in others, in allowing adversity to draw us Godward. This purposeful intentional God demonstrates His goodness by His laser-like focus on our transformation, never deviating from His plan, loving us too much to leave us the way we are. “You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
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