1 PETER 4:12-13
"BELOVED, THINK IT NOT STRANGE CONERNING THE FIERY TRIAL WHICH IS TO TRY YOU, AS THOUGH SOME STRANGE THING HAPPENED UNTO YOU; BUT RJOICE, IN AS MUCH AS YE ARE PARTAKERS OF CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS; THAT, WHEN HIS GLORY SHALL BE REVEALED, YE MAY BE GLAD ALSO WITH EXCEEDING JOY."

DO NOT THINK IT IS STRANGE; APPARENTLY BELIVERS DURING PETER'S TIME WERE ASTONISHED THAT THEY HAD TO SUFFER AS CHRISTIANS, ESPECIALLY TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY WERE SUFFERING. FOR CHRISTIANS, THE PURPOSE OF SUFFERING IS TO PROVE THEIR TRUE CHARACTER, TO CLEAR AWAY THE DROSS OF SIN AND ALLOW THE PURE NATURE OF CHRIST TO SHOW ITSELF. CHRISTIANS SHOULD EXPECT AND PREPARE FOR SUFFERING. SUFFERING WILL BE PART OF THE CHRISTIAN EXPERIENCE UNTIL CHRIST RETURNS (SEE ROMANS 8:18-22).